Kids Need to Be Safe: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Julie Nelson

Illustrated by Mary Gallagher. 32 p., Free Spirit, 2006.

When children are in foster care, they are often traumatized, confused, and full of conflicting emotions. This book explains that parents usually take good care of children, but sometimes they have problems that lead them to need help with this - problems like homelessness, substance abuse, and violence. Although relatives may help take care of children, so can police, social workers, and foster parents. The recurrent message of this book is "Kids are important. Kids need to be safe." Ms. Nelson explains in very simple language what foster parents do, and acknowledges some of the feelings kids have when they're in foster care. Notes for adults describe children's experiences in foster care and suggest caring responses, and refer adults to resources such as books and organizations. This book can be a soothing source of empathy for young children in foster care.

Ages: 3-8
Cultural Context: multicultural