Category: Adoption / Foster Care Issues
The Good Therapy Blog
April 19th, 2012 |
Your social life, the quality of it, was wired into your gray matter by the age of 3, according to current thinking on child development. After a minute of contemplating that statement, the immense impact of early childhood caregivers becomes clear. This subject comes to mind after reading a recent news story about Artyom Saleviev.
Artyom was first in the news in 2010. He is the Russian boy who was adopted by a U.S. couple, the Hansens, 3 years ago. After being part of the Hansen family for 5 months, Artyom was put on a plane bound for Russia by his adoptive mother. Artyom carried a letter which... Read More
April 12th, 2012 |
Foster care providers face challenges that most caregivers never experience. Children placed in their care come with a history of negative experiences that can include neglect, sexual abuse, violence, emotional unavailability, mental abuse, verbal abuse, exposure to drug and alcohol use, and other traumatic events. These children often lack the basic skills necessary to develop healthy relationships with caregivers and cannot interact in empathetic and understanding ways with peers and others. Because these children had impaired attachments... Read More
© Copyright 2012 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Santa Barbara Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
February 28th, 2012 |
Children are removed from their homes and placed into foster care when their home environments are physically or emotionally unsafe. Children who are neglected, victims of sexual or physical abuse, or mistreated in other ways often spend time being cared for by a foster family. In Manitoba, Canada, more than 7,000 children received these services in 2008. The majority of these children have deep psychological scars that they struggle with, and many experts... Read More
© Copyright 2012 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Boulder Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 25th, 2011 |
“Approximately 95% of foster children experience at least one placement disruption while in out-of-home care, and the adverse effects of these disruptions on psychosocial functioning are well-documented,” said researchers who recently conducted a study to examine the effectiveness of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Preschoolers (MTFC-P). The... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Silver Spring Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
March 28th, 2011 |
For many couples, the decision to have a child is a no-brainer. After a year or two of married life, they decide they’re ready to transition from newlyweds to parents. If they’re fortunate enough to conceive easily, a bouncing baby girl or boy usually arrives within the year. Sounds so simple doesn’t it? Well, not for those of us with chronic illness.
There are many factors that go into the decision to have children when you’re ill.
-What are your doctor’s thoughts on your illness and pregnancy?
-Will the pregnancy make your condition worse?
-Will the treatments you receive for... Read More
December 29th, 2010 |
I often hear parents describe their life as being on House Arrest. This may appear harsh initially, but completely understandable when parenting children with attachment issues and special needs. The experiences that a “typical” family may be able to participate in become luxuries. Time and space become overcome by screaming, tantrums and embarrassing behavior issues. More often than not, the family feels as though no one else can care for the child because of their extreme needs and... Read More
November 8th, 2010 |
To combat suicide nationwide, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently awarded a $22.4 million grant to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), which provides “state-of-the-art suicide prevention expertise to states, tribes, and communities” nationwide. The SAMHSA funds will be used to address suicide prevention in specific at-risk populations, including LGBT youth, youth in the juvenile justice system or foster care, young Latinas, and Alaska/American Indian natives.... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Woodland Hills Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
October 25th, 2010 |
In a comprehensive report called “Keeping the Promise,” the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute is calling for better support services for families with adopted children. While most families are success stories, says the report, a few face stark challenges. Children whose lives began in situations of abuse or neglect, or who were institutionalized early on, often need additional and intensive counseling, therapy and psychological support to grow past their early experiences. The report’s recommendations include more funding... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Mill Valley Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 10th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Children in the foster care system are at risk for a number of both short- and long-term mental health issues. This is even more the case for kids who were maltreated before entering foster care. Among these kids, depression is particularly prominent, and untreated through therapy and other intervention, it can lead to a risk of suicidal behavior. Post traumatic stress disorder is also quite common. Other mental health risks for children in foster care include dissociation, ADHD, conduct disorders, and social problems. Medicaid claims indicate that up to 57 percent... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Roswell Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 17th, 2010 |
The dreams we have for our families and for our children are full of deep expectations, some stated and many unspoken. This is true for families that have biological children and also true for families who choose to foster and adopt. You want to make a difference in the world and love a child that needs you. You want to offer your support and guidance and give a child the opportunity that he/she may have never had. The most frequent thing I hear from parents is “I just want to help”. The best foster and adoptive parents know that helping a child involves not only a desire, but also the ability... Read More
April 26th, 2010 |
Unplanned pregnancies can be quite a dilemma, a real crisis to find yourself in. Having fears and concerns about how you’re going to deal with this is normal and it’s common for anyone to ask, “How am I going to get through this difficult time?” Taking the time to go through a process of exploring your options can be very empowering. One of the options available to you is placing your baby for adoption. Developing an adoption plan to help you move forward will be one of the most difficult decisions you can make, but it takes maturity, and shows you are putting your child’s needs before... Read More
April 15th, 2010 |
It is common for children and adolescents in foster care/adoptive situations to exhibit challenging behaviors, some of which can be severe. It is equally common for parents providing care to these children to become upset and overwhelmed by what they see. Before parents are reaching the point where they themselves may have a behavioral episode, I always remind them to remember the environment that their child came from. By remembering what this child was experiencing during their formative years, we can better understand the behaviors we are seeing now.
Most likely, a child entering foster... Read More
April 7th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
The effects of some types of institutionalized care on children have been documented as potentially debilitating in the past, with consequences noted for both the physical and psychological health of young people who are raised outside of the typical family environment. In a report just published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a research team investigated the differences in developmental growth and related factors in children who were either studied in foster care... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Miami Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
