EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CREATE CAMPFIRE MEMORIES

Author: Jade Gutierrez – Digital and Content Specialist   Creating family memories doesn’t need to be complicated. Imagine your family snuggled around a cracking campfire, laughing at your kid’s silly story with the lingering taste of charred marshmallow...

Kris’ Corner – You should never disrupt a placement, Part Two

As I mentioned in Part 1 of this “two part series”, we ended up disrupting two placements. And since this is clearly NOT what should happen, I want to discuss some ways I believe that at least one of these disruptions could have been avoided. Let me begin by saying...

Kris’ Corner – You should never disrupt a placement Part 1

OK so I’m about to delve into something I don’t like to discuss because it makes me feel as though I failed. I’m an enneagram Type 1 so if you’re into that sort of thing, you’ll understand that I am something of a perfectionist. And even though I am aware that I am...

Kris’ Corner – Does 1 parent need to stay at home?

As you may recall from the post about Foster Parents Must Be Married, (spoiler alert in case you have not read it): foster parents do not have to be married; single people can absolutely be foster parents. So if we understand that foster parents can be single, and we...

Kris’ Corner – Protecting your child’s story

One role of a foster parent which isn’t often discussed is that of “keeper of the story”. And what I mean by that is that as a foster parent, you are tasked with preserving and holding the story of the child entrusted to your care… So what IS the big deal about the...

Kris’ Corner – Foster care isn’t what you think it will be

So I have been ruminating this week about what we thought foster care would be like versus what it has ended up being for us. This will obviously be very different for every single person, but here are just a few of my thoughts and ramblings. Six years ago last week,...

Kris’ Corner – Not every foster child has medicaid

For once a belief some people have about foster care is actually true: not every child who comes into foster care has Medicaid. Albeit, most of them do enter the system on Medicaid…but not all of them. But before anyone panics and thinks that you shouldn’t be a foster...

MORE THAN JUST A PET: HOW ANIMALS BENEFIT OUR MENTAL HEALTH

Author: Sandi Lerman; Families First Community Educator   As I write this article, my fluffy rescue dog Thor is curled up happily at my feet, blissfully ignorant of the global pandemic and all the sudden change and chaos it has brought to our lives. Thor is...

Kris’ Corner – It takes so long to get licensed

This is one thing that people sometimes “wah wah wah” to me about…” It just takes so long to get licensed.” But honestly, it is more about how motivated someone is to get their foster care license. True, there are aspects about the licensing process over which you...

Kris’ Corner – Am I too old to foster?

OK, so there are days when I have the thought, “I am too old for this!” But, I know it is not really true. Naturally, there may be an age when an individual might be too old to foster, which will vary from person to person…I’ll grant you that. But, it is WAY older...