Foster Kinship Fall Connection
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Kinship Specific News, Resources, Training and more- direct to you from Foster Kinship.
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A Note from Ali
September is Kinship Month!
Kinship care refers to caregiver grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, adult siblings and even family friends who step up to parent children when parents are not able or willing to do so. Nevada has more than 32,000 children living full time with kin. Over 23,000 of these children reside in Clark County. While most of these children are cared for outside the "formal" child welfare system, Clark County also ensures that when children can't be with their parents, family is sought, and about 42% of children in DFS care live with their family in kinship homes.
Kinship care isn’t easy – it’s a labor of love from dedicated caregivers. Children live with their kin because of unfortunate circumstances. But the families are remarkably successful – a result that we credit to the determination and unconditional love of family.
This is the second year that Nevada celebrates September as Kinship Care Month. The Governor has i
ssued a proclamation
marking September as the time to praise the virtues of kinship families and recognize their importance in keeping families connected. That’s a common cause worth celebrating, and we will be having a few fun events (check out below) to honor all our families here at Foster Kinship.
Happy Kinship Month to you!
Ali
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Kinship Navigator Program
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Kinship Navigator Program
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Family Advocates
Nani Garrett - Manager
Leah Dods
Sandy Vargas
Anntesha Chesterton
Our wonderful Family Advocates are always available by appointment Monday through Friday 10 AM to 4 PM to help with completing guardianship, application assistance such as Child-Only TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid. And to provide you with a number of community resources. Please give us a call 702-546-9988.
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Community Resource Spotlight
Project 150 -
Betty's Clothing Showroom
Project 150 provides clothing resources for High School Students.
Project 150 is located at 3600 N Rancho Dr and they are open from Monday through Thursdays 2-5pm.
Youth must show school ID to get free clothing.
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Please do not forget we have kinship-only support group on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 PM. We provide free child care and dinner! Come meet other caregivers and enjoy dinner with us!
Our September kinship support group is going to be open house style with activities to celebrate you as kinship caregivers for Kinship Month!!
If you can't make it, we also have a closed group on Facebook just for Nevada Kinship Caregivers.
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Upcoming Family Events- Save the Dates and RSVP Today!
We have several fun events and holiday activities on the horizon. Please be sure to check eligibility and RSVP by calling 702-546-9988.
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We have discounted tickets for a Glow Zone Party on Thursday, September 27th.
Tickets must be purchased in advance- call 702-546-9988 for more information.
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Help Kids with Grief and Loss
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Kinship caregivers have a complex and challenging situation when caring for a relative’s child or children. Children living in out-of-home placements have typically gone through trauma at some point in their journey—the trauma may be being removed or living away from their parents. An important part of a kinship caregiver’s job is to help children cope and heal from their traumatic grief. To add to the difficulty, every child grieves in their own unique way. The National Child Trauma Stress Network put together some tips for caregivers to help young children, school age children, and teens deal with loss and grief of a loved one that is easily translatable to children living in kinship care.
If you need help talking about helping children through this process, please feel free to give the office a call. We would be happy to discuss these techniques with you and perhaps connect your family with a mental health professional.
Click
HERE for helping young children with traumatic grief.
Click
HERE for helping school age children with traumatic grief.
Click
HERE for helping teens with traumatic grief.
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Kinship Advocacy Network (K.A.N.) Meetings
These are meetings of dedicated kinship caregiver advocates to discuss a policy change agenda for kinship families in Nevada. Oftentimes laws and policies feel unfair towards kinship families. If you are interested in working towards positive change for kinship families in Nevada, please join us!
Upcoming Kinship Advocacy Network Meetings:
- August 31st, 1:30-3:30
- September 28th 1:30-3:30
- October 26th 1:30-3:30
- November 30th 1:30-3:30
- December 21st 1:30-3:30
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Emergency Resources
If you are in need of diapers, formula, clothing, strollers or other basic needs to care for children in your home, please reach out to one of our Family Advocates Monday-Saturday 10 AM- 4 PM at (702) 546-9988. Our Kinship Resource Center is located in our office: 4344 W Cheyenne, 89032.
Thank you to the G. Alex Foundation, who recently donated clothing and shoes!
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Community Partner Spotlight: Futons 4 Less and Nirvana Beds
One of the biggest needs kinship families face is beds for everyone in the home!
