Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release
provided by 
11.18.2008 - 01:08pm ET
News from:
Center for Adoption Support & Education, Inc.
New Book Helps Foster Children Manage the Questions and Comments of Others
The W.I.S.E. Up! Owl Empowers Children with Positive Choices
(CSRwire) BURTONSVILLE, Md., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for
Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) is pleased to announce the
launch of its newest publication, the W.I.S.E. Up! Powerbook for Children
in Foster Care(R). Based on the nationally acclaimed program for adopted
children, the book offers a simple, easy-to-remember solution for managing
their complex feelings (sadness, fear, frustration, anger, loss and grief)
while responding to the questions, comments and curiosities of others.
At any given time, approximately 500,000 U.S. children are in the foster
care system. Of those, nearly 130,000 are waiting to be placed in
permanent, loving homes.
"Foster parents and relative care givers work hard to support vulnerable
children who are coping with a range of experiences, including past abuse,
neglect and loss and grief," said C.A.S.E. Executive Director Debbie Riley,
M.S. "The children need a simple, effective tool to help them cope with
their troubled pasts, while adjusting to new opportunities for family
security and stability. We are so pleased to make this book available."
Based on C.A.S.E.'s proven clinical program that has benefited tens of
thousands of adoptive families since 2000, the book's main character,
W.I.S.E. Up! Owl, walks children through various life scenarios that
children in foster care are likely to experience. Owl helps children
identify, normalize and manage their feelings about experiences over which
they have little or no control and then offers an effective,
easy-to-remember method for receiving, processing and responding to
others. It also helps them to prepare in advance on how they might answer
particularly intrusive or hurtful remarks.
"Young children don't always realize that they own their own stories,
histories and feelings," said C.A.S.E. Director of Community Education
Michelle Lovejoy. "It's empowering to know that you can respectfully walk
away, say 'it's private,' share something personal, or educate others
about foster care."
"Among the most important skills that foster parents, relative care
givers, social workers, teachers, school counselors and mentoring adults
can teach to children in foster care," says television actress, NY Times
Bestselling Author and foster care alumni Victoria Rowell in the book's
foreword, "is that the decision to share (or not share) personal
information belongs to them. By practicing the choices, W, I, S, and E,
children can learn how to communicate in ways that are comfortable,
assertive and respectful to others – a skill that will benefit them in
all facets of their lives."
About The Center for Adoption Support and Education
Named "One of the Best Small Charities" by The Catalogue for Philanthropy:
Greater Washington (2008-09) The Center for Adoption Support and Education
(C.A.S.E.) provides adoption-competent individual and group
counseling/educational services for foster and adopted children, teens,
adults and families. Since 1998, C.A.S.E.'s mission has been to ensure
the well-being of foster and adopted children through its family support
services and nationally acclaimed programs, workshops, trainings and
publications for families, educators and professionals. For complete
information and to order publications, please visit the website at www.adoptionsupport.org.
For more information please contact:
Michelle Lovejoy
The Center for Adoption Support & Education, Inc.
301-476-8525
News Categories:
Health & Wellness and Community Development
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