Fostering Changes: Treating Attachment-Disordered Foster Children (Paperback)

~ Richard J., Ph.D. Delaney (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Fostering Changes' is a 'must read' book for anyone who works with or lives with the abused or neglected child who is in foster care or in an adoptive placement. It does a superb job of explaining 1) how the abused or neglected child develops a negative working model of the world; 2) how this negative working model is reenacted in future placements; and 3) the effects of the reenactment on the current caregiving family and helping adults. Dr. Delaney then follows up with suggestions for ways to intervene with problematic behaviors." -- Vera Fahlberg, M.D.

"'Fostering Changes' is an excellent resource for training foster parents. It gives a clear, easily understood format for foster parents that want to learn more about the children in their care." - Bonnie McNulty, Foster Parent for 33 years, Region VIII Vice-President of National Foster Parent Association, CEO of Presidio, Inc. "It would have been great to have had this book five years ago, when I started foster care. It is such a useful tool for sorting out the many odd behaviors, not normally experienced in society's so-called normal homes." -- Terry L. Bullard, Foster and Adoptive Parent

Product Description

Fostering Changes addresses the following questions: What is attachment? Who are attachment-disordered foster children? What can be done to help them?

Fostering Changes is a practical book for those who care for, treat, and live with emotionally disturbed foster children...often the victims of phsyical abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation and abandonment. Though these young victims can be removed from the source of abuse and neglect, they take with them the invisible, internal scars of early maltreatment. These scars are often seen in attachment disorders - the vestiges of early disruption. This book provides optimistic, yet realistic, guidelines for intervention with disturbed foster children. It outlines a hopeful course of treatment for Fostering Changes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Wood 'N Barnes Publishing & Distribution; 2 edition (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885473192
• ISBN-13: 978-1885473196
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #968,263 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical guide to understanding problem behavior, February 25, 1998

By	Colleen M. McDonald (Rockford, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fostering Changes: Treating Attachment-Disordered Foster Children (Paperback)

Many people, including new and prospective foster and adoptive parents, presume that "replacing" a "bad" family with a "good" one will normalize children who've been neglected or abused. It's suprising when these kids, who "should" be bending over backwards to please their new parents, repeatedly lie, despite being caught red-handed; pick fights when things appear to be going smoothly; and set up their "replacement" moms and dads to play the role of bully.

Fostering Changes provides a framework for understanding why so many foster kids engage in anti-social, self-defeating behavior despite months, and even years, in healthy, loving foster homes. It also describes the dynamics which can result in disrupted placements, even in families where seasoned and highly capable foster parents feel well-equipped to handle children with "special needs."

This book, written as a practical guide for both professional and lay persons, is easy to read, with a minimum of jargon, numerous case examples, and charts summarizing key points. It's clear that Dr. Delaney, a psychologist, has a great deal of experience with emotionally disturbed children and a wealth of compassion for the pain of foster parents seeking to be healers. As a foster parent, I "saw" myself in these pages and "heard" Dr. Delaney telling me, "No, it's not just you," "There is hope," and, "You're not alone."

My only major criticism is that Delaney uses most of the book to explain "the problem" and says relatively little about what to do about it. His follow-up book, Troubled Transplants, is a helpful sequel which emphasizes therapeutic intervention.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do not hesitate - Buy this book!, July 6, 2004

By	Nancy Waines (Welland, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Anyone who is a Foster or Adoptive Parent, needs this book on their bedside table! Simple to read, easy to understand, and enlightening for all, dealing/living with "kids in care". I would reccommend this book be mandatory for all Child Care Agencies to provide to Foster/Adoptive parents!

Thank you Mr. Delany and please keep the books coming!