Kinship information, news, resources, and much more!
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A Word from the Program Director |
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Greetings!
It is hard to believe that we’re three quarters of the way through the year already. Hopefully each of you were able to enjoy the summer weather and being able to be outdoors while it lasted.
As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times with Covid-19, we as an agency, have continued to follow CDC Guidelines to ensure the well-being of those that we serve, along with our staff. All Children’s Service Society of Utah (CSS) offices remain open to the public however, there have been some changes since our last newsletter that I would like to tell you about:
Masks are required for all guests and staff while inside any CSS office. For those who do not want to wear a mask you will need to schedule a virtual meeting or phone call with your GRANDfamilies Family Advocate in place of an in-person meeting. Due to the ongoing pandemic all offices continue to maintain limited staffing to ensure that social distancing is maintained. Due to this, it is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment with your Family Advocate in advance to guarantee that they will be at the office to meet with you. Even though all offices are open to the public, we are not able to guarantee that each office will be unlocked and staffed at all times during our regular business hours as we continue to perform all job related functions; which include work being done outside of the office setting.
I understand that some of these adjustments may be inconvenient, but we have made them with the intent of being able to continue to host in-person events. Changes to how we offer and provide services may change at any time as guidelines change. You may contact your Family Advocate to receive current information about Children’s Service Society of Utah’s Covid-19 prevention measures.
Finally, as we approach the holiday season, please make note of the following holiday office closures*:
Thanksgiving: All CSS offices will be closed from 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24th through Sunday, November 28th.
Christmas and New Year: All CSS offices will be closed from Friday, December 24th through Monday, January 3rd.
*Staff will not be available at any time during the dates of closure; please plan accordingly.
I wish each of you the very best, and I thank you for being a part of the Children’s Service Society of Utah: GRANDfamilies program!
Respectfully,
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Rich Johnston, CMHC
Adoption Program Director/GRANDfamilies Program Director
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September was National Kinship month. In honor of the 21,000 children living in kinship care throughout Utah, and the thousands of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members raising these children, we work to raise awareness and offer our support.
Children’s Service Society of Utah, in collaboration with the Utah Kinship Coalition, organized the 2nd annual kinship town hall, held on September 21st. If you missed the live panel, you can view the recording on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube pages @cssutah.
Throughout the month, we highlighted various aspects of kinship care. These highlights can be found on our social media pages along with the town hall.
Thank you to kinship caregivers throughout Utah and across the nation! Your dedication, sacrifice and love for these children is truly inspiring!
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A review of the 2021 CSS Gala by Becky Davis, Support Services Specialist
As an agency with 137 years behind us, we have a lot of history. Each client that comes through our doors, each employee that walks our halls, has a unique reason for being at the agency-- and their stories are the heart of Children’s Service Society. This idea was articulated recently at our annual gala, hosted under the theme “The Stories We Tell”. Inspiring client stories were printed on posters and displayed throughout the venue, and more were shared by CSS staff who spoke. We were honored to have Bob Evans from Fox13 News as our emcee, and he and his wife shared their own stories about their adoption experiences and their joy in being parents. And new stories were made that evening! From honoring special guests, to all the fun had while playing the ever-popular Heads & Tails game, we hope everyone left with a tale to tell.
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The gala was held at the Willow Creek Country Club, which was a beautiful outdoor setting that helped alleviate any worries about closeness in a time of Covid. The evening began with Mr. Evans and his wife, followed by a lovely Italian-inspired dinner for the guests (the Tiramisu was YUM!), and a brief speech from each of the CSS Program Directors. One special highlight was the Children’s Advocacy Award, which was awarded to United States Senator Orrin G. Hatch. Our keynote speaker was CSS board member Dr. Sam Goldstein, a pediatric neuropsychologist. In addition to offering insights from his expertise, he also shared a great secret: In essence, he taught our guests that the secret to living a longer, happier life is to not focus on what you take, but rather what you give to others. And give they did! Our gala is the main fundraiser we hold each year, and as a non-profit agency we rely on donations. We met our financial goals for the night thanks to the generous folks in attendance. And because of their generosity, CSS can continue our story of supporting children and families, just as we have since 1884. |
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MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE
You are amazing. Truly. To bring someone else’s children into your home at this point in your life and being willing to take on that tremendous responsibility, is an incredibly loving thing to do. But it can be exhausting. It can be incredibly complex and difficult to navigate at times. There are high highs and low lows.
