Resources
What Can I Expect from My Child?
Child development is tricky. Each milestone—from learning to walk to mastering social skills—requires patience, practice, and sometimes setbacks. It’s crucial to respect each child’s unique journey, providing support and guidance tailored to their individual needs without pushing beyond their current capabilities to foster healthy development.
Should I Expect My 6-Year-Old to Do Their Own Laundry?
When parenting school-aged children, we tend to think about if we are preparing them for independence in adulthood. Hear from Ashley Wagner, Director of Occupational Therapy at FamilyForward on how she has gauged a child’s readiness, interest, and capability to determine appropriate developmental expectations.
Strengthening Family Bonds
May 15th marks the International Day of Families, a moment to reflect on issues impacting families around the world and to promote ways to strengthen familial bonds and support systems. Read how the FamilyForward team likes to strengthen bonds with their loved ones.
Healing Hearts
Trauma experienced by children in foster care disrupts their sense of security and affects their brains, behaviors, and emotions. Learn strategies foster and adoptive parents can use in their journey to heal the hearts of the children in their lives.
Isolation and Desolation: The Need for Connection
Following the spread of COVID-19, schools and workplaces closed and Americans were faced with daily decisions about where and how to spend their time. Engagement in social supports like community centers, extracurricular activities, and the houses of worship sharply declined as people sought to avoid the risk of spreading the new virus.
Handing Over the Baton: Partnering to Help Older Youth Develop Positive Healthcare Practices
Caring for older foster youth places a significant responsibility on foster parents to advocate for quality physical and mental healthcare. By adopting these tips, caregivers can create an environment that nurtures trust, openness, and shared decision-making, ultimately empowering the young person to take control of their healthcare while including caregivers as supportive partners along the way.
It’s the Little Things That Make the Difference
Parenting is rewarding, but it’s also a tough gig. Because children rely on adults to meet many of their needs, a lot of energy goes toward making sure that young ones are tended to. Couples often make the mistake of prioritizing their children at the expense of self-care and intentional time for each other. Over time, this oversight can lead to a lack of connection. So, what is a couple to do?
Dating on a Dime
Finding alone time with your partner can be challenging, but there are plenty of ways to creatively, intentionally, and affordably spend time together to strengthen the partnership and parenting relationship.
Take a Virtual Tour
Take a virtual tour of FamilyForward’s Developmental Trauma Campus! The campus is the largest center for developmental trauma therapy services in the region, spanning 9.5 acres with two buildings totaling 41,778 square feet.
Recognizing the Signs of Child Abuse
Child abuse happens in every state, in every town, and in every income bracket. The unfortunate reality is that child abuse is often underreported and unnoticed by most adults, despite its prevalence in our communities.