Debbie Ausburn
@debbieausburn.bsky.social
Writer about parenting foster and blended families encouraging resilience in children, and helping children who have suffered trauma. Former social worker and foster parent, current stepparent and lawyer. Author of "Raising Other People's Children."
Creating child protection policies is a significant milestone for youth serving organizations (YSOs). But writing effective policies is just the beginning. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
January 6, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Creating child protection policies is a significant milestone for youth serving organizations (YSOs). But writing effective policies is just the beginning. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Decorations are packed, guests have left, and your kids are melting down. As a Plan B parent, you may have noticed that the weeks after holiday gatherings can be more difficult than the holiday itself. Today's post shares ways we can respond and help.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
January 6, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Decorations are packed, guests have left, and your kids are melting down. As a Plan B parent, you may have noticed that the weeks after holiday gatherings can be more difficult than the holiday itself. Today's post shares ways we can respond and help.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Children's rejection of Plan B parents is rarely about us or our character traits. If you're experiencing rejection from a child, you're not alone. Today's blog post talks about navigating holidays as a foster, adoptive, or stepparent. Full post up now!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
December 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Children's rejection of Plan B parents is rarely about us or our character traits. If you're experiencing rejection from a child, you're not alone. Today's blog post talks about navigating holidays as a foster, adoptive, or stepparent. Full post up now!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Holidays can be a profoundly difficult time, especially for our foster, adoptive, or stepchildren. Today's blog post shares some insight on how to help our children navigate the holiday season.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
December 9, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Holidays can be a profoundly difficult time, especially for our foster, adoptive, or stepchildren. Today's blog post shares some insight on how to help our children navigate the holiday season.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
YSO Academy's Holiday sale is going on now! Through December 31, you can enroll in any given course OR buy a book at 50% off. Even better, you can give a course or book as a gift to someone this holiday season!
Use the code “Holiday25” at checkout for 50% off.
Use the code “Holiday25” at checkout for 50% off.
December 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
YSO Academy's Holiday sale is going on now! Through December 31, you can enroll in any given course OR buy a book at 50% off. Even better, you can give a course or book as a gift to someone this holiday season!
Use the code “Holiday25” at checkout for 50% off.
Use the code “Holiday25” at checkout for 50% off.
The winter holidays are a good time to think about how we can help individual foster families. This time of year, there is an even greater need for community support. Today's blog post shares some ways to help those within our networks.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
December 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The winter holidays are a good time to think about how we can help individual foster families. This time of year, there is an even greater need for community support. Today's blog post shares some ways to help those within our networks.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
A story from Southaven, Mississippi, illustrates the importance of good training and policies in how to deal with an issue that youth organizations often face— when sexual activity between minors becomes a mandated reporting event. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
December 2, 2025 at 8:32 PM
A story from Southaven, Mississippi, illustrates the importance of good training and policies in how to deal with an issue that youth organizations often face— when sexual activity between minors becomes a mandated reporting event. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
This time of year, I read and hear lots of questions about the best ways of teaching gratitude. Over the years, the best technique I have found is one simple word — don’t. Read more in today's blog post, up now!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
This time of year, I read and hear lots of questions about the best ways of teaching gratitude. Over the years, the best technique I have found is one simple word — don’t. Read more in today's blog post, up now!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
If you need continuing education credits, check out YSO Academy's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale on online courses. From Friday (11/28) through Tuesday (12/2), you can get bundles for 50% off. Use the code "Friday25" at checkout!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
If you need continuing education credits, check out YSO Academy's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale on online courses. From Friday (11/28) through Tuesday (12/2), you can get bundles for 50% off. Use the code "Friday25" at checkout!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
A judge in Braxton, WV, sentenced Robin James to 4-40 years in prison for failing in her mandated reporting responsibilities. Read more about this and what it teaches us about mandated reporting in today's blog post, "A Critical Lesson in Mandated Reporting".
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
November 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
A judge in Braxton, WV, sentenced Robin James to 4-40 years in prison for failing in her mandated reporting responsibilities. Read more about this and what it teaches us about mandated reporting in today's blog post, "A Critical Lesson in Mandated Reporting".
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
We’ll be in Orlando next week for the National Association for the Education of Young Children conference. Come visit us at booth #214 in the exhibit hall. You can get books, discount coupons and free gifts. Be sure to stop by!
November 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
We’ll be in Orlando next week for the National Association for the Education of Young Children conference. Come visit us at booth #214 in the exhibit hall. You can get books, discount coupons and free gifts. Be sure to stop by!
On Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who have served our nation in uniform. But behind every service member stands a family that also serves. These families need not just our awareness, but our active community support.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
November 11, 2025 at 4:09 PM
On Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who have served our nation in uniform. But behind every service member stands a family that also serves. These families need not just our awareness, but our active community support.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
One common question many Youth Serving Organizations hear is whether good supervision requires surveillance cameras. A common answer is that it depends on how you plan to use them. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
November 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
One common question many Youth Serving Organizations hear is whether good supervision requires surveillance cameras. A common answer is that it depends on how you plan to use them. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Advance planning is a key part of lowering stress during the holidays, particularly for families navigating the complexities of foster care, adoption, or blended family dynamics. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
YSO Academy Blog
www.ysoacademy.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Advance planning is a key part of lowering stress during the holidays, particularly for families navigating the complexities of foster care, adoption, or blended family dynamics. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October is ADHD Awareness Month. ADHD can be a frustrating issue for Plan B parents, especially when it’s hard to tell whether our kids really have a problem or just don’t fit society’s expectations. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
October is ADHD Awareness Month. ADHD can be a frustrating issue for Plan B parents, especially when it’s hard to tell whether our kids really have a problem or just don’t fit society’s expectations. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
A recent article about a long-running abuse investigation in gymnastics highlights one of the problems that youth-serving organizations often deal with, specifically independent investigations that take too long to be effective. Read more in my blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October 23, 2025 at 6:24 PM
A recent article about a long-running abuse investigation in gymnastics highlights one of the problems that youth-serving organizations often deal with, specifically independent investigations that take too long to be effective. Read more in my blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Whether in schools, camps, or community programs, we often witness tense moments between kids. As we mark National Bullying Prevention Month in October, it’s a good time to explore how to differentiate ordinary conflict from bullying. Read more in today's post.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Whether in schools, camps, or community programs, we often witness tense moments between kids. As we mark National Bullying Prevention Month in October, it’s a good time to explore how to differentiate ordinary conflict from bullying. Read more in today's post.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
A problem we can face with traumatized children is that they can become bullies in a situation. They can learn that they have to be in power to avoid abuse or unconsciously develop bullying characteristics to cope with trauma. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October 8, 2025 at 1:56 PM
A problem we can face with traumatized children is that they can become bullies in a situation. They can learn that they have to be in power to avoid abuse or unconsciously develop bullying characteristics to cope with trauma. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a good time to think about one of the toughest challenges our kids may face. For parents of children who've endured trauma, the conversation hits especially close to home. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
October 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a good time to think about one of the toughest challenges our kids may face. For parents of children who've endured trauma, the conversation hits especially close to home. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
Tom Rawlings is speaking at the ISPCAN Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania in two weeks. The conference is a gathering of “the brightest minds in child protection” from around the world.
Learn more here: ispcan.org/congresses/v...
Learn more here: ispcan.org/congresses/v...
Vilnius2025
Vilnius Congress October 6-9, 2025 We bring together the brightest minds in child protection from every sector to innovate and share best practices. Join us…
ispcan.org
September 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Tom Rawlings is speaking at the ISPCAN Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania in two weeks. The conference is a gathering of “the brightest minds in child protection” from around the world.
Learn more here: ispcan.org/congresses/v...
Learn more here: ispcan.org/congresses/v...
Youth-serving organizations are required to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, including developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and mental health problems, but putting that into practice can be difficult. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
September 24, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Youth-serving organizations are required to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, including developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and mental health problems, but putting that into practice can be difficult. Read more in today's post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
One area that all parents and youth-serving organizations need to understand is what the law requires as far as children with disabilities. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
September 23, 2025 at 1:20 PM
One area that all parents and youth-serving organizations need to understand is what the law requires as far as children with disabilities. Read more in today's blog post!
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
This past month has given us all a lot of gut-punches, but all of them contain one profound truth— we must teach our young people the art of respectful disagreement. Read more in today's blog post, up now.
ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
September 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM
This past month has given us all a lot of gut-punches, but all of them contain one profound truth— we must teach our young people the art of respectful disagreement. Read more in today's blog post, up now.
ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
One of our instructors, Amber Jewell, recently spoke at an authors event about her book, Finding Hope. A journalist who attended wrote an article about the event and Amber, and you can read it here:
chanute.com/article/3204...
chanute.com/article/3204...
September 16, 2025 at 6:18 PM
One of our instructors, Amber Jewell, recently spoke at an authors event about her book, Finding Hope. A journalist who attended wrote an article about the event and Amber, and you can read it here:
chanute.com/article/3204...
chanute.com/article/3204...
I am a sucker for off-beat holidays, and today is National Make Your Bed Day- a good reminder that one of the best ways for Plan B parents to encourage resilience in our kids is to help them master small tasks.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
September 11, 2025 at 6:53 PM
I am a sucker for off-beat holidays, and today is National Make Your Bed Day- a good reminder that one of the best ways for Plan B parents to encourage resilience in our kids is to help them master small tasks.
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...
www.ysoacademy.com/pages/blog?p...