Children have to leave their homes for many reasons. Natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina, can uproot hundreds of thousands of children in just a few days. Many other children become homeless in less dramatic ways. For financial or other family reasons, children may find themselves living with relatives, in foster homes, or in shelters, instead of in the homes they know and love.
This book is designed to help children do two things: cope with the reality of being away from their homes and develop the "emotional intelligence" skills they need to be resilient throughout life. Although children may not truly be satisfied until you can answer the question posed by the title of this book - When can we go home? - you need to know that there are things you can do every day to make life easier for children who have had to leave their homes.
Rather than just giving this workbook to a child, look through the activities first and find the ones that will be most helpful. Keep in mind that some activities will not be appropriate for some children and that any activity can be modified for younger or older children.
When Can We Go Home? (PDF)
