Foster Parenting

As resource (foster) parents, the security and stability you bring to Oregon children and all of our communities is a great gift and special sacrifice. Not everyone has the courage and capacity for this act of love. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. At the same time, we know the road can be rocky. You need all the resources and supports you can find! Please reference our Adoptee & Foster Voices, Grief & Loss, Parent & Professional Care, Resource Parent Grief, Oregon Foster & Adoption Resources (local & national), Siblings, Talking About Adoption, Foster Care & Other Hard Things, Talking About Race and Transracial Parenting & Cultural Diversity pages among many others for more resources.

Resource parents you are the experts; if there is a resource we should have listed, please let us know!

ORPARC updates our Summer Camp guide annually and the new 2023 version is ready! Get your free copy here.

“Stretching to love and love well, even when it’s hard – especially when it’s hard – is what has given me the life that is mine.” ~ Oregon foster adoptive parent Jillana Goble, author of A Love-Stretched Life, available in ORPARC's library

Websites

All resource (foster) parents are welcome to use ORPARC's library, attend ORPARC trainings and search our support group list free of charge.

Oregon Specific Sites

Learn about fostering through Oregon DHS
- Oregon DHS Offices
Oregon DHS Resource & Relative Parent Training
- Ongoing Live Online Trainings
211 Info Foster Parent Support Line Dial 211 or 1-866-698-6155
Embrace Oregon
Every Child Oregon - serving every county in Oregon!
Every Step through Health Share - tri-county area clinics provided family centered support
KEEP Support Groups - earn stipends, meet peers, acquire skills!
Oregon Foster Parent Association (OFPA)
Oregon Kinship Navigator
Project Lemonade - clothing and supplies for teens
Salem Angels - love boxes, mentors and more
With Love - clothing and supplies for children 0-6

National Sites

AdoptUSKids
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Foster Care Institute with Dr. John DeGarmo
Foster Club
Foster Parent College
Fostering Families Today magazine
NACAC
National Foster Parent Association
National Training & Development Curriculum - free training for parents

Recommended Books & Articles

Fostering-related Materials in ORPARC's library and DIGITAL library including No Sugar Coating: The Coffee Talk You Need About Foster Parenting by Oregon's own foster-adopt parent Jillana Goble.

Plus NEW! ORPARC's Parenting Time: Strengthening & Preparing for Child-Parent Visits and Resource Parent Goodbyes & Grief packets, both available in ORPARC's library.

5 Things a Child Welfare Advocate Wants You to Know About Foster Care with Rita Sorenson by Emily Singer, Pure Wow
Advice for Foster Parents About Going to Court by Fostering Perspectives
Birth-Foster Family Connections by Bright Spots - explains the concept of Comfort Calls
Birth Parent/Foster Parent Relationships to Support Family Reunification by Child Welfare Information Gateway - many assorted articles
Building a Positive Relationship with Birth Parents by Donna Foster
Co-Parenting or Shared Parenting (with Birth Parents) by NACAC
Equipping Foster Parents to Support Reunification by AdoptUSKids
Foster Parent Resource Guide by Annie E. Casey Foundation
Foster (Resource) Parent Resource Guide by Every Child
Fostering a Child with Trauma by FCA, UK
Making a Difference by Maintaining Connections by Donna Gillespie Foster
My First Three Days in Foster Care & My Advice to Foster Parents by Jenna Thornberg, foster alum
ODHS Anti-Racism Resource List
Oregon Foster Parent Bill of Rights
Partnering with Birth Parents to Support Reunification Fact Sheet by the Children's Bureau
The Qualities of a Good Foster Parent by Jerry Foxhaven, The Imprint
Resource (Foster) Parent Grief - an entire page devoted to this topic
Sesame Street in Communities: Foster Care - so many fun activities, videos & resources
Simple Guide: Fostering a Child with Autism by FCA, UK
Support for Foster Parents by AdoptUSKids
Support Relationships Between Birth and Foster Families by CHAMPS
Talking About Adoption, Foster Care & Other Hard Things - an entire page devoted to this topic
Ten Reasons You Want to Be A Foster Parent by Bryan Hoffstetter
Three Reasons Why Foster Parents Foster by Creating a Family
A Tribute to Foster Parents by Fostering Perspectives
What Makes a Good Foster Parent for Children in Need by FosterVA
Why Foster Families Need to Build Positive Relationships with Birth Families and Part II by Many Voices, One Heart

Transitions - including Transitions-related Materials in ORPARC's library and more articles on our Resource Parent Grief page

Preparation is Key When Welcoming a Foster Child Into Your Home by Youth Dynamics
Reverse visitation between former foster parents and adopted children by Dr. Redmond Reams - research article
Supporting Parent-Child Visits by Child Welfare Information Gateway - many articles!
Supporting Transitions by Beacon House
Transitioning Children in Foster Care to Adoptive Homes by Dr. Redmond Reams - research article

Blogs

Foster the Family - faith-focused
The Honestly Adoption Company by foster-adoptive parents Mike & Kristen Berry
Jason Johnson - dad-focused

Videos & Podcasts

A Place for You Song by Sesame Street - explains foster care; great for transitions of little ones! (video)
Fostering Lauren YouTube Channel - by foster teen alum who now fosters (videos)
Foster the Family Podcast - faith-focused
Jeanette-ically Speaking by foster alum and adoptee Jeanette Yoffe, MFT (videos)
- Foster care explained to kids in a way they'll understand - animated
- How to explain adoption to kids? - animated
- How to tell a child their foster care adoption story - training series
Seven Ways to be a Great Foster Parent - and more videos by Kait Isaak
What We Wish We Had Known About Foster Care by Zero2Five Family (video)

Oregon parent & author Jillana Goble's newest book: A Love-Stretched Life

Now in ORPARC's library, Oregon foster & adoptive parent Jillana Goble's latest memoir on her experiences living A Love-Stretched Life is surely as sweet as her first gem No Sugar Coating. Walk beside Jillana and her precious family across the miles of love, loss and laughter! You'll feel yourself stretching too...