Whatever it is that you are feeling, thinking, fearing, hating, or loving I want to offer you a reassurance in the fight towards finding hope and resilience by saying–it is okay! We all need to hear this. May we all read it, speak it,…
This past month has given us all a lot of gut-punches, from the shooting in Minneapolis to the murders in Charlotte and Utah to the anniversary of 9/11. I won’t repeat the many eloquent essays on how to view these…
I am a sucker for off-beat holidays, and today is National Make Your Bed Day. It’s a good reminder that one of the best ways that either Plan B parents or youth-serving organizations can encourage resilience in our kids is to help them master small…
Today, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s a good time to reflect on the role that mentoring can play in addressing the problem. According to the CDC, young people under the age of 25 have the lowest…
As Plan B parents—foster, adoptive, and stepparents—we're often navigating the choppy waters of helping our kids heal from past disruptions while building a stable future. It's easy to feel like we're playing catch-up, especially when it comes to modern…
The first Friday in September is Lazy Mom’s Day, the perfect day for Plan B parents to think about some self-care — or as I prefer to call it, self-stewardship. We know all too well the endless demands of parenting children who didn't start their…
Colorado's new mandated reporter law highlights a critical question for youth-serving organizations: Do we require staff members to report their concerns internally or require them to go directly to child protection authorities? Until this year, Colorado allowed staff to take concerns to supervisors who in their…
As the school year starts, one of the most important skills we Plan B parents can develop is how to advocate for our kids with the educational system. Childhood trauma—whether from abuse, neglect, family separation, or other hardships—can disrupt concentration, memory, and…
One of the most common mistakes I see my youth-serving clients make is having written child protection policies that they don’t adequately explain to on-the-ground staff. The case I highlighted last week may be an example of that problem. Having written policies that your staff…
A new study shines a spotlight on something Plan B parents deal with every day: how unpredictable environments in childhood can have lasting effects on our kids. There are some good pointers in the results about how those of us who have inherited kids with…
I ran across another cautionary tale about mandated reporting this week. The Arizona Court of Appeals recently decided that clergy who failed to make a mandated report might not be protected by the state’s clergy privilege. Three minors brought suit against the Church of Latter-Day…
As a Plan B parent, you know firsthand how profoundly trauma can affect your child’s emotions, behaviors, and sense of safety. With the school year starting soon, or already started in some areas, we may soon be dealing with school issues…