Foster Mom: A Journey of Self-Discovery (Paperback)

by Francine Hardaway (Author)
Key Phrases: foster mom, Francine Hardaway, Child Protective Services, Social Security (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Middle-aged, successful, Francine and her physician husband accidentally get involved with an inner city family whose life is ruined by drugs. Suicide, death and disappointment overwhelm their optimism.Despite their best efforts, they achieve only modest success with two of the children-a teen-age boy who has attachment disorder and becomes an addict himself, and a younger girl who acts out to get attention. A probing look at the foster care system, the effects of crack addiction, the influence of intervention at various stages of a child's life, and the failure of the liberal ideal.

About the Author
Francine Hardaway spent ten years trying to make a difference in the lives of one family while balancing her own children, profession and marriage. She lives in Arizona with one of her former foster children, two dogs, and a cat and writes for local publications. In her ?day job? as a partner in Stealthmode Partners, she ?fosters? emerging businesses.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: IUniverse (March 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595314317
• ISBN-13: 978-0595314317
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,262,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reminder to all on what it takes to Make a Difference, May 19, 2004

By	"joankw" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

FOSTER MOM is a caring and often gut wrenching protrayal of what too many of our children face in the foster care system. With no sugar coating of what poverty, drug abuse and neglect can do to a child, this true story will make you think about what YOU can do to protect our most important resource - our children. This is also a great book for parents and teachers to share with more mature teens who are trying to understand the impact of poverty and drugs on their generation and society. Kudos to Dr. Hardaway for having the courage to live and tell this story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "self-discovery" in the title also refers to yourself..., April 29, 2004

By	Rick Thompson (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Whether you are a parent or someone's child, you will see yourself in it - perhaps more clearly than if the book had been directly about you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Affecting peoples lives, December 31, 2004

By	Vincenzo P. Menanno - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Francine tells it like you are there ... She is involved, multifaceted, very dedicated, and very interested in affecting and help people through tough changes in peoples lives. How do I know this? I have had the fortunate privilege of meeting this person ... and she has helped me in my personal life (going for walks with her in the early Phoenix mornings), and she has also advised and counseled me in my business dealings.

I believe we can only truly affect change in the world by doing. And Francine is certainly a doer - by the many activities she holds, and the help she also provides entrepreneurs (and countless others) ... She has a way of imparting the reality and learning the lessons in life we sometimes don't want to hear.

There is a certain kind of beauty in seeing the truth and being with it - nice to see that there are people in this world who are sincere, who care, and who are doing things to help.

And I was fortunate to been able to spend time with her when I lived in Phoenix.