A Guide to Foster Parenting: Everything But the Kids! (Paperback)

by Mary Ann Goodearle (Author) "We come together in this profession of foster parenting from many different backgrounds, professions and interests..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Most people entering the profession of foster parenting become quickly disillusioned when they realize that parenting children is only half of their job descriptions. The other half is survival in the foster care system itself! There is plenty of training available for parenting difficult children, but no one prepares foster parents for what comes along with their foster children, namely, a whole entourage known as the foster care treatment team!

Foster Parents require much more than parenting skills to achieve success and longevity in today's foster care world. The goal of this book is to help foster parents improve the climates where they live and work, which in turn enables them to be available for needy children for the long run.

Foster care agencies experience huge turnovers in foster parents. That is because the majority of people entering this field have altruistic motives to help children succeed without possessing the knowledge they need to survive on the foster care treatment team.

Foster parents most begin to see themselves as equal professional member of their children's treatment teams. Living with foster children 24 hours a day, seven days a week makes the foster parents the highest level of experts about those children. The problem is that they are not recognized as experts by the other members of the team!

This book will help foster parents take a more aggressive approach to educate themselves about the inner workings of the foster care system and be able to make better sense of why the other players on the team do what they do. The author's insight as an adoptive and foster parent, and also as a foster care social worker provides information to the reader from both prospective. It is a must read for all foster and adoptive parents and social workers!

About the Author
Mary Goodearle and her husband of 37 years, Allen, live in Mena Arkansas on a mini-ranch with their three adopted boys, the youngest of their 9 children. Mary earned her Bachelor\'s Degree in Sociology from CA State University-Sacramento, and her Master\'s degree in Human Services and Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She is a former child-protection social worker and foster care program coordinator for Outagamie County DHHS in Appleton Wisconsin. She also worked for the State of Wisconsin as an adoption facilitator. Mary and Allen have been foster parents to over 40 children with special needs. Today they work together presenting training seminars to foster parents all over the country. Mary also works with Foster Care Resources and has articles about foster parenting appearing at www.fosterparents.com. To learn more about her topics and availability for training, go to www.fostercaretrainer.com. "While most foster parents have altruistic motives in their hearts, they must put survival in the system skills on their foster parenting resumes!" "In order for positive changes to take place in the foster parenting environment, the playing field between foster parents and the other treatment team members must be leveled!" "Foster parents require much more than good parenting skills to achieve longevity and success in today\'s foster care climate!"

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412078474
• ISBN-13: 978-1412078474
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #639,575 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  
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• In-Print Editions: Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) |  All Editions