As a foster parent, you have many responsibilities. You are responsible for every child within your home. You're in charge of how they act, how they treat each other, and how they deal with any emotional or mental problems or setbacks. You're in charge of their health and making sure they're taken care of. This can be a lot to handle, especially if you have multiple children living in your home and depending on you, but it a duty you willingly signed up for. Because of this, you have a responsibility to follow through with your commitment. Failing to do so could hurt your foster children more than they already are. Some of your foster children will have come with emotional baggage and from traumatic life events. They need stability and security. They need to feel safe and loved and needed. You can provide your foster children with that. However, if you can't cope, it's important to find another foster parent who can. These children come first. To help deal with your stress and concerns about yourself and your foster children, take a look at the pages below. Remember, even when you're having a hard day, know that you're not alone. There are resources and people out there ready and willing to help you. All you have to do is ask.

Abusive Child
Sometimes, you may find that your children are abusing each other. This can be torturous for you as a parent, and as a foster parent. Some situations can be extreme. One young girl ... [more]

Runaways, Parenting Skills, Family in Crisis, False Allegations, Discipline, Culture & Race, Behaviors, Safety
Once you become a Foster Parent, it is important to consider the safety issues in your home. Below I will list questions that walk you through a safety check-list. It is important to have ... [more]

Health
Attachment & Bonding Sources of information, guidance, and treatment professionals for attachment and bonding concerns, including Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) ... [more]

Fostering Teens
Foster children have a hard time trusting others, and this is especially true for teens. By the time the child reaches her teen years, she has been shuffled from home to home and school to... [more]

Stress
There were several studies conducted in the early 1980's that indicated that child abuse occurred at a higher rate in foster homes than in the general population. Although those studies may not.... [more]

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