documenting your foster childs lifenhcfca.com/doc/documenting_your_foster_childs_life.pdf · 2010....
TRANSCRIPT
Documenting your Foster
Childs LifeLifebooks
Memories are being created, milestones are
happening and lives are going on.
WHAT IS A LIFEBOOK?
Somewhat like a scrapbook, a lifebook is a detailed outline of the child's life. It is an inexpensive way to create a book to honor every child that you foster.
Simply defined as:
A memory record
A scrapbook history of a child’s life
A picture and written record of the foster child’s journey through life
A collection of photos, memorabilia, awards, records and history assembled in chronological order.
Lifebooks can be as simple or as elaborate as you like depending on your own talents, available time and the interest of the child in adding his/her own work to the book. The important thing is that your child has a record to keep into adulthood.
WHY A LIFEBOOK?
To provide each child with a continuing record of his/her life. Dates,
places, photos provide memories
To establish memories of their place in the foster family
To have a history of themselves to help make sense of their own
lives
To have something tangible to share with others: biological family,
friends, therapists etc.
A medium to help children to express their feelings about the past
and the present.
Even if they are older children they may forget when something
happened or where they were living when it took place.
Memories are a precious thing to have.
Lifebooks are very important for
foster children. Lifebooks should stay with foster children
as a sense of security whether they are
reunified with their birth family, placed in
another foster home, or adopted.
It is their history book.
How to Start a Lifebook
Ideally you need start the day a foster child
arrives in your home.
Take a picture of him/her as soon as possible.
Record tidbits of info about the first day to put
in the Lifebook.
Take pictures and keep records from that day
forward.
WHAT TO PUT IN THE LIFEBOOK
Pictures....Pictures....Pictures
Try to bring your camera along wherever you go. You never know when a photo opportunity will occur.
It is important for the child to have pictures of him/her self interacting with foster family and biological family if available.
* Bio family can take pictures at visits or social worker can take pics of bio family together
WHAT TO PUT IN THE LIFEBOOK
Baby pictures (if available)
School pictures
Pictures of friends
Pictures of birth family
Pictures of siblings
Pictures of foster family
Pictures of the foster home
Pictures of the school that they attend
Pictures of the hospital where they were born
Everyday pictures
Sporting events
Report cards
Doctors information (growth charts, business card, copy of shot record)
Drawings
School work
Tickets from shows, rides, or movies
Birth certificate and adoption certificate
Hand or foot prints
Brochures from places they have visited
Special occasions
Birthday invitations
Journaling
The journal entry describes the events
that take place in a child’s life in writing. A
picture is nothing without words to
describe it.
How to Journal
Write things down as they happen in a
journal
Write things down in a calendar book
Example:
9/25/09 - Gracie’s first day of dance class. She had so
much fun. She loved her teacher Ms. Rachel.
This will be very helpful when you write a
journal entry for the lifebook.
Ideas for Journaling:
Date of birth
Place of birth
Name at birth
Weight and length at birth
School names (try to include all of the school that your child has attended)
Favorite color
Current height and weight
Favorite food
Bravest moment
What the child wants to be when they grow up
Favorite place to go
Things that bug them
Favorite stuffed animal or toy
Daily routine
Favorite song
Clothing style
Sleep schedule
Special birth marks
Favorite subject in school
Favorite book
Best friends
Foster parents names
Birthday party information
Doctors information
Trips they have been on
Things they are good at
Example of Journaling
On 2/15/08 Abigail came into our custody around 5:00 pm. We already knew about her because she was coming up for adoption and we were asked if we wanted to be considered for adopting her. She was taken into care this day due an unfortunate problem at her aunt’s house where she had been living since birth. We were so glad to get this call. She came to us with a cold and she remained sick off and on until 3/21/08. We could not believe how sickly she was. The doctors stated the reason for this was because she had a low immune system. We took to the doctors a total of 4 times in one month. Two of the times we went to the emergency room. The last time she went was on the same day that Billy had to go to the emergency room. That was a great day in the ER for me.
Abigail now is called Gracie. We were cleared for adoption of her on 2/20/08. We were so excited. Donna Gray, her social worker said we can start calling her Gracie since we are going to adopt her. Her adoptive name will be Charlotte Grace Martin and she will be called Gracie. We are naming her after our mothers.
Example of JournalingOn Saturday, October 25, we all went to SPEC’s (daycare) Fall Festival. Gracie had a pretty good time.
Gracie was in one of her moods due to it being close to her nap time. We thought we might have to carry
her home however she straightened up finally. She would not eat her hotdog but she did eat some chips.
She along with Teddy really loved the Stretch and Grow Games. She and Teddy also participated in the
cake walk neither one won a cake. Billy and I really wanted one of those cakes. They looked so good.
Gracie and Teddy also made a Halloween necklace. They filled a plastic pumpkin with some colored sand
of course. That day we also went to Granny’s house. Granny made Gracie a quilt for her bed. She just
loved it. The theme of the quilt was Nursery Rhyme characters.
The Past
It is important to include the child’s past as part of the lifebook.
Foster children often lack the family history that most of us take for granted. Many foster children never get to know their birth family members or hear birth family stories, and they often know almost nothing about their infancy. This is why the Life Book and proper documentation can be so important to them.
Every piece of a person’s life is valuable. Pieces come together to make a whole, and foster children often have lots of pieces that they need assistance and support in putting together.
The Past
A child’s past information can be obtained from the following people:
Social Worker
Guardian ad Litem
Birth parent(s)
Therapist
Doctor
by the child if they are able to communicate
Creating the Lifebook To start creating a lifebook you of course will need a book. The good thing
is that the book is free. They are provided by New Hanover County Department of Social Services; just ask your licensing social worker whenever you need one. As for the supplies it depends upon the individual of how simple or elaborate you want the book to be. Some of the basic items are as follows:
Scrapbook paper (cardstock, pattern paper, vellum, etc.)
Acid-free adhesive
Embellishments (stickers, brads, eyelets, ribbon, etc.)
Stamps (optional)
Ink pads (optional)
Photos
Paper Trimmer
Scissors
You can use basically anything your creative mind comes up with to make the page exciting and unique.
North Carolina State Standard (62) for Foster
Care states the following concerning Lifebooks:
Lifebooks shall be created and maintained for all children who are removed from their homes.
Lifebooks shall reflect as much information as possible from the birth of the child to the present time.
Lifebooks shall contain information that helps a child to know and remember his or her history with details of that history through placement.
Completion and maintenance of the lifebook is a joint responsibility among social worker, foster parent and birth family.
The lifebook belongs to the child.
The development of lifebooks shall begin within the first thirty days of placement and shall be continuously maintained.
The agency case record shall contain photographs of the child taken at least once a year. These photographs shall be labeled with the name of the child and date taken.
Your Choice
How you choose to do the lifebook is your
choice. I just ask that you do one for
every foster child that walks through your
door.
A good memory book will bring laughter,
tears and love thus making it the gift of a
lifetime, the greatest gift you can give or
receive
The End
Any questions or comments