1. Lifebook
Introduction to Lifebooks
for the Foster Child

2. LIFEBOOKS FOR
CHILDREN IN
FOSTER CARE
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Ontario

3. A LIFEBOOK IS....
• A memory record
• A scrapbook history of a child‟s life
• A picture and written record of the foster child‟s
journey though life
• A collection of photos, memorabilia, awards,
records and history assembled in chronological
order.
• Lifebooks can be as simple or as elaborate as you
like depending on your own talents, available time
and the interest of the child in adding his/her
own work to the book. The important thing is that
your child has a record to keep into adulthood.
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Ontario

4. WHY A LIFEBOOK?
• To provide each child with a continuing record of
his/her life. Dates places, photos provide
memories
• To establish memories of their place in the
foster family
• To have a history of themselves to help make
sense of their own lives
• To have something tangible to share with others:
biological family, friends, therapists etc.
• A medium to help children to express their
feelings about the past and the present.
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Ontario

5. WHO IS A LIFEBOOK FOR?
• Any foster child who comes into your home.
Whether for a month or years. Natural children
too will appreciate having their own Lifebooks.
The Lifebook is usually compiled by the foster
parents with the foster child assisting and
providing input as is appropriate for their age.
• Some children will arrive from another home with
a Lifebook - which you can then help the child
maintain.
• Some will arrive with a collection of pictures, and
precious mementos. The foster parent can show
the child how he/she will help preserve these
precious things.
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Ontario

6. WHO IS A LIFEBOOK FOR?
• The Lifebook album is to become the child‟s
possession once old enough to be trusted with the
contents. As time passes there will be a series of
albums.
• The Lifebook is for the child and if he/she is too
young or irresponsible to keep with his/her
belongings then the child should have easy access
to it.
• If foster child moves be sure new family is
informed of the Lifebook, or place it with the
social worker.
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Ontario

7. COST
• Cost of creating a Lifebook will vary with the
materials used. An elaborate scrapbook with
purchased cutouts and fancy papers will obviously
cost more than a home created scrapbook. The
book does not need to be costly but will certainly
be a valuable creation for your child.
• Most Agencies will refund the cost of basic
materials such as the binder, pages and a limited
number of photos. Check with your Agency to
see what costs can be reimbursed.
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Ontario

8. HOW DO I START?
• Ideally start the day a foster child arrives in your
home.
• Take a picture of him/her as soon as possible.
• Record tidbits of info about the first day to put
in the Lifebook.
• For younger children you could measure his/her
height and trace the hand
• Keep records etc from that day forward.
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Ontario

9. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!
Start the day the child moves in
Or
Start today. It is never too late.
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Ontario

10. WHAT TO PUT IN THE
LIFEBOOK
Pictures....Pictures....Pictures
• It is important for the child to have pictures of
him/her self interacting with foster family and
biological family if available. (Bio family can take
pictures at visits or social worker can take pics of
bio family together.
• Holiday pictures: Christmas, Easter, Birthdays,
family outings.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

11. WHAT TO PUT IN THE
LIFEBOOK
• Sports events: remember the big events like
tournaments and snap pictures at practices and
informal events too.
• Going bowling? Bring along the camera and snap a
picture of the family having fun together.
• Pictures of everyday events: Bike riding, pumpkin
carving, swimming, digging in the sandbox.
• Memories of the child being a part of the family.
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Ontario

12. WHAT TO PUT IN THE
LIFEBOOK
• Try to get pictures from biological family. If
they are reluctant, then, with social workers
assistance the pictures could be borrowed and
copied.
• CAS files can also be a source of historical
pictures.
These pictures of good family interactions will
stir memories for decades to come.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

13. FILL IN THE PAST
• Once you have a beginning, go back and fill in as
much as possible of the past.
• Some children who are being moved from one
home to another will arrive with a Lifebook and all
you will have to do is upkeep.
• Others will need you to do the research and
compile as much as possible of the past for
him/her.
• Read your child‟s CAS file, and ask social worker
what information you can record in child‟s
Lifebook. Some recommend including the specific
reasons why the child was placed in foster care -
check with child‟s social worker before recording
any facts.
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Ontario

14. FILL IN THE PAST
• Record any other significant events known in
child‟s history.
• Biological Parents: If appropriate ask for
anecdotes of child‟s life with bio parents; ask for
developmental history. (birth weight, age walking
etc.)
• Lock of hair.
• Add a family tree of the biological family. Add
their birth dates, information on foster child's
siblings ages, names, dates of birth.
• On another page add a family tree of your family
including your foster child.
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Ontario

