Welcome to the 2020 July issue of Foster Family News, a monthly newsletter for current and potential Fairfax County foster parents.
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For Lesley Field, spending time as a mentor led her to discover a real passion for helping children. Despite her concerns about balancing a demanding career with being a foster parent, she decided to move forward. Taking one step at a time allowed her to test out being a foster parent and eventually led her to make a decision that changed her life in ways she had never imagined.
As evidence of systemic racial injustice has unfolded these past few months, many parents and guardians of children of color are grappling with how to best support the children in their care. As difficult as it may be, foster parents must be open in their communication with children (and when appropriate, their families) about these issues to allow them the freedom to seek support.
Kelley Traver with Department of Family Services Foster Care and Adoption was recently honored by the American Bar Association as a Reunification Hero. Each year, the ABA selects professionals, foster parents, and youth reunification heroes who are passionate about helping families stay together. Kelley has dedicated 30 years of her career to the children and families of Fairfax County, all in Foster Care and Adoption. Congratulations, Kelley!
COVID-19 has made a staggering impact on our lives this year. Families with children continue to adapt to a variety of everchanging circumstances, while parents are supporting their kids, balancing work, household chores and other commitments. To help parents do the best they can during these challenging times, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services (DFS) has launched some virtual tools to provide Assistance from a Distance including a Parenting 101 video series addressing parents’ most frequently asked questions. Topics include discipline, self-care, routines and praise. Also, in a recent article, DFS' Parenting Education Programs' staff answered parents' most frequently asked questions.
The work of the South County Foster Care & Adoption Unit, part of “the Highway Crew,” is about moving families to a place where they can function independently, while providing community-based natural supports to facilitate safety and stability and well-being of the youth they serve. Get to know Supervisor Matt Copsey and rest of the unit.
Cordelia Cranshaw, Founder of Acts of Random Kindness, and La Tika Jeffery, who have both worked with the DFS Foster Care Youth Advocates program, hosted several Facebook Live events during Foster Care Month. These events targeted older youth in foster care (and the adults who work with them) in order to help these kids become their own best advocates for the services and support they need.
This month some in-person events are beginning to resume by registration at county facilities. In addition, our partners at Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, Fairfax County Public Library, and the Fairfax County Park Authority continue providing exploration and fun through online resources as well.
New this month, NCS is offering some camps for families and children including:
Camp Fairfax – An abbreviated summer program for rising first- through sixth-grade children of working families from Monday, July 13 through Friday, Aug. 7.
Fairfax County Park Authority continues to offer its Virtual Exploration Center – a collection of resources to help you stay healthy, connected and engaged while some park facilities are closed.
Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce that parks and parking lots are now open. Check out information about the phased reopening of park facilities and amenities. At the beginning of July, the Park Authority began offering outdoor adventures for families and individuals. Here are a few that might be of interest:
- Hidden Oaks Nature Center is offering hikes for up to nine family members.
- Frying Pan Farm Park is offering a one-hour walking tour and wagon ride to guide you through the inner workings of farm operations.
- Individuals from 7 years old and up can enjoy in-person programs on nature and history at a variety of parks throughout the county.
- You can get details about dates, times, and fees or register for an outdoor program at Parktakes Online.
Fairfax County Public Library is offering virtual programs! Go to the library’s event calendar and click on “View Events By…” and select “Digital Programs.” Some programs are live or recorded and may require registration. See a listing of our virtual events by age: preschoolers, school-age children, teens, and adults.
The Department of Family Services supports families and county residents of all ages and stages of life – and that definitely includes foster parents and families! Like and Follow @FairfaxCountyFamilyServices for news, events, tips, stories, training opportunities and more.
Each newsletter will include this section to help answer questions, spotlight the people who support foster families, highlight the donors and sponsors who generously give to foster care programs and activities and friendly reminders for foster families to sign-up for trainings.
Question: What do I do if my child gets sick?
Answer: The Medical Authorization form, which is given to foster parents at the time of the child’s arrival, explains explicitly what to do in a medical emergency. If a child has a fever or illness afterhours, foster parents can take them to the emergency room or any medical facility that accepts that child’s insurance. Foster parents are asked to call the Foster Parent Support Line at 703-257-3974 to inform the on-call person that the child will be taken to the emergency room. Foster parents should take the Medical Authorization form and Provider Agreement with them in case the facility asks for it.
Check out other frequently asked questions and answers from past issues.
The statistic for the race/ethnicity of children in foster care versus the race/ethnicity of foster homes is based on the three largest racial and ethnic groups: African American, Latino and White.
Race and Ethnicity in Fairfax County Foster Care*
(based on the three largest racial and ethnic groups in foster care)
Race of children in foster care: African American 24%; Latino 30%; White 19%
Race of foster homes : African American 11%; Latino 5%; White 77%
*Reported on June 30, 2020
Foster Parent College (FPC) is a great way to obtain training on key topics from the safety and comfort of your home. FPC provides newly approved and seasoned foster parents with a curriculum designed to build new skills and reinforce information acquired from New Generation PRIDE (formerly PRIDE). As approved foster parents with Fairfax County, all classes are free and available to you 24/7. We plan to email you weekly with in-service training suggestions; however, you may choose to take any class you believe will be helpful for your own personal growth and development.
If you have questions or need support, please reach out to one of the in-service trainers: Palinda Belcher or Terri Williams-Henderson. You may also contact FPC on 541-343-6636 or toll free on 1-800-777-6636 for technical difficulties. As always, once a class is completed, please email the certificate to either Palinda Belcher (if your last name begins with A-J) or Terri Williams-Henderson (if your last name begins with K-Z).
What do you want to see in Foster Family News?
Submit your suggestions to Angela Morlu.
Check out past issues of Foster Family News.