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A woman drinking a smoothie

Staying Healthy When You’re Stretched Thin

Let’s talk about self-care for foster parents, shall we? It’s a hot topic that is beautiful and necessary in theory and often feels impossible in practice. When each day is unpredictable, especially as many of our children deal with night terrors and other nighttime disturbances, how do we find the time and mental, physical, and emotional space to take care of ourselves?
Foster Family

Finding Belonging in Foster Care

The word ‘family’ is commonly interpreted as a group of individuals bound through marriage, blood, or adoption consisting of two parents and one or more children. The question at hand is what makes a household a family? Is it the fact that they are related, live in the same home, or is it because of the connections they have to each other? My definition of family is someone who you can go to for support, ask for guidance, depend on, and have unconditional love for you.  
Struggling Teenage boy at school

Talking to Students About Suicide

Suicide can be a very difficult topic to discuss. Teachers often feel helpless to prevent student suicide, but they probably underestimate the impact of their words on their students. Honest and caring conversations about suicide can save lives. Not only can students in emotional pain benefit from these talks, but their peers can begin to recognize warning signs among their friends and gain the courage to act.
Mother helping two daughter write a crisis plan

Creating a Crisis Safety Plan With Your Child

Are you a planner? As a parent or caregiver, what if there was a way to plan for more than just the monumental moments in life? However, there may be unforeseen moments throughout our children’s lives that lead up to these milestones, and we want to ensure that your child reaches these milestones safely. It is important to help your child develop a crisis safety plan for moments when life may feel a bit too heavy to handle on their own. 
Mother showing love to daughter

Parenting Tips for Suicide Prevention

Suicide is and has been for the last decade, the second leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States. The reasons why suicide occurs are often not well understood, leaving family and friends wondering what could have been done differently. Here are some things you can do as a parent to help your child if there is a concern about suicidal thoughts or actions.
Father talking to son

Using the 5 Senses to Support Your Child’s Mental Health

There are many ways children tell us how they feel and it is not always through words. As we enter another school year, parents, caregivers, teachers, and others need to be aware of the different ways children communicate. One way to “hear” what a child is nonverbally communicating is by analyzing the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
Mother doing homework with son

Last Minute To-Do's Before Back-to-School

Summer vacation will soon be over and the new school year will begin. There are many ways to help get your family off to a great start in the new school year by scheduling doctor appointments early, creating a routine, getting organized, and building a partnership with your child's teacher.
Father taking son to school

5 Tips to Tackle the Back-to-School Season

Back-to-school season is always a time of nerves, adjustment, and -- let’s be honest -- straight chaos. It is a time of getting back into routine and preparing for the year ahead. Now, we find ourselves also trying to navigate what a (somewhat) post-pandemic world looks like in our schools. Check out these five tips to help families tackle back-to-school season with their children.
A mom and a dad helping their two kids get ready for school

End of Summer – Slump or Frenzy?

Summer is slowly coming to an end. Many families are experiencing a mixture of feelings, both positive and negative. Some of the positives are a desire for normalcy while some of the negatives are continuing to worry about the impact of COVID-19. No matter how you are feeling as summer draws to an end, remember, your most important job is to teach your children to be successful adults.
Bored Children

Busting Your Child’s Summer Boredom

For parents of school-aged children, the phrase “I’m bored” can crop up in the middle of summer. Trying to fill your child’s time may add stress or anxiety to your already busy schedule. Check out these four tips on how to help bridge your child's boredom.