Welcome to the 2021 May issue of Foster Family News, a monthly newsletter for current and potential Fairfax County foster parents.
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Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay proclaimed May as Foster Care and Foster Family Recognition Month.
During this month, we recognize the role of foster care in providing children with opportunities to be part of safe, caring families, and helping them connect to permanent homes through reunification, permanent placement with relatives, or preparation for adoption. Please visit our community engagement toolkit for ways to spread the message.
Thank you to all Fairfax County foster parents for your commitment to providing homes for the approximately 200 children in foster care while helping their biological families enhance their relationship with their children in support of family stability.
Thanks to Fairfax County foster parents who have reached important milestones with our program.
Each year we recognize those who have served as foster parents for a notable length of time in five-year increments.
Join us in honoring these foster parents.
Check out the foster parents who have served for five and ten years.
Congratulations to the foster parents who completed the training and certification process between May 2020 and May 2021!
Completing this process during COVID-19 presented challenges for families and staff. So, we celebrate the success of certifying 44 new resource families in the last year. These families are embarking on a rewarding and exciting journey as foster parents.
Thank you for opening your hearts and homes to children who need a safe, supportive, nurturing environment! We hope that you will be with us for many more years!
Pre-Service Training & Home Study Unit supervisor, Dana Trower explains about her unit’s work in the community to recruit and train foster parents, and complete Mutual Family Assessments (MFAs) (aka: home studies), and how success looked different this last year in response to the pandemic.
Learn more about this unit's success story.
DFS offers a Youth Advocate Program to help provide mentoring and coaching to foster youth. The core purpose of the Youth Advocate Program is to include the voice and perspective of former foster youth to improve services, experiences, and outcomes for current and future generations of youth in foster care. Learn more about this opportunity and share with others who may be qualified.
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing and stable environment. Unfortunately, there are some families who struggle to provide the security and positive childhood experiences their kids need.
In Fairfax County, approximately 200 children are in foster care.
Learn more about foster care by the numbers in Fairfax County.
If you are between the ages of 18-27 and previously a teen in foster care, you may be eligible for financial support through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Foster families still in contact with foster care alumni, please pass this information along to them!
Visit FosterMyFuture.com (or scan the QR code) to learn more about the program or text FosterMyFuture to 833-467-0549 to be contacted by a Virginia Department of Social Services staff member with more information.
Adoptive Parent Peer Support Group hosted by Northern Post Adoption Consortium
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 8-9 p.m.
Virtually via Zoom
Join adoptive parent peers for a parent-led virtual support group. Groups are offered twice a month and will provide opportunities to explore adoption focused psychoeducation, as well as practical advice and support from parents with the first-hand experience of adoption. All events are free and open to adoptive parents from the Northern region of Virginia; however, space is limited and registration is required. Register online.
W.I.S.E. Up! Parent Workshop sponsored by Northern Post Adoption Consortium
May 17, 2021 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Virtually via Zoom
When it comes to handling questions and comments about adoption, parents (and their kids!) need to be empowered to decide how they want to respond. In this workshop, parents will be given the tools they need to answer tough questions and assist their children and teens with challenging questions they receive as well. Criteria for attending: 1) This virtual W.I.S.E. Up! Workshop is for parents only. 2) All registrants must reside in Northern Virginia. 3) All registrants must have finalized an adoption. Registrants will receive a complimentary W.I.S.E. Up! Powerbook after the event. Register online.
Your Child’s Sensory World hosted by Children's Home Society of Virginia, Northern Post Adoption Consortium, and the Virginia Department of Social Services
May 24, 2021 3-5 p.m.
Virtually via Zoom
Through this workshop, explore the sensory needs of your child and how to promote behavioral and emotional growth by focusing on and supporting sensory needs. This will also be a chance for support from your adoptive parent peers. This virtual workshop is free for adoptive parents in the Northern region of Virginia. Register online.
Visit the Northern Post Adoption Consortium for other upcoming free events for adoptive parents and children in the northern region.
