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The Caregiver Courier
October 2017
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Through the Eyes of a Child Annual Halloween Carnival
Looking for a great, safe trick-or-treat experience for your children? Bring your costumed little ones to the annual Halloween Carnival. There will be games, prizes and an event full of fun is in store. This event is co-sponsored by Foster Change.
For more information, including a registration link,
click here.
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Check Out This List of Halloween Activities...Unless You're Scared!
Where will you take your costumed ghosts, goblins and superheroes for trick-or-treating and other Halloween fun?
Click here for a full list of fun events for the whole family.
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#1October - #Vegas Strong
Mental health experts advise that parents should monitor children's exposure to media depictions of the Las Vegas tragedy and make sure they are in a calm state of mind when they discuss the matter with their children. They suggest focusing on rescue efforts and other faith-restoring aspects. "Make sure they know that the world for the most part is a safe place," said licensed clinical social worker Micki Grimland.
DFS is asking that you reach out to the child's DFS Specialist if you think the child in your care may need support during this time.
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2:36am......
"Hi, Mrs. Jones? This is Tina from the DFS Placement Unit. We have a brother and sister ages 5 and 3 that just were removed from their home. They are very upset and need to be in a family setting. Will you accept them for placement now?"
Did you know that our Child Protective Services and Emergency Response Team work 24 hours a day? 7 Days a week? 365 days a year including holidays and weekends? Incidences of child abuse and neglect don't stop at 5:00pm. Children and teens need foster homes day and night, all week long. When children are removed from a situation of abuse and neglect, it is a crisis and traumatizing for them. What they need most is a family that will accept them into their home while DFS works with their family to help them
deal with the issues that brought the children into foster care.
This is a bit of a change, but don't fret! DFS is here to support you, just as you are for the children. DFS is able to provide supports and resources for families that answer the phone and say "Yes! Bring them over!" Diapers, formula, clothing, school supplies, and transportation are available for the children. In addition, DFS will work with you to arrange day care quickly.
Licensing workers will be reaching out to you to talk with you about your needs, your questions, and how you can be available to a child or teen that needs you.....24-7-365.
We appreciate all you do for the children and teens in the care of DFS!
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October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
Is it possible your child is being bullied? Or, that your child is being a bully?
More than
one in five children report being bullied.
Click here to learn about local resources to help prevent and stop bullying.
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IL Corner - Happenings in Independent Living
Learn what has been happening with our youth in Foster Care and our Independent Living program. Please encourage any of your foster children who qualify to become involved.
Click here to learn more about upcoming meetings and Holiday Party.
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Register Now for the 2017 Angel Tree Celebration
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 2017 Angel Tree Celebration!
What: 2017 CASA Angel Tree Celebration
When: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017
We're making our lists and checking them twice. Food, fun, games...even a visit from a certain someone from the North Pole! It's all at the Angel Tree Celebration, so don't miss out!
This event is open to all children in DFS care. Keep watching your email inbox and mailbox for registration information to this magical holiday experience!
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Grace Point Church Offering Monthly Foster Parents' Night Out
Grace Point Church is hosting a
FREE
respite program so foster parents can get an occasional night out! Grace Point will offer respite care from 6 - 9 p.m. on the first Friday each month through August 2018.
Who:
All foster caregivers (licensed, unlicensed, relative, fictive kin)
What:
Foster Parents' Night Out
When:
6 - 9 p.m., first Friday each month. Next date: Friday, November 3rd
, 2017
Where:
Grace Point Church, 3794 W. Ann Rd., North Las Vegas
How to register:
Click here. (Registration
closes two days before the event and
opens the Saturday after each event for the following month's event.)
What Do You Get Out of it?
Make it a "date night," catch a movie, unwind at your favorite coffee shop...whatever you need, it's a little "you" time to use as you choose! During that time, Grace Point will provide a fun, safe and nurturing environment for your children in care as well as your biological children.
The full list of upcoming Foster Parents' Night Out evenings includes: Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 2, April 6, May 4 (Star Wars Day!), June 1 and Aug. 6. Keep watching the Caregiver Courier for more details and registration information.
