October 2018
News and Events
Welcome new and existing Foster Change members. We are so excited to share this months events with you and your family. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for opening your doors to children that need love and support. Foster Change is committed to empowerment of foster, adoptive and kinship families.
A Word from President Audrey Rosenstein-
Wow! Hard to believe the year is coming to an end! The last quarter is upon us – and it’s the busiest quarter for us all – Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Looking forward to our Halloween Celebration on October 27 with our wonderful friends at the Through the Eyes of a Child Foundation. Hoping to see you all there.

Had a wonderful opportunity during my visit to Washington, D.C. last week to learn about upcoming legislation for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship families, and realizing that our needs here in Nevada are not any different than the needs of those same families throughout America. Child Welfare policy in Washington is the only place where you will see bi-partisanship working (except when it comes to funding). I look forward to sharing updates with you in regards to changes. I truly believe that if enough of us step forward, our voices will be heard.

Looking forward to seeing you all at our upcoming Community Connections meetings.

Best,
Audrey
Halloween Carnival!!
Join us for a Halloween event sponsored by Through the Eyes of a Child Foundation and co-sponsored by Foster Change. There will be games, prizes and an event full of fun. 

This event is open to all children in DFS care . Don't miss out on the fun.  Register now!

If you do not have an open case and have joined Foster Change, all children in your household are eligible to attend but you must reach call Sandy at 702-970-4546 or email sandy@fosterchangecc.org
What: Through the Eyes of a Child Foundation Halloween Carnival 
When: Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018
11 am - 1 pm
Where: Juvenile Justice Gym
601 N. Pecos Rd
Las Vegas, NV, 89101
Community Connections - Smart Parents, Safe Kids Workshop
Learn how to keep your kids safe from indoor and outdoor hazards. We would love to see a high turn out at this event. It includes parent - child activities and materials will be provided by partners in parenting. Please RSVP if you need childcare because space is very limited. Dinner will be provided.
Three Square Healthy Cooking Presentation
Tuesday November 20th from 6-8 pm Three Square will be joining us for a healthy cooking/ healthy choices presentation. This is a very wonderful way to teach your kids how to make smart choices in food and to see how much sugar they are actually consuming. Dinner and childcare will be provided but space is limited. Please call Sandy 702-970-4546 to reserve you space today.
Upcoming Training
This course is very hands on and includes a 2 year certification card.

October 16, 2018 will be the last CPR class offered through Foster Change for 2018. New dates will be released in January 2019.

Please reserve your seat today, space if very limited. Call 702-970-4546.
The next Car Seat Safety Class will be held on October 19, 2018 from 1:30 pm- 4:30 pm.

There is no childcare for this class and space is limited, please register today at 702-970-4546.
A Special Thank to You Amy Connell
Amy Connell, an Education Advocacy Paralegal here at Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, came to speak at our last Community Connections Meeting. She gave us great information on how to advocate for your child in the Clark County School District.

In case you missed it, she explained that often times, children that are in foster care are not receiving the services that they require to be successful. Everytime a child is removed from their home or setting, it sets them back 6 weeks so if you multiply that times the number of times the child has been removed, it can give you a more accurate number of how far behind they actually are. Not to mention, children in care are more likely to have been born exposed to drugs or alcohol and may require more services. More often then not, children are not getting the services they need and that is where you as your child's advocate must fight to be heard.

It is required that you keep documentation of all contacts with the CCSD. If you document in writing that you would like your child to be evaluated, the clock starts ticking and they have 10 calendar days to get this done. Legal Aid of Southern Nevada has a Special Education Program. There have been cases they have represented where they were able to prove children were not received adequate services and they have been able to sue schools for comp time, which means the child receives free tutoring provided by CCSD. 

If you have an IEP in place but you feel it is not being followed or something is not right, then you have right to call an IEP at any time. If a child struggles with behaviors, it should be written into the IEP so they have extra breaks. I left last night feeling like my son's IEP is setting him up for failure instead of success so I am going to call a meeting and seek help to see if an advocate will go with me to the meeting.  If you feel you may need guidance or representation from Legal Aid of Southern Nevada contact 702-386-1070, press option 5 for the special education hotline.
 
If you are looking into a different information for example bankruptcy or custody issues, you can try the Ask a Lawyer program. This is when they let you talk to an attorney for 15 minutes regarding your case. For this you would need to attend a class (they have a long list of classes), fill out an intake packet and then you would be assigned someone to work on your case.  

Learn more about the Legal Aid of Southern Nevada Special Education Program: