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June 2018
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National Reunification Month
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June is recognized as National Reunification Month. This is a month when we celebrate and thank all of the amazing foster resources who helped a child in need until they were able to safely return to their biological family.
Thanks to you, more than 1,300 children were reunified with their families in 2017.
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Using Familiar People for Respite Care
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As a foster parent, do you have a support system of friends and family who can provide respite and child care if the need arises? We know that there are many benefits for both the foster parent and the child when a child goes through respite care with someone they know and are comfortable with. Read more about these benefits
here.
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Additional Foster Parents' Night Out Coming Soon!
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We are excited to announce Canyon Ridge Christian Church will soon be hosting a monthly, Friday night respite care for all foster
caregivers (licensed, unlicensed, relative, fictive kin) in Clark County! Keep an eye out for more info coming soon!
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Important Payment Changes!!
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Effective January 1, 2019, the Department of Family Services will no longer issue paper payment checks to foster/adoptive parents for their placement services and will instead offer direct deposit or a prepaid Visa debit card. All those affected by this change will have until December 3, 2018 to select a new payment method. Read more about the changes
here and check out this
FAQ for the differences between choosing direct deposit or a prepaid Visa debit card. You can also download the following documents:
Prepaid card enrollment form/
Direct deposit enrollment form/
W-9/
2018 payment calendar.
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Save the Date:
Back to School Backpack Event!*
The annual backpack event will be here before you know it. Make sure to save the date for July 26th to pick up your new backpack! Event registration to come soon!
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Back to School with CASA*
Save the date for CASA's annual back to school party on August 5. This will be a day filled with haircuts, manicures, pedicures, food and school supplies! Event registration to come soon!
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*Please be advised that while these are two separate events, if you receive a backpack for your child at one of these events, that child will not be eligible to receive a backpack at the other. Thank you for your understanding.
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QPI Statewide Conference in Reno!
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All of Nevada will be gathering for a statewide QPI conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Reno on July 9th and 10th. The conference will feature incredible speakers and breakout sessions with topics including: preserving placements, thoughtful transitions and fostering relationships through visitations. View the full conference schedule
here and register
here.
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Solving the Recruitment Puzzle
Denise Goodman, of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, was recently interviewed about how she worked to solve the recruitment puzzle in Cleveland, Ohio. Read the article
here.
Now that you have read the story of successful recruiting in Cleveland, we want to hear from you! Do you know a community gathering spot that would be perfect for a foster care information session? If so, please reach out to the
DFS Recruitment Unit.
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Hope Christian Health Center will be offering physicals needed for youth to play sports until September 28. Please click on the image for further information and disclaimers. Click
here for more information about accepted insurances and locations.
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Foster parents are required to complete 12 hours of training in 2018. There are many trainings each month you can attend to satisfy this requirement.
You can view the June training calendar with dates/times/locations
here.
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Summer Activities 2018!
Summer vacation is almost here! There are many activities in the community to keep your kids busy during the months off.
Click
here
to view these community resources.
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Proper Hair & Skin Care
There will be a special, Independent Living Youth only, class to teach about those youth about the proper care for their age, hair and skin.
Learn more about the class
here. You can register by calling: 702-455-0573.
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Summer League Jam will be offering a summer basketball camp from July 13-15 at UNLV. There may be availability for some financial assistance for foster families. Please use the contact information on the
flier provided to learn more.
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Foster One Recruit One Updates
The greatest tool to recruit new foster parents...are current foster parents.
There were two FORO parties in the past month! Thank you so much Kristi Bybee and Alyssa & Phil Burruel for opening your homes to help spread the work about becoming a foster parent.
Do you want to be next!? See this
flyer
for more information.
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DFS to participate in the Federal Child And Family Services Reviews in May and September 2018
As part of the Nevada Continuous Quality Improvement process, Clark County will be participating in Round 3 of the Child & Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) this year. The reviews in Clark County are scheduled in both May and September. CFSRs are completed in partnership with both State and Federal support.
CSFRs Enable the Children's Bureau to:
- Ensure conformity with federal child welfare requirements
- Determine what is actually happening to children and families as they are engaged in child welfare services
- Assist states in enhancing their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes.
The CFSRs bring people together who can make a difference in state child welfare systems. Hearing from parents, caregivers and youth about their first-hand experiences is important. Information that parents, caregivers, and youth provide about their experiences helps child welfare agencies make changes to strengthen their work with families.
For more information about CFSRs for parents and caregivers click here
English
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Spanish
For more information about CFSRs for youth click here
English
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Spanish
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Foster Care Information Sessions!
There is always a need for more foster families in Clark County. The first step is to attend one of the many information sessions offered all across Clark County.
If you know someone who has been thinking of becoming a foster resource, click on the picture to see the full schedule of information sessions and help them take that first step.
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Caring for a child is one of the most important things a person can do. Caring for a child who is not your own requires a special kind of dedication. There are many children in Southern Nevada who are unable to remain in their homes. Families who open their homes and hearts to these children are committed to improving their lives and their futures. Foster Change is committed to those families.
We are proud to be the foster and adoptive family association in Southern Nevada. For just $20/year, we offer monthly community connection groups, parents' nights out, family events, educational opportunities, play dates, and free car seat and CPR/first aid training. Many of our events include free childcare and meals. We also work together to advocate for support for all foster and adoptive families in Nevada. We look forward to meeting your family!
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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, July 6th, 2018
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:July 6, Aug. 3. Keep watching the Caregiver Courier for more details and registration information.
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10 Ways to Support Foster Children in Clark County
We are so appreciative of all the amazing people who have opened their homes to become foster parents.
However, becoming a foster parent is not the only way to help a child in need.
We have compiled a list of 10 ways you can support foster children in Clark County. Check out the full list
here.
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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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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 Clark County 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
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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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