How to Prepare for Court Hearings

Among the many obligations and meetings that we attend for the children currently in our home, court hearings are a necessary part of the process. Whether you have been a foster parent for years or you are just starting out, I want to share some tips for how to be the best advocate at a […]

Love Lost

One former foster youth shares the life-changing connection to her grandmother, and the heartbreaking loss she feels because of her COVID-related death. As many of you may know, the life of foster youth can be quite challenging, and if we’re lucky enough, we meet someone who changes it all. Someone who eases the unbearable pain, […]

Courage to Overreact

A lesson in chess becomes a teacher of life skills for one young boy in foster care as he navigates the system. By the age of 4, I was a quick-witted, trash-talking chess player. At this time in my life, my dad and I spent most of our days watching cartoons while he taught me […]

Making a Difference: How foster, adoptive and kinship families find the support they need

Motivational speaker Josh Shipp often shares his personal experience growing up in foster care with the underlying message of the power of one caring adult. For Shipp, it was two caring adults, his foster parents Rodney and Christine Weidenmaier. In his speeches, Shipp encourages adults to make a difference in a child’s life, sharing, “The […]

Let’s Talk About Not Trauma

As a foster dad and an outspoken foster care advocate, I find myself talking about trauma; like, a LOT. Despite all of the life-changing reasons why we need to talk about trauma more, I think our trauma-focused conversations are incomplete. In fact, we are often missing the more important half of the trauma-talk: the not-trauma. […]

Grief After Loss

For Winnipeg, Manitoba, foster parent Jodi Friesen, the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a child after being their longtime caregiver has looked different every time. Since 2016, she has parted ways with two children — one after eight months of care, the other after over a year. Also a parent of three biological children, 37-year-old […]

Collaborate and Grow

Youth who are currently in the foster care system often ask themselves, “Why didn’t my parents love me enough to be there for me?” Many times, the pain these parents inflicted leaves the youth questioning their existence. The innocent and pure seeds planted in youth who’ve experienced foster care have been poisoned and manipulated by […]