Online Resources for Parents
IFAPA Resources
Attachment & Bonding
| CARING FOR CHILDREN WITH ATTACHMENT ISSUES |
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| Building Connections with Your Foster / Adoptive Child |
| Forming a Healthy Attachment with Your Baby (Source: BuildingYourFamily.com) |
| When Adopted Toddlers Reject Their Parents (Source: RainbowKids.com) |
| Parental Openness Can Help Children Learn to Trust (Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children) |
| Retrace Developmental Stages to Help Older Children Heal (Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children) |
| Reactive Attachment Disorder: A New Understanding Source: Beyond Consequences Institute) |
| Developing Emotional Attachments in Adopted Children (Source: AttachmentParenting.org) |
| Top Ten Tips for the First Year of Placement (Source: DeborahGray.com) |
| Attachment and Trauma Articles (Source: Adoption Today Magazine) |
Becoming a Foster or Adoptive Parent
| LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS / VIEW CHILDREN WAITING TO BE ADOPTED |
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| Iowa KidsNet (Foster Parenting in Iowa or Adopting from Iowa's Foster Care System) |
| HHS Foster Parent Handbook |
| View Iowa Children Waiting to be Adopted |
| Iowa Association of Adoption Agencies |
| AdoptUSKids (National Photolisting Website for Children Awaiting Adoption) |
Behaviors
| PARENTING CHILDREN WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS |
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| Your Child is Misbehaving, Are You Listening? (Source: Heather T. Forbes) |
| Lying: Why and What to Do about It (Part 1) Lying: Why and What to Do about It (Part 2) (Source: FosterParentCollege.com) |
| The Seven Wonders of Adoption (Behavior Issues Related to Separation from Birth Family) (Source: FosterParentCollege.com) |
| Foster Children and Cruelty to Animals (Part 1) Foster Children and Cruelty to Animals (Part 2) (Source: FosterParentCollege.com) |
| Help! My Child Runs Away (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin) |
| Effective Management of Crisis Behavior (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth and Families - Wisconsin) |
| Managing Meltdowns - A Cool Down Chart for Kids (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES: Love and Logic (Join the Insider’s E-mail Club for weekly free tips on strengthening your relationships with the kids in your life) |
Birth Family Relationships
| NAVIGATING BIRTH FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS |
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| Tips for Helping Children and Teens Before and After Visitation (Source: Healthy Foster Care America) |
| Talking to Your Children about Their Birth Parents (Source: Coalition for Children Youth & Families - Wisconsin) |
| Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents (Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway) |
| Openness in Adoption: Building Relationships Between Adoptive and Birth Families (Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway) |
| Facilitated Openness Can Benefit Children Adopted from Care (Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children) |
| Resource Parents Partnering with Birth Parents to Benefit Children (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Completing the Circle: Uncovering, Discovering, and Creating Connections for Your Foster and Adoptive Children (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Raising Relatives' Children (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Searching for Birth Relatives (Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway) |
| Free Lifebook Pages (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
Discussing Adoption with Your Child
| STARTING AND CONTINUING THE ADOPTION DISCUSSION |
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| When to Tell Your Child about Their Adoption (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Talking to Your Child about Adoption (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Talking to Your Child about Adoption - Recommendations for Parents (Source: National Council for Adoption) |
| Answering Your Adopted Child's Questions about Birth Parents (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Talking to Your Teen about Being Adopted (Source American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Talking with Your Adopted Teen: It's Possible and Important (Source: North American Council on Adoptable Children) |
| Answering Strangers Questions about Adoption (Source: RainbowKids.com) |
| Collecting Your Adoptive Child's History (A Workbook for Parents Adopting Older Children) (Source: DePaul Family Services) |
| 7 Ways to Give Your Child a History (Source: Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D. & Regina M. Kupecky, LSW) |
| Free Lifebook Pages (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Foster Care and Adoption-Friendly Books (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
Education / School
Financial Resources for Parents & Youth
Human Trafficking
| RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND/OR YOUTH |
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| National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (24/7) 1-888-373-7888 |
| Network Against Human Trafficking |
| Braking Traffik - Stopping Sexual Exploitation in the Quad Cities Area |
| Polaris Project |
| Operation Underground Railroad |
| Not For Sale Campaign |
| End Slavery Now |
International Adoption
| PARENTING CHILDREN WHO WERE ADOPTED INTERNATIONALLY |
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| Internationally Adopted Children - Important Information for Parents (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Checklist for International Travel (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin) |
| Orphanage Care: When Your Child Comes Home (What to Expect After Adoption) (Source: RainbowKids.com) |
| Become an Advocate for Your Child's Education (International Adoption) (Source: RainbowKids.com) |
New Foster or Adoptive Placements
| HELPING A CHILD TRANSITION TO A FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE HOME (& PREPARING YOUR FAMILY FOR THE TRANSITION) |
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| FosterCub - Free Coloring Pages for Kids Just Entering Foster Care (Source: FosterClub.com) |
| Pre-Placement Questionnaire for Foster Parents (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Welcoming a Child or Teen into Your Foster Home (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Establishing Household Rules (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin) |
| Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child (Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway) |
| Touchpoints: Preparing Children for Transitions (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin) |
| Adopting Older Children - Keys to Easing Adjustment (When Adopting Older Children from Foster Care) |
| Preparing the Kids in Your Home for Fostering (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin) |
| What to Teach Your Child to Prepare Them for a Foster or Adoptive Sibling |
| Free Welcome Book Pages (Source: Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association) |
| Welcome Home Books: Building Connections (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families - Wisconsin) |
Parenting Transracially
Parenting Various Ages
Sibling Relationships
| DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS |
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| Keeping Siblings Connected - How to Build and Maintain Sibling Connections When Placed Separately |
| Brothers and Sisters: Keeping Siblings in Foster Care Connected (video) |
| Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption (Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway) |
| Sibling Conflict in Adoptive Families (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin) |
| Adoption and Sibling Rivalry (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics) |
| Preparing the Kids in Your Home for Fostering (Source: Coalition for Children, Youth & Families – Wisconsin) |
| What to Teach Your Child to Prepare Them for a Foster or Adoptive Sibling |
Support for Youth
| Support for Foster or Adoptive Youth |
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| Friends of Children in Foster Care Program (IFAPA) |
| Families Helping Families - Spread Your Wings |
| AMP (Achieving Maximum Potential) |
| Iowa Aftercare Services Network |
| Iowa Foster Child and Youth Bill of Rights |
| Transitioning to Adulthood (Additional Iowa Resources) |
| College Planning/Scholarships |
| FosterClub |
| Camillia Network |
Transitioning to Adulthood
Trauma (Abuse, Neglect, PTSD, Sexual Abuse)
Coming soon!
IFAPA is on the hunt for more resources to share with you. Check back later for additional articles and websites!