15. FILL IN THE PAST
• Get copies: birth certificates, SIN no.,
documents, medical records, history of illnesses,
hospital visits, surgeries etc.
• Facts: All places, towns, schools attended, foster
homes, bio parents history with child, dates
he/she lived with which parent or both, schools
attended.
• Child can add a sheet with likes and dislikes and
his/her best friends, favourite activities. (Date
this as information will change at different ages)
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Ontario

16. FILL IN THE PAST
• Photos of social workers and dates involved.
• Awards; from school, sport events, clubs, etc.
• Memorabilia i.e. Ticket stubs from movies,
special events, legend/map of Wonderland or the
Zoo, etc.
• Don‟t forget to record dates, locations and names
of everything!
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Ontario

17. FILL IN THE PAST
• Any letters the child has received. Write your
child a letter welcoming him to your family, or tell
him how much he belongs in your family.
• If child is moved include goodbye letters
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Ontario

18. FILL IN THE PAST
• Get permission to glean any information available
from school OSR.
We had a 12 year old foster son with no pictures
of his early years. From his OSR we were able to
get the information of his moves (with bio family)
as the dates and schools were all listed and the
contact person indicated which parent he was
living with. The school allowed me to borrow the
only picture on his file-age 5. We had a reprint
made. That picture was very important to our
foster son. It was all he had of his childhood.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

19. FILL IN THE PAST
• The Lifebook can include diary-like entries of
little episodes that can make us laugh and have a
good feeling about the past.
• Children with Overseas Orphanage history: If
possible provide pictures of orphanage,
information about the geographical area and
information about the reasons he/she was
adopted.
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Ontario

20. ENGAGE YOUR FOSTER
CHILD IN THE LIFEBOOK
• Encourage your child to participate as much as is age
appropriate.
• For young children record their comments, and their
cute sayings as well.
• Older children can be encouraged to draw or write
about feelings, memories, etc.
• As much as the child is interested encourage him/her
to take a part in the entire Lifebook process, from
purchasing materials such as stickers and pretty
paper, to choosing what to put in the Lifebook
(special artwork, pictures he likes best, etc).
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Ontario

21. ENGAGE YOUR FOSTER
CHILD IN THE LIFEBOOK
• Some teens might really enjoy working on this
project, others may be disinterested and the
foster parent will need to make the record for
him/her. Whether the teen is interested or not
the Lifebook is still an important part of his/her
history.
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Ontario

22. A VERY IMPORTANT PART
OF LIFEBOOK IS…
• As you create this book with your child, make it a
therapeutic process.
• Engage your child in sharing memories, or talking
about feelings.
• Encourage him/her to write down, or draw
pictures about things that have happened or how
he/she feels about things.
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Ontario

23. A VERY IMPORTANT PART
OF LIFEBOOK IS
• Encourage her/him to share feelings about
present situation also.
• Revisit this exercise at various times as the
feelings and memories will often be different at
different stages in life. Give your child every
opportunity to express his/her feelings.
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Ontario

24. PICTURES
• Most cameras offer you the option of having a
date stamp appear right on the picture.
• Digital photos have made memory keeping even
easier. We can see our pictures before
developing and discard the poor ones which can be
a $ saving feature when having pictures
developed.
• Whether you use digital or 35 mm most
developers can provide you a copy of your pictures
on CD
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Ontario

25. PICTURES
If you have digital camera and a CD OR DVD
burner keep a copy of your child‟s photos on
CD/DVD . (Be sure to make extra copies for
archives since CDs tend to scratch).
At least once per year copy all the child‟s photos
to a CD/DVD and label with the year.
Provide a pocket in his Lifebook to keep the
CD/DVD safe. Some children that have access to
a computer will enjoy looking at their picture
collection on the computer.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

26. PICTURES
If you have a very good photo-quality printer and
use good quality photo paper you can produce your
own photos at home. Using cropping and red eye
tools can give you a professional quality photo.
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Ontario

27. Don‟t be tempted into thinking that having
videotapes and CD copies of pictures is enough.
There is nothing that can replace the Lifebook.
It can easily be shared,
is portable,
no hardware is required to view; and
it provides a place to chronologically add
mementos, documents, awards, ribbons,
letters, cards and special artwork..
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Ontario

28. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
• Three ring binder everything!! - A loose-leaf
style scrapbook is imperative!
• It can be easily rearranged.
• Additions can be made in chronological order
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Ontario

29. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
• You have a choice of the regular school/office
size three ring binder.
or
• The larger scrapbook size binders sold
specifically for scrapbooks and photo albums
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Ontario

30. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
There are some advantages to using the
school type three ring binder:
• readily available at most office supply
stores and department stores
• economically priced
• All the add-ins like pocket sheets and clear
protective pockets are readily available for
this size binder
• Convenient size - i.e. It can easily be packed
in a travel bag, will fit on a shelf or in a
drawer; as compared to the awkward
scrapbook size which requires much more
space.
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Ontario

31. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
You can make a very personalized Lifebook using
the three ring binder that is sold with a clear
pocket on the front cover. These are designed for
you to personalize.
You can add a picture and caption of your child
or your child can prepare a
special piece of artwork
for the cover.
Use your imagination!
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Ontario

32. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
Zippered 3 ring binders – are ideal as they
provide extra security for all the valuable
memorabilia stored in the Lifebook. They are
quite portable without risk of the contents
getting wet or lost.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

33. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
Most children will flip through these Lifebooks
many times - be sure your creation is sturdy!
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Ontario

34. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
• Self sticking photo pages are fine for
photos.
• Other types of inserts will be needed for all
the rest of the interesting stuff that can
be added.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

35. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
Clear plastic loose leaf sheet
protectors are great for photos and
for documents, artwork etc.
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Ontario

36. MATERIALS FOR A
LIFEBOOK
How to use clear plastic
sheet protectors for photos.
Using colored (or white) sheet paper for background
arrange photos on sheet (use acid free glue stick).
Add typed or handwritten text to fill in details. Do
the same thing on another sheet. Put sheets back
to back and slide into the sheet protector so there
are photos displayed on each side of the page.
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Ontario

37. Pocket Pages
Plastic sheet inserts with 4 clear pockets per page
are designed for photos but can be used to add all
kinds of mementos:
• Business cards of significance,
• School ID cards (high school)
• Library cards,
• Small birth certificate copy,
• Award pins,
• Medals,
• Ticket stubs.
You can tape the tops of the pocket shut
if there is risk of contents falling out.
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Ontario

38. CD Pocket Pages
• If you are making your child a CD collection of his
photos in addition to his Lifebook add a single CD
page in chronological order whenever you have
compiled a CD.
• Be sure to mark child‟s name and date on the CD
(permanent markers can be used to write directly
on the CD)
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Ontario

39. Full Size Envelope Pocket with a
Flap on the Side or the Top
• Designed to hold bulky things or several
sheets of paper. The flap will have a
Velcro seal.
• Good for mementos - anything a child
would like to keep.
• Thickness is still a consideration for
inclusion in a book.
• (See Memento Boxes below for
discussion of keeping larger objects)
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Ontario

40. Colorful Background Sheets
for Your Pictures
• If you wish to mount your pictures on interesting
background sheets they can be purchased in
single sheets with an endless number of themes
from “princesses to biking”.
• Boys will love all the sports theme and outdoor
theme paper that is available to use as a
background for pictures about themselves doing
these activities.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

41. Colorful Background Sheets
for Your Pictures
• Girls will also find all their sports, outdoor
activities, girly things, etc in paper.
• Look for seasonal themes too, paper with tropical
fish as a background for pictures of beach play or
swimming in the pool.
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Ontario

42. Colorful Background Sheets
for Your Pictures
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Ontario

43. Stickers
No Lifebook is complete without a full
complement of stickers!!
They can be found at the dollar store and in
almost any department store. You can put
together a simple album or dress it up with
lots of graphics, stickers and color.
The important thing is that your child has
his own book about his life to help her/him
feel he belongs and his life is important!
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

44. SOURCES FOR MATERIALS
FOR LIFEBOOKS
Department, craft and office supply stores such
as : Walmart, Zellers, Staples, Office Depot,
Micheals, even dollar stores all carry many
supplies to keep the Lifebook in good order and
creatively put together.
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Ontario

45. SCRAPBOOKING
• If you choose to put together a creative visual
memory book Lifebook you can use many
scrapbooking supplies that are now readily
available at the above mentioned stores.
• There are a wealth of on-line sites offering ideas
and materials via the internet. Search under
“Scrapbooking”.
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Ontario

46. SCRAPBOOKING
• You need not be a „crafty‟ person to help your
child have an exquisite display of her/his life.
Simply adding a few appropriate theme stickers
to the pages of photos will add excitement and
charm.
• Using colored background paper and adding your
own art will give your child extra visual pleasure.
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Ontario

47. Examples
• Birthday Party: Centre the picture of child
and cake and surround with pictures of guests and
games etc. Lock it in with coordinating colors
(background paper) stickers of party themes.
Then type or handwrite the party details. Kids
love the little anecdotes - (Mary‟s favourite gift,
or the dog chewed the wrapping paper etc).
• Fishing: A fishing picture of your son proudly
displaying his 3 inch fish with the caption “Danny
shows off the Catch of the Day”
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Ontario

48. Examples
• “Our Trip to Wonderland”: Danny ate too many
treats and had to rest for a while. The day ended
after lots of fun and a ride on the Pirate Ship.
• You can cut pictures into interesting shapes or
angles. This adds interest and trims away
unnecessary background.
Give them happy memories to think about.
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Ontario