Because you often spend every waking second dedicated to caring for others, it’s understandable that you might be tired, frustrated, or just not your full, best self. Maybe you’ve noticed your relationships feel a little strained or “off”. Maybe you notice yourself being more tired than you should be or it’s difficult to concentrate or think of much else besides your “situation”. If you find yourself feeling these things, perhaps it’s time to consider making yourself a therapy appointment.
If you’ve never gone to therapy, you might have some incorrect assumptions about how it’s done and what the purpose of it is. Many people fall into the trap of minimizing how they feel about their struggles with day to day life. They look at how they’re feeling and they say, “It’s just life, do I really need to go talk to a therapist?”. Going to talk with a therapist does not have to be a significant life event and you certainly don’t need to wait until you feel even worse about things. It doesn’t have to feel any more significant than having a doctor’s appointment.
You don’t have to wait until your life falls apart before you get into therapy. Nor do you have to feel “ill” or “crazy” in your thinking. Most people who go to therapy are just regular people who appreciate talking with someone who perhaps has some insight, education, and training in relationships, coping, communication, etc.
Maybe you would benefit from hearing an objective perspective. Maybe you could use some help in navigating some of your relationships or the traumatic events you’ve had to experience in your life. I would suggest if you experience any of the following, that you strongly consider finding a therapist and making yourself an appointment:
- Struggling to work, take care of kids, or keep up at home
- Unable to handle stress with normal coping strategies
- Difficulty maintaining a healthy appetite or experiencing significant weight change
- Using drugs or alcohol to cope
- Engaging in risk-taking behaviors
- Unable to focus
- Sleeplessness
- Lack of interest in activities that once brought enjoyment
- Panic attacks
- Uneasiness with being around others, even children or family
- Mistrust of people they normally confided in or counted on
- A sense of guilt and unworthiness
- Restlessness or agitation
- Anger and violent outbursts
By Chris Schulze
GRANDfamilies Family Advocate/Therapist
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When everything in our world feels so uncertain, our children should feel SAFE at home. Unfortunately for many, that’s not the case. We need your help to keep Utah’s children SAFE. You can donate to GRANDfamilies today by clicking here.
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Community Partner Spotlight |
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Every month, GRANDfamilies offers Friend 2 Friend activities to kinship caregivers and their children. These activities provide a fun, safe environment for kinship families to connect with others in the community. For the past several years, Viewmont High School has selected GRANDfamilies as their Viking’s Give recipient.
This year, Viewmont High students will host kinship children and their caregivers at the school for a breakfast and Holiday activities. The students raise their own funds in order to provide gifts to children living in kinship care. Each student is paired with a child, and has the opportunity to interact with them one-on-one at the event.
Families who have attended these events in the past have expressed sincere gratitude for the support from Viewmont High Students, and for the connections they were able to make.
We look forward to another year of working with Viewmont High on their Vikings Give project.
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GRANDfamilies Client Spotlight |
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We are excited to announce Team Hinkel drafted a new player on June 4, 2021, our niece and cousin, Julianna. Our line-up of 9: Craig (dad), Erin (mom), Lauren (22), Cade (21), Madison (18), Julianna (10), Cooper (8), and two French bulldogs Roscoe and Coco— which now makes a complete baseball team.
Here’s a little bit about this chaotic, blended family. Craig is a scheduling manager in the aviation sector. Although, the travelling from Houston to Chicago for work every week can be exhausting it does have its perks, free hotel stays and sky miles. Julianna and Cooper eagerly await his return to see what special treat he will bring them back. They also prefer his cooking and enjoy helping prepare family dinners. Erin is the CEO of the house and kids. She is also a certified paralegal and has enjoyed being a government employee for the past 17 years. Julianna and Cooper have a special bond and are acting more like siblings as each day passes.
When Craig isn’t travelling for work, we enjoy travelling as a family. We were able to sneak a family trip to the Oregon coast before school started. Some of our favorite activities were flying kites on the beach, relaxing in the hot tub, seeing the Spruce Goose, hiking, board games, going to the Sea Lion Caves, ocean sunsets, and hanging out around the fireplace. Some of our other family adventures this summer included Lagoon, Cowabunga Bay, summer camp, the Hogle Zoo with GRANDfamilies, swimming, swimming, and more swimming. We are currently busy making memories, growing as a family, and excited to see what new adventures await.
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The Last Three Months, GRANDfamilies Completed... |
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Upcoming at GRANDfamilies! |
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GRANDfamilies at Children's Service Society of Utah
www.cssutah.org | 801-355-7444
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