Foster Parents Speak:
Crossing Bridges
and Fostering Change

Discussion & Resource Guide

Video Produced by
PhotoSynthesis Productions
in collaboration with
NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.

Introduction:

In the post-ASFA world, family foster care is viewed as a temporary extension of the child's family, not as a replacement for it.  In this new approach foster and birth families work as teammates with caseworkers in caring for children.  Foster parents are, and will be, challenged to create shared parenting relationships with birth families and agencies that protect children in a community of care as they move through the system.  Creating those relationships requires an effort on everyone’s part.  There must be planning, good communication and cooperation among all parties for shared parenting to work. 

The video, “Foster Parents Speak: Crossing Bridges and Fostering Change” presents ten foster parents speaking candidly about the challenges in developing and nurturing shared parenting relationships with birth families and professionals to benefit the children in their care.  They share real life techniques and strategies for improving communication and cooperation to create partnerships that support children in the foster care system.

Discussion Starter Questions:

Before viewing the video, talk about your perceptions of foster parenting in general and foster parent roles as members of the permanency planning team, mentors, and co-parents with birth families. After viewing the film talk about whether or not any of your perceptions about foster parenting and relationships between foster and birth families have changed.

• What new things did you learn from the video? How do you think this new insight might change you?
• Did anything in the video surprise you?  If so, what?  Why was it surprising?
• Which things in the video were most like your own experience?
• Which things in the video were most different from your own experience?
• If you could ask the foster parents in the video a question, what would you ask them?

Chapter One: it takes more than Love

“You must be ready for this job, that is the first thing. It is a great challenge”

• Becoming a Foster Parent – A collection of internet links and articles from NYSCCC, www.nysccc.org/Foster%20Parent%20info/fosterpardir.htm
  
  
• Self Assessment Readiness Guide – Hillside Family of Agencies, Inc., Rochester, www.hillside.com/PDF/fosterparent_pamphlet.pdf
  
  
• Fostering By State - Links to the State agencies that train, license, and oversee foster parents, Link to About.com, http://adoption.about.com/od/bystate
  
  
• Communicating with Professionals – www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/commpros.htm         (PDF version)
  
  
• The LINK Family Initiative: Linking Information Networks for Kids – www.nysccc.org/linkfamily/linkmain.htm
  
  
• A Foster Care Reading List, /www.nysccc.org/Foster%20Parent%20info/FCBooks.htm     (PDF version)

Chapter Two: Keeping Kids Connected

“The relationship of the child and the birth family is important.
An effort should be made to keep that connection.”

• The Importance of Birth Parents to Children in Care – www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/importance%20of%20parents.htm     (PDF version)
  
  
• A Young Child’s View of Foster Care - www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/childsview.htm       (PDF version)
  
  
• Family Focused Foster Care -  www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/HelpingBFConnenctions.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Children’s Reactions to Loss: Common Behavior Patterns of the Grieving Process - Denise Goodman, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/GriefLoss.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Telling the Whole Truth to Adopted and Foster Care Children: Why Do Children Need to Know the Facts? - Jane Schooler, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/TellingtheTruth.htm      (PDF version)

Chapter Three: Crossing Bridges

“You've got to find common ground. The common ground is the Child.”

• Shared Parenting - http://www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/SharedParenting.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• What Do You Think? - Electronic Newsletters on Permanency topics by Robert G. Lewis, MSW, www.highpopples.com/archive.htm (see shared parenting topics in particular)
  
  
• Fostering Perspectives: Working With Birth Families, North Carolina Division of Social Services, http://ssw.unc.edu/fcrp/fp/fp_vol4no2/vol4no2_birthparents.htm
  
  
• Foster Families Working With Birth Families to help Move Children to Timely Permanence – Natl. Resource Center on Family Centered Practice and Permanency Planning, www.nysccc.org/Video/timelypermanence.pdf 
  
  
• Bridging the Gap - Family to Family Tools for Recruiting and Retaining Foster Parents, Annie E. Casey Foundation - www.aecf.org/Home/MajorInitiatives/Family to Family/Resources.aspx 
  
  
• Communication Basics - National CASA Association,  www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/CommBasics.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• The Reflective Foster Parent, Michael Neff, Esq. www.nysccc.org/Foster%20Parent%20info/Reflect.htm     (PDF version)
  
  
• Empathy, Genuineness, and Respect: The Building Blocks of Relationship - www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/EGB.htm      (PDF version)

CHAPTER FOUR: Understanding Birth Parents

“We must remember that parents love their children.
No matter what caused them to break up in life, they love their children.”

• Birth Parent Feelings about Separation – National CASA Association, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/parentsfeelings.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• The Bio Bond – Arvin Publications, www.arvinpublications.com/foster3.html
  
  
• The Birth Family Guide to the System, - Child Welfare League of America, www.cwla.org/childwelfare/familyguide.htm
  
  
• A Guide for Parents with Children in Foster Care- NYC Administration for Children, www.nysccc.org/Video/ACSparent_handbook.pdf      (PDF version)
  
  
• Family Stress and Risk Factors Associated with Child Abuse and Neglect - www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/Stress.htm     (PDF version)
  
  
• Birth Parent Partnering Tools - Casey Family Programs, www.nysccc.org/Video/partneringtools.pdf
  
  
• Assessing Strength in Children and Families - St. Christopher Ottilie, Inc. http://www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/asessingstrength.htm    (PDF version)

CHAPTER FIVE: Visits are hard

“Visits are hard for the kids, and they are really hard for the parents.”