49. More ideas:
• Make a collage of birthday gift wrap and cards -
one or two page spread depending on amount of
supplies and pictures to use.
Then use this collage as background for pictures
of the birthday. Add details like dates, names,
etc. typed or written on separate paper and glued
on.
• Use acid free glue sticks (most are).Then slip the
pages into the plastic loose leaf sheet protectors
and voila!
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Ontario

50. USING SOFTWARE TO MAKE
SCRAPBOOK PAGES
• To carry the process another step, if you have a
graphic layout program such as CorelDraw, you can
create complete scrapbook pages on your computer
and then print them using your photo quality printer
and the photo paper.
• Using clipart and adding text to the pages gives you
all in one. There are many clipart sites available on
the internet and CorelDraw (and other graphic
programs) come with a clipart library also. These
programs can put colorful borders on the pages or
add frames around the pictures.
• Print the pages and slip into the clear plastic sheet
protectors.
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Ontario

51. Whether your child‟s Lifebook is a plain jane or an
exquisite piece of artwork –
THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO PROVIDE A
RECORD
A CELEBRATION OF HIS/HER LIFE
IN BOOK FORM
• Try to include fun details that will provide smiles
and happy memories in the years ahead.
• The stories you write, the funny tales you tell of
his/her life will delight and encourage and help
paint a picture of life as it was.
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Ontario

52. MEMENTO BOX
Some children come into care with „precious‟
mementos items too bulky for a Lifebook- and
continue to collect items that they cannot part
with . For these kids a memento box works well
in addition to the Lifebook - which just cannot be
ignored!
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Ontario

53. MEMENTO BOX
The memento box can be any size box that you
feel is manageable - based on your own storage
space or child‟s storage area:
– it can be a Rubbermaid Tub,
– a purchased decorated storage box,
– a simple shoebox - plain or child decorated; or
– a basket with a cover.
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Ontario

54. MEMENTO BOX
The important thing is to provide the child a safe
area to keep items important to him/her -
sentimental items (we‟re not talking about
Johnny‟s hockey card collection here!).
In our home, once a box size has been agreed
upon, that is “the box” and once it is full,
decisions have to be made as to what to keep and
what to dispose of . Some children could easily fill
a room with boxes of sentimental stuff. The child
might need some coaxing but this needs to be the
child‟s decision. Gently help the child decide what
is really important and what can be discarded.
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Ontario

55. STORING YOUR LIFEBOOK
CREATION MATERIALS
As your collection of background papers, snip-its
of interesting stick-ons and sheets of stickers
grows it can be a challenge to keep them
organized and readily available without incurring
damage.
Make yourself a materials binder using a three
ring binder and the same clear plastic protective
pages that you use in the Lifebook.
Foster Parents Society of
Ontario

56. STORING YOUR LIFEBOOK
CREATION MATERIALS
Slip the various sheets of background paper into the
pockets and do the same with the stickers.
If you have a great variety of pages it might be
simpler to put all sports theme papers in one pocket,
all birthday themes in another pocket. The same with
the stickers. They can be divided into Boys, Girls,
Birthdays, Summer (for things like camping and
fishing stickers and swimming) Winter, Christmas,
Easter, Halloween, etc.
When you or your child are looking for materials to
dress up your Lifebook pages they are readily
available without having to rifle through a box and
risking crumpling or damage to these materials.
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Ontario

57. CONCLUSION
The Lifebook is an important book
– for recorded history,
– to show friends, family; and
– to provide lasting memories.
Remember Lifebooks are works in
progress. They should be regularly
updated with new information, fun
activities the child has enjoyed, sports
involved in, etc.
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Ontario

58. Links
• We have provided you with printable pages that
you can use to add to your child‟s Lifebook.
• These pages can be saved on your computer and
printed for use with your foster children.
• Choose any pages that you think are appropriate
for your child.
• “This is my House” is available in two choices:
An apartment and a house.
Help your child fill in these pages or use them as a
starting idea to encourage your child to make his
own page with drawings and comments.
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Ontario

59. Links to
Printable Pages
Click on selection for downloadable Adobe
Acrobat (PDF) Printable pages.
About Me Introduction
Awards Bio Family
My House My Apt. Bldg.
Happy Foster Family
Sad Like Doing
Wishes Entire Collection
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Ontario

60. Course Certificate
If you wish to receive a Course Certificate,
please do the following:
Complete the registration form, test and course
evaluation by clicking below;
Submit to us via e-mail by clicking the “SUBMIT”
button.
A Course Certificate will be emailed to you upon
successful completion of the test. A mark of 85%
or higher is required.
Thank-you for your interest in this online training
course
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Ontario