Blog – Podcast – Foster Parents
Dr. Christopher Scott Wyatt is an autistic self-advocate and father of two neurodiverse daughters. He earned a doctorate while researching online education for students with autism spectrum disorders. His experiences living with physical and neurological differences shape his parenting. Wyatt consults with schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations on issues of autism, Neurodiversity, and active inclusion….Read more
At this point, I think we have all heard or even joined the chorus of voices crying out for the need for male role models in the lives of today’s children. In our own foster journey, we have noticed the constant lack of strong, positive male role models in the lives of most of the…Read more
According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer-term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have…Read more
For as long as I can remember my wife and me have had different parenting styles with our children. Whether it is Foster kids, adopted kids, bio kids, or just kids from the neighborhood hanging around the house we are just wired differently. Don’t et me wrong, we have similar goals and are on the…Read more
When Amanda and I first started doing foster care we noticed that there were a lot of sibling groups compared to single kids that needed a home. As time went on, we fostered almost exclusively sibling groups. As I think back I can only remember about 3 of the 20 or so kids that we…Read more
Provide a safe environment Provide the necessities of life Watch for any signs of special needs Help educate and mentor biological families Love Strength Provide a safe environment First and foremost, as a foster parent safety is of paramount importance. Having a home where the fear of being in danger of violent encounters and being…Read more
The process of adoption through the foster care system can be anywhere from fairly simple to time-consuming and complex. The short answer is that the foster to adopt process can take 6 months (plus the time for filing court documents), all the way up to 28 months if you are the first placement for a…Read more
Kids do not typically come into foster care without a good reason. Usually, there is some sort of trauma in their past and possibly in there present too. How do you talk to a child that has come through such a journey of unknown pain? Let’s just start by talking to them like they are…Read more
The truth is that there are very few things that we can’t make work in our lives. If you are pulled or led, or if you feel driven towards helping a specific group – you can make it work. I am not saying it will not be hard. Most likely it will not be “Mother Theresa ministering to the dying souls of Calcutta” hard. Doing things that are worth doing are almost always hard, but the reason we do hard things is that it is worth it!
There are some things you should never ask people that you don’t know. Questions like “are you pregnant” are probably best left relegated to the realm of thoughts you just don’t say out loud. As a foster or adoptive parent, you will hear people open their mouth and vomit ignorance all over with startling regularity! …Read more