Fostering a Community of Love
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Foster Change Welcomes New Board Member
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Welcome Donna White to the Foster Change Board, we are so happy you joined. Donna is originally From Louisville, Kentucky, and has lived in Las Vegas for 3 yrs. Donna has been married for thirty-two years to high school sweetheart, Chip. They have nine kids; four are grown and live in Kentucky and Georgia. Chip and Donna have seven beautiful grandbabies and another one due in May. They have been fostering for about 16 years. (Mostly teen girls). Donna works part-time with DFS as a Co-lead in the Recruitment/training department and is on the Leadership team for Fostering Hope & Hannah’s Closet.
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Annual Spring Celebration Information
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The annual Spring Celebration registration link is now open to active members. This will be held at Links for Life Park on April 9th from 8 am - 12 pm.
We are happy to serve you, however, please only sign up the children that are actively in your care through guardianship, adoption, fostering or biological. Information will be verified.
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Community Connections Meeting!
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Please join us for Community Connections/Support Group on March 17th from 6-7:30 pm
This Community Connections meeting features the CASA Foundation and Child Focus. It will have a vast amount of information about how to cover payments for Summer activities through the CASA Foundation. Kevin Nelson from Child Focus will be talking about Camp to Belong and sibling preservation events.
Limited Child Care is provided and must be reserved by contacting 702-970-4546. Dinner will be provided on a first come first served basis. The meeting location is 4344 W. Cheyenne Ave, North Las Vegas, NV 8903
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Book recommendation: The Body Keeps The Score by: Bessel Van der Kolk
"This book has been a game changer for me in understanding the trauma that my kids have experienced and ways to help them overcome. It is a very hard read but after trying and failing to read it multiple times, I found it on audio book! You can download Hoopla and enter your library card number and listen to it for free! I've now listened to it twice and I'm still learning more." -Carly Souza
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Hannah's Closet Myth Busters By Carly Souza
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Myth: I can only shop at Hannah's Closet the first two weeks I have my placement.
Fact: You can shop at Hannah's Closet any time! We allow families to shop monthly so that they can get their children the items they need as they grow or as seasons change.
Myth: Hannah's Closet charges foster families.
Fact: Thanks to the generosity of our community, everything at Hannah's Closet is completely free!
Myth: Once I've adopted my child I can no longer shop at Hannah's Closet.
Fact: Adoptive families can shop too! Just bring in a copy of your adoption decree.
Myth: Hannah's Closet South and Hannah's Closet North have the same operating hours.
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Free Nurturing Parenting Class
**Re-licensing Hours**
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Foster Kinship and CPLC are offering free parenting classes. These evidence-based sessions focus on nurturing children and developing positive discipline methods in order to reduce our stress as caregivers and increasing healthy behaviors.
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This parenting class is held over three sessions:
Thursday, April 9th 5:30-8 PM
Thursday, April 16th 5:30-8 PM
Thursday, April 23rd 5:30-8 PM
Child care is available, but limited. Pizza dinner provided.
6 re-licensing hours provided.
RSVP is required! 702-546-9988.
TIP: This is a also great class to take with the birth parents if you are co-parenting and working on reunification!
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Are you interested in learning more about attachment and how you can better connect to your adopted/foster/kinship child? Please join us for our Semi-Annual Foster Connect Dinner! It will be hosted on March 13th from 6-8pm at Canyon Ridge Christian Church. All foster, adoptive and kinship families are welcome! Dinner and childcare are provided for free. Our evening will start with dinner and then move on to our speaker, a local couple who are licensed therapists, Carly and Danny Aldis with Revival Therapy.
Please sign up at the link below
and reach out to Morgan Couchman:
Link for sing
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Additional Support
Need Support?
Do you know that there are support groups for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship families across Las Vegas? We have recently compiled a list of groups and hopefully you will find one that meets your needs!
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Car Seat Safety Training Dates
Tuesday 3/24/2020 6-9 PM
Friday 4/24/2020 2-5 PM
Thursday 6/4/2020 6-9 pm
Tuesday 3/3 6-9 PM
Saturday 3/21 1-4 PM
Tuesday 3/31 6-9 PM
Friday 4/3 2-5 PM
Friday 4/17 2-5 PM
Tuesday 4/28 6-9 PM
Please bring your car seat to class, if you have one available.
There is childcare available for this class.
Please call 702-970-4546 to register.
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CPR, First AID, AED Training❤❤❤
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March 23rd, 5-9 pm (Monday)
May 15th, 10-2 pm (Friday)
June 17th, 5-9 pm (Wed)
Childcare is available!!!!
Please call 702-970-4546 to register.
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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) 970-4546.
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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 training's you are required to take, and the rest you can choose.
We have created study guides for the required training's 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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Adoption Exchange - Online Training
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The Adoption Exchange offers free online training for Foster and Adoptive Parents. Please register first to gain access to online learning. If you already have an account with The Adoption Exchange please log in and take advantage of the free training.
