Adoption books can be intimidating. They’re often long and wordy. If you are reading as part of your training, they’re like drinking from a fire hydrant because they cover so many topics to accomodate all the types of adoptions, children, and parenting styles. Mostly likely half the book won’t apply to you but you’re not sure which half. If you’re reading because you need help and support after your child comes home, chances are you don’t have the time to read a 500 page dissertation on attachment issues. You just want your child to live to see the next day.
The first thing I noticed about Carol Lozier’s The Adoptive & Foster Parent Guide is that it is very approachable. The magazine style with real-life stories give the reader a connection to the material that not all books offer. I love the insights into the minds of adoptees and foster children. As healthily attached adults, I think we can take for granted how trauma changes your worldview.
While it is certainly not the only adoption book you’ll ever need (nor does it claim to be), it tackles a topic that I wish more books would…attachment styles. I wish she would have made more of a connection to how much the adoptive parents’ attachment style plays into a parent/child relationship but being aware that there are attachment styles is a good starting point for deeper reading and further exploration.
I really enjoyed Part Two for its practical resources. This part is really a how to like the subtitle claims. I like that they are ideas that work well within the Trust Based Parenting model we have moved to with our kids (specifically Ty). I have already recommended Carol’s book to one family we mentor and I am sure it won’t be the last time.
I want to note here that while this book is a great resource, it cannot take the place of professional therapy. Know your situation well enough to know if you just need a little guidance that this book can offer or if you need professional help.
To check out the book for yourself, head to Forever-families.com. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle
A little about the Author
Carol Lozier, MSW is a clinical social worker in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from Florida State University in 1989, and is licensed in the state of Kentucky. She has spent over twenty years counseling children and families, specializing in adoption and foster care issues. She is passionate about helping children heal from past trauma and loss.
Carol has written several articles, authors a blog, and is a contributing author to The Foster Parenting Toolbox (EMK Press, 2012). Carol’s website, Forever-families.com offers a biweekly blog, free downloadable tools for families, an excerpt of her book, and a supportive community of adoptive and foster parents.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of the book to review.