Foster care is a term many families use with pride, providing support and guidance for many children and teens in our communities. Fostering is the opportunity to encourage growth, healing, and healthy relationships in hopes families will reach their full potential. As common as the term “care” is, it can be hard to achieve for many families.

My 7th grade daughter has failing grades in several classes. This has been a problem for several years. We have taken her phone away many times, and while that does persuade her to complete her homework, it does not last, and the bad grades continue. It’s a constant battle. What can we do to help her manage herself and change this behavior for good?

As foster parents, the worries arise as they are preparing a room for the new child they received a brief description of. They ask themselves: how do we ensure they feel supported; what resources will they need on days like this; how can we ease the stress they might feel; how do we create a welcoming environment and create a positive transition? 

Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety and elevate your mood. Our staff at Nexus-Mille Lacs Family Healing will often organize activities and events outdoors to provide positive experiences for our youth struggling with mental health issues. On a frigid cold day in March, our staff organized an exclusive event just for our youth— the opportunity to participate in their first-ever fishing derby!

A fixed mindset often focuses solely on the end result. A growth mindset focuses on the journey and the effort put in, and not on the end result itself. Neither of these are wrong nor bad, as encouraging your child is always a great thing to do. However, by parenting from a growth mindset, you instill the idea of resilience and learning to achieve goals. So, how can you move your family from a fixed to a growth mindset? 

Welcoming a foster child into your home? Download our shopping list to help you prepare.

Test your foster care knowledge with this fact or fiction resource sheet.

My mother-in-law is very critical, and she makes negative comments about things I say or do, and this really bothers me. My husband is aware and even though he agrees that she is inappropriate, he never sticks up for me or says anything to stop it. It makes family events very uncomfortable. What can I do to encourage my husband to come to my defense?

While the words “employee recognition” and “employee appreciation” are often used interchangeably, they are very different. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for both; however, it is important to understand their differences and apply them correctly for optimal outcomes.

Help! I have a 22 year-old son who lives at home and plays video games all day. He has no motivation to get a job or go to school, and I can't tell if he is being lazy, or something more. It's like he's afraid or he doesn't know what to do with his life, so he does nothing. Friends of his from high school have seemed to move on, found jobs, or started living their life. I thought that might motivate him, but it hasn't. How do I help him find his motivation and get off of the computer?