Documenting your Foster

Childs LifeLifebooks

Memories are being created, milestones are

happening and lives are going on.

WHAT IS A LIFEBOOK?

Somewhat like a scrapbook, a lifebook is a detailed outline of the child's life. It is an inexpensive way to create a book to honor every child that you foster.

Simply defined as:

A memory record

A scrapbook history of a child’s life

A picture and written record of the foster child’s journey through life

A collection of photos, memorabilia, awards, records and history assembled in chronological order.

Lifebooks can be as simple or as elaborate as you like depending on your own talents, available time and the interest of the child in adding his/her own work to the book. The important thing is that your child has a record to keep into adulthood.

WHY A LIFEBOOK?

To provide each child with a continuing record of his/her life. Dates,

places, photos provide memories

To establish memories of their place in the foster family

To have a history of themselves to help make sense of their own

lives

To have something tangible to share with others: biological family,

friends, therapists etc.

A medium to help children to express their feelings about the past

and the present.

Even if they are older children they may forget when something

happened or where they were living when it took place.

Memories are a precious thing to have.

Lifebooks are very important for

foster children. Lifebooks should stay with foster children

as a sense of security whether they are

reunified with their birth family, placed in

another foster home, or adopted.

It is their history book.

How to Start a Lifebook

Ideally you need start the day a foster child

arrives in your home.

Take a picture of him/her as soon as possible.

Record tidbits of info about the first day to put

in the Lifebook.

Take pictures and keep records from that day

forward.

WHAT TO PUT IN THE LIFEBOOK

Pictures....Pictures....Pictures

Try to bring your camera along wherever you go. You never know when a photo opportunity will occur.

It is important for the child to have pictures of him/her self interacting with foster family and biological family if available.

* Bio family can take pictures at visits or social worker can take pics of bio family together

WHAT TO PUT IN THE LIFEBOOK

Baby pictures (if available)

School pictures

Pictures of friends

Pictures of birth family

Pictures of siblings

Pictures of foster family

Pictures of the foster home

Pictures of the school that they attend

Pictures of the hospital where they were born

Everyday pictures

Sporting events

Report cards

Doctors information (growth charts, business card, copy of shot record)

Drawings

School work

Tickets from shows, rides, or movies

Birth certificate and adoption certificate

Hand or foot prints

Brochures from places they have visited

Special occasions

Birthday invitations

Journaling

The journal entry describes the events

that take place in a child’s life in writing. A

picture is nothing without words to

describe it.

How to Journal

Write things down as they happen in a

journal

Write things down in a calendar book

Example:

9/25/09 - Gracie’s first day of dance class. She had so

much fun. She loved her teacher Ms. Rachel.

This will be very helpful when you write a

journal entry for the lifebook.

Ideas for Journaling:

Date of birth

Place of birth

Name at birth

Weight and length at birth

School names (try to include all of the school that your child has attended)

Favorite color

Current height and weight

Favorite food

Bravest moment

What the child wants to be when they grow up

Favorite place to go

Things that bug them

Favorite stuffed animal or toy

Daily routine

Favorite song

Clothing style

Sleep schedule

Special birth marks

Favorite subject in school

Favorite book

Best friends

Foster parents names

Birthday party information

Doctors information

Trips they have been on

Things they are good at

Example of Journaling

On 2/15/08 Abigail came into our custody around 5:00 pm. We already knew about her because she was coming up for adoption and we were asked if we wanted to be considered for adopting her. She was taken into care this day due an unfortunate problem at her aunt’s house where she had been living since birth. We were so glad to get this call. She came to us with a cold and she remained sick off and on until 3/21/08. We could not believe how sickly she was. The doctors stated the reason for this was because she had a low immune system. We took to the doctors a total of 4 times in one month. Two of the times we went to the emergency room. The last time she went was on the same day that Billy had to go to the emergency room. That was a great day in the ER for me.

Abigail now is called Gracie. We were cleared for adoption of her on 2/20/08. We were so excited. Donna Gray, her social worker said we can start calling her Gracie since we are going to adopt her. Her adoptive name will be Charlotte Grace Martin and she will be called Gracie. We are naming her after our mothers.

Example of JournalingOn Saturday, October 25, we all went to SPEC’s (daycare) Fall Festival. Gracie had a pretty good time.

Gracie was in one of her moods due to it being close to her nap time. We thought we might have to carry

her home however she straightened up finally. She would not eat her hotdog but she did eat some chips.

She along with Teddy really loved the Stretch and Grow Games. She and Teddy also participated in the

cake walk neither one won a cake. Billy and I really wanted one of those cakes. They looked so good.

Gracie and Teddy also made a Halloween necklace. They filled a plastic pumpkin with some colored sand

of course. That day we also went to Granny’s house. Granny made Gracie a quilt for her bed. She just

loved it. The theme of the quilt was Nursery Rhyme characters.

The Past

It is important to include the child’s past as part of the lifebook.

Foster children often lack the family history that most of us take for granted. Many foster children never get to know their birth family members or hear birth family stories, and they often know almost nothing about their infancy. This is why the Life Book and proper documentation can be so important to them.

Every piece of a person’s life is valuable. Pieces come together to make a whole, and foster children often have lots of pieces that they need assistance and support in putting together.

The Past

A child’s past information can be obtained from the following people:

Social Worker

Guardian ad Litem

Birth parent(s)

Therapist

Doctor

by the child if they are able to communicate

Creating the Lifebook To start creating a lifebook you of course will need a book. The good thing

is that the book is free. They are provided by New Hanover County Department of Social Services; just ask your licensing social worker whenever you need one. As for the supplies it depends upon the individual of how simple or elaborate you want the book to be. Some of the basic items are as follows:

Scrapbook paper (cardstock, pattern paper, vellum, etc.)

Acid-free adhesive

Embellishments (stickers, brads, eyelets, ribbon, etc.)

Stamps (optional)

Ink pads (optional)

Photos

Paper Trimmer

Scissors

You can use basically anything your creative mind comes up with to make the page exciting and unique.

North Carolina State Standard (62) for Foster

Care states the following concerning Lifebooks:

Lifebooks shall be created and maintained for all children who are removed from their homes.

Lifebooks shall reflect as much information as possible from the birth of the child to the present time.

Lifebooks shall contain information that helps a child to know and remember his or her history with details of that history through placement.

Completion and maintenance of the lifebook is a joint responsibility among social worker, foster parent and birth family.

The lifebook belongs to the child.

The development of lifebooks shall begin within the first thirty days of placement and shall be continuously maintained.

The agency case record shall contain photographs of the child taken at least once a year. These photographs shall be labeled with the name of the child and date taken.

Your Choice

How you choose to do the lifebook is your

choice. I just ask that you do one for

every foster child that walks through your

door.

A good memory book will bring laughter,

tears and love thus making it the gift of a

lifetime, the greatest gift you can give or

receive

The End

Any questions or comments