THANK YOU to the Volunteers of the October 6th, 2017 event:
Grace Point Church connects together in community to serve our community by loving one neighbor at a time. Determined to be known not just for its beliefs but more so by the actions carried out through its beliefs, Foster Parent's Night is one shining example of the light Grace Point emanates within our city through connectivity. During October's Foster Parent's Night Out held on October 6th, caregivers penciled in a few hours of self-care as 21 children gathered and indulged in child-centered fun in a safe environment. Equipped with 21 volunteers, Grace Point Church opened both their doors and hearts to our community for an evening of enjoyment for our children and respite for our caregivers, ranging from licensed foster parents to unlicensed fictive kin. Are you in need of a few hours of self-care? If so, please access this wonderful support through Grace Point Church during the next Night Out on Friday, November 3rd.
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October is also HIV Awareness Month
In 2015, youth ages 13 to 24 years old accounted for twenty-two percent of all new HIV diagnoses.
Click here for important information about testing as well as educating youth on HIV facts, as well as how to prevent the transmission of HIV.
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Caregiver Voices:
"Where You Go, I Go"
With the holiday season upon us, holiday gatherings are sure to be plentiful. As caregivers make holiday plans for the whole family, we share an important reminder from foster parent Mike Pochowski that children in care are also a part of the family: "Where you go, I go."
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The Caregiver Courier would like to offer friendly reminders of upcoming school holidays (based on the Clark County School District 9-month Calendar):
Friday, October 27th, 2017. (Nevada Day)
Friday, November 10th (Vetarans Day)
Monday, November 20th, 2017 through Friday, November 24th, 2017 (Thanksgiving week)
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Entrenamiento en Español
There's a new feature on the QPI Nevada Just in Time training website! There is now a button (Entrenamiento en Español) on the homepage. This button directs caregivers to a new page that features a link to the "Trainings in Spanish" topic in the video library and the Spanish version of the FAQ document.
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FREE RELICENSING TRAINING!
Foster Kinship, Foster Change and DFS have partnered to offer QPI Workshops on navigating the "QPI/Just In Time" training website. In addition to receiving assistance with navigating the website, free child care and refreshments will be provided! This is a great opportunity for our caregivers to complete some or all of their required training.
The next workshop will be on Saturday, November 11th, 2017.
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DFS Training Class for Foster Parents and Licensed Relatives
The Clark County Department of Family Services (DFS) is offering a series of training classes designed to help foster parents and DFS make better placement decisions for children in foster care. Dubbed "Placement and Referral Intelligent Matching Engine" (PRIME), the internet based tool allows the Placement Team to email foster parents referrals to children who may be a good match for their household.
Click here
for a listing of all of the classes and their locations.
For more information about the innovative PRIME training classes, please call Heather Kendall at (702) 455-8895.
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What is QPI?
Making sure every child living in foster care has a caregiver (foster, relative, fictive and/or adoptive) who provides skilled, nurturing parenting while helping the child maintain connections to his or her family.
Enhance Your Skills
Various trainings are offered in the community to help enhance caregivers' capacity to parent. Please click on the links below to learn more about exciting training opportunities from which you can benefit.
The QPI Nevada Brand
Foster parents nurture children who have experienced trauma and provide a safe, loving and healing environment in which the children can thrive. They are parenting partners who honor and support family relationships. Foster parents are dedicated, informed and committed advocates for children. They are instrumental and fully supported members of the child and family team. Great foster parents make a difference for children and families in our community.
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Let Your Voice Be Heard! Join a QPI Workgroup Today
As a caregiver, we know you have ideas for improvements in child welfare that you'd like to share with decision makers. Now is your chance. Get involved with the Quality Parenting Initiative and join one of our six workgroups:
- Training: Meets the second Tuesday of each month
- Recruitment: Meets the first Wednesday of each month
- Community Partnerships: Meets the third Tuesday of each month
- Support & Retention: Meets the third Thursday of each month
- Communications: Meets the third Friday of each month
- Child Welfare: Meets the fourth Tuesday of each month
Within these workgroups, child welfare professionals, community partners and caregivers convene monthly to develop solutions to issues they face every day. Your input can make the difference in the lives of children and families in Clark County.
Click here for more information about QPI training, initiatives and workgroups.
Click here to complete the workgroup interest form.
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121 S. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89106
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