FACT – There is no such thing as a perfect family. Every relationship and every family has challenges. Miscommunication, temporary disconnection, hurt feelings, and anger are normal. It’s how we deal with these issues that matters most. The goal should be to ensure that we don’t let them take over our lives and ruin […]
Who Taught You About The Real World? Read More »
Raising awareness about the need to help teenagers in foster care ‘secure’ a forever family through adoption or to help them develop a support system of caring adults who will assist them after their foster care services end is essential to improving their quality of life. I am honored to have been featured as a foster care
How Can Foster Care Lead to Adult Homelessness? Read More »
Like many working adults, I attended classes in the evening while pursuing my Master’s degree in Social Work. There were very few men in my courses. I don’t remember the gentleman’s name or the class we were taking together but there was a discussion about our career goals. While many female come classmates expected to
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Years ago I was employed as a Family Support Worker in a community-based organization in a section of the city with the highest poverty, teen pregnancy, HIV/STI, drop out, and unemployment rates. Before each family received services I was required to do a home visit. Some of my clients were teen parents and others were
Let Foster Teens Invite You In Read More »
We have become a society that sensationalizes pessimism. The local and national news grabs our attention with depressing or shocking stories. Controversial headlines lace the front pages of our favorite internet search engines. Political progress has been bogged down with threats of crisis and doom. Even childhood nursery rhymes have been turned into dark movies
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Each year, an estimated 20,000 young people “age out” of the U.S. foster care system. Many are only 18 years old, have not experienced consistent nurturing and stability, and still need support and services. Several foster care alumni studies show that without a lifelong connection to a caring adult, these older youth face challenges to
Teens In Foster Care Need A Loving, Supportive, Stable Family Read More »
Manuella is a tenth grade student in foster care in the state of New York. Manuella loves photography, creative writing, soccer, and music. Manuella is determined to complete high school and attend college in California. She has her eyes set on higher education in San Francisco. Manuella plans to become a professional photographer. She
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Many young people just want a job. They want a paycheck. They want to earn money and are not interested in building a career at this stage in their lives. That is OK. Instead of applying for every job in the mall, I encourage focused job hunting. If a teen is allergic to animal fur
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Job Hunting I Go Read More »
It seems every business, celebrity, and adolescent with a pulse has a Twitter account. Are you a part of the Twitterverse? If you are not I’m willing to bet that the teens in your life are. Myspace has been laid to rest, Facebook is on its last leg, and Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr are occupying lots
Tell My Supervisor to Tweet Me Read More »
As a busy professional, I choose my television viewing very carefully. I really don’t watch that much TV but when I watch a program that gets my seal of approval I blog about it so I can share it with you. CBS (network) has created programming to capitalize on the economic downturn and tough job
Is Your Teen Looking For A Job? Read More »