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What is spirituality?  It is broad with room for many views.  It is a term with many definitions: Love, light, culture, hope, soul, harmony, meaning, theology, and religion.  It often refers to a connection to something greater than us.  These are just a few of the concepts that come to mind when we talk about spirituality. 

Mr. and Mrs. Heard started fostering in early 1994 in order to care for two of their grandchildren.  As they took foster parent classes they saw how many kids in care needed a good home, and thought “If we could love our own, we could love someone who wasn’t” their biological family.

Teaching your child how to cooperate may mean making some changes in how you ask her to do things. She can't be expected to cooperate if she doesn't know exactly what you want. Sometimes parents complicate things by getting too worked up when asking for help. At other times, requests are too vague or confusing. Keep it simple.  Here are four steps to making an effective request.

The holiday season coincides with the point in the year when companies often evaluate their performance and plan for the new year. Sometimes resulting in layoffs at a normally joyous time. It’s hard to imagine losing your job during the holidays, but if it happens there are plenty of ways to come out on the positive end.   Let’s look at some ways to set yourself up for positive future outcomes.

Encouragement can come in many forms. Sometimes it can be praise – a simple “good job!”  Other times, children need more than a kind word. It may take a hug, a special treat or giving more of your attention by playing a board game, watching a movie together or going to the park. There are hundreds of ways you can encourage a child, which, in turn will improve their self-esteem.

Each fall, my husband and I turn our thoughts to adoption. While adoption is on our minds all year long, we think about it even more at this time of year. In addition to National Adoption Month taking place every November and raising awareness of adoption, each September, our family also celebrates “Gotcha Day” – the unforgettable day our son, Jake, joined our family.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, the ideal time to talk with kids about the issues they may have with peers at school, along with identifying the signs of bullying, and what we can do to prevent it.   

JCFS is proud to present our new Associates Board, a group of dedicated and energized young professionals who will help promote and support the good work of JCFS through advocacy, leadership development, fundraising, volunteerism and more.

What is the significance of the fall Jewish holidays?  They are times for reflection, renewal, and celebration.

If you ask parents what they wish for their child, the answer is usually “to make friends in school.”  Making friends is an important part of childhood, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. Children are not born with social skills, so parents need to prepare them to interact successfully with other kids.