One of the most asked questions of those who are first learning of or delving into helping those impacted by the foster care system is: “What books helped you the most?”. During Foster Care Awareness Month in 2021, we created a library of some of the books that come recommended by youth in care, those who work within the system and foster parents. We are holding a Foster Care Literature Share Series all month where authors of some of these books will share more about their books. As Steve Pemberton, author of A Chance In This World, says best, "What helped me so much was this secret power that I had. It was that I loved to read. Quite literally reading saved me in any single way and every single way that you can define those things. Let me tell you why, why it's so important. It gave me a vision of a life, of a different life, than the one I had inherited"
Each library image below will take you to a clickable PDF where each book will take you to it’s listing for purchase. We have given some age suggestions however highly recommend researching each book listing as chronological age may not always match emotional/social age of youth and content may be especially challenging for youth based on their own experiences.
Books for those in helping relationships with those impacted by the foster care system. We also highly recommend the memoirs and books listed in the second library below, some of which are written by those who have lived experience in the system and would be very helpful to those in helping relationships.
Books for teenaged youth in foster care, those who have aged out of foster care or experienced challenging life experiences or for those in helping relationships with those impacted by the child welfare system. Many of the books listed are written by those who with lived experience in the system.
Books for middle grade children with characters and stories relevant to foster care. Pay attention to information in Amazon listings however most books are relevant to children ages 10+.
Picture books for children and adults of all ages that are relevant to foster care, may help guide helpful conversations with those experiencing changes in their families or can help children learn about families that may be different than their own!
