THERAPEUTICE FOSTER CARE:
An In-Service Training Program for Foster Families
Gary A. Crow, Ph.D. and Letha I. Crow, MSW
This curriculum for fostering families is presented in four major sections: In Part One, foster parents develop their vision statements for children in care. They then learn about well-adjusted children. This section covers the most important areas of normal adjustment. They also consider how abuse and neglect affect children's adjustment. Part One introduces the six major dimensions of child development. Within each dimension, participants consider the effects of abuse and neglect on developing children; they examine what abuse and neglect teaches children. What do children learn when they are maltreated, removed from their homes, and placed with strangers?
In Part Two, foster parents learn about the changing expectations for foster care. The curriculum describes how the changes happened and why they are important with an emphasis on "permanence" for children. Foster parents then consider "concurrent planning" using a case example to help better understand permanence and concurrent planning.
Part Three demonstrates that children with extreme behavior and emotional problems require more than therapeutic foster care. These children must have highly qualified, professional help. At the same time, they can benefit from therapeutic care combined with more specialized services. The curriculum covers the three major areas of maladjustment. These are stress and depression, school and learning problems, and interpersonal (relationship) problems. Foster parents learn the best approaches to helping children with adjustment difficulties in these areas.
Part Four applies the new knowledge and skills to case examples. Foster parents consider case examples of children who have been removed from their homes and placed into care. Helping these children get past the trauma and upheaval in their lives is complex. For them, therapeutic foster care is more than helpful. It's necessary.
Therapeutic care has good, traditional foster care as its foundation. The curriculum presupposes that the readers understand the foster parent role and are familiar with the needs and special problems of children in care and are generally familiar with how to deal with children's typical behavior and adjustment problems.
From this foundation, the curriculum focuses on a deeper understanding, new concepts and principles and new techniques and strategies. Mostly, though, foster parents are invited to think about abused and neglected children, about what life is like from the children's perspective, and about how they can do more than simply keep the children safe.
#9940 Therapeutic Foster Care: An In-Service Training Program for Foster Families
Workbook: #9940 - $8.50 Ea. 10+ - $7.70 Ea.
#9941 Therapeutic Foster Care: Trainer's Guide $45.00 Ea.