• Making Visits Better: the Perspectives of Parents, Foster Parents and Child Welfare Workers  – The University of  Illinois, http://cfrcwww.social.uiuc.edu/pubs/pdf.files/visitperspectives.pdf
  
  
• Best Practice Guidelines for Family Visiting – NYC Administration for Children’s Services,  http://home2.nyc.gov/html/acs/downloads/pdf/asfa_3.pdf  
  
  
• Family / Child Visiting - A collection of articles and resources from the National Resource Center for Family-centered Practice and Permanency Planning, http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/family-child-visiting.html
  
  
• Advocating for Creative Visitation, The Center for Family Representation, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/visitadvocacy.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
•  Parent / Child Visits Practice Notes – North Carolina Division of Social Services, http://sswnt7.sowo.unc.edu/fcrp/Cspn/vol5_no4.htm
  
  
• Family Visiting for Children in Out of Home Care - NYS OCFS Informational Letter, www.nysccc.org/linkfamily/Realities/VisitationPracticePaper.pdf   

• Supporting and Retaining Foster Parents - The National Council of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/slr2711.htm
  
  
• Starting and Nurturing a Parent Group: A Guide for Leaders - North American Council on Adoptable Children,  http://www.nacac.org/parentgroups/parentgroups.html  
  
  
• Foster/Adoptive Parent Group Resources – A collection of web links and articles from the NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children, Inc., www.nysccc.org/fapadir.htm
  
  
• The Agency Role in Supporting Birth/Foster Family Collaboration – Heather Craig-Olsen, Child Welfare Institute, /www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/collaboration.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Supports I Wish Were Available in My Community - A foster parent wish list compiled at the Fall 2003 NYSCCC LINK Family Gathering, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/supportwishlist.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Locating Helping Resources and Becoming a Service Detective - www.nysccc.org/Parent Group Resources/locatinghelpingresources.htm     (PDF version)

 

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Chapter seven: Going Home

“The relationship is still important today.  It didn't end when she left my home.”

• When Foster Children Leave: Helping Foster Parents to Grieve -  Susan Edlestein, Child Welfare League of America Practice Forum, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/whenkidsleave.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Preparing Kids for Adoption – Professional Parenting, Arvin Publications, www.arvinpublications.com/foster6.html
  
  
• When a Child Leaves – Professional Parenting, Arvin Publications, www.arvinpublications.com/foster7.html
  
  
• Reaching Permanence – NYC Administration for Children’s Services Practice Manual, www.nysccc.org/Video/reachpermanence.pdf
  
  
• Thoughts on Foster Parent Grief - http://www.fosterparents.com/articles/index58grief.html

 

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Chapter Eight: One Life At A Time

“We can’t change the world, but we can do our best, one life at a time.”

• Why Become a Foster Parent - Child Welfare League of America, includes advocacy and foster parent support tips for those who decide not to foster.  www.cwla.org/articles/cv0305foster.htm
  
  
• Advice for Foster Parents in the Post-ASFA World - Margaret Burt, Esq., NYSCCC Newsletter - www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/AdvicePostASFA.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Effective Foster Parent Advocacy in Permanency Planning Hearings, Margaret Burt, Esq.,- www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/courtadvocacy.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
•   Foster Families and Leadership - Al Stumph, www.nysccc.org/Video/HTMLversion/fosterfamilyleadership.htm      (PDF version)
  
  
• Advocating for Your Foster Child - Adoption in Child Time, Inc., www.nysccc.org/Video/FosterCareAdvo.pdf
  
  
• Advocacy, Taking Action to Make a Difference - North American Council on Adoptable Children, Inc.,  http://www.nacac.org/parentgroups/advocacy.html     

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Foster Parents In Order of Appearance

	Beverly Lee Flynn
	Chris and Tim Fahy
	Rose Karluk
	Tammara Pickard
	Thomasena Newton
	Brenda Crump
	Janet Henry
	Virginia Mistry
	Robert Voss
	Renita Davie
	Kelly Graven
	Maggie Campbell

foster Parents Not On Camera

Cindy Furman

Helen Moyer

Diann Weber

 

Download Complete Script - pdf format

View a Clip of the Video

Order Video On-Line

To order contact PhotoSynthesis Productions
418 North Tioga Street • Ithaca, NY 14850
Tel: 607.272.4242 Fax: 607.272.4241
www.photosynthesisproductions.com

For more information about adoption and foster care contact:
NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children, Inc.
410 East Upland Road • Ithaca, NY 14850
607-272-0034 • fax 607-272-0035
office@nysccc.org
www.nysccc.org

Development of the original video and discussion guide was supported in part by a grant from
the Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to The Salvation Army of Syracuse.
Release in DVD format with Spanish translation was made possible by support from
the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning.