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The Caregiver Courier
May 2018
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National Foster Care Month: Thank YOU!
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National Foster Care Month 2018 Website
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This May, the Children’s Bureau—in collaboration with its information service, Child Welfare Information Gateway—is celebrating the importance of kinship caregivers with its theme, “It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Connections.” The
National Foster Care Month (NFCM) 2018 website
provides free resources to enable child welfare professionals, foster and kinship caregivers, and communities to care for children in the child welfare system.
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No Matter Where:
We Go, You Go
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Foster parent Patricia Nordstrom recalls receiving a placement a week before a family vacation and explains why it was so important for the child, and her family, that he was brought along. This is the kind of normalcy that allows for a child to feel a bit more comfortable in their placement.
Read more about Patricia's story
here.
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Community Village Garden
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The recruitment team of the Department of Family Services is so grateful to everyone who visited the Village Garden art display in the Government Center Rotunda and helped it grow.
You can view some additional photos
here and read the poem written by Megan O
here.
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Foster Care Resource Fair
Are you a foster caregiver? Are you aware of all the community resources available to you? Join these community partners on May 8 at the DFS Central office and learn more about what they can provide to you to make your foster experience easier.
Click
here for more details.
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Class of 2018 Thank You
There are nearly 110 youth in care who are preparing to graduate over the next couple of weeks. For many, this would not have been possible without the dedication of their care provider
Please read this
letter of appreciation from DFS's Independent Living unit.
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It is time again to come together and plan the upcoming goals for QPI here in Clark County. This goal setting meeting is set for May 31 from 3-5 PM. The location will be announced at a later date. Please RSVP to
Denise Parker no later than May 24.
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Summer School Reminder
Though the school year may be coming to an end, summer school is right around the corner.
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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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Independent Living Corner
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Independent Living will be offering the opportunity for youth to participate in an eight (8) week thinkLaw course. This course is designed to enhance critical thinking skills and allow youth to understand the laws that impact them on a day-to-day basis.
Learn more about this, and other IL activities,
here.
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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 complete May-June training calendar with dates/times/locations
here.
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In Defense of Foster Parents
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Being a foster parent isn't always easy and can lead to moments of frustration, confusion, and anger...and one foster mother from Pennsylvania wants you to know that is okay.
Read her testimony about the different emotions she often cycles through and how she continues to carry on.
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City of Henderson Financial Assistance
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For those who live in Henderson, please
look here for additional information on the City of Henderson's financial assistance for select city offered recreation programs and services.
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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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Foster One Recruit One
The greatest tool to recruit new foster parents...are current foster parents.
Clark County DFS wants to help you host a recruitment party. We will provide the information and refreshments, all we need from you is a location and a minimum of five (5) potential foster parents confirmed to attend.
See this
flyer
for more information.
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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, May 4th, 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: June 1 and Aug. 6. 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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