Adding a foster child to the household naturally stirs up a variety of emotions. Birth children of foster parents may be excited at the prospect of a new child in the home, but at the same time may be jealous of the time and energy their parents devote to the new child. This course explores what birth children may feel through all phases of the fostering process and offers tips for helping them cope.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

• identify challenges for the family that chooses to foster children
• identify ways to ease family stress caused by fostering
• identify the three main phases of the placement process
• list six ways to reduce placement problems
• explain how the addition of a foster child can redefine or adjust the family roles
• explain how post-placement reflection can contribute to the success of subsequent placements