Resources
Need for foster homes grows exponentially in Montana
Over the past 10 years the need for foster homes has continued to increase, and now is at a record high. In September of 2017 there were nearly 4,000 children in foster care. The amount of kids in care has nearly doubled since 2015, when the number hovered around...
Youth Dynamics seeks local homes
The Whitehall Ledger - By Jack H. Smith With a steady rise in the number of Montana youth in foster care, the need for foster homes has grown exponentially. Youth Dynamics, a Montana based non-profit children's agency, is hoping to find more foster homes in the...
Montana foster kids face challenges as they age out
By GAIL SCHONTZLER , Bozeman Daily Chronicle BOZEMAN (AP) — Her name is Heaven, but much of her childhood sounds like hell. Heaven Reel was placed in foster care at age 16, after state social workers found evidence of neglect or abuse in her home. "We were always...
What Every Parent Needs to Know about Building a Kid’s Coping Skills
Coping skills are great tools for kids to have when the stresses and strains of life threaten to slow them down or overwhelm them. It can be useful to think of coping skills as tools. Just like no single tool is right for every home improvement project, no single...
Meth’s impact on Montana’s foster care system
Reprint of story by KTVH HELENA – Brenda and Jason Crawford are one of Montana’s many adoptive and foster parents; in 2014 baby Kailer entered their life. Kailer was born with significant amounts of heroin in his body. “When Kailer was born, within a few hours he...
Preparation is key when welcoming a foster child into your home
Expert Beacon - June 25, 2018 The arrival of a foster child in your house can be a time of excitement, as well as anxiety. The phone call from a caseworker asking if you would like a foster child placed in your home can leave you in a state of apprehension. It is...
Therapy and Service Animals for Children with Special Needs
Service and therapy animals are proven to make a positive difference Very Well Family - May 22, 2018 Service and therapy animals have become increasingly popular for children with special needs, and for good reason. Research shows that animals can make a huge...
Child Discipline Techniques for Foster or Adopted Children
Discipline Techniques for Children Who May Have Been Abused or Neglected Very Well Family - May 29, 2018 Foster parents are not allowed to use corporal punishment with foster children. Adoptive parents are also wise to try other discipline techniques and to avoid...
Every Child is One Caring Adult Away From a Success Story
Aging out of foster care and struggling, Josh Shipp had been written off. But, with the help of his foster parents in his last few months in care, he was given a second chance on life.
Teen Suicide: Learning to Recognize the Warning Signs
Stanford Children's Health - June 11, 2018 Many teen suicides can be prevented if warning signs are detected and appropriate intervention is conducted. The reasons No two teenagers are alike, but there are some common reasons they consider suicide. Many teens who...
The Worry Jar
Laura Radniecki - June 5, 2018 The Worry Jar is a technique for people, especially children, who suffer from worry and anxiety. It helps kids identify, name and release their worries. The idea behind the Worry Jar is simple: 1. Write your worries down on little slips...
Foster parents needed for growing number of Montana children
How to Help Kids with Social Anxiety
Psycom - May 22, 2018 by Katie Hurley, LCSW Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) isn’t simply a fear of making or interacting with friends. It’s actually characterized by an intense fear of social situations in which the child might be judged or scrutinized by...
Tips For The First Night and First Week of a New Foster Care Placement
The Forgotten Initiative - March 16, 2015 by Anna Futral First night: Have someone come overAnyone. Your neighbor, your mom, your version of our “Mama Judy”. Especially if you have a placement on the way that is multiple children, the more adults the better. There...
How to Explain a Move to a Child in Foster Care
Live About- Carrie Craft There are many aspects of fostering that are extremely difficult to emotionally handle as a foster parent. Helping a child in foster care adjust to a new placement, explaining to a foster child that you are not an adoptive resource,...
Should You Take a Foster Child with You on Family Vacation?
Live About - April 4, 2017 By Carrie Craft Whether or not foster parents should take their foster children with them on a family vacation can be a hot topic. Some foster families feel very strongly about taking foster children, stating that the kids are a part of the...
6 Ways to Help Your Foster Child Adjust
The early stages of fostering a child will include a major adjustment period. The first few days tend to be the most difficult, but if you follow these tips, you can ease that transition.
My First Three Days in Foster Care and My Advice to Foster Parents
A current foster parent and former foster child shares her tips below for helping a new foster child feel welcome and comfortable during their first week in your home.
Foster Kids Can Be Torn Between Worlds On Mother’s Day
NPR - May 6, 2014 Children across the country will be rolling out the breakfast trays and handmade cards for Mother's Day. But the holiday brings up mixed feelings for many foster mothers and their children. "It can be really confusing for a child when there's...
Reporter’s Notebook: A Foster Child’s Story
CBS- April 6, 2018 (CBS4) – If you are like I was five years ago, you may have a vague idea of what foster care is. That means you probably grew up surrounded by people who loved you. You may have had parents, siblings, grandparents and even a crazy aunt or uncle....
When this man told his foster care story, people listened — 39 million people.
Over 39 million people have now watched Rob Scheer's story of his journey from foster care to foster parent. Rob struggled to find a place where he felt wanted and loved as a child. Now Rob wants to make sure that no child has to suffer the way that he did. Rob’s...
Here’s a story about what foster care is like for an abused child removed from her home.
UpWorthy- March 31, 2014 Trigger warning. 400,000 children are in foster care in the U.S., and kids who find themselves in the system come from difficult backgrounds. This film was made to bring awareness to what some kids experience and to help adults understand life...
The Foster Care Crisis: The Shortage Of Foster Parents In America
Huffington Post - April 11, 2018 by Dr. John DeGarmo Children abused. Children neglected. Children abandoned. Children being placed into foster care; a foster care system where there are not enough homes. The media and news continue to report on the shortage of foster...
Thank You to Youth Dynamics Friends!
Youth Dynamics First Annual #YDoI Campaign would like to thank and recognize community members who have pledged their financial commitments as Youth Dynamics Friends. In our daily lives when faced with success, questions and issues our friends play an important part...
Mental Illness in Kids: The Surprising Warning Signs
Everyday Health- April 5, 2018 Few parents are prepared to recognize symptoms of mental health problems in their child. Do you know what to look for? Just like adults, many kids — infants and toddlers included — are plagued with mental health problems. In fact, nearly...
For Kids, Chronic Illness May Trigger Mental Health Issues
Health Day - January 15, 2018 MONDAY, Jan. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- When children learn they have a long-term illness, such as diabetes or epilepsy, they're likely to suffer emotionally, too, a small study finds. These mental health issues surface soon after the...
How to Parent a Child Exposed to Trauma
Parenting a child exposed to trauma can be challenging. Learn the skills to help your little one thrive!
Organization Helps Families Work Through Issues
Glendive Ranger-Review, Chad Knudson - March 2, 2018 We make suggestions and the family can take it from there Conflicting viewpoints, sarcasm, raised voices and teenage defiance punctuate an interview about how one local non-profit is working to improve family life,...
Building Resilience in Children – 20 Practical, Powerful Strategies
All children are capable of extraordinary things. There is no happiness gene, no success gene, and no ‘doer of extraordinary things’ gene. The potential for happiness and greatness lies in all of them, and will mean different things to different kids. We can’t change...
3 Myths About Your Teen’s Bad Attitude
Time - December 12, 2017 Does this scenario feel familiar? Marisa is 12-and-a-half years old. She has become moody and irritable, wants much more private time alone in her room, but spends it all socializing with friends on social media. She has little time for the...
