May 2024 Issue 74

National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month. The Arizona Department of Child Safety is grateful to the entire foster care community for your dedication to and support of children and families.

As we all know, foster care is a vital and rewarding experience that provides children with stable, loving homes and families when they need it most. However, the need for foster families is constantly growing, and many communities struggle to find enough homes to meet the demand. Current and former foster families are in a unique position to help recruit others to foster. Here are some ideas for how you can do so:

• Share your story. You can share your experiences and the joys and challenges of foster care with others. You can speak at local events, share your story on social media, or participate in panels to educate the community about the need for foster families.
• Host information sessions. You can host information sessions or gatherings for others who are interested in fostering. You can invite representatives from your licensing agency to speak about the process and answer questions.
• Connect with faith-based organizations. Many faith-based organizations are interested in supporting foster care initiatives. You can connect with your local churches, synagogues, or mosques to spread the word about the need for foster families and encourage members to get involved. Even if members are not able to foster, there are still so many ways they can support foster care!
• Partner with schools and community organizations. Schools and community organizations are often looking for ways to give back to their communities. You can partner with these organizations to organize events and activities that raise awareness of foster care and recruit potential foster families.
• Be a mentor. Current caregivers can serve as mentors to other families who are considering fostering. You can share your knowledge and experience, offer support, and help guide them through the process. Speak with your licensing worker about getting paired with a family!
• Participate in recruitment campaigns. Licensing agencies and DCS constantly run recruitment campaigns to encourage more families to get involved, and we are always looking for families to share their story. If you have a story you think would benefit recruitment efforts, please reach out to see how you can become involved!
• Host a foster care day. You can organize a foster care day in your community, where you can invite potential foster families to meet with current foster families, hear their stories, and learn more about the process.

If you are in need of materials, such as informational brochures or cards with the link to the DCS orientation, please reach out, and the DCS Recruitment and Retention team would be happy to get you whatever you need!

Mother's Day for ALL Mothers

Mother's Day is a special occasion that celebrates the love and dedication of mothers everywhere. For birth mothers of children in foster care, however, this day can be bittersweet. While they may still love and miss their children, the circumstances of their separation can make it difficult to fully participate in the holiday. That's why it's so important to include birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations, both for their own sake and for the well-being of their children.

First and foremost, including birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations can help to maintain the bond between mother and child. This bond is crucial for the child's sense of identity and can help to mitigate the trauma of being separated from their birth family. By involving the birth mother in the celebration, we are acknowledging the important role she plays in the child's life and showing that her love and care are still valued.

Secondly, including birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations can help to normalize the experience of foster care. As with any other holiday or special occasion, it's important to make sure that all members of the family feel included and valued. By including birth mothers in the celebration, we are sending the message that they are still a part of the family, even if they are not physically present.

Thirdly, including birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations can help to build trust and positive relationships between birth parents and foster parents. This can be especially important if the child is eventually reunified with their birth family, as it can help to smooth the transition and make it easier for everyone involved.

There are many ways to include birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations. For example, they could be invited to attend a special brunch or other gathering, or to participate in a virtual celebration if they are unable to be there in person. Foster parents could also make a special effort to include birth mothers in the day by having the child handmake a gift for her or by ensuring that any gifts made in school are given to her.

Of course, there may be situations where including birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations is not possible or appropriate. For example, if there are safety concerns or if the birth mother is not interested in participating. In these cases, it's important to be respectful and sensitive to the mother's wishes, while still doing everything possible to maintain the connection between her and her child.

In conclusion, including birth mothers in Mother's Day activities and celebrations is an important part of supporting children in foster care and maintaining positive relationships between birth parents and foster parents. By doing so, we can help to normalize the experience of foster care, build trust and positive relationships, and support the emotional well-being of everyone involved. Let's make sure that all mothers, birth and foster, feel loved and valued on this special day.

Neurosequential Model of Caregivers Group Training

OLR Reminders

When you begin fostering, veteran caregivers will often tell you that it is not a matter of "if" but "when" there is a licensing concern. In most cases, it is easily remedied and often preventable. Below are some reminders from the OLR Concerns Unit to help you out:

The biological or adoptive parent retains the ability to make education decisions, including special education decisions, unless one of the following circumstances exist:

• The identity of the parent (biological or adoptive) is unknown.
• The whereabouts of the parent is unknown.
• Parental rights have been terminated.
• The court has suspended the biological or adoptive parent’s special educational rights.

Your licensing agency is partnered with DCS to be your family's support throughout your fostering journey, including bumps in the road. Reach out to your licensing worker for resources, such as support groups or a mentor who has experienced something similar.

Royal Family Kids Summer Camp - Phoenix

Royal Family Kids Summer Camp - Payson

CCV Summer Camp

Azura Free Virtual Reading Program

Mentor Program

Arizonans for Children has mentors available for kiddos between the ages of 5-18 with an open DCS case in Maricopa County. Children can be in any placement setting, including licensed, kinship, and congregate care. Children cannot have a current safety plan due to behavior, as volunteers are not professionally trained to manage that level of need. Anyone on the child's team can complete the application, as long as they have sufficient information on the child's case.

Foster Cooperative

Foster Cooperative is an open-sourced online community powered by Foster Arizona for anyone helping children and youth facing adversity to find connections, peer support, quality resources and training, community events, and innovative communication methods to be empowered with tools needed to succeed.

ASA Now

ASA Now is a non-profit organization that ADVOCATES for, SUPPORTS, and ASSISTS children and families impacted by foster care. We are passionate about providing support to families and professionals by restoring hope and empowering them to better serve these children in need.

Services we offer include tutoring & extracurricular activities, food pantry, clothing, and meeting basic necessities. Other services include life skills for youth, respite care, therapeutic programs, family activities, peer-to-peer support groups, education and training on utilizing Jacob's Law to obtain behavioral health services, providing resources to families and caregivers to successfully navigate the foster care system, raising awareness, recruiting new foster families, and advocating for families and their children.

The Foster Alliance

The Foster Alliance provides essential needs for children in foster care in an effort to help every foster child feel safe and loved. Our programs provide beds, clothing, hygiene items, birthday packages, backpacks filled with school supplies, licensing safety items, foster footlockers, and more. Our services are open to kinship and foster families with a current Notice to Provider.

Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents

Christian Family Care Training

Helen's Hope Chest

At Helen's Hope Chest, our mission is to engage the community to provide for the basic needs of children and teens in foster and kinship care. Helen's provides more than just clothes for kids in care. It is important that every youth who comes through our door feels a sense of confidence, acceptance, and dignity. Our boutique environment allows kids to choose their favorite items and feel like they are in a regular store, all at no cost to the foster/kinship family.

Families with a current foster or kinship placement are encouraged to call us at 480-969-5411 to schedule an appointment.

A Mighty Change of Heart

A Mighty Change of Heart provides FREE duffle bags to foster children with new, age-appropriate items inside: 2 outfits, shoes & socks, underwear, a book, diapers/wipes, hygiene items, and more. These bags have the children’s names embroidered on them and are something that they can call their very own. They have delivered over 3,500 bags across the state.

Please check out their website for more information: www.amchaz.com. If your family, business, church group, or school would be interested in holding a donation drive, please contact A Mighty Change of Heart. Items are always needed.

Aviva Children's Services - Tucson