Articles

During the summer of 2025, the Foster Youth Initiative (FYI) of Santa Clarita, CA, rallied community resources to address a need. Carolyn Olsen, FYI’s executive director, explained, “Sadly, food insecurity is a common challenge for Santa Clarita’s foster youth who live below the poverty level and must stretch their limited resources to pay for housing, […]

In our memories, life has a way of dividing itself into a before and after, with a cataclysmic event in between. The day your parents divorced. The day your brother died. The day you left home. Before that day, life seemed to progress predictably through a series of small changes and slow growth. After that […]

I was 15 years old in Mrs. Feldman’s home economics class, attempting to sew a T-shirt and growing more despondent by the minute. When she described the assignment, Mrs. Feldman gave one piece of advice: Do NOT purchase plaid fabric. I had been doodling instead of listening and purchased plaid fabric — in purple. Matching […]

What is bonding?The terms “bonding” and “attachment” are often used interchangeably. Bonding is the initial process of forming a connection. This connection can occur between a caregiver and child, friends, colleagues and others, through common interests, work, roles and similarities in cultural practices and experiences. For example, employees hired and trained at the same time, […]

All responses taken from our Facebook groups: Foster Parenting Toolbox and Kinship Parenting Group. Is it a challenge to get your kids outdoors? We asked current foster, kinship and adoptive parents how they encourage outdoor activity and play time. Here’s their advice: “Depends on the kid, personality, age, etc. sometimes I set specific outside times […]

Summertime is the ideal time to get outdoors for days filled with adventure, picnics, sunshine, summer sports and all things vitamin D and fresh air. However, an occasional rainy day may have the family stuck indoors. While everyone can appreciate a lazy morning and the crisp smell of a rainy day, most parents know it […]

All responses taken from our Facebook groups: Foster Parenting Toolbox and Kinship Parenting Group. Summer provides the perfect opportunity for families to spend time together. We asked current foster, kinship and adoptive parents what their favorite family summer activities were. Here’s what they had to say: “We’ve always camped with our kiddos growing up, moved […]

by Jena Hengstler With the school year nearing its end, many parents are thinking about how to help their children fill those long summertime hours. Summer can be a magical time of growth, connection and memories. Teachers are often wary of the summer slide, the term used to describe the academic regression that can sometimes […]