Foster Parents: What is the one thing people need to know before becoming a foster parent?

As a counseling services manager who has staff working with foster parents everyday, the number one consideration I think that foster parents should consider is the time commitment around interactions with the the birth parents. Other considerations should be the general perspectives around age, gender issues, and then behavioral issues..how will you best handle a child prone to destructive behaviors. I've known children who have pyromania issues.

I'm sure you have many elements you are covering so I won't go on, but that supervised visit issue with taking the children to social workers for visits and coordinating those visits with parents can be an issue.

Darcy, from the other side of the equation, the most important thing for me was knowing right away. My parents (adoptive) told me as soon as I was able to understand. Best way to do it.

This is what I know from foster kids that I have talked to is - This comes from them "The Foster Kid" 1. ) They hate when the family they are with has biological children and are treated like a 2nd class child. 2.) They need to be taught/modeled the correct behaviors.

3. ) Being aware of the reason why these children are doing what they are doing.4.) Look at our past where we came from, what happened to us, understand us.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.