Foster Care

The Wikipedia definition of Foster Care is:

A system by which a certified stand-in “parent(s)” cares for minor children or young people who have been removed from their birth parents or other custodial adults by state authority.

Sounds so cold…how about

A system by which a parent who enjoys being with children, is able to handle change and stress, has a sense of humor and is flexible; opens their home to a child and lovingly helps them through a difficult phase of their life. These parents provide structure, basic necessities and a great deal of comfort to a child that is in great need of these things.

Why Adoption Life Books?

Adoption Life Books serve several purposes. Adoption Lifebooks are therapeutic because they help children cope, understand and heal. They are also a good record keeping devise for important family history.

Adoption Life Books are serious in places but should also have sections that are simply fun for the child. They tell a child’s story. The child should have enjoyment in telling about their likes, dislikes and positive family memories. In so many cases, the child’s past may be difficult, but Adoption Life Books also assist in allowing the child to address these issues while working with a social worker.

Adoption World Specialties is the leader in Adoption Life Books.  Our website showcases all of our adoption books, and each life book is available to order easily, and conveniently, online.

Lifebooks or Life Books? Which is the proper way to write “Life Books”? Is it”Life Book” or “Lifebook”? I was curious and began looking into this matter. Overall, I find both ways used consistently. Perhaps “Life Book” was the original way to write it. But over time, “Lifebook” became a term for therapeutic workbooks that help a child make sense out of a chaotic past. They are not simply a book about a child’s life. I almost think using it as one word defines the importance of these publications.

PS For the record, spell check prefers Life Books! : )

Bibliotherapy.  Adoption World Specialties specializes in Adoption Life Books.

Bibliotherapy is the use of books to help people solve problems. Literature can help a child increase their self understanding and become better at expressing their feelings. When a child reads about a story character that they are able to identify with, they are better able to examine their own thoughts as well.

Life Books should be a part of the bibliotherapy tool chest. They help foster and adoptive children connect to their current situation as well as their beginnings. They create a living history for children dealing with a chaotic past. They help answer questions about birth families, helping them make sense of loss, trauma and change. The base Life Book actually assists the child in writing their own story. A Life Book is not a scrapbook of memories. It is a specific therapeutic tool. Examples or stories given along the way can open up a child, giving them an opportunity to process their own information which can involve issues such as anger and abandonment.