As I have said previously, I believe that creating a lifebook for our foster and adopted children is one of the most important things we can do for them. A lifebook contains the chronological history of a child’s life, pictures, artwork, memorabilia, along with information that reflects a child’s understanding of the difficulties and changes that have occurred in his or her life. The lifebook also highlights and celebrates the child’s strengths, hopes and dreams. For a child, lifebook work is a path to their memories and to a reinterpretation of their memories. It is also a path to understanding and integrating their memories. Lifebooks are great for children in foster care or who have been adopted. They promote healing and provide concrete understanding of the reasons why they were unable to return to their birth families. Lifebooks give children permission to love and cherish their adoptive families as well as their birth families.

The “Putting the Pieces Together” DVD provides instruction on how to do Lifebook work with children using a teamwork approach. It was great to see how the lives of these children have been impacted in a positive way by being able to discuss and work through issues they are dealing with. It made me very proud to see that the teenage girl on the video was using our teen lifebook, The Real Me. She had very high praise for what our lifebook meant to her and how it helped her. Making lifebooks available to the children is such a rewarding experience for me.

Help me get the word out. Lifebooks are great!

Earlier this week my sister-in-law mailed me an article from the July 12 New York Times. It was about the wedding of Victoria Rowell and Radcliffe Bailey. Victoria is best known for being an actress. She was in “The Young and the Restless” and “Diagnosis Murder”, as well as movies. Victoria is also a child advocate and author.

Victoria spent her childhood in foster care. In 18 years she was with many different families and collected lifelong memories from each. She shares her experiences in her book, “The Women Who Raised Me”.

In the article from the Times, her relationship with her husband is discussed as well as the beautiful ceremony. A group of the foster moms that raised Victoria led the processional into the church. The last foster mom she lived with, Sylvia Silverman, was quoted as saying, “It’s a wonderful union”.

After reading this article, I was intrigued by Ms. Rowell’s life as a foster child and her work with foster children today. I did a search on her name in order to find her website. Here is some information I learned after reviewing her site.

“Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan” was founded by Victoria Rowell in 1990 as a non-profit organization. The group strives to enrich foster children’s lives through artistic expression. The many programs allow children to attain a strong self-image, self-confidence, and a sense of personal achievement. At some of their camps, for example, children are able to reunite with siblings they were separated from when they went into foster care. Her website states that some studies have found that up to 75% of children in foster care are separated from at least one of their siblings when placed in foster care. Another focus of their programs is to promote participation in the fine arts or athletics.

Rowell has also been the national spokesperson for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s direct service arm, Casey Family Services. She has contributed much in the education and support of foster children. She uses her status as a celebrity to bring awareness about foster care to a national audience.

Ms. Rowell is someone to commend for her achievements in helping children. I recommend you visit her website and read some of the success stories written by foster children who were helped by RFCPP.

www.rowellfosterchildren.org

Victoria truly honors the foster families that raised her by the life she is leading today. AWS wishes her the best in her union with Mr. Bailey.

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