World Wide Wednesday, July 29, 2015

It’s World Wide Wednesday! Here’s what’s news in the world of foster care and adoption around the web:

• New adoption factsheet series: As part of their work to raise awareness of children in foster care during National Foster Care Month, the Child Welfare Information Gateway has produced a series of publications about parenting adopted children. Factsheets include Parenting Your Adopted Preschooler, Parenting Your Adopted School-Age Child, Parenting Your Adopted Teenager, and Foster Parents Considering Adoption.
• Our Foster Adoption Journey: Adoptive parents write about their experience of adopting from the foster/adopt program in this heartwarming six-part series.
• My Son’s Other Mom: A ‘Precious Relationship’: “She loves her son, and I have never once questioned that. She has made mistakes, just as I have, and made choices that resulted in them not being able to live together anymore. But she loves him to pieces.”
• ReMoved: ReMoved follows the emotional story of a young girl taken from her home and placed into foster care.
  WARNING: Some of the content is not appropriate for children.
   Watch Part 1
  Watch Part 2

Have news you’d like to share? Please post in our comments!

Inclusion in this post does not imply an endorsement by the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families. The Coalition is not responsible for the content of these resources.

Tip Sheet Tuesday: Establishing Household Rules

The social worker has just called and asked for placement today! The child will soon be here! Your mind is filled with a whirlwind of questions! What will the child be like? What has she gone through? What will she expect? What rules is she used to?

Not only do you have plenty of questions but, upon entering care, children also have many questions about your family and how it works.

By talking over house rules, the children in your home will know what you expect from them, and also what they may expect from you. Families in foster care and adoption can succeed if they know what to expect.

The Initial Meeting
When first meeting with the caseworker, child, child’s parent(s) and previous caretaker, discuss the special needs, strengths, and culture of that child. Talk with the team about the success of previous limits and rules. Were these useful in allowing the youth and others to be safe and did the child learn from these guidelines? Are there suggestions from the team for creating specific rules based on previous successes or court-ordered rules?

Basic Rule Setting
As a means of preparation for meeting with the child and the team, create basic house rules that can be applied to most of the family. Put the rules in writing with clear and brief language that can be understood and enforced such as, “Always knock on doors before entering.” Simple, positive words are most effective.

Depending on the age, developmental level, and culture of the foster children, the rules will need to fit their level of understanding as well as their culture.

In many religions (Muslim, Jewish, and Christianity, for example), fasting or particular foods are not to be eaten during certain seasons or celebrations. In some cultures, showering or socializing for females while they have their periods is not allowed. And most black children, for example, have different hair and skin care needs than most white children.

Continue reading on our website.

Under the Umbrella: Summer Safety Tips for the Driveway

We asked our friends at Children’s Community Health Plan to share asummer health and safety tip for this week’s Under the Umbrella. Below you’ll find some tips for driveway safety – great information for all parents and kids!

 

Kids love cars, and when they see a parked car, they don’t even think about the possibility of getting hurt or seriously injured. That’s why parents have to be extra careful. Here are a few tips to keep your kids safe in and around cars.

 

Top Safety Tips

• We know you’re often in a hurry, but before you drive away, take a few seconds to walk all the way around your parked car to check for children.
• When checking for kids around your vehicle, see if anything that could attract a child, such as a pet, bike or toy, is under or behind your vehicle before getting in and starting the engine.
• Identify and use safe play areas for children, away from parked or moving vehicles. Teach kids to play in these areas instead of in, around or behind a car.
• Accompany kids when they get in and out of a vehicle. Hold their hands while walking near moving vehicles or in driveways and parking lots or on sidewalks.
• Don’t allow children to play unattended in parking lots when cars are present.

Need some more tips about driveway safety? Head over to safekids.org.

Upcoming Training: Social Media Safety

Social media changes almost daily. It seems as though upgrades, updates, new platforms, and other changes take effect as soon as we learn how to navigate each site! It’s no wonder that many foster and adoptive parents find themselves confused and wondering how they can keep up with this evolving technology.

