July 2018
Hello Summer!
Parent/Caregiver Night Out
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 contact:702-942-1775

Paint Party Night Registration
Please save the date and join us Friday July 20th from 5:30-7:30 pm. We will be enjoying a night of painting and getting to know each other better. There is no childcare provided so please schedule a babysitter accordingly.

Foster Change has a list of a few background checked childcare providers that may be available that night at a reasonable rate. For more information or to register for the event
contact sandy@fosterchangecc.org or cal
702-970-4546.
Back to School Event
Mark your calendars for the Yearly Back to School event that will be held on July 26th.

You must be a member of Foster Change for your foster, kinship, adoptive and biological children to attend OR you must have an open case with the Department of Family Services.

Registration details will follow in the next coming week.
Come Check Out Foster Change
Are you an existing member but not quite sure what your membership perks are or do you have friends that would like to join but are not sure what Foster Change is all about? Meet, greet and eat some desserts while getting to know more about our program. Limited childcare will be available.

July 20th 6:00 -7:30 PM

Please email sandy@fosterchangecc.org to sign up or call 702-970-4546.
Community Connections
The next Community Connections meeting will be on Tuesday September 18th. We will email or post information on Facebook regarding who the next speaker will be once the date gets closer.

Dinner and childcare is provided for this event, please make reservations by emailing sandy@fosterchangecc.org or call 702-970-4546
State QPI Conference
Upcoming Training's
Car Seat Safety
Tue
Aug 28, 2018
6:00-9:00 pm

Fri
Oct 19, 2018
1:30 – 4:30 pm

CPR/First Aid/AED
Tue
Jul 17, 2018
5:00-9:00 pm

Tue
Sep 25, 2018
5:00-9:00 pm
From the Bottom of our Hearts
Thank You HealthCare Partners of Nevada!
Foster Change would like the opportunity to give a huge THANK YOU to HealthCare Partners of Nevada who put together an amazing event for over 200 children in Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Care to attend the premier of The Incredible's 2.
Pictured abeove is the big winner of the Event. Children were entered in a raffle for a chance to win tickets to see a movie of your choice. It was an amazing experience for everyone that attended.
The children who attended had a chance to use a photo booth and put on different types of props to make the pictures extra memorable. Included with the tickets was popcorn, a snack and refreshment for each child. In addition they were able to mingle with characters from the movie.
Foster Change Treasurer Ali Caliendo pictured above having the time of her life with the kids. As you can tell from the picture, the kids connected and had the opportunity to make new friends.
A Big Thanks to MGM Resorts
Every opportunity that is given for our members to attend an event is a treat and what better way to spend time with your kids than taking them to see a basketball game.

Families were able to take pictures with life size cut outs of the basketball players.

The feedback from members that were able to attend was that it was fun and very much appreciated.
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Foster Change Needs You
As a rapidly growing non profit, starting in October Foster Change is looking for volunteers who would like to run the helpline phone, do light data entry, put together resource lists and help with events such as Play Dates or run support groups. If you are interested please contact sandy@fosterchangecc.org. If you are interested please let us know as soon as possible.
Become a Foster Parent
Right now, there are approximately 3000 children in Clark County Foster Care. If you know a family that would be a great fit for this role please consider hosting an event.
#WhereAreTheChildren
We have all seen the heartbreaking pictures, read articles and watched the news. It is not about what side you are on, what matters is the children involved and the trauma they are suffering from being separated from their parents.

While families are now being detained together, there is still not answer to the question of when the other children that were separated will be reunited with their families or what measures are being taken to help them. There has also been confusion in the media, including as it relates to foster agencies involved in caring for migrant children.

This article may shed some light on the potential issues and provides useful context:

Kids Corner
How to Make Slime
If you just feel like staying indoors and you need to keep your children occupied this video teaches an easy way to make Borax free slime and have fun with your kids at the same time.
How to Make Ice Cream at home
Make family time fun with this is a video on how to make different flavored ice cream with few ingredients. This would be a great way for you to enjoy a cold treat on a hot Summer day.
Get Your Pogo Pass Today!
This Summer I have found the best way to keep my kids happy and entertained was by purchasing the pogo pass. Use code VegasFam to save 60% off the regular purchase price which brings the price down to $39.99 per pass. There are many fun things to do such as bowling once a month at certain casinos, access to a couple 51's games, 1 visit to glow zone, 1 visit to Cowabunga bay plus so much more.

Connect with Resources
Desert Regional Center
During our last Community Connections Meeting we had an opportunity to learn about the resources at Desert Regional Center.

Desert Regional Center provides services for adults and children in Nevada who have a diagnosis of intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities.

Available services include, Family Support, employment/Vocational Training/Day Training and Community Living Arrangements.

For more information please contact the intake phone number at 702-486-7850
They are located at 5550 W. Flamingo Road, Ste. B5
Child Find
If you suspect your child may have a learning disorder, please reach out to Child Find. They can assist with assessments for developmental delays for children ages 3-21. The best part about Child Find is that they will provide transportation services to and from the home and your child will have an IEP in place while they are in the program but depending on circumstances, this IEP could continue beyond. Please click on the website link below for contact information.

Summer Fun at Boys & Girls Club
Boys & Girls Club was established so that kids would have a safe place for recreational activities where they could develop and grow. This is a place where children can feel like they belong. This is also a great way for kids to interact with other kids and make new friends. Boys & Girls Club hosts events such as Boys Night Out, Girls Day and they have athletic activities. If you are interested in joining please visit your nearest Boys & Girls Club for pricing and member information.

SandyVargas | Foster Change | 702-970-4546 | sandy@fosterchangecc.org | www.fosterchangecc.org