Showing titles in Adoption & Fostering

If you want to know how to be a better step parent, then check out this step-by-step guide. You will discover the effective tools and techniques on how to blend families together with less conflict and become a better step parent to the kids.

Two Heartscharts a course through a complex series of relationships stemming from the author's adoptive family, her maternal and paternal birth families, and an abusive marriage as the author seeks the one thing she so desperately wants: Family. It is the story of a woman's journey through unfathomable grief, of what it takes to go into the abyss of deep-seated wounding, to feel the pain, and to come out the other side, whole, healed, and thankful.

Faces of Foster Care has heartfelt and frank messages from people around the country who have been involved in some way with foster care. Told like mini memoirs, their inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking stories bring us into their lives and show us unique perspectives of foster care in the United States.

Best-selling audiobook on a young man's traumatic childhood in foster care. In 1990, at the age of t10, Daryl Brougham was told by a social worker he was useless and would end up in jail. By 1997, he had attended 27 schools, been through over 30 social workers and lived in more than 30 different foster homes. During his 18 years as a state ward he suffered repeated sexual, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse. Rising above all the abuse, Daryl proved that social worker wrong. A quality New Zealand audiobook.

"Why should I become a foster parent?" "Am I fit to be a foster parent?" "Do I have the right home and life to be a good home for foster children?" If you have asked yourself any of these questions, then this audiobook is for you.... 50 Things to Know About Being a Foster Parent by Tina Butters-Hargrave offers an approach to deciding about foster parenting. This will be a decision not to take lightly. My goal is to give you the confidence to take the leap to a wonderful experience.

Pregnant from her first sexual encounter, a teenager living in a town of 3,000 Catholics keeps her secret from everyone until six weeks before the baby's due date. Hustled out of town and hidden in the Iowa countryside within hours of finally confiding in her mother, she concocts a scheme that will allow her to raise her child, but can she win over any of the people who might help her? As her pregnancy and its looming consequences unfold, she realizes that her life of lies and secrets has only just begun.

One bright summer afternoon on weekend errands with his mother, 10-year-old Ronald's faint suspicions that he is adopted are confirmed by his mother's careful, well-practiced announcement of the truth. As a child whose appearance is close enough to that of his extended African American adoptive family, he has always felt a part of them, but now things make a little more sense, and a 40-year odyssey of seeking his genetic truth is triggered.

The inspirational story of an American woman who moved mountains to secure medical treatments - and eventually a home - for a young Iraqi girl severely burned in a roadside terror attack. This is a story of the astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.

Think about that triumphant feeling you experienced when you overcame that once "unbearable" mountain, that is the feeling of a warrior and a champion! Yes, you are a warrior! We weren't all raised to believe this concept, society conditions us that this term is esoteric and reserved for only the Greats, The Elites and The Gods, but that is not the case. Imagine how life would look if you were to set yourself free from the restraints of self-limiting beliefs about past circumstances and began to accelerate beyond your confines?

From the sterile isolation of infertility and its treatments to the emotional rollercoaster of adoption and foster care, Rachel McCracken gets it! She gets the heartache and the sorrow of the desolate valley called Infertility. She gets the dedication and work that it takes to blend a family. She gets the commitment and purpose one needs to help children rise from the ashes of abandonment and fear. Rachel's new book, Chasing Kites: One Mother's Unexpected Journey Through Infertility, Adoption, and Foster Care weaves her real-life experiences of struggle, heartache, and loss into a wonderful narrative of faith, hope, and the joy that can come through it all.

As a child, Susan Silverman was surrounded by a loving family; although her parents weren't happily married, they were devoted to their kids. In a vibrant, funny, imminently relatable voice (think Anne Lamott meets Katrina Kenison), Silverman tells of a family's evolution - from her parents' devastating loss of their infant son to raising bright and wildly unique daughters. It's also the creation story of her own family - raising her own bright and wildly unique daughters and taking a journey to adopt two boys from Ethiopia.

Delving into gender, class, racial, and ethnic complexities, as well as into the complex relationships between Korean women - sisters, mothers and daughters, grandmothers and grandchildren, aunts and nieces - Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related. describes in visceral, lyrical prose the painful ripple effects that follow a child's removal from a family, and the rewards that can flow from both struggle and forgiveness.

Chasing Lilly is a captivating true story of a little girl who refused love and attachment, because severe abuse robbed her ability to receive them. The story sparkles with humor, as Lilly meets her match in a family who refused to give up on her.

As open adoptions go, it’s a dream scenario. But that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. From the hit true storytelling podcast RISK! comes a beautiful and heart-aching memoir of a mother’s love. Mariah MacCarthy was a financially strapped playwright in Queens with two roommates. Nothing about that situation said Let’s add a baby to this. Nine months later, having Leo adopted by two gay dads was the most loving solution possible. All Mariah fears now is becoming a stranger.

In Amelia's Story, D.G. Torrens captivated listeners with the heart-wrenching story of a young girl imperiled by a tragic life of abuse. Now a teenager, seemingly free of the past, Amelia struggles to find happiness in an overwhelming world. With many obstacles placed in her path, this only serves to make her journey an arduous one. Fighting for life and for love, will the courageous young girl grab hold of her dreams and discover her destiny?

When Deborah Gold and her husband signed up to foster parent in their rural mountain community, they did not foresee that it would lead to a roller-coaster 15 years of involvement with the traumatized, yet resilient, birth family. In Counting Down, Gold artfully tells her story of forging a family within an often confounding system in ways that defied the expectations of everyone involved.

At just 10 years old, Kirsty has suffered a lifetime of heartache. Neglected by her teenage mother and taken into care, Kirsty thought she had found her forever family when she was fostered by Pat and Mike. But when Pat has a heart attack and collapses in front of her, Kirsty's foster family say it's her fault. Kirsty is still reeling from this rejection when she comes to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley. She acts out, smashing up Maggie's home, and even threatens to hurt the baby boy Maggie has fostered since birth.

Embarking on an adoption journey can be daunting, but now you are not alone! This collection of true, beautiful accounts takes an honest look at the process, the struggles, and the undeniable joy that comes with adoption. With insights from all three adoption triad viewpoints, Adopting Hope shares a wealth of lessons learned and tips for every person contemplating an adoption journey.

What happens when you receive a piece of information that changes your life? Mum’s the Word is not just one way to react, but also a 40,000-word memoir that takes you through how the author handled such news. Suspense builds as a story of family secrets, unknown adoption, and an amazing search to find answers, the real truth, unfolds. This journey reveals the complexities of love, relationships, and coming to terms with unexpected life events.

Critically acclaimed, praised by therapists, parents, and patients. This short, powerful depiction of life with an emotionally traumatized daughter should be required listening for anyone involved in adoption, parenting difficult children, or healing wounded hearts. The true story of Ani’s struggle with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) will inspire listeners long after the book is done. Ani's journey will forever change the way you see childhood trauma and what it means to parent with love.