At age 91, Nana decided it was time to retire. She turned 90 last year during the early days of the pandemic. We couldn’t celebrate her in the way we’d wanted. Nana called us early on. “I don’t think I should take any children right now. It just doesn’t seem safe.” We agreed.
Nana was in her 60’s when she started fostering. She’d always wanted to, but hadn’t had the time. Her children were grown
“I’m her seventeenth.”
Foster mom’s voice was full of emotion. My eyes widened, my skin prickled. “Seventeenth? Home?”
“Yes, she’s seven, her sister is four, and I’m their seventeenth.”
A is seven years old and has lived in seventeen homes. D is four years old and has lived in nearly as many. For the seven year old, that means a new home roughly every four months. For the four year old, that means a new
We have a blog post with sites for you to find activities for your children, but what about the grown ups? We know this is a very stressful time, and you may be experiencing more anxiety than usual. You may also be wondering about the safest way to feed your baby, especially if you become sick. So we have put together some resources for parents: information about feeding your baby, talking to your children about
I love words (which should be of no surprise to those of you who follow this blog- I use a lot of them!). The words we choose, the phrases that have become engrained in our cultures mean so much.
“To raise a child.” It is such a common statement. But what does it mean? Why not “build a child,” “complete a child,” “construct a child,” or something else that describes the work and effort that
We call an Uber or a Lyft for a ride to the airport. We call AAA if we get a flat tire. We call DoorDash if we are sick and don’t have the energy to cook a meal for our family. We nod to our neighbors but don’t know their names or invite them in for coffee. We connect with family and friends via social media, but rarely reach out in person. The days are
“Mommy Wine Time” seems an increasingly common piece of our culture. Memes about the frustrations of parenting populate social media. Mom's Night Out Groups are popping up. Man Caves are a thing. Parents are tired. Parents are venting.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. It is a pressure release valve and we all need that.
Recognizing when you need a break, recognizing when things are hard, recognizing when you may LOVE the little people you
It is an undertaking that can be hard on the heart. When we mention good self-esteem as a quality we seek for potential foster parents, people often give us a quizzical look. Why would that matter? Well, let’s explore that.
Gaining Contol
When kiddos lack control in life, they often seek to find ways to create control. For children placed in foster care, all of the control of their lives has been stripped away. Where
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Rachel has been a part of the JRI team since January, 2000. For over 20 years, Rachel has been working in the field of human services assisting families with accessing and navigating services. Rachel received her Bachelors degree in psychology and Masters Degree in Public Administration from Bridgewater State University. She was promoted in July 2005 to Family Networks Program Director where she closely worked with the Department of Children Families for 10 years ensuring that children and families received the highest quality of individualized services ranging from community based through residential care. Rachel is very dedicated to helping the individuals she works with and is committed to improving the lives of children and families. Rachel’s passion for creative service programming inspires her in her role as JRI Service Navigator.
