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I just finished this book. It is a great book! I got it on amazon "Another Place at the Table" by Kathy Harrison Blurb about it: It's 1988, and Harrison, a happily married mother of three, takes a job with Head Start, working with at-risk four-year-olds. Her heart goes out to the foster kids; before long, she and her husband take state training and adopt two sisters. Five children make a big family, but Harrison finds it tough to turn her back on needy children. She and her husband start accepting emergency care "hot-line" foster children, too; soon, Harrison quits her day job and becomes a full-time-overtime, really-foster parent. In addition to a stay-at-home mom's usual duties, Harrison is caring for children with serious emotional baggage and often complex medical problems. There are lawyers, therapists and social service people to meet with, plus the scheduling of visits to birth mothers, an emotional roller coaster for all parties. Birth mothers, she finds, are often "harder to hate than you might expect," and when an especially difficult child comes along, it's almost impossible to accept that even foster parents have their limitations. And how do you "give enough" to each child so they get a healthy sense of family, "without loving them too much to let them go in the end?" With over half a million American children in foster care today, Harrison's personal but vitally important account should be read by public policy makers and by anyone with a spare room in their home.
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Okay, now I am on chapter 12, and I have to say, if you haven't read it read it. If you are considering doing foster care, read it. It will give you an accurate view of what you are in for. If you are doing foster care, read it. You will recognize children you have had touch your life on these pages.
I also just read One Small Boat... I have read Another Place at the Table a couple times. I enjoy this author because she doesn't sugar coat things but she also helps you to see that even (or especially) in the "quirky" things about your foster children is where you might find you love them the most. The end of One Small Boat breaks my heart... it does reminds us of just HOW this all works and that there are no guarantees of the outcome.
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I have read both but I have to say One Small Boat really gets to the core of what it's like to foster. My husband doesnt read but I'm trying to get him to read it - I wish Kathy's book were on audio tape- then my non reading ( yes shockingly there are those types) could enjoy this foray into the world of foster care
cabbagepatchkid
I've read this book twice. The first time was just before I started doing foster care (it scared me half to death :woohoo: :rolleyes: ) and the second time that I read it was a year after I had been doing foster care...this time around I found it totally funny and laughed my way thru the book.
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hkolln
I just finished this book. It is a great book! I got it on amazon
"Another Place at the Table" by Kathy Harrison
Blurb about it:
It's 1988, and Harrison, a happily married mother of three, takes a job with Head Start, working with at-risk four-year-olds. Her heart goes out to the foster kids; before long, she and her husband take state training and adopt two sisters. Five children make a big family, but Harrison finds it tough to turn her back on needy children. She and her husband start accepting emergency care "hot-line" foster children, too; soon, Harrison quits her day job and becomes a full-time-overtime, really-foster parent. In addition to a stay-at-home mom's usual duties, Harrison is caring for children with serious emotional baggage and often complex medical problems. There are lawyers, therapists and social service people to meet with, plus the scheduling of visits to birth mothers, an emotional roller coaster for all parties. Birth mothers, she finds, are often "harder to hate than you might expect," and when an especially difficult child comes along, it's almost impossible to accept that even foster parents have their limitations. And how do you "give enough" to each child so they get a healthy sense of family, "without loving them too much to let them go in the end?" With over half a million American children in foster care today, Harrison's personal but vitally important account should be read by public policy makers and by anyone with a spare room in their home.
Another place at the table was delivered this morning and I read it cover to cover today while cuddling my sick 4 year old. I have actually read it several years ago but didn't recall it until about 1/3 of the way through (when Sara's behaviours became apparent.) An excellent read now as it was then. I am looking forward to her second book which I should have in my hands tomorrow
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