Articles And News

Much in the child welfare system calls for swift action — children who are in dangerous or neglectful situations must be removed quickly. But other situations, such as the implementation of policies that will affect thousands of children for many years, call for deliberation and reflection. Angie Schwartz makes a compelling case for taking time…

The Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—the day in which we enjoy the least amount of the sun’s light and warming rays. With darkness falling quickly, many are glad to be with family and friends who offer a different kind of light and warmth in anticipation of the…

Two articles crossed my desk recently that underscore the vulnerability of children in the foster care system. Individually, they each warrant attention; taken together they should prompt us to action. Preliminary research coming out of Purdue University suggests that adoptive mothers are vulnerable to depression following adoption. The fatigue, worry, and isolation that contribute to post-partum depression may…

We know that lasting relationships are vital for children to thrive, but sometimes we forget. Sometimes we think we can take shortcuts. We think that children need only a little of our time or that we can give them just enough to get by. Sometimes we forget that children need to be loved with every ounce of our hearts…

School is just around the corner for most children. For both children and parents, that usually means a mixture of excitement and anxiety—along with sadness about the end of the lazy days of summer and relief that school will bring some more structure to family life. But for foster children and teens and their caregivers worry may dominate the…

“I just wanted to talk to someone and they gave me pills.” This lament, which we have heard repeatedly from those who have spent time in foster care, is becoming increasingly common in all factions of the population. Brandon Gaudiano, professor of psychiatry at Brown University, in a recent New York Times Op Ed, suggested that among the…

Shortly after she began meeting with her therapist, Maggie, seven-year-old Wanda* began referring to their weekly sessions as “Maggie time.” As a child she used her time to play and draw as she chattered. Wanda is now fourteen and the play has fallen by the wayside and the chatter has turned into more thoughtful conversation.…

Did you know that you can find a new home for a child on the internet? You can also find a new home for a pet that you can no longer keep. There are multiple sites that offer guidelines on how to re-home dogs and cats to make the transition easier for them. There are organizations that…

Diane Ackerman’s review of advances in the study of the neurochemistry of relationships * beautifully illuminates the importance of our earliest relationships on the formation of subsequent relationships. Her synthesis of research across many fields — from the lap to the therapist’s couch — reminds us that if we don’t attend to the infants’ earliest…

Recent research confirms what common sense tells us: loneliness hurts. Not only does it hurt, it can make us sick. In short, without the protection of social relationships, people tend to feel besieged and respond with the predictable “fight, flight, or freeze” response that prompts us to react appropriately in the face of danger. The problem…