Let’s talk about some natural supports for foster parents. Sometimes people ask me, how do you survive at this foster parenting thing…how do you even do it?” And the answer is lots of support. Support while fostering can, and should, come from several different...
In this blog, I want to help you understand important sources of support. Department of Child Services (DCS) is definitely one, as well as the agency you may have gotten licensed through. (in this blog I presume it to be Children’s Bureau). Many of you have probably...
Has the pandemic wrought havoc on your haven? Is your dining room barely discernible from a garage sale? After nearly a year of living, working, schooling, and playing at home, perhaps your space could use a good ol’ fashioned spring spruce up. Getting everyone...
I know some of you might be getting tired of me discussing holidays and birthdays and how they affect foster kids and the foster family…so I assure you that this is (probably) the last blog on this topic, at least for a while. Focusing on holiday and birthday...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Annie Martinez 317 625-6005 amartinez@childrensbureau.org Children’s Bureau and Families First Sign Merger Agreement INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (January 21, 2021)— Children’s Bureau and Families First, two of Indiana’s most established...
I already discussed how holidays can look with the addition of (or at least acknowledgement of) biological parents and the inclusion of foster children in the foster family festivities. But, we still have a whole year of other holidays and birthdays in front of us....
Sometimes, a child is placed in the home and it seems like he is a perfect fit into the family. But as time goes by, and his case plays out and he becomes legally free, the foster family does not adopt him. Why is that? I am sure that for people who have not yet...
Some Americans are trying a new resolution this month: Dry January, a month-long break from alcohol with the goal to improve health. Others are working on long-term sobriety. If you fall somewhere in the continuum of abstinence, here are some tips for staying the...
The Substance Use Program at Families First is a system constantly in motion. We offer two levels of support groups tailored to addiction intervention, with multiple running at any given time. These groups are designed to be accessible, informative, and up to date...
Do you ever have trouble keeping your New Year’s resolutions? You’re not alone. Most of us start the year with the best of intentions. But after a few weeks of our best behavior, we sometimes go from “full steam ahead” to “out of gas.” The biggest pitfall with New...
