Library Assets

Adopting a child can sometimes come with added layers of challenge, the sum of which may take you and your family in a direction no parent could ever truly anticipate. It can feel like your world is being turned upside down. There may be times when children with significant needs are best served in an […]

On Trauma Some years ago, we spent an entire year focusing on the topic of trauma. So much has changed in the intervening years that we thought it was time to turn our attention back to trauma for this Winter 2019 edition of Partners. As adoptive and foster parents, you are truly on the front line of […]

Fostering a child or youth with special health care needs can be both incredibly rewarding and challenging. One of the first steps in this journey is learning how to navigate the health care system and how to access community resources. This can take time, energy, and patience, but these initial investments will have beneficial results: […]

On Trauma Today, more than ever before, foster and adoptive parents are learning, hearing, and dealing with the impacts of trauma on youth and young adults and how they can help those who have experienced trauma react, respond, and heal. This edition of Fostering Across Wisconsin includes articles titled: Forecasting the Unknown: Possible Long-term Effects of […]

As foster parents, you do your best to nurture the children in your care, knowing they have experienced loss that affects them deeply. Understanding loss and how it shapes children allows you to do a better job of parenting them in a way that promotes their healing. Download the tip sheet Author: Coalition for Children, […]

Trauma can have an impact on a child’s physiology, emotions, ability to think, learn, and concentrate, impulse control, self-image, and relationships with others, including their relationships with their siblings. These complex emotional bonds can lead siblings to resort to acting out their feelings, rather than talking about their feelings. This tip sheet includes information about […]

The story began like a dream… A child is born with all the possibilities of a bright future. Nearby, a loving family waits for the son they have always dreamed of. When they become a family, little league, playdates, birthday parties and college scholarships all seem within the grasp of this all-American family. But when […]

Entering the journey of foster care and adoption can be one of the most daunting decisions that you make as a parent. Parenting a child who has experienced trauma and loss is a rewarding experience, but it’s not easy. For better or for worse, adoption is a lifetime commitment. Foster care is a commitment to […]

Choosing to adopt can be overwhelming, rendering you anxious, hopeful, and confused. This no-holds-barred guide gives you the authentic offerings of Rachel Garlinghouse’s ten-year (and counting) commitment to encouragement, education, ethics, and empathy. From the day  you first consider adoption, through the homestudy process, the waiting, placement, and finalization, Rachel offers both practical and heartfelt […]

Meeting the Needs of the Whole Family We chose to write about the impact of what it means to champion a child who has been touched by foster care and/or adoption because we know that sometimes the extra love needed is for yourself. The energy it takes to regularly ride the roller coaster of behaviors, […]