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Celebrating SUCCESS and Giving Thanks
 Dear Friends and Families,
November is a great month to focus on success and to highlight the wonderful work that has been done by the Youth and Family Services (YFS) division of the Department of Social Services! I am proud to say that we have refocused our efforts on outcomes and not just "doing". We have looked at process and practice and worked hard to understand where are the barriers to us strengthening families and keeping children safe. As you read this edition of Fostering Connections please note that the department cannot have these successes without the hard work and dedication of the over 200 social workers and administrative staff. Please let them know you appreciate them.
Working together as a team, both internally and externally, has become an even greater priority for every member of DSS because we realize we cannot do this work alone. It is no longer acceptable to point the finger at a co-worker, foster parent, judge or child. We are in it together and we will be successful or fail together. And we choose success! As the articles demonstrate, our performance is continuing to improve and we are headed in the right direction.
Thank you for your support, encouragement and for being a partner on this journey. Happy Thanksgiving!
Regards,
Mary | |
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SUCCESS: Kinship Placements are UP !!
The Department of Social Services believes that children should be maintained within their family system whenever possible. Therefore, we have an array of services and processes to help us identify and assess family members who can care for children who cannot live in their home. It is easy to say you are doing this but the real proof is in the statistics.
Family Finders Program: For the past 4 years we have piloted a family finders program to look for and engage extended family members to care for children who cannot live in their home. Through this pilot program we were able to identify 35 family members for children. We have created an online training tool for staff to use so that this resource is imbedded into our practice and will be sustainable without additional staffing resources. To date, 117 staff have completed the training.
Westlaw: Westlaw is a online research program that allows us to research families, addresses and relatives to look for relatives or close family friends to connect with children who may not be able to live at home.
Lexis Nexus: During field testing that was conducted during June 2010, the Accurint search provided a greater number of linkages to relatives and close friends of the subject person. Accurint provides three degrees of separation for kin. This depth of information widens possible placement options and opportunities for connectivity with family for youth in care. The criminal aspect of Accurint is similar to Westlaw. Training for Lexus Nexus will begin on Nov. 28th.
In 2010 DSS staff asked that 102 relatives be assessed for licensure and possible Kinship Placement. In 2011 we have already assessed 125 family members and we still have two months left in the year. This is going to be over a 25% increase in the number of relatives assessed for placement in one year. These numbers are a strong indictor that actions are lining up with the values we place on Kinship Care.
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MELANGE Health Solutions| A New Edition to Therapeutic Foster Care Placement Providers
Mecklenburg County has contracted with Mélange to allow YFS children to be placed in Therapeutic foster homes in addition to the wide range of services they provide to our community. Mélange Health Solutions offers empowering child, family, and adult counseling services to help families and individuals achieve their full potential. Mélange's compassionate professionals offer an array of services including psychotherapy, in-home family counseling, marriage and family therapy, and youth and adolescent coaching.
Mélange Health Solutions, believes that it's through working together with families that makes a difference. Family is at the heart of the care they provide, and they recognize and respect all the different aspects that make each family unique. Treatment plans are based on personalized care that addresses all aspects of a person and their family system. |
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SUCCESS: Number of Adoptions Continue to Go Up!!
We celebrated 31 children who found forever families this past June and that number has continued to go up!
We are thankful for all the efforts put forth by staff that made this possible. Without dedication to what they do and compassion to be persistent, we could not report this most exciting news! |
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SUCCESS: Education
Youth and Family Services had 21 students to either graduate from High School or enter into College. The Youth and Family Services in collaboration with Johnson C. Smith University funded a former foster child to attend Johnson C. Smith University!! Please see below for how many entered college ...