In this training, we will provide you with an overview of today’s most active social media sites, as well as how to keep yourself and the children in your care safe.There is a lot to learn and we can help you get started!

About the Trainer: Rachel Goeden, MSW, APSW
An adoptive parent as well as a social worker and trainer at the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families. After being hesitant to sign up for MySpace in college, Rachel has since developed a passion for utilizing the positive benefits of social media. She not only contributes to the social media marketing efforts at the Coalition, but also runs her own website and blog.

$15/participant
$60/agency group

Wednesday, August 26, 2015
6-8 p.m.

Ives Groves Office Complex
14200 Washington Avenue
Sturtevant, WI 53177
OR
Attend via webinar
Register online
Questions? Contact info@coalitionforcyf.org or call 414-475-1246

World Wide Wednesday, July 22, 2015

It’s World Wide Wednesday! Here’s what’s news in the world of foster care and adoption around the web:

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Facts and Resources.
• International Adoption: Bulgaria.
• Connections for Success: Research has shown that number one indicator of success for youth in foster care is a positive relationship with a caring adult. Mentoring programs for older youth in foster care and foster care alumni build connections that can support the transition into adulthood. This video demonstrates the importance of mentoring on not only vulnerable youth, but also the benefits on the mentors themselves.
• Top 10 Things to Make a Foster Child’s First Day Easier: Little things matter and set the tone for things to come.

Have news you’d like to share? Please post in our comments!

Inclusion in this post does not imply an endorsement by the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families. The Coalition is not responsible for the content of these resources.

Tip Sheet Tuesday: The Changing Role of Caregivers – Grandparents

Raising children is a difficult task, and there’s a reason that people are typically in their 20s and 30s when they have kids. Raising grandchildren (or in other cases nieces, nephews, cousins, and even younger siblings) is an even more challenging undertaking.

A growing number of grandparents who have given years of love, money, time and energy to their first family, find

themselves giving those same things to their children’s children.

Grandparents returning to the role of primary caregivers find themselves recreating their relationship with their children who cannot raise their own offspring. Conflicting emotions of love and resentment are compounded by grandparents’ new role as the primary caregiver. How do you, as a grandparent, balance support for your adult child with raising the offspring of that same child?

Here are some ideas you might find useful and some resources for helping you make those adjustments. That grandchild is a precious gift, and you also have your own gifts to help you with your new role in their lives.

What can you do to make the adjustment the easiest for you, your spouse, and the child who just entered your home?
Reflect on your past parenting. Think about what you did that made you a good parent. What would you have done differently? How can you apply what you have learned to the way you want to raise this child? You might also want to:

• Write down your feelings. Then, discuss these memories and ideas with your spouse, and trusted relatives and friends. It helps to make plans for your new role as grandparent.
• Consider parenting courses. The support and parenting ideas may help you raise this new, young member of your household with more ease and grace, and help you get connected with others.
• Check out books and DVDs from our resource center or the public library about grandparenting and good parenting ideas.

Continue reading on our website.

Under the Umbrella: Relative Care Giving

It could be the easiest or the toughest choice you ever have to make. Eitherway, taking in a relative who needs out-of-home care brings its own unique challenges and joys. As a relative caregiver, you may find yourself walking a fine and delicate path of providing care for a child while also trying to maintain and nurture your relationship with your relative, the child’s birth parent.

There are some strategies you might consider to help ease the transition. These, of course, depend on the age and development of the child. They include:

• having an open and honest conversation about your changing role with the child
• having the child help create household rules
• making a clear schedule for visitation times
• having established family meeting times, where the child can speak openly about how he feels about his move and his living situation.

Though the going might get tough at times, providing care for a relative can help to ease the fears, uncertainties, and trauma of entering out-of-home care. Being placed with someone they know and trust, can help children in out-of-home care with things like attachment, building trusting relationships, and maintaining birth family connections.