Foster Care Family Appreciation hosted by Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption and Grace Covenant Church
Saturday, June 12, 2021 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Grace Covenant Church, 4600 Brookfield Corporate Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151
Calling all foster families certified through Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption! We are partnering with the generous community at Grace Covenant Church to hold a drive-thru appreciation event for all of our families. We greatly appreciate all that you do for the children in your care. We hope that you will come out and let us show you just how much you are loved. We can’t wait to see you face to face and hand out gift baskets to each family as a token of our care for each of you. Please register to let our event sponsors know that you are coming.
The county is offering some in-person events 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.
Neighborhood and Community Resources
NCS Connects: After School is a virtual program for youth to explore areas of interest to them Monday-Friday between 3-6 p.m. at bit.ly/ncsconnects.
Fairfax County Park Authority
Offers programs and classes for all ages. All classes are conducted according to Health Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines. Outdoor, indoor and virtual class options are available in a wide range of interest areas. You can get details about dates, times, and fees or register for programs at Parktakes Online. Check out information about the schedule at other park facilities and amenities.
Fairfax County Public Library Branches Returned to Express Service
Limited in-person browsing. Library staff continues creating and providing many programs, events, and services families can participate in from home. Check out the calendar of upcoming Digital Programs and Events.
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 is Fostering Futures?
Answer: In Virginia, the 2016 Appropriations Act (item 346 #3c) authorized the extension of foster care to up to age 21, in a program known as Fostering Futures, for youth who reach age 18 on or after July 1, 2016 and:
- Were in foster care at the time they turned 18 years old but have not yet turned 21,
- Were released from Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) between ages 18 and 21 and who were in foster care in custody of a Virginia LDSS immediately prior to the commitment to DJJ.
Youth must meet at least one of these five criteria to continue to be eligible for the program:
- Completing secondary education or in a GED program;
- Enrolled in college or a vocational program;
- Attending classes to promote employment or remove barriers to employment;
- Working at least 80 hours per month; or
- Unable to meet one of the four conditions above due to a documented medical reason.
Check out other frequently asked questions and answers from past issues.
There are a lot of misconceptions about foster care, foster parents, and the children and families involved. This section aims to dispel some of those notions and provide clarity for those interested in supporting foster care.
Myth: Foster kids are unfixable.
Fact: Children are resilient. They can bounce back from trauma. Foster Parents can make a difference in the life of a child by providing love, structure, support, and a caring environment.
Check out other myths from past issues.
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. You may choose to take any class you believe will be helpful for your own personal growth and development.
Foster Parent College Training Highlight (May 2021)
Training Title: Escalating Behavior Unwrapped
Description: Many children in care have experienced trauma, which can impact how they react to circumstances and events that remind them of the abuse, and cause them to escalate. In the past, caregivers were not trained on how to respond to and regulate children’s emotions and behaviors during these times. However, today, there are many techniques caregivers can use to help children de-escalate. This course explores escalation, its causes, and strategies for de-escalation.
*Trauma-Informed Parenting is a prerequisite for this course.
**The training will take approximately 1.5 hour to complete and fulfills 2.0 hours of on-line in-service training. You may take the class at your own pace.
Register at Foster Parent College.
Log In with your log in credentials
Scroll and select the course titled – Escalating Behavior Unwrapped (Under the Behavior Management tab)
Select Enroll to begin the course.
If you have questions or need additional support, please reach out to one of the in-service trainers; Terri Williams-Henderson or Palinda Belcher. You may also contact FPC at (541) 343-6636 or toll free at 1-800-777-6636, (PT) 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 is an IEP?
Saturday, June 5, 2021 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Virtual
Join the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), to learn about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in Fairfax County. The training includes information about the process to determine eligibility for special education services and the purpose of the eligibility meeting. We will discuss what to expect during an IEP meeting for students of all ages and grade levels (i.e. preschool, elementary, and secondary), as well as accessing education services in the least restrictive environment. RSVP to Zachary Landau by June 1, 2021.
Orientation
Inservice (For certified Fairfax County foster parents. Registration required.)
Learn more and save the dates for upcoming trainings and conferences.
What do you want to see in Foster Family News?
Submit your suggestions to Angela Morlu.
Check out past issues of Foster Family News.