3 - Empire Hair School
6 - Attended CPCC
1 - WSSU
1 - UNC-Pembroke
1- East Carolina
1- JCSU
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SUCCESS: Focus on Trauma Training
Impact of Child Trauma
"Caring, working and supporting children and their families who have experienced and are dealing with child trauma"
On Friday, September 23, 2011, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, Area Mental Health/MECKCARES and the Child Traumatic Stress Network brought to Mecklenburg County the initial stages of becoming a trauma- informed county. Over four hundred community partners attended this trauma-informed event. There were Judges, parents, Youth and Family Services social workers, Department of Juvenile Justice court counselors, and other stakeholders present. The presence of so many interested participants showed that this community is ready to become trauma-informed.
The keynote speaker was Judge Michael Howard. Judge Howard was elected to the bench of Stark County Court of Commons Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, commencing January 1, 2005. Judge Howard is a Trustee Emeritus of the Canton Museum of Art, secretary of the Stark Education Partnership, and chair of the Stark County Traumatized Child Task Force. He serves on the Board and Executive Committee of United Way of Greater Stark County and chairs the Leadership Committee. The Judge is a member of the Justice Consortium of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the North Canton Alumni Association, and Faith United Methodist Church. Per the Nartional Child Traumatic Stress Network Winter IMPACT Newsletter, Judge Howard, worked with NCTSN to create Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges because it fills a need. While trauma is prevalent in juvenile justice, it is often overlooked by judges and other court personnel who are busy and deluged with information. He helped to create a very concise product that could be used to capture attention and educate quickly. The Tip Sheet does that. It provides a list of stress reactions and behaviors that judges see all the time, but might not have connected to trauma. The Tip Sheet provides information on assessment tools and on how to choose appropriate treatment.
What is child traumatic stress? Child traumatic stress is the physical and emotional responses of a child or adolescent to events that threaten the life or physical integrity of the child or of someone critically important to the child, such as a sibling or parent. Often times, such events overwhelm a child's/adolescents capacity to cope and elicit intense physical and emotional reactions that can be as threatening to the child's/adolescent's sense of physical and psychological safety as the traumatic event itself. The reactions can include the following: (1) an overwhelming sense of terror, helplessness, and horror, (2) physical sensations such as rapid heart rate, trembling, dizziness, or loss of bladder or bowel control.
The Department of Social Services is working on Phase Two of Trauma Training to bring training to our foster parents and community partners so that we are all more knowledgeable about this issue and are responding appropriately by asking "What happened to you and how can I help" instead of "What's wrong with you?"
For more information on what can cause trauma, types of trauma and what impairments a child can suffer from due to trauma, please click HERE !!!
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SUCCESS: Disproportionality Takes Center Stage!
Several leaders within the Department of Social Services and the division of Youth and Family Services participated in a full day Compression Planning with members of the Race Matters for Juvenile Justice Community collaborative around the issue of disproportionality. Children of color are disproportionately represented at every key decision-point in the child welfare system. According the Casey Family Programs, "On Sept. 30, 2003 over fifty percent (59% or 304,910) of the 523,085 children living in foster care placements were children of color, although they only represented 41% of the child population in the United States." This means that children of color are 15% of the general population but make up 31% of the child welfare system.
Partners who participated in the planning session included representatives from Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the Juvenile Judges, Meck CARES, community members, Council For Childrens Rights, the Administrative Office of the Courts, UNCC, Community Relations Committee, Guardian Ad Litem, Deparmtent of Juvenile Justice and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
We were so fortunate to have this concept presented to us by Ralph S. Bayard, Ed.D, Senior Director, Systems Improvement/Strategic Consultation Casey Family Programs. Ralph connected us with three facilitators who traveled from Seattle Washington to conduct the compression planning day with us. Compression Planning is a methodology designed to reduce the time necessary to move from planning to action. Using a storyboard design participants were provided background information on the topic of disproportionality which set the context for the session. The overall goal and purpose of our day was to develop a strategic plan and to discuss our role in making that plan a reality. Ideas were generated from the participants through the use of exploratory questions which engaged us in the development of a plan, action steps and set the stage for future collaboration. The Race Matters For Juvenile Justice Committee developed a strategic plan which they will review and finalize in early 2012. Stay tuned for further updates.
