Some States do LITTLE for Older Youth in Foster Care to be Adopted

Thed US Department of Health & Human Service Adminsitration for Children & Family Services have released the data for states who made efforts to increase adoptions of “older youth” in the foster care system across the United States. It appears some states have made strong efforts to accomplish this as indicated by the incentive dollars [...]

One Can Return Home Again!!!

It has been said by many, including myself from time to time, that one cannot go home again. Well this past weekend I in fact did go home again. It is not your typical home but it was home for me for seven plus years of my youth.
I had spent the first eleven years of [...]

ORPHAN…A Movie to Boycott!!

Orphan, a new thriller about a demonic adopted child, has enraged adoptive parents who are calling for a boycott.
Melissa Faye Greene—mother of five orphaned kids recently wrote a blog entry on The Daily Beast advocating a boycott against this movie. I completely agree with her views as well as many other adoptive parents across the [...]

Children of the System

New research supports a radical shift in child-welfare policy for the thousands of teens who ‘age out’ of foster care at age 18, only to face high rates of homelessness, unemployment and incarceration. The system is failing thousands of youth under their care each and every year, 29,000 youth faced aging out last year.
By Daniel [...]

7 Yr. Old Foster Youth Hangs Himself!

Personal Note: When I read this article for the first time I cried for Gabriel. At age 7 he decided life was no longer worth living. It brought back to me memories of my own years in foster care.
By the age of 10 I had been in foster care since the day of my birth. [...]

2008 A Bad Year for Foster Care…Prospects for 2009!!

 
 A few hours ago we turned the final page, read the last paragraphs and finally closed the book called 2008.
 
We know how dreadful a year it was in regards to our economy, many losing their jobs and homes, more people without health care, falling apart infrastructure and the list goes on and on. We know [...]

Family Giving Up Custody of Abused Boy!

I find this story absolutely sickening, deplorable and sadas this boy’s life may already be destroyed as well as the family that adopted him in hopes of giving him a better life.
To tell the adoptive parents that for him to get help he must be given up…and in the end the system will just let [...]

Story of a Surviving Orphan Train Rider

From the mid 1850’s to to 1930 over 200,000 youth were moved by train across the United States. Many were adopted while others ended up in orphanages or other type of foster care.
In some cases their families knew of the move and in other cases the youth were just removed from the streets and placed [...]

Law Lets Little Boy Down…Destroys Family!!!

How could the system allow such a travesty to happen…and they wonder why youth involved with the system may turn out, in their words, bad! Do they think of the potential damage they are causing to this boy? Cases such as this absolutely disgusts me and is but more proof the system needs dramatic overhaul!!!
Law [...]

North Dakota “Angels in Adoption” Award Recipients

This article appeared in my local newspaper this morning announcing our state’s winner of the Angel in Adoption Award. This is the second time I have been able to share this family’s story with a wider audience than just Fargo, North Dakota.
Family lauded for adoptions
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Tuesday, August 12, 2008
 
A West Fargo family [...]

Foster Care Data for FY2006

The United States Foster Care System
 

FY2006 Foster Care Data
The U. S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families collects data each year from the states as to their foster care system. This, along with other resources provide for the base of this analysis. There is usually a 2 year lapse in [...]

Christmas Wishes!

I want to take this early morning opportunity to wish each of you, my readers, the full richness of the Spirit, Joy and Blessings of the Christmas Season!
As you rush to complete those last minute details in preparation for the day I pray each will take a moment to remember those who are less fortunate than [...]

Do You Know What ASFA of 1997 Really Says??

A decade ago, children were more likely to spend years in foster care as authorities tried again and again to reunite them with their biological families.
Reunification at ALL costs appeared to be the ultimate goal of the various state agencies. Young lives were being damaged at best and destroyed at worst with this philosophy.
The 1997 [...]

Imagine this was YOU!

For a brief moment, close your eyes; free your mind and imagine a baby, or a 2, 4, 6, or 10 year old and playing with their favorite toy.
All of a sudden, there’s a knock on the door. The foster parent opens the door and in walks a nicely dressed lady. The lady briefly speaks [...]

December Heroes to our Foster Youth

This is the third month since this particular blog entry began. I have found it extremely interesting searching the Internet as well as various other resources available to me in making my selection
My selection this month came down to two possibilities. One was a family in my own local community (Fargo, ND) who adopted four [...]

Foster Care; “Right to be Heard”

As stated in previous blog entries; I belong to a number of on line message boards dealing with foster care and adoption.
One, of numerous, issues I have seen from foster parents is proceedings being conducted in which they were not advised of or not being given the opportunity to be heard at proceedings. This is [...]

CPS and the First Christmas

I wonder how things would have been if CPS had been around 2007 years ago for the first Christmas:
INFANT DISCOVERED IN BARN, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES LAUNCH PROBE
Nazareth Carpenter Being Held On Charges Involving Underage Mother
Bethlehem, Roman-occupied Judea – Authorities were today alerted by a concerned citizen who noticed a family living in a barn. Upon [...]

How Long Must They Languish in Limbo?

For a number of years it was the intent of our child welfare system that ALL efforts should be to reunify a family after a child was removed from their biological parent(s) for abuse or neglect. Because of this effort thousands of youth remained in foster care for a number of years without permanency. They [...]

A National Adoption Day Celebration

 
Yesterday began as just a normal fall day in Fargo, North Dakota. It was however to be a special day.
I was driving through a light snow fall to the Cass County Courthouse to attend a National Adoption Day ceremony. I had not attended one before and thus had no clue what to expect.
The outside walkway [...]

What Foster Parents Wish Social/Care Workers Knew & Did

I have mentioned in previous entries that I belong to various on line message boards dealing with foster care and adoption.
Recently I was reading threads on a board I belong to and came to one that definitely drew more attention from me than many others that day. It was entitled, “What foster parents wish social [...]