Having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness is a key part of staying well. This book is intended for individuals who may be living on their own for the first time and not know how to set up a kitchen, shop for groceries, or the basics of cooking. The recipes contained in this book are a sample of recipes
that contain a limited number of ingredients and steps, to make it relatively easy for individuals to shop and eat healthier.

EACH YEAR, child welfare agencies make over 40,000 requests for home studies to determine whether children in foster care can
be placed with parents, relatives and others living in another state.
Each of these requests is governed by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (“ICPC”), a uniform law adopted by every state to coordinate the placement of foster children in other states. Under the ICPC, a child can only be placed in foster care in another state after the receiving state conducts a home study and approves the proposed placement.

There are three types of Resource Family Care providers: foster, adoption, and kinship. Foster caregivers
are individuals and families who voluntarily open their hearts and homes to become temporary parents
to children in need of a home due to protective or other social service reasons.
Adoptive caregivers provide permanent care for children whose parents have had their parental rights
terminated.
Kinship caregivers are related to a child in placement through blood, marriage, civil union, domestic
partnership, or adoption. Kinship caregivers may also be connected to the child by an established positive
psychological or emotional relationship.
While children are in placement, the resource family offers them loving experiences that promote
healthy growth and development. They provide the vital physical and emotional care that children need
when they are separated from their biological parents. Foster and adoptive caregivers must first be
licensed to provide care. Kinship caregivers may provide care before being licensed if they’re eligible
for licensure and are in the process of being licensed.

The decision to adopt a child and fully accept that child as your own is not often made with ease. There is a lot to consider before you make such a commitment. This handbook will provide you with important information regarding general characteristics of available children, who can adopt and a step by step guide regarding the adoption process.

The good news for parents and other caring adults,
including foster parents, is that there is much they can
do to help influence their children’s decisions about sex.
Foster youth say they want to discuss sex, love, and relationships
with their foster parents, but some are embarrassed or feel
uncomfortable starting the conversation. The same holds true
for foster parents. They often don’t know what to say, how to say
it, or when to start. This guide offers some ideas to help foster
parents strengthen their relationships with foster youth. It also
offers some ideas on how best to communicate about sex, love,
and relationships.

Right now, there are thousands of New Jersey children who need the warmth
and guidance of a family. Many parents are welcoming these children into their homes to provide safety, stability and love. These wonderful people are New Jersey’s foster and adoptive families.

In May 2014, the Fostering Youth Success Alliance (formerly YICC) released its preliminary report, “Fostering
Independence: The Need for a Statewide Foster Youth College Success Initiative.” In it, we detailed the low rates
of college-going among young people who have spent time in the foster care system in New York; highlighted the
challenges that prevent many foster youth from attending and succeeding in college; and examined what states
across the country are doing to help foster youth acquire the necessary post-secondary education to lead promising,
independent lives. We found that New York is well behind the curve in providing meaningful financial, educational,
and social supports to foster youth in college, and recommended investment in a statewide college success initiative
for all its foster youth.

This fact sheet discusses some of the emotional issues that parents may face after making the
decision to place an infant for adoption, in surrendering the child, and in handling the
feelings that often persist afterwards. It may be a helpful resource for birth parents as well as
family members, friends, and others who want to support birth parents. It may also provide insight
to adopted persons and adoptive parents who want to understand the struggles faced by birth parents.