Recommended Reading & Listening for Foster, Kinship & Forever Families
We’ve gathered a collection of books, podcasts, and online resources we’ve found especially helpful for foster, kinship, and forever caregivers—as well as for anyone wanting to better understand the experiences of children impacted by foster care. This list includes trauma-informed tools, practical strategies, and encouraging perspectives to support you on your caregiving journey. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding, build new skills, or simply feel less alone, we hope these resources meet you right where you are.
Recommended Reading for Caregivers
Trauma Informed Reading
Stranger Care by Sarah Sentilles
The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris
The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
What Happened To You by Dr. Bruce Perry & Oprah Winfrey
Understanding Foster Care
Another Place At the Table by Kathy Harrison
A Place Called Home by David Ambroz
To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care by Cris Beam
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott
Three Little Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Parenting
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies That Really Work by Robyn Gobbel
Good Inside: A Practical Guide to Resilient Parenting Prioritizing Connection Over Correction by Becky Kennedy
The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment by Karyn Purvis PhD, Lisa C. Qualls
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown M.D.
No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. & Tina Payne Bryson
When Challenging Behaviors Arise
The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene PhD
The Out-of-Sync Child, Third Edition: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Differences by by Carol Stock Kranowitz
Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, Carla Naumburg PhD
Additional Reading:
Love Me, Feed Me: The Foster and Adoptive Parent's Guide to Responsive Feeding by Katja Rowell M.D.
Check out the full list of recommended reading for adults through our Amazon Link here
Recommended Reading For Children
A Kids Book About Foster Care by Seth Brauer
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
No Matter What by Josh Shipp & David Tieche
Sullivan Goes to See Mama: A Book to Help Families Navigate Supervised Visits by Beth Tyson
Love You From Right Here by Jamie Sandefer
Check out the full list of recommended reading for children here
