Fostering Love

"From a reader: ""I finished this book, OUTSTANDING!!!! I cannot believe how enlightening and inspirational it was. I cannot say enough about it. All the stories, the ups and downs, and [the Paydo's] incredible attitude and selfless acts. It is mind-blowing. A lesson for all. My understanding of foster care is so different now."" From Amazon...""A beautifully written and honest look into the world of foster care. I would not only recommend this book to those considering this vocation, but to anyone who works with children. Kathleen gives practical parenting advice as well as discussing how to manage a variety of different types of relationships. This is a must read for so many!"" From Amazon...""Absolutely the most thorough book on the experience of being a foster parent. Fantastic tips and advice. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to become a foster patent or looking to support foster parents."" From Booklife: ""Veteran foster parent Paydo offers a window into the everyday life of the foster care system in this thoughtful debut, writing that ""fifty percent of newly licensed foster parents quit after the first year of service."" Drawing on her experience with over 135 foster placements, Paydo admits the struggles involved and offers tried and true tips for success, emphasizing throughout that effective foster families must be adaptable, loving, and communicative to build healthy habits in the lives of their foster children. In acknowledgment of the job's difficulties, Paydo declares relationship building is the crux: ""not once in our foster-care career did we take care of a child completely unassisted by others."" Structured from the bottom up, this guide first lays out the practicalities of foster care-including the different licenses available, levels of need, and specialized services like fostering medically fragile children-and later builds up to the ins and outs of advocacy within the larger foster system. Paydo works hard to break down misconceptions surrounding foster care, particularly its negative stereotypes in popular media, and stresses the need to dispel these myths to children who are placed in foster homes. She views her role as a conduit for healing and highlights the importance of compassion, all while recognizing that foster parents cannot meet every need of every child-a sentiment that leads to her insistence they learn to balance relationships with their own biological children as well. Paydo's empathy will resonate with readers, especially when she shares heartfelt stories of the many children her family has fostered over the years. Foster parenting is never easy, though, and Paydo doesn't sugarcoat its trials. Her exhortation that all foster children be treated ""with an enormous amount of respect and sincere kindness"" sets the tone, and the tools she offers will give foster parents and children alike stepping stones for success."" ""I finished this book. [It's] OUTSTANDING! I cannot believe how enlightening and inspirational it was. I cannot say enough about it. All the stories, the ups and downs, and [the Paydo's] incredible attitude and selfless acts. It is mind blowing. A lesson for all. My understanding of foster care is so different now."" - Reader ""Paydo works hard to break down misconceptions surrounding foster care, particularly its negative stereotypes in popular media, and stresses the need to dispel these myths to children who are placed in foster homes. She views her role as a conduit for healing and highlights the importance of compassion, all while recognizing that foster parents cannot meet every need of every child-a sentiment that leads to her insistence they learn to balance relationships with their own biological children as well."" - BookLife"