Futons 4 Less
has been partnering with Foster Kinship for years, providing a great deal on twin size mattress sets, frame and delivery.
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Kinship Licensing Classes
We continue to offer Kinship Licensing classes for all caregivers caring for a relative placed with them by Department of Family Services.
If you have any questions about the specific licensing class schedule, view our website for a monthly schedule of class
here
, please call Foster Kinship, or speak with your DFS kinship licensing technician.
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CPR/AED/First Aid
is required for all caregivers and non-primaries going through the DFS licensing process.
Car Seat
is required for caregivers caring for children in DFS care six years old or younger. If you are unsure, speak with your licensing technician.
There is no child care for these free classes.
Space is limited, please call the Foster Kinship office to register: 702-546-9988.
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Required QPI Videos for Licensing
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If you are working on your license (kinship caregivers who have children with an open DFS case), there are two required QPI videos that you have to watch for licensing:
Normalcy and
Emergency Preparedness. We have created study guides for the required videos licensed caregivers much watch for re-licensing hours.
Click here to view our available study guides.
We continue to offer our computers for you to use at our office in order to complete videos required for licensing and re-licensing, please call to request an appointment (702) 546-9988.
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Required QPI Videos for Re-licensing - NEW STUDY GUIDES
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If you are a licensed caregiver and it is time time to renew, you will be required to complete 12 hours of online training through QPInevada.org. There are six hours of trainings you are required to take, and the rest you can choose.
We have created study guides for the required trainings and nine more we recommend that will equal 12 hours. Click
HERE for the study guides, or give us a call and we'd be happy to provide it for you!
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Common Sense Parenting
By Ray Burke, Ron Herron, and Bridgette A. Barnes, Ms
I have been trying to come up with effective ways when it comes to parenting and guiding my seven-year-old son to become a good human being. My son has been having small behavior issues that may become major problems in the future. I came from a home in which punishment always meant physical punishments such as spanking. In my household, I want to have different forms of consequences. So, I reached out to Boys Town for information and was referred to the book Common Sense Parenting. Boys Town offers a class online that follows the book, but honestly, the book was very effective on its own. This book provides caregivers with tools to help work through challenges that may come when raising children ages six to sixteen years old. For example, keeping their room clean, doing homework, being role models for younger siblings, and talking back, to name a few.
Common Sense Parenting provides many techniques that will help you become a stronger family unit. Something I learned that from this book children thrive off effective and positive praise. As a parent, I always found myself using negative reinforcement. But with effective praise, I brought attention to the things that he is doing right. For example, as caregivers we can highlight when a child cleans up their room without you asking, they had a positive day at school, or they said something nice to their siblings. My son started to feel good about himself and wants to do better to receive more effective praise. This book provides other ways to provide positive reinforcement such as making behavior charts, reward jars, and more. I can honestly say that I have seen a difference in my son behavior in general.
Common Sense Parenting is not just for children that are having major behavior issues, it provides effective ways to discipline by setting boundaries and helping children understand a certain behavior comes with consequences. It starts at home.
Book reviewed by Ty Ray - Foster Kinship Field Practicum Student
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Meet the Manager
Sandy Vargas, Program Support Manager and Spanish Speaking Family Advocate
For two years, Sandy was a fictive kin caregiver and she understands the legal and financial obstacles informal families can face. Sandy provides bilingual case management services to Spanish speaking kinship families and is a notary public, certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, and CPR/First Aid/AED instructor. Sandy also provides administrative and financial oversight for the organization. Sandy can be reached at Sandy@FosterKinship.org.
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Si usted necesita asistencia con su aplicación de licencia por favor comuníquese con Sandy Vargas al 702-546-9988. Estoy a su disposición de martes a Sábado.
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Tenemos grupo de apoyo cada segundo martes del mes a las 6:00 pm en Foster Kinship 4344 W. Cheyenne Ave, North Las Vegas, NV 89032. Usted puede conocer más personas que están pasando por la misma situación que usted. Tenemos guarderia para sus niños(as) y servimos cena.
