A Child’s Journey Through Placement

I am almost finished with this book, about 40 pages to go. I love this book. It is the first book that I have read that has really helped me to understand the psychology of kids in the foster-care system without being completely terrifying.

It uses a lot of case studies of kids with a wide range of attachment and developmental challenges, as well as kids that have transitioned very smoothly through the system.

I have gotten so many tools and insights from this book, it has demystified the “damage” that these kids have.  Other books that have handled the same subject have left me feeling depressed and hopeless, but this book has been very solution-oriented. Although not all of the case-scenarios that they describe are successful placements, they are framed in such a way that these scenarios are livable.

The organization of the book is great.  It is easy to refer back to because of the clear chapters and subchapters. For example, there is a chapter on preparing a child for adoption and many subchapters for age of the child, who the child will be adopted by, etc.

I wish I had read this book before I had read books specifically on Reactive Attachment Disorder, it would have been nicer to have a broader perspective on kids in the system before I got scared of really extreme circumstances.