Publisher's Synopsis
You CAN Foster Parent Long-Term and Stay Sane!
"A lot of ordinary days serving in your own home can actually add up to an extraordinary life." Part memoir, part call to action, and all practical guidebook, Simply Available invites you into a great adventure where you offer up your life and family to positively impact a child's future. The choice to offer generous hospitality by becoming a foster parent is a life-altering choice. You'll never see the world the same again. Parenting a child who has experienced trauma isn't simple. Lessons drawn from Abby's experiences in foster care and her mindset for fostering takes the guesswork out of how to build trusting and positive relationships with traumatized children, caseworkers, and biological families. With a direct frankness you're not likely to hear at any formal training, Abby helps parents:- Consider the expectations they may have for working with foster children, biological families, and child welfare agencies.
- Evaluate the impact of foster care on their personal lives and family structure.
- Discuss foster care fears and contemplate the positive outcomes of fostering.
- Strategize about how they can show up fully for children who've been wounded.
