When caring for children in out-of-home care, we are given many opportunities to gain a connection to the child's family. How we choose to use these opportunities makes the difference between fostering a child and fostering a family. Remember the goal of fostering is almost always reunification of the family. In most cases, this is the best for all involved.

By fostering these connections with the parents and building a relationship of trust, resource parents begin to mentor a whole family instead of fostering one child. Parents may then be willing to ask of you, the resource parents, parenting questions or advice. In addition, when the child goes home, the parents will have you as another resource to lean upon while they work to rebuild their lives. Your efforts to foster the whole family and build trust will give the child the opportunity to have several people in his or her life that care for him or her. Let us all work together.