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Grief and Loss of Foster Parents
Help Me to Succeed: A Guide for Supporting Youth in Foster Care to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Parenting a Child Who has Been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents
Parenting the Child Who Has Experienced Abuse or Neglect
Supporting Your LGBTQ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents
Untangling the Web: The Internet’s Transformative Impact on Adoption
Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child
Understanding the Effects of Trauma on Brain Development
Finding and Using Postadoption Services
CWLA FAQ’s from LGBT Prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents 2011
Since the Start of the Great Recession, More Children Raised by Grandparents
Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute’s 2010 Report: Keeping The Promise: The Critical Need for Post-Adoption Services for Children and Families to Succeed
CDC Publication: CDC Publication Childhood_Stress PDF File
NY Times article: Easing Trauma in Adopted Siblings, Lots of Stress by Joshua Sparrow, M.D.
Action Wildlife – Goshen CT
MyConnecticutKids.com – website providing information on local children’s museums and other family-friendly activities.
Quassy Amusement Park – Middlebury CT
Girls, Inc. – “national non-profit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong smart and bold”. This organization has Connecticut Chapters including one in the Waterbury area.
Expanding Resources for Waiting Children II: Eliminating Legal & Practice Barriers to Gay & Lesbian Adoption from Foster Care: This report offers recommendations to increase the pool of prospective adoptive parents for children in foster care by changing state laws and agency practices so they become more welcoming of gay and lesbian applicants.
True Colors – Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services of CT website – provides education and support for GLBTQ youth and families. Also assists in licensing GLBT families and allied families for foster care and adoption through the Safe Harbor Project.
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
Q&A on Child Sexual Abuse: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides many useful tools for families. Childhood sexual abuse is often difficult to understand and talk about. This Q&A About Child Sexual Abuse provides useful information and tools to help parents deal with this difficult issue.
Impact of Adoption on Adoptive Parents: Factsheet for families published by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Published in 2019, this factsheet is available in both English and Spanish through this link.
Alcohol and Public Health FAQs – Information on alcohol consumption from the Centers for Disease Control.
National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA Goes Back To School – Science-based drug abuse education from NIDA, the National Institute of Health, and the US Department of Health and Human Services. Information available in English and Spanish.
The Courage to Speak Foundation – teen drug prevention website. Check out the drug information page for an overview on commonly abused drugs and symptoms indicating use.
National Parent Helpline: This toll-free service at 1.855.4A PARENT (1.855.427.2736) and website are designed to build on the strengths of families in order to ensure all five protective factors. Helpline Advocates are available Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (PST), to provide emotional support and referrals (in English and Spanish), resulting in the empowerment of parents and caregivers nationwide. The website has comprehensive parenting resources and a bulletin board for parents and caregivers to share their leadership experiences to create caring communities and help others.
ASRC – Autism information and resources in CT
CT Parent Advocacy Center – Information and support for any family with a child or young adult with disabilities or a chronic illness. This site is available in both English and Spanish.
CT Department of Public Health: Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Connecticut’s Medical Home Initiative – this page provides information for caregivers whose children have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and require health and related services beyond that required for children in general. Additionally, it explains and provides links to the medical home model information. A medical home is not a building, house or hospital, but rather an approach to providing health care services in a high-quality and cost-effective manner. Children and their families who have a medical home receive the care that they need from a pediatrician or pediatric health care professional whom they know and trust. The professionals and families act as partners in a medical home to identify and access all the medical and non-medical services needed to help children and their families achieve their maximum potential. Many of these resources are explained in both English and Spanish.
National Organization for Rare Disorders – Information and resources regarding rare diseases and disorders.
State Education Resource Center (SERC) – Information, current research, resources, and best practices in both general and special education in CT. Formerly known simply as the Special Education Resource Center, SERC continues to maintain this invaluable resource center (library) for parents and educators alike.
Creating Ideal Lives: Helping Others Understand and Include Your Special Child – Information and articles about parenting, advocating, and understanding children and youth.
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy – Leading website for accurate information on Special Education law, general education law, and advocacy for children with special needs.
DCF Booklet (2010 version): Medications Used For Behavioral & Emotional Disorders: A Guide for Parents, Foster Parents, Families, Youth, Caregivers, Guardians and Social Workers To Download pdf copy, click here.
Cerebral Palsy Guide – educational materials for families and individuals affected by cerebral palsy, including information about different therapies, treatment options, and financial resources
NACAC article: Raising a Child of Color in America – While White
NY Times article dated December 28, 2008: Giving Back: Foster Mother Gives Teenagers a ‘Safe Place to Grow Up’
NY Times article dated January 27, 2009: Crack Babies – The Epidemic that Wasn’t
NY Times article dated April 7, 2009: Too Old For Foster Care and Facing the Recession
NY Times article dated July 22, 2009: The Battle Over a Baby – story of gay foster parents fighting to adopt a foster child in their care.
Adoption.com – Adoption Language: Promoting A Positive Image
Possum Trot Families Open Hearts and Homes: article and video from ABC News about a single Texas church where families adopted 72 children from foster care.
NY Times article dated November 5, 2010: As H.I.V. Babies Come of Age, Problems Linger
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Youth Information and Websites: specifically for foster and adopted youth
Meet Children from across the USA on AdoptUSKids
See the latest photolistings of children across the country waiting to be adopted at the Adoptuskids.org website.
Meet CT’s Heart Gallery Kids
See the latest photolistings of CT children waiting to be adopted through the Connecticut Heart Gallery.
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