Alex Howard, Author at SAFY

The Harsh Reality of PTSD and Foster Children

How to Help Our Children Channel Feelings of Disappointment Into Feelings of Gratitude

Behavioral Health, Parenting, SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

The last few months have challenged us mentally, physically and spiritually. When you made those new year’s resolutions just five months ago, chances are not one involved socially distancing or homeschooling kids. In fact, social distancing, pandemic and coronavirus weren’t even parts of everyday language and COVID-19 was just a series of random letters and …

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National Foster Care Month Celebrates Foster Parents and Families

Fostering, SAFY Blog, Uncategorized / By Alex Howard

What led you to become a foster parent? The question was posed to a variety of people from different ages and backgrounds — single, married, widowed or divorced. “We wanted to expand our family,” said the married couple after years of infertility challenges. “We wanted to start a family,” said the same-sex couple. “I have …

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Recognizing Signs of Grief and Loss During Social Isolation and Quarantine

5 Comments / Parenting, SAFY Blog, Uncategorized / By Alex Howard

Just a few short months ago, families were counting the days until spring break, celebrating Valentine’s Day or arranging carpools for spring sports practices. There were no worries about spending time with friends after school or running to the grocery store. Social distancing and PPE were words not used in everyday conversation. Fast forward to …

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Telehealth: What Is It & Tips to Use It Effectively | SAFY

Telehealth – What Is It and Tips for Using It Effectively

Leave a Comment / SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

The last several weeks have been unprecedented and left us all scrambling to adjust to life in quarantine. Many businesses have opted to utilize video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Skype for online meetings or webinars that allow the participants to hear and see each other via shared screens and computer webcams. Others rely …

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March is National Social Work Month | SAFY

March is a Time to Celebrate Social Workers

Leave a Comment / SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

March is National Social Work Month, which makes it the perfect time to spotlight the essential contributions that social workers make for vulnerable populations every day. SAFY thanks the professionals who lead the charge to Preserve Families and Secure Futures for children and older youth in foster care. What Do Social Workers Do? Social workers …

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Helping children understand diversity

Leave a Comment / Parenting, SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

Veronica Farris, MBA Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer Race matters in the child welfare system. While poverty is the single most important predictor of placement in foster care, white children who are abused or neglected are twice as likely as children of African descent to receive services in their own homes. Child welfare for …

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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month | SAFY

Talking to Your Teen About Teen Dating Violence

Leave a Comment / Parenting, SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

Talking to Your Teen about Healthy Dating Habits and Relationships Remember what it was like dating as a teen? From working up the nerve to ask and the anticipation of an answer to figuring out where to go, just the thought of going back to that time makes me break into a sweat. At that …

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SAFY Offers 8 Reasons to Become a Foster Parent

Leave a Comment / Parenting, SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

What are some reasons to become a foster parent? 1. See the world from a different perspective. Foster parents are as unique as the children they foster. Every child offers a fresh look at the world. Some parents choose to foster teenage girls, while others may foster medically-fragile infants. (Specialized training is offered and required …

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Try These Parenting New Year’s Resolutions That You Can Keep!

Leave a Comment / Parenting, SAFY Blog / By Alex Howard

Every January I begin the new year with good intentions. Every year I also break more resolutions than I manage to keep. Do you find yourself doing the same thing? As parents, it’s not unusual to find ourselves questioning decisions we’ve made about our children, rethinking situations we might have handled differently, or even wishing …

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