Creating compassionate foster care : lessons of hope from children and families in crisis / Janet C. Mann and Dr. Molly D. Kretchmar-Hendricks ; foreword by Glen Cooper.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mann, Janet C., author.

Kretchmar-Hendricks, Molly D., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Foster home care.

Foster children--Family relationships.

Foster children.

Family services.

Family social work.

Child welfare.

Physical Description:

253 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

London, UK ; Philadelphia, PA : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017.

Summary:

Inspired by over 20 years of work with families in the child protection system, Janet Mann, an experienced foster parent, and Molly Kretchmar-Hendricks, a professor of developmental psychology, have written this book to tell the stories of some of the children and families they have served. Janet, with her husband Paul, developed an innovative approach to foster care-The Children's Ark-which afforded birth parents the opportunity to reside, under supervision, with their children during evaluation and treatment. Drawing on this experience, along with current attachment research and theory, the authors share a relationship-based approach from which to reimagine foster care in ways that are child-centered and both more compassionate and more effective. Through their stories, they draw valuable lessons to help foster carers and professionals better respond to the complex needs of children and families in crisis. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Lessons Learned from Children and Families

Chapter 1 Rickie 33

The inspiration of Rickie and his family 33

Research and theory: An overview of attachment theory 40

Chapter 2 Rachel 46

A disorganized toddler 46

Principle 1 "I am here. You are worth it" 48

Principle 2 Behavior as need 50

Principle 3 Cues and miseries 51

Principle 4 "Being with" 53

Principle 5 Repair 55

Principle 6 State of mind⁹ 57

Research and theory: Disorganized attachment and foster care 59

Chapter 3 Barbara and Nathan 63

Repeating the pain of the past 63

Research and theory: The Circle of Security intervention 66

Nathan's transition 69

Research and theory: Transitions that support children 72

Nathan: Follow-up 73

Chapter 4 Hannah and Ashley 74

A story of two girls: Part 1 74

Research and theory: Trauma, attachment, and the developing brain 78

A story of two girls: Part 2 82

Research and theory: From foster care to adoption 86

A story of two girls: Part 3 88

Chapter 5 Lucy 90

Lucy's history 90

Our ongoing relationship 97

Lucy's future 99

Research and theory: Children with special needs in foster care 102

Chapter 6 Desirae and Her Children 106

Discouraging reunification 106

The lessons 110

Lesson 1 Safe parenting is not an information issue, but rather an emotional integration issue 110

Lesson 2 Being engaged in a caring, long-term relationship within the safety of a holding environment optimizes growth and change 111

Lesson 3 Meeting the needs of children and families at risk requires an ability to hold with compassion the ambiguity of good people doing bad things 112

Lesson 4 Real change takes time 114

The implications 114

Research and theory: The intergenerational transmission of caregiving 116

Part 2 Ideas for More Compassionate (and More Effective) Foster Care

Introduction to Part 2 122

Chapter 7 Through the Byes of the Child 127

Considering the child's experience 127

Validating the child's experience 129

Creating child-centered environments and interventions 130

When to stop intervening 134

Knowing when not to start 137

When children lose their parents 139

Research and theory: Reimagining foster care far infants and young children 142

Chapter 8 Insights into Intervention 146

Keeping the child's experience at the center 147

Recognizing that parents were once children too 148

Continuity and reliability of relationship 152

Being who we are 152

The process takes time 154

Telling the truth 156

Underlying theoretical foundation 158

Focus on reflective functioning 165

Research and theory: Attachment-based intervention with at-risk families 173

Chapter 9 The Meaning and Measure of Change 178

Prerequisites to change: Resilience 178

Tenacity 180

Capacity for relationship, reflective functioning, and empathy 181

Hope 181

Prerequisite to change: Surrender 185

"The Shift" 185

Understanding change 189

Success 193

Success: The children 194

Success: The parents 195

Research and theory: The seeds of change 197

Chapter 10 Final Reflections 202

Putting children first 202

Parents' need for ongoing support 204

Support for foster families 205

Systemic change 206

Research and theory: from science to practice and policy 210

Recognizing the costs of separation 211

Creating secure and stable placements 214

Building community 216

A wider view of reform 218

Being in relationship 219.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Other Format:

Online version: Mann, Janet C. Creating Compassionate Foster Care.

ISBN:

9781785927270

1785927272

OCLC:

978712677