The Adoption exchange also offers a lending library which is an excellent post-adoption service. Please click on the link below for more information.
Upcoming Training's
The Adoption Exchange is offering a
free informative webinar
on “Foster Care Adoption in Clark County”.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 from 5:30pm – 7:00pm PST
Audience Listen By Phone+1 866-966-0043(United States)
Passcode: 55819514#
Please see the enclosed the flier describing this training.
“Grief and Loss in Foster Care:
Helping Children, Youth and Ourselves Heal”
Friday, March 27
th
, 2020 from 9am-11am PST
2 Hour Long Webinar Training with 2.0 Nevada Social Work CEU credit available
Objective of the training:
- This training is designed to increase foster, kinship and adoptive parents with understanding, awareness and coping strategies as it relates to grief and loss for our children and ourselves. Care givers often struggle with grief and loss while being the conduit to helping children and youth process, cope and heal. The workshop encourages a recognition and respect for children and their loss, and their individual journey through grief in a way that will assist their ability to grow into adults able to adjust to losses in the future. The workshop will essentially encourage a three-step model in providing participants enhanced practices through the healing of grieving among children and youth, while avoiding hindrances to the process that may inhibit the ability for children and youth to grieve.
Goals of the training:
1. Define grief and loss experienced by both parents and children/youth.
2. Identify grief and loss triggers in families.
3. Review the cycle of grief and the manifestation of grief; Differences in how children and adults process grief.
4. How to prepare for and manage grief and loss.
“Adoption Through Foster Care in Clark County”
Next training is: Thursday, March 26
th
, 2020 from 5:30pm – 7:00pm PST
1.5 Hour Long Webinar Training, CEU credit not available for this training
Jessica Hartwig, LCSW, Family Support Services Coordinator for The Adoption Exchange
jhartwig@adoptex.org
Objective of the training:
- This is an informative webinar training designed for families residing in Clark County Nevada who are interested in adopting children from foster care. This training will detail the journey with the Clark County Department of Family Services public agency. Participants will gain a better understanding of the pre-assessment care giver training, the home study process and time lines related to the eligibility to adopt. The youth placement process and wait times are discussed as well as the support and programs available to resource families through the Clark County Department of Family Services.
Meghan Vargo
Family Support Services Program Manager
O: 702.436.6335 ext. 300
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THE KINSHIP ADVOCACY NETWORK (K.A.N)
We are stronger together!
The
Kinship Advocacy Network
is a space where you can get involved in making positive changes for kinship families, especially the children living in kinship care.
Foster Kinship's K.A.N. meetings are dedicated to kinship caregiver advocates and provide a space for you to discuss and advocate for policy changes for families in Nevada.
You can join in person on the
1st Thursday of the month from 10:30AM - 12:00PM
at the Foster Kinship Office. There is also a call in option---please call the office to get more information.
We are currently putting together caregiver testimony, drafting a survey to send out to thousands of caregivers across Nevada, and refining our policy goals,
Join us!
2020 Dates - 4/2, 5/7, 6/4, 7/2, 8/6, 9/3, 10/1, 11/5, 12/3 - You can also join over the phone.
Please call or e-mail Anntesha Chesterton for more information 702-546-9988 or Anntesha@fosterkinship.org
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Community Resources/ Opportunities
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Canyon Ridge Christian Church is in the middle of transitioning to a new database. Please use the link below this month to reserve your spot for Parents Night Out. Thank you for your patience!
Foster Parent Night Out
When: Fri, Oct 18, 6 pm-9 pm,
Where: Canyon Ridge Christian Church
Lone Mountain Campus - Youth Building
6200 West Lone Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89130
Who: All foster caregivers (licensed, unlicensed, relative, fictive kin)
Registration closes on October 14 (or once all slots are full):
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Grace Point Church Church provides free respite care every first Friday of the month. Grace Point Church appreciates the opportunity to help Foster Parents take a little break to catch a movie or go do something fun with their significant other. For more information please click on the link below.
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If your family is a member of the YMCA, there are great activities and events to consider.
Events include Family's Night Out, Parents Night Out and much more. Some events and activities require memberships and some are offered at a low cost. Check the YMCA in your area for more details. Below is an informational flyer specific to the Centennial Hills YMCA.
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Foster Change would like to put together a respite list for members that have adopted children and are not eligible for services through the Department of Family Services. Every now and then I hear caregivers wanting to get away for a weekend or they need a few hours of self-care. If you are willing to provide assistance to your fellow caregivers, please let us know by filling out this form with your information. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Not only are you helping another caregiver take a break, but you are connecting kids so they can make lasting friendships. If you are interested, please take a minute to fill out the interest form.
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Foster Change
| www.fosterchangecc.org
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