Katherine Burkey Wiens gives wisdom and insight into the life of a child in the foster care system in this follow-up to Bars Dumps and Other Childhood Hangouts. When Kathy was removed from her biological mother's care it was the worst day of her life and also the best day of her life. This book chronicles why it was the best day of her life. But as a ten-year-old child losing the only family she knows, no matter what the circumstances, is also the worst day of her life. Kathy takes the reader on a firsthand experience of what it is like to be a child removed from an abusive home and placed with a stable family.
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Published in April 2021.
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Buy the book at Barnes & Nobel or Walmart.
Praise for Please Don't Send Me Back:
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"This book will keep you "hooked" until the final page! Each chapter provides a powerful glimpse into the life of a child seeking belonging and safety. I highly recommend this book for professionals working with foster children, or any adult interested in stepping into a child's world as they navigate adoption and healing from trauma."
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"So grateful I picked up this book. I can’t begin to share how much reading a story from the child’s prospective meant to me."
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"Please read this insightful book. Kathy writes of her experience of entering foster care and joining a family. She honestly shares the difficulties and the joys of her journey. This is an essential read for anyone who encounters children in their life."
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"Kathy Wiens tells her compelling story of being adopted and finding safety from abuse. She remembers incredible details from her childhood and teenage years—the painful memories and the ones of healing. Some of her memories that will stay with me include her interactions with men that built trust after she had bad experiences with unsafe ones; making friends and finding belonging in her church groups; and struggling with love for her biological family, despite the trauma and times she was let down by her mother. Kathy does not over simplify the complexities and challenges of fostering and adoption, and she carefully articulates the hardship that these transitions were for her as a girl. But she expresses the larger need she had for safety when she was growing up. These universal themes encourage us all to look out for the kids in our lives, and to protect them."
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