Whether you are new to relative care giving or have been providing care for an extended period, we invite you to explore the resources below. Please also know that the Coalition is here to help support you and your whole family. You can reach out to us at any time – 1-800-762-8063 or info@coalitionforcyf.org.

Featured Tip Sheets:

• The Changing Role of Caregivers: Grandparents
• Shared Parenting: Putting the Needs of Children First

Bike Safety for Big Kids

If they haven’t already, your children are just about to lose those training wheels. Here are a few tips to keep them safe as they soak up the adventure.

Top Safety Tips

Helmets

• We have a simple saying: “Use your head, wear a helmet.” It is the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes.
• Make sure your child has the right size helmet and wears it every time when riding, skating or scooting.
• Replace the helmet if a child is in a crash or falls off their bike. Helmets are intended for one “accident.”
• You’d be surprised how much kids learn from watching you, so it’s extra important for parents to model proper behavior. Wear a helmet, even if you didn’t when you were a kid.
• Your children’s helmet should meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s standards. When it’s time to purchase a new helmet, let your children pick out their own; they’ll be more likely to wear it for every ride.

Bikes

• Ensure proper bike fit by bringing the child along when shopping for a bike. Select one that is the right size for the child, not one he or she will grow into.
• Actively supervise children until you’re comfortable that they are responsible to ride on their own.
• Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed and distance of cars until age 10, so limit riding to sidewalks (although be careful for vehicles in driveways), parks or bike paths until age 10. No matter where you ride, teach your child to stay alert and watch for cars and trucks.
• Long or loose clothing can get caught in bike chains or wheel spokes. Dress young kids appropriately to ensure a safe ride.
• Before the ride, make sure the reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly, and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
• Teach your kids to make eye contact with drivers. Bikers should make sure drivers are paying attention and are going to stop before they cross the street.
• Tell your kids to ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it. Stay as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stoplights.
• When riding at dusk, at dawn or in the evening, be bright and use lights – and make sure your bike has reflectors as well. It’s also smart to wear clothes and accessories that have retro-reflective materials to improve biker visibility to motorists.

See more at: http://www.safekids.org/safetytips/field_age/big-kids-5%E2%80%939-years/field_risks/bike#sthash.YN3QDQvX.dpuf

Our thanks to our friends at Children’s Community Health Plan for this blog post!

All in the Family: A Relative Caregiver Panel Discussion

As a relative caregiver, you may find yourself walking a fine and delicate path of providing care for a child while also trying to maintain and nurture your relationship with your relative, the child’s birth parent. Join us for a panel discussion with a former youth in relative care, relative caregivers with various backgrounds, and professionals working with relative caregivers.

Whether you are new to relative caregiving or have been providing care for an extended period, come to learn, share, and connect. If you have questions for our panel in advance please send them to info@coalitionforcyf.org.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015
6-8 p.m.

Coalition for Children, Youth & Families
6682 W. Greenfield Ave., Suite 310
Milwaukee

OR

Attend via webinar

$20/person     $80/agency group

Register online, contact info@coalitionforcyf.org, or call 414-475-1246

World Wide Wednesday, July 15, 2015

It’s World Wide Wednesday! Here’s what’s news in the world of foster care and adoption around the web:

• Adoption Advocate: Managing Shifting Expectations in Open Adoption Over Time. birth mother Amy Hutton Sink writes about her personal experience as a birth mom, how she has learned to set and manage her expectations in open adoption, and how her open adoption arrangement with her child’s adoptive family has shifted and changed over time while still remaining strong.
• Behind the Smiles: National Foster Care Month. A very thought-provoking article about why we need to keep children and youth in foster care in our minds throughout the year, not just in May.
• Three Things That Are Hard about Being a Foster Parent – and How to Deal. Being a foster parent can be beautiful. It can be rewarding. And it can be really, really hard.
• International adoption: India.

Have news you’d like to share? Please post in our comments!

Inclusion in this post does not imply an endorsement by the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families. The Coalition is not responsible for the content of these resources.