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SUCCESS: Centralized Trauma Assessment Collaboration with Teen Health Connections
A consistent process for clinical assessments of youth who enter Youth and Family Services (YFS) custody to help ensure quality services was developed and implemented into policy on October 1, 2011.
Teen Health Connection will provide independent comprehensive clinical assessments (CCAs) for youth (eleven years and older) in the custody of YFS.
YFS underwent a pilot in August where two referrals were made from each of the (4) GEO Districts. A meeting will be held to discuss how the process went, what needs to be clarified, and what needs to be modified based upon lessons learned. Once Teen Health hires staff to perform CCA and is ready to initiate this protocol, YFS staff will be informed! |
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Reaching Excellence and Accountability in Practice
Reaching for Excellence and Accountability in Practice (REAP) is an initiative, whose leadership is shared by the North Carolina Division of Social Services and the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services. NCDSS applied for and received a 2 year grant from the Atlantic Coast Child Welfare Implementation Center (ACCWIC) to help develop and implement a technical assistance model that respects and supports a state-supervised, county-administered child welfare system. ACCWIC is an implementation center funded by the Children's Bureau.
Mecklenburg County has particpated the development of REAP for the past two years. REAP utilized the best practice tool called a Logic Model to identify (i) what is the goal, (ii) what are the resources needed, (iii) what are the strategies and activities and (iv) what are the desired outcomes? While REAP started out as a way to re-design technical assistance delivery by the DHHS it has evolved into a complete toolkit to assess a child welfare program, engage community stakeholders and get very focused on outcomes.
REAP is intended to change the way in which county departments and the state division interact to improve outcomes. It is focused on achieving a standard set of outcomes, promoting best practices, and engaging local communities in the work of child safety, permanency and well-being. REAP is also a joint response to address concerns about some inconsistency in the Division's provision of technical assistance.
REAP has two essential components. One is a web-based Technical Assistance (TA) Gateway, which is being developed in partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill. The TA Gateway will provide efficient customer service to county departments and allow for a coordinated approach to the policy and practice guidance provided by Division staff. The second component of REAP is a new self-assessment model. This model helps county departments evaluate their performance in certain key child welfare achievement areas, and then engage community stakeholders in developing an Achievement Plan in response to identified strengths and needs. The intent is to improve our child welfare system by defining successful outcomes and focusing on the processes and supports needed to achieve those outcomes.
REAP is currently being piloted in 8 county Departments of Social Services: Craven, Cumberland, Hoke, Pender, Pitt, Scotland, Union and Wilson. Presentations on REAP for the other 92 counties are in the planning process as a next step to statewide implementation. |
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SUCCESS: Reestablished Relationship with the Mecklenburg County Foster Parent Association!
In early June 2011, Resource Development Supervisor, Avi Williams and MCFPA President Susie Taylor-Richards established a relationship together when working very closely creating the clothing closet. Ms. Williams and Ms. Richard met regularly on Saturdays; coordinating donated clothes, furnishing the closet, strategically outling the design of the clothing closet racks and shelves, planning out the Grand Opening Day for the clothing closet, etc.
Ms. Williams and Ms. Richards communicated weekly to discuss advertising ideas to invite support from YFS foster parents to join in with the development of the clothing closet. Ms. Williams was the point person to collect clothes donated from the community and kept Ms. Richards updated with inventory list.
On a quarterly basis, Ms. Williams participated with MCFPA Coffee Talk Support Group, secured building location to host the Coffee Talk Support Group, and assisted with childcare services at each Coffee Talk Support Group to ensure safety and proper supervision. Ms. Williams maintains consistent communication MCFPA representatives to discuss strategies to increase MCFPA membership, recruitment effort and ideas, and building the relationship between foster parents and biological parents to support Shared Parenting. Many collaborative successes are anticipated in the coming year as well! |
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SUCCESS: Launching Mentoring Program ...
The Relatives as well as Foresight Leadership have been in collaboration with Youth and Family Services in providing mentoring services to our youth. The goal of Foresight Leadership is to impact the lives of the male youth to become responsible men, responsible fathers and a productive citizen in the community. Journey's Place will strive to utilize the model RENEW (Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work), using Transition Specialist to provide case management, and skill building services to assist young adults through the process of transitioning to adulthood.