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En Foster Kinship puede hacer una cita para asistencia con sus formas para Tutela (Guardianship). Muchas veces familias se quedan con la responsabilidad de cuidar a un pariente y necesitan ayuda con el proceso de Tutela y saber que recursos hay para un Cuidador Pariente (Kinship Caregiver). Si usted necesita asistencia con formas de Tutela, llame al 702-546-9988 y pregunte por Sandy.
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Si su niño necesita servicios en el sistema de educación, mi recomendación es que llame a Nevada Pep. Tienen representantes Español. Nevada Pep le puede asistir con los pasos de colocar un plan de educación para su niño/a titulado IEP. Incluso tienen clases informativas y grupos de apoyo.
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El programa Child Find asiste con evaluaciones para niños entre 3-21 años de edad. El programa es parte del el Distrito de Escuela de Clark County (CCSD). Si su niño/a califica para este programa, le pueden asistir con un plan de educación y servicios pre-escolares. Para más información llame al
702-799-7463
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QPI Nevada es un entrenamiento vía computadora que va ser parte de sus requisitos para obtener la licencia. Puede utilizar el enlace donde indica oprime para hacerlo en su computadora (no se recomienda utilizar celular). Si usted necesita asistencia con la computadora le invitamos a que venga al entrenamiento de grupo que será el 21 de Junio de 6 a 9 pm. Tenemos guardería de niños para este evento. Por favor llame a Sandy 702-546-9988 para inscribirse. Si necesita utilizar una computadora puede hacer una cita de Martes-Sábado para ver los videos.
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Si usted necesita tomar clases de RCP o Silla de Seguridad de Auto, por favor revise los tiempos anotados en la sección Training Corner. Revise las fechas y llame al 702-546-9988 para inscribirse a la clase puede preguntar por Michelle o Sandy si necesita asistencia en español. Estas clases no tienen guardería de niños. Favor de planificar su clase de acuerdo a su cuidadora de niños o si tiene pareja ustedes pueden alternar clases. Agradecemos su cooperación con las reglas.
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Muchas Gracias Boys Town !
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Quiero agradecer a el equipo de Boys Town por continuamente asistirle a las familias hispanas/latinas que les he referido. El trabajo que hacen y el apoyo que han dado es maravilloso.
Si usted esta interesado en recibir servicios de intervención por favor hable con Sandy 702-546-9988 para mas información.
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Need an easy, quick, and FUN activity to do with your kids? Our wonderful childcare worker Michelle put together instructions to make slime with your kiddos! Click
HERE to get the printable instructions.
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Thank you so much to Girl Scouts Troop 659
and local business TGIG for donating backpacks and school supplies!! Because of your generous donations we were able to provide 160 backpacks to children and youth living in kinship care!
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Thank you to our 2018 Donors!!
Simona Johnson, Scott and Liza Ozborne, Roann Zahn, Helen Neill, Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Inc, Together we Rise, Leap Gen, The James E and Beverly Rogers Educational Foundation,
Bank of America, Engelstad Family Foundation, Christine Worrell, Lorene and Steven Craver, Patrick Stiff, Michael Salvatori*, Bob O'Donnell, Marcie O'Donnell*, Michelle McGuire*, Michele Howser*, Anthem Community Church*, Alexander Dawson School, Dorina Goetz, Susan Parsons, Jackie Giddy, Jill Irvine, Pamela Convertino, Lynn Collins, Cashman Family Foundation, Linda Newill, Nevada Community Foundation- Cox Workplace Giving Fund, Savers, My Stuff Bags, 2018 NV Big Give Donors, Joe Bluhm, G. Alex Foundation, Tina Morgan, Teressa Finley, Mary Laubscher, United Way, Disneyland, Victoria Tatlow, Shirley Kely, TGIG LLC, Girl Scout Troop 659, National Charity League of Green Valley, Darling Tennis Center, Chantal Truman,
Joanne and Michael Cate 2010 Trust, Walmart, Ed Song, Michelle Nichols, Amy Morales,Jim Meservey, Narine Yenovkian, Starbucks
*Current Monthly Giver
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We are extremely sad to report that Mark Hinueber, valued board member of Foster Kinship, recently passed away. His steady commitment to vulnerable children and the organization was instrumental in our growth over the past two years. He was truly "generous to a fault" and will be very missed.
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Foster Kinship | 702-546-9988| FamilyAdvocate@fosterkinship.org | www.FosterKinship.org
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