Respite providers are a vital part of treatment foster care teams. In the general sense, respite is a break or period of rest in a busy schedule. Our respite providers care for children either in their home or the foster home. This allows foster parents to get the break they need to re-energize and continue […]

Supporting a foster child’s relationship with their biological family is as essential as providing food, shelter and other basic needs. Family Works foster parents and staff were fortunate enough to learn from Alice Egan about how to facilitate these crucial relationships in our October 2020 virtual training.     “The best and most effective foster […]

Wisconsin foster youth need homes now. The need for more homes existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and has only increased over the past 6 months. If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent, this is the time to apply. Right now foster families and respite providers are needed more than ever. Youth are in desperate […]

Curious about becoming a foster parent and not quite sure if you have what it takes? You may already have the right qualities, simply from living your life! When fostering, you will need to be able to support youth as they learn and grow. Having parenting experience is helpful when fostering but not required. There […]

Would you ever withhold water from your child? How could your child thrive and grow without water? Water is essential to life. And yet, we treat something else that is essential to life as if it can be withheld. I challenge you to think of this as if it is as essential to the internal […]

Giving Matters You can’t get better at something without doing it, and most importantly for children, they cannot get better at something without seeing it modeled for them. Believe me, I know, I get it. The children in our care have picked up some heavy baggage along the way, and I also know that simply […]

One thing I would like to let others know about foster care is that it is not for everyone. Although adoption/fostering has added depth and greater purpose to our lives, it can open many negative avenues that you have never thought of. In a negative light, I would encourage any potential foster parent to enter […]

I read a book on orphanages in a high school psychology class. That was my first inclination to work with children in need of a home. Soon after reading the book, I found out that happily, orphanages were not the norm any longer in the United States. I set aside the orphanage thought and went […]