We look forward to successful outcomes from these agencies.
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SUCCESS: Collaboration between Community, Foster Parent Association and GAL
Mecklenburg County Foster Parent Association, Guardian Ad-litem (GAL) & ForeSight Leadership Training hosted a joint training On "Understanding the Laws of Working with Children and Youth in Foster Care" on October 8th and 13th. Kathy Arundel, YFS Attorney and Nita Stanley, GAL Attorney Advocate co-presented the training.
The training focused on bringing together individuals, organizations and institutions involved in Foster Care to share educational information as well as engage in a meaningful dialogue for the benefit of the children and youth in the Foster Care System.
There were a total of 26 people who participated in the training that represented the areas of Foster Parent Association, Guardian-ad-Litem (GAL), Court Services, YFS staff, and Collaterals (individuals or organizations involved with children and youth in the Foster Care system). Future trainings include "Roles of Collaterals" in February 2012, Trauma and Children in Foster Care" in March 2012 and "Understanding the Laws of Working with Children and Youth in Foster Care" will be offered again in May 2012. |
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"If you can't do great things, Mother Teresa used to say, do little things with great love. If you can't do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can't do them with a little love, do them anyway.
Love grows when people serve." - John Ortberg Jr.
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SUCCESS: Safe Reduction of Children in Care ...
Changing the Outcome: Achieving and Sustaining a Safe Reduction in Foster Care, was held by the National Conference of State Legislatures in partnership with the National Governors Association for Best Practices and Casey Family Programs on November 4-6, 2009 in Tampa Florida. The Policy Institute brought together teams of governors' policy advisors, executive child welfare administrators, state legislators and judicial representatives from eighteen states to hear from national and state experts on evidenced-based state strategies, how to use data effectively, strategies for building political will and creating critical partnerships toward the goal of improving child outcomes by focusing on the safe reduction of children in foster care.
Twelve states - Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin - were selected through a Request for Proposal process to participate in the Policy Institute. Additionally, six states - Arkansas, Florida, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina - joined the Policy Institute as Academy States that had previously worked with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and had their efforts towards safe reduction highlighted at the Institute.
Mecklenburg County, while not a member of this initial group, has joined these leaders in achieving the safe reduction of children in foster care by almost 50% over the last three years.
75% of the calls we receive alleging abuse or neglect are for neglect. While foster care is necessary to protect some children, research has shown that the experience of foster care itself can have long-term negative consequences and that many children could be better served at home. Reducing the number of children who enter care requires determining when children can remain safely at home with adequate supports and providing quality services. We use evidence-based programs that support and strengthen parents such as the Nurse Family Partnership for first time mothers; the Incredible Years curriculum to strengthen parenting skills and utilizing the System of Care philosophy to engage in planning from a strength based perspective to achieve safety for their children.
YFS uses a Multiple Response System approach which continues to focus on safety for the child. We assess the type and severity of the alleged maltreatment, the number and sources of previous reports and the willingness of the family to participate in services. The final decision has a two level review to ensure consistency and fidelity to the model. We actively track incidents of repeat maltreatment and are pleased to state that we have consistently maintained over 99% rate of non-occurrence of repeat maltreatment.
The diagram above shows how Youth and Family Service has worked diligently to improve processes to reduce the amount of children coming into care. You will note that in some cases, reduction is exponentially low, when comparing to last year's totals!
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YFS District Managers Continue Collaborative Efforts with Juvenille Court Judges
Read below for updates on their accomplishments thus far ...
Erskine Daniels, Manager, District 1
Starting in January 2012, The Honorable Judge Donald Cureton Jr. will be the District Court Judge assigned to District 1. Efforts are being made to coordinate a 'Meet and Greet' with Judge Cureton prior to his taking over juvenile cases for Judge McKoy-Mitchell. Also, starting in January 2012, Marc Gentile will be the