Hi TAMMers!
So a few weeks ago, on the eve of our son's 4th birthday, my husband told me he'd been thinking, maybe we should think about adopting a child. This is a complete 180 for him! Exciting!!!
We are strongly considering doing Foster-to-Adopt. I've been reading, researching, delving into blogs ever since my husband made this announcement. We are going to our area's Adoption and Foster Care information session next week.
We would only accept very young kids for now- no older than our son. If we are accepted and receive placements, we know that we will likely have several before- if ever- we are able/agreeable to adopt a child. And, although we are looking currently at youngsters, my first post-college jobs were in mental health working with kids, at first individually, then at a residential treatment center, with an on-site locked hospital for kids; I have some experience with the behaviors that many abused/traumatized kids can have. I am not completely naive about the incredible challenges and difficulties that can be part of raising a traumatized child.
I have read just about every blog and forum I can find. Most of what I've found either documents difficulties with older kids, and/or just generally difficulties dealing with the foster care system. I wonder if this isn't just a self-selection issue, similar to what we see on TAM, where the people who blog/forum are generally people having difficulties.
I did a search on TAM to see if anyone has posted about foster care, and there are very few posts, mostly from a few years ago. So I figured, might was well put another one up.
So- are there any foster parents on TAM? Anyone who has adopted a child out of foster care? Do you have any words of wisdom? Anything you wished you knew back at the start, or anything you would have done differently? Care to share?
So a few weeks ago, on the eve of our son's 4th birthday, my husband told me he'd been thinking, maybe we should think about adopting a child. This is a complete 180 for him! Exciting!!!
We are strongly considering doing Foster-to-Adopt. I've been reading, researching, delving into blogs ever since my husband made this announcement. We are going to our area's Adoption and Foster Care information session next week.
We would only accept very young kids for now- no older than our son. If we are accepted and receive placements, we know that we will likely have several before- if ever- we are able/agreeable to adopt a child. And, although we are looking currently at youngsters, my first post-college jobs were in mental health working with kids, at first individually, then at a residential treatment center, with an on-site locked hospital for kids; I have some experience with the behaviors that many abused/traumatized kids can have. I am not completely naive about the incredible challenges and difficulties that can be part of raising a traumatized child.
I have read just about every blog and forum I can find. Most of what I've found either documents difficulties with older kids, and/or just generally difficulties dealing with the foster care system. I wonder if this isn't just a self-selection issue, similar to what we see on TAM, where the people who blog/forum are generally people having difficulties.
I did a search on TAM to see if anyone has posted about foster care, and there are very few posts, mostly from a few years ago. So I figured, might was well put another one up.
So- are there any foster parents on TAM? Anyone who has adopted a child out of foster care? Do you have any words of wisdom? Anything you wished you knew back at the start, or anything you would have done differently? Care to share?
Put the internet to work for you.
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