Author: Carol Lozier

Publisher:

Published: 2012-05-14

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 9781477474778

Finally, a practical, reader-friendly book for adoptive and foster parents!The first part of The Adoptive & Foster Parent Guide effortlessly explains topics that are pertinent to adoptive and foster families including: the four attachment styles, detachment (which leads to attachment disorders) and unique family issues, such as: family triangles and birth families. All attachment styles are clearly explained along with practical strategies, scripts, and stories to show parents how to create a healthy attachment or relationship. Many families struggle with triangulation where one person feels like an outsider in the family; the book illustrates how to change this unhealthy dynamic. The subject of birth family raises many questions and feelings for parents, and this chapter shows options through numerous family examples. This information will be helpful to the newly arrived home family as well as the experienced family. Adopted and foster children enter a family with a history of loss and/or trauma. In the second half of the book practical strategies, vignettes, and tips teach parents how to maintain a calm home, manage their child's behavior, and heal their child's trauma and loss through the guidance of step-by-step instruction. Since most opportunities to heal a child's loss or trauma occurs in the home, this part of the book equips parents to re-create an incident with a better outcome forming a healing experience. As a result of early deprivation, children may see a few to many professionals, and typically are also involved in school or community activities. Commonly, parents believe that a provider will manage their child's care but in actuality, this is often not the case. The third part of the book explains how parents can arrange, monitor, and coordinate their child's mental and physical health care.