News Report-Prayers Needed for Former Foster Child Rape Victim
December 16, 2009
The other day I received an email that astonished me. A foster care graduate that I feel a big sister type bond with explained the details of a horrific ordeal she had just faced. She was attacked and raped while walking home from school. Now while I was already very impressed by this amazing young woman’s determination to overcome the adversities of growing up in the foster care system, I am now in awe. Over the course of several days and email updates, one amazing theme is jumping off the pages. FORGIVENESS AND FAITH. During the brutal attack, she said she concentrated on speaking with god, turning everything over to Him. Afterward, she prayed for the rapist, asking God to have mercy on his soul.
My mind has remained focussed on the act of forgiveness and the great strength demonstrated by people who have this capacity to truly “forgive” someone who has caused them harm and/or pain. This woman is truly remarkable!
Obviously, I am going to keep her identity private but my hope is that many of you will offer words of encouragement for her to read here. Let’s use this platform to show her support and love so she knows she is not alone and to show that she has an entire community of great people thinking of her and praying for her. Please post well wishes, words of encouragement and prayers here for her to read.
News Report-Man, 93 Adopts 64-Year-Old Foster Son
December 9, 2009
Here is a great article, sure to bring a smile to your face! 93 year old Iowa man makes it official.
Thanks to Edna (an upcoming Face of a Foster Care Graduate) for sending to us.
December Face of a Foster Care Graduate -Dr. John Seita
December 4, 2009
Our December feature comes to us from Michigan. He is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Michigan State University and has published 4 books; In Whose Best Interest ?, God is in the Kitchen and other Everyday Miracles, Kids Who Outwit Adults, and his most recent is a joint publication with our November featured graduate Waln Brown called Growing up in the Care of Strangers that features stories from 11 different former foster care children. Please welcome John…….
John --- Age 12 when he was ordered by the Court to leave Cleveland. He was put into long-term residential care in Michigan.
Name: John Seita
State: Michigan
Occupation: Assistant Professor and Author
Marital Status: Married
Website: www.johnseita.com
Blog: http://careofstrangers.blogspot.com
Favorite source of inspiration: Working towards changing Foster Care.
John Seita holds a doctorate from Western Michigan University where a
scholarship for foster care alumni has been established in his name http://www.wmich.edu/fyit/scholarship.html.
Dr. Seita is a former youth at risk who beat the odds. He was removed from his mother’s home at the age of eight and spent the remainder of his childhood and adolescence in multiple foster homes, detention facilities, group care settings and on the streets. Abused and neglected as a child, his journey though children’s institutions and countless foster homes was a litany of degradation and humiliation.
His unrestrained anger at his mother and the child welfare system led to a childhood of bitterness, loneliness and one where he fought with adults, counselors, teachers, house parents, childcare workers and anyone else who crossed his path. His understanding of how to reclaim challenging youth is based upon his own journey of 15 placements out-of-home placements.
John has dedicated his life to teaching and training future social workers about the challenges and strengths of young people who are aging out of the foster care system. Drawing upon his own experience and leading edge research on evidence-based best practice, he has given workshops and keynote presentations across North America, Europe and Australia that have provided insight into evidenced-based practice and skill- building models for parents, teachers, social workers and others who are providing care to children and youth in the foster care system. For more information on John’s bio, visit http://www.wmich.edu/fyit/about.html.
