March 2018
Foster Change Newsletter
Spring is just around the corner and we have activities for our members. This year we would like to feature families every month to show how much we appreciate what you do for children. If you would like to be a featured family please email Sandy at sandy.fosterchangecc.org.
Featured Family: The Rosenstiens
The Rosensteins have opened their home to over 20 children in foster care. Audrey and Craig understand that while helping children have a safe home is important, the ultimate goal is reunification. Audrey is best known for Peggy's Attic which she manages. Peggy's Attic is often times the first stop for foster and adoptive parents. Peggy's Attic provides 3 sets of clothing(1 item can be new), shoes, underwear and socks. Audrey is on the board of Foster Change and is a huge asset to the community.
Community Connections
Moms Night Out
Please join us in April for the next Mom's Night Out. Every mom needs a break and a chance to connect with other mom's, share resources or stories. Hosted by board member Donna Russum.
RSVP is required and you must be a Foster Change Member to attend.

Spring is Here
Please come celebrate Spring 2018. This event is free to Foster Change members including their biological children. If you are an active Foster Change member please use the link below.


If you are not a member but have an open DFS Case please use this link below.

March Community Connections Meeting

This month we will be welcoming Klover Kallas to our Community Connections meeting. The following s a little bio...
I am a Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist. I am also a wife, mom, and have a daughter with special needs. For the last several years, I have specialized in working with families who have members with special needs and kids with problem behaviors. Parents often ask me why kids do what they do and how to better understand their child’s feelings. I look forward to speaking to you about the basic functions of behavior and how to address them. When parents understand the “why” of a behavior it becomes easier to deescalate problem behaviors and recognize the things kids are doing well. My goal is to help families have more good days and for parents and kids to enjoy each other. I look forward to spending time with this group!
Spotlight
Big Thanks to Leslie Murdoch
We want to give a huge shout out to Leslie Murdoch for coming to our connections meeting to share information about our children's educational rights. The meeting was packed with information and if you missed it we have some informational flyers linked to this page.

Resource Fair

February 23rd Foster Parent Champions hosted a successful resource fair in partnership with Foster Change and the Department of Family Services. Families were able to connect with great resources such as Peggy's Attic, Wic, Catholic Charities, Foster Kinship, I.M.P.A.C.T , the DFS Foster Parent Recruiting Team, CCSD-Leslie Murdoch and Foster Parent Champions. In addition people were able to sign up for Foster Change right away. With the success of this fair we hope to have additional vendors in the next one. We thank those of you who joined us.
Playdate Fun!
February 25th Foster Change hosted the first playdate of the year and it was a huge success. The weather was perfect and the children's spirits were high.

The kids did a great job at incorporating new child members into their playtime. The sight was heart warming and best of all, parents got a little bit of a break.

The children received snacks and enjoyed playing with bubbles. We hope to have playdate's every couple of months.
If you have not had a chance to bring your child to connect with other children, we encourage you to sign up for the next one. If you are not yet a member of Foster Change it is never to late to join, there is a link for membership at the bottom of this page.

Connect with Training
CPR/First Aid/AED Training
The next Foster Change CPR class will be held on March 17th from 5-9 pm. Learn hands on with this interactive course. The information and material covered in this class could save your life. There is no childcare for this class you must be a member to attend. If you have not joined Foster Change yet, there is a link on this page for payments online.. To register contact Sandy at 702-970-4546
Car Seat Safety Class
April 24th from 6-9 will be our next Foster Change Car Seat Safety Class. Space is limited so please contact Sandy at 702-970-4546 to reserve your spot today. This class goes over Nevada law vs. best practice, common misuses and errors of car seats and much more. There is no child care available for this class and you must be a member to attend. If you have not joined Foster Change yet, there is a link on this page for payments online.

Did you already take your required QPI Training for licensing or renewal? Here is what you need to know:

New Online Training Requirement for Licensing:  ALL caregivers also have to complete two online trainings BEFORE they can be licensed:



Required Training for Renewal Licensing:  All caregivers need to take 12 hours of training to maintain their license after the first 12 months. There are some classes that are required. Here are the classes. If you haven't taken the two above ALSO include those:




*Part 2 is within part 1. Once they finish watching part 1 you will click on part 2 & watch that one & then they take the quiz that appears at the en


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Online Training

The Adoption Exchange offers free online training for Foster and Adoptive parents. Please register first to gain access to the 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.

Reminders
The afternoons are about to get longer.
That means there will be more time for outdoor activities. We can take our kids on bike rides, play in the park, go outside and jog or just enjoy the longer day to do more activities as a family.

Daylight savings is set to begin on March 11th at 2 am so do not forget to set the clocks one hour forward.
If you are not yet a member of Foster Change or you would like to renew your membership please use this link to pay on line. If you prefer to pay by check, it can be sent to 4344 W. Cheyenne Ave, North Las Vegas, NV 89032


Remember you can Support Foster Change everytime you shop with Amazon Smile. To Support Foster Change everytime you shop simply go to https://smile.amazon.com
and create your account, you will then be prompted to pick a charity. If you already have your account created and would like to support Foster Change simply log into your account, look under the search box and you should be able to pick the charity of your choice. We thank you in advance for your support.

Mark your calendars, Clark County School District Spring Break is Monday March 26th- Monday April 2nd. To keep up with CCSD off Days click on the link below.

Sandy Vargas| Foster Change| 702-90-4546 |sandy@fosterchangecc.org | http://www.fosterchangecc.org