Memoirs of a Baby Stealer: Lessons I've Learned as a Foster Mother (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Mary Callahan never planned on writing a book about her experiences as a foster parent. She had only one goal as a parent, to help the children in her care. But as she learned their stories, it became painfully clear that the Child Welfare System had no sincere regard for the welfare of children. Callahan realized the only way to truly help the children was to tell their stories.

Written from the unique perspective of a foster parent, Memoirs of a Baby Stealer chronicles Callahan's experiences with five foster children, shedding light on the inadequacies of the Child Welfare System in this country. As the author explains, "They are taking kids from places that aren't that bad, putting them in places that aren't that good, and completely ignoring the bond that exists between parent and child."

About the Author

Mary Callahan is an emergency room nurse, cardiopulmonary nurse educator, and foster parent. She is the author of FIGHTING FOR TONY, an account of her own research that led to a cure of her son's autism, as well as numerous articles on parenting, nursing, and foster care. The mother of two children, Callahan resides in Maine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Pinewoods Press (April 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972598308
• ISBN-13: 978-0972598309
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #404,756 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone considering foster care, June 19, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Memoirs Of A Baby Stealer: Lessons I've Learned As A Foster Mother by Mary Callahan is the personal account of a foster parent and her struggles to cope with an uncaring child welfare system -- one that, in the words of the author, is "taking kids from places that aren't that bad, putting them in places that aren't that good, and completely ignoring the bond that exists between parent and child". Callahan's struggles and effort to help children, defend herself against unsubstantiated charges, dealing with power politics, and relate the stories of those in her care make Memoirs Of A Baby Stealer very highly recommended reading for anyone considering offering themselves to their community as a foster care resource.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book - smart, honest, insightful, May 4, 2004

By A Customer

Considering Callahan's choice to raise therapeutic-level foster children (children diagnosed with behavioral and emotional abilities) one is first impressed with the author's ambition.

But it is the honesty, the frank and sometimes humorous descriptions of the successes and failures that endeared this reader to the book itself.

Callahan is a smart and intuitive foster mother, trained as an emergency-room nurse, who is great with the kids and has a special ability to step outside of the complex and emotional circumstances in which she finds herself. One is struck by the conclusions she arrives at as she is able to consider the situations in a clinical objective fashion. At one point she diagnoses a child in her care to have a rare genetic disorder, an affliction missed by doctors and social workers who had been shuffling the child around in the "system" for years.

It is the sudden and clear insights offered by Callahan during the tale that are most impressive about this story. Combined with true caring and compassion, common-sense offered in a world gone down the rabbit hole, this is a well-written, an easy and enjoyable read.

I think that this book is more than just a must for anyone who has had contact with the foster care system - I think that non-foster parents with teenagers will also find it to be a moving and worthwhile read about the struggles of raising children.

Callahan has become well-known in Maine recently as an activist looking to improve the foster care system, and a bright and articulate spokesmen for the children and parents who encounter foster care. This is a writer with many dimensions, extensive personal experience, and growing respect and influence in the foster care community.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opening our eyes to the foster care system, July 10, 2003

By A Customer

Mary Callahan's "Memoirs of a Baby Stealer" provides a frank first-hand account of the challenges of being a foster parent and dealing with the foster care system in Maine. If the experience of being such a care giver is not daunting enough, the lack of support and hostility faced, at times, from those administering the rules of the child welfare system would have been enough to dissuade even the most ardent of caretakers. It seeems as if one did not ask questions regarding the well being of children in their care or question their authority, things ran as always. Ms. Callahan vividly chronicles the challenges in the lives of five of her foster children. Hopefully, through her perseverance in presenting their stories, those who are in a position to do so will be motivated to improve the plight and lives of all of those in foster care.