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- Introduction to Lifebooks
- for the Foster Child
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- A memory record
- A scrapbook history of a child’s life
- A picture and written record of the foster child’s journey though 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.
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- 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.
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- Any foster child who comes into your home. Whether for a month or
years. Natural children too will
appreciate having their own Lifebooks.
The Lifebook is usually compiled by the foster parents with the
foster child assisting and providing input as is appropriate for their
age.
- Some children will arrive from another home with a Lifebook - which you
can then help the child maintain.
- Some will arrive with a collection of pictures, and precious
mementos. The foster parent can
show the child how he/she will
help preserve these precious things.
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- The Lifebook album is to become
the child’s possession once old enough to be trusted with the
contents. As time passes there
will be a series of albums.
- The Lifebook is for the child and if he/she is too young or
irresponsible to keep with his/her belongings then the child should have
easy access to it.
- If foster child moves be sure new family is informed of the Lifebook, or
place it with the social worker.
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- Cost of creating a Lifebook will vary with the materials used. An elaborate scrapbook with purchased cutouts and fancy papers
will obviously cost more than a home created scrapbook. The book does not need to be costly
but will certainly be a valuable creation for your child.
- Most Agencies will refund the cost of basic materials such as the
binder, pages and a limited number of photos. Check with your Agency to see what
costs can be reimbursed.
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- Ideally 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.
- For younger children you could measure his/her height and trace the hand
- Keep records etc from that day forward.
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- IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!
- Start the day the child moves in
- Or
- Start today. It is never too
late.
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- Pictures....Pictures....Pictures
- 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.
- Holiday pictures: Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, family outings.
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- Sports events: remember the big events like tournaments and snap
pictures at practices and informal events too.
- Going bowling? Bring along the camera and snap a picture of the family
having fun together.
- Pictures of everyday events: Bike riding, pumpkin carving, swimming, digging in the sandbox.
- Memories of the child being a part of the family.
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- Try to get pictures from biological family. If
they are reluctant, then,
with social workers assistance the pictures could be borrowed and
copied.
- CAS files can also be a source of historical pictures.
- These pictures of good family interactions will stir memories for
decades to come.
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- Once you have a beginning, go back and fill in as much as possible of
the past.
- Some children who are being moved from one home to another will arrive
with a Lifebook and all you will have to do is upkeep.
- Others will need you to do the research and compile as much as possible
of the past for him/her.
- Read your child’s CAS file, and ask social worker what information you
can record in child’s Lifebook.
Some recommend including the specific reasons why the child was
placed in foster care - check with child’s social worker before
recording any facts.
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- Record any other significant events known in child’s history.
- Biological Parents: If appropriate ask for anecdotes of child’s life
with bio parents; ask for developmental history. (birth weight, age
walking etc.)
- Lock of hair.
- Add a family tree of the biological family. Add their birth dates,
information on foster child's siblings ages, names, dates of birth.
- On another page add a family tree of your family including your foster child.
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- Get copies: birth certificates, SIN no., documents, medical records,
history of illnesses, hospital visits, surgeries etc.
- Facts: All places, towns, schools attended, foster homes, bio parents
history with child, dates he/she lived with which parent or both,
schools attended.
- Child can add a sheet with likes and dislikes and his/her best friends,
favourite activities. (Date this as information will change at different
ages)
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- Photos of social workers and dates involved.
- Awards; from school, sport events, clubs, etc.
- Memorabilia i.e. Ticket stubs from movies, special
events, legend/map of Wonderland or the Zoo, etc.
- Don’t forget to record dates, locations and names of everything!
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- Any letters the child has received.
Write your child a letter welcoming him to your family, or tell
him how much he belongs in your family.
- If child is moved include goodbye letters
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- Get permission to glean any information
available from school OSR.
- We had a 12 year old foster son with no pictures of his early years.
From his OSR we were able to get the information of his moves (with bio
family) as the dates and schools were all listed and the contact person
indicated which parent he was living with. The school allowed me to borrow the only picture
on his file-age 5. We had a reprint made. That picture was very important to our
foster son. It was all he had of
his childhood.
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- The Lifebook can include
diary-like entries of little episodes that can make us laugh and have a
good feeling about the past.
- Children with Overseas Orphanage history: If possible provide pictures
of orphanage, information about the geographical area and information
about the reasons he/she was
adopted.
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- Encourage your child to participate as much as is age appropriate.
- For young children record their comments, and their cute sayings as
well.
- Older children can be encouraged to draw or write about feelings,
memories, etc.
- As much as the child is interested encourage him/her to take a part in
the entire Lifebook process, from purchasing materials such as stickers
and pretty paper, to choosing what to put in the Lifebook (special artwork, pictures he likes
best, etc).
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- Some teens might really enjoy working on this project, others may be disinterested and the foster parent
will need to make the record for him/her. Whether the teen is interested or not
the Lifebook is still an important part of his/her history.
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- As you create this book with your child, make it a therapeutic process.
- Engage your child in sharing
memories, or talking about feelings.
- Encourage him/her to write down,
or draw pictures about things that have happened or how he/she feels
about things.
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- Encourage her/him to share feelings about present situation also.
- Revisit this exercise at various times as the feelings and memories will
often be different at different stages in life. Give your child every opportunity to
express his/her feelings.
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- Most cameras offer you the option of having a date stamp appear right on
the picture.
- Digital photos have made memory keeping even easier. We can see our pictures before
developing and discard the poor ones which can be a $ saving feature
when having pictures developed.
- Whether you use digital or 35 mm most developers can provide you a copy
of your pictures on CD
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- If you have digital camera and a CD OR DVD burner keep a copy of your
child’s photos on CD/DVD . (Be
sure to make extra copies for archives since CDs tend to scratch).
- At least once per year copy all the child’s photos to a CD/DVD and
label with the year.
- Provide a pocket in his Lifebook to keep the CD/DVD safe. Some children that have access to a
computer will enjoy looking at their picture collection on the computer.
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- If you have a very good photo-quality printer and use good quality
photo paper you can produce your own photos at home. Using cropping and red eye tools can
give you a professional quality photo.
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- Don’t be tempted into thinking that having videotapes and CD copies of
pictures is enough.
- There is nothing that can replace the Lifebook.
- It can easily be shared,
- is portable,
- no hardware is required to view; and
- it provides a place to chronologically add mementos, documents,
awards, ribbons, letters, cards and special artwork..
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- Three ring binder everything!! -
A loose-leaf style scrapbook is imperative!
- It can be easily rearranged.
- Additions can be made in chronological order
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- You have a choice of the regular school/office size three ring binder.
- or
- The larger scrapbook size binders sold specifically for scrapbooks and
photo albums
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- There are some advantages to
using the school type three ring
binder:
- readily available at most office supply stores and department stores
- economically priced
- All the add-ins like pocket sheets and clear protective pockets are
readily available for this size binder
- Convenient size - i.e. It can easily be packed in a travel bag, will
fit on a shelf or in a drawer; as compared to the awkward scrapbook
size which requires much more space.
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- You can make a very personalized Lifebook using the three ring binder
that is sold with a clear pocket on the front cover. These are designed
for you to personalize.
- You can add a picture and caption of your child
- or your child can prepare a
- special piece of artwork
- for the cover.
- Use your imagination!
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- Zippered 3 ring binders – are ideal as they provide extra
security for all the valuable memorabilia stored in the Lifebook. They are quite portable without risk
of the contents getting wet or lost.
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- Most children will flip through these Lifebooks many times - be sure
your creation is sturdy!
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- Self sticking photo pages are fine for photos.
- Other types of inserts will be needed for all the rest of the
interesting stuff that can be added.
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- Clear plastic loose leaf sheet protectors are great for photos and for
documents, artwork etc.
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- How to use clear plastic
- sheet protectors for photos.
- Using colored (or white) sheet paper for background arrange photos on
sheet (use acid free glue stick).
Add typed or handwritten text to fill in details. Do the same thing on another
sheet. Put sheets back to back
and slide into the sheet protector so there are photos displayed on each
side of the page.
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- Plastic sheet inserts with 4 clear pockets per page are designed for
photos but can be used to add all kinds of mementos:
- Business cards of significance,
- School ID cards (high school)
- Library cards,
- Small birth certificate copy,
- Award pins,
- Medals,
- Ticket stubs.
- You can tape the tops of the pocket shut
- if there is risk of contents falling out.
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- If you are making your child a CD collection of his photos in addition
to his Lifebook add a single CD page in chronological order whenever you
have compiled a CD.
- Be sure to mark child’s name and date on the CD (permanent markers can
be used to write directly on the CD)
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- Designed to hold bulky things or several sheets of paper. The flap will
have a Velcro seal.
- Good for mementos - anything a child would like to keep.
- Thickness is still a consideration for inclusion in a book.
- (See Memento Boxes below for discussion of keeping larger objects)
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- If you wish to mount your pictures on interesting background sheets they
can be purchased in single sheets with an endless number of themes from
“princesses to biking”.
- Boys will love all the sports theme and outdoor theme paper that is
available to use as a background for pictures about themselves doing
these activities.
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- Girls will also find all their sports, outdoor activities, girly things,
etc in paper.
- Look for seasonal themes too, paper with tropical fish as a background
for pictures of beach play or swimming in the pool.
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- No Lifebook is complete without a full complement of stickers!!
- They can be found at the dollar store and in almost any department
store. You can put together a simple album or dress it up with lots of
graphics, stickers and color.
- The important thing is that your child has his own book about his life
to help her/him feel he belongs and his life is important!
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- Department, craft and office supply stores such as : Walmart, Zellers,
Staples, Office Depot, Micheals, even dollar stores all carry many
supplies to keep the Lifebook in good order and creatively put together.
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- If you choose to put together a creative visual memory book
Lifebook you can use many
scrapbooking supplies that are now readily available at the above
mentioned stores.
- There are a wealth of on-line sites offering ideas and materials via the
internet. Search under
“Scrapbooking”.
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- You need not be a ‘crafty’ person
to help your child have an exquisite display of her/his life. Simply adding a few appropriate theme
stickers to the pages of photos will add excitement and charm.
- Using colored background paper and adding your own art will give your child extra visual
pleasure.
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- Birthday Party: Centre the
picture of child and cake and surround with pictures of guests and games
etc. Lock it in with coordinating
colors (background paper) stickers of party themes. Then type or handwrite the party
details. Kids love the little
anecdotes - (Mary’s favourite gift, or the dog chewed the wrapping paper
etc).
- Fishing: A fishing picture of
your son proudly displaying his 3 inch fish with the caption “Danny shows off the
Catch of the Day”
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- “Our Trip to Wonderland”: Danny ate too many treats and had to rest for
a while. The day ended after lots
of fun and a ride on the Pirate Ship.
- You can cut pictures into interesting shapes or angles. This adds interest and trims away
unnecessary background.
- Give them happy memories to think about.
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- More ideas:
- Make a collage of birthday gift
wrap and cards - one or two page spread depending on amount of supplies
and pictures to use.
- Then use this collage as background for pictures of the birthday. Add details like dates, names, etc.
typed or written on separate paper and glued on.
- Use acid free glue sticks (most
are).Then slip the pages into the plastic loose leaf sheet protectors
and voila!
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- To carry the process another step, if you have a graphic layout program
such as CorelDraw, you can create complete scrapbook pages on your
computer and then print them using your photo quality printer and the
photo paper.
- Using clipart and adding text to the pages gives you all in one. There are many clipart sites available
on the internet and CorelDraw (and other graphic programs) come with a
clipart library also. These
programs can put colorful borders on the pages or add frames around the
pictures.
- Print the pages and slip into the clear plastic sheet protectors.
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- Whether your child’s Lifebook is a plain jane or an exquisite piece of
artwork –
- THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO PROVIDE A RECORD
- A CELEBRATION OF HIS/HER LIFE
- IN BOOK FORM
- Try to include fun details that will provide smiles and happy memories
in the years ahead.
- The stories you write, the funny tales you tell of his/her life will
delight and encourage and help paint a picture of life as it was.
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- Some children come into care with ‘precious’ mementos items too bulky
for a Lifebook- and continue to collect items that they cannot part with
. For these kids a memento box
works well in addition to the
Lifebook - which just cannot be ignored!
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- The memento box can be any size box that you feel is manageable - based
on your own storage space or child’s storage area:
- it can be a Rubbermaid Tub,
- a purchased decorated storage box,
- a simple shoebox - plain or child decorated; or
- a basket with a cover.
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- The important thing is to provide the child a safe area to keep items
important to him/her - sentimental items (we’re not talking about
Johnny’s hockey card collection here!).
- In our home, once a box size has been agreed upon, that is “the box”
and once it is full, decisions have to be made as to what to keep and
what to dispose of . Some children could easily fill a room with boxes
of sentimental stuff. The child might need some coaxing but this needs
to be the child’s decision. Gently help the child decide what is really
important and what can be discarded.
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- As your collection of background papers, snip-its of interesting
stick-ons and sheets of stickers grows it can be a challenge to keep
them organized and readily available without incurring damage.
- Make yourself a materials binder using a three ring binder and the same
clear plastic protective pages that you use in the Lifebook.
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- Slip the various sheets of background paper into the pockets and do the
same with the stickers.
- If you have a great variety of pages it might be simpler to put all
sports theme papers in one pocket, all birthday themes in another
pocket. The same with the
stickers. They can be divided
into Boys, Girls, Birthdays, Summer (for things like camping and fishing
stickers and swimming) Winter, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc.
- When you or your child are looking for materials to dress up your
Lifebook pages they are readily available without having to rifle
through a box and risking crumpling or damage to these materials.
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- The Lifebook is an important book
- for recorded history,
- to show friends, family; and
- to provide lasting memories.
- Remember Lifebooks are works in progress. They should be regularly updated with
new information, fun activities the child has enjoyed, sports involved
in, etc.
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- We have provided you with printable pages that you can use to add to
your child’s Lifebook.
- These pages can be saved on your computer and printed for use with your
foster children.
- Choose any pages that you think are appropriate for your child.
- “This is my House” is available in two choices:
- An apartment and a house.
- Help your child fill in these pages or use them as a starting idea to
encourage your child to make his own page with drawings and comments.
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- Click on selection for downloadable Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Printable
pages.
- About Me Introduction
- Awards Bio Family
- My House My Apt. Bldg.
- Happy Foster Family
- Sad Like Doing
- Wishes Entire Collection
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- If you wish to receive a Course Certificate,
- please do the following:
- Complete the registration form, test and course evaluation by clicking
below;
- Submit to us via e-mail by clicking the “SUBMIT” button.
- A Course Certificate will be emailed to you upon successful completion
of the test. A mark of 85% or
higher is required.
- Thank-you for your interest in this online training course
- Click here for Registration Form
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Notes