Becoming a foster parent can be an incredibly rewarding experience but can also be very challenging, especially for first-time parents. There are many potential emotional issues that may surprise foster parents, who may feel overwhelmed and have a sense of insufficient support from the community. But people who choose to become foster parents are performing wonderful deeds, and the library offers many means of support for them. Below are some of the resources we have available.
Use our online Universal Class for Positive Parenting Techniques that will help you learn how to facilitate easier day-to-day interactions with young children, understand how children process and manage their emotions, and develop their sense of self through their interaction with the world around them.
We also have many books available at the library on foster care and how to be a successful foster parent. The Connected Child offers advice on how to incorporate foster children into an already existing family unit and build trust with them. The Foster Parenting Toolbox has advice from caseworkers, curriculum creators, and experienced foster parents on how to deal with the potentially difficult situations that may arise in the course of being a foster parent.
To the End of June is a look at the weaknesses and failures of the U.S. foster care system. It tells how foster parents can find success in spite of these deficiencies and details the push for changes within the system. The Foster Parenting Manual provides an explanation of how the foster care system currently functions, the history of foster care in the U.S., and how foster parents can better work with the caseworkers and birth parents. A Guidebook for Raising Foster Children offers practical suggestions compiled from many foster parents, including how to prioritize issues and when to seek professional help.
Many local organizations exist to help foster parents on their journeys. Play Therapy Essentials offers multiple types of therapy to families, has a registered play therapist on staff, and offers EMDR therapy for issues relating to trauma and panic. Embrace Treatment Foster Care and Intercept Health both provide specialized foster home treatments for children who have been removed from their homes for unforeseen circumstances. Barker Adoption Foundation is a comprehensive adoption center that offers domestic older child adoption from foster care, domestic infant adoption, international adoption, and life-long post adoption services. Spotsylvania County's Department of Social Services has a program that recruits, trains, and supports foster/adoptive families that is run by Marilyn Gressett. She can be contacted at 540-507-7817.
We have many books and resources available at the library for foster parents at any stage of their journey. You can also use the links available from the National Foster Parent Association if you need additional materials. The federal National Foster Care Month and Virginia Department of Social Services pages also contain a wealth of information and resources. Remember that as a foster parent you are not alone, and Central Rappahannock Regional Library will strive to find all the resources it can to support you.
Foster care is most frequently administered through local social services offices. Click the name of each jurisdiction for its contact point: Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland County.
Here is a list of books that people considering becoming foster parents may find helpful:
Discusses the unique challenges faced by African American youth in foster homes and provides lessons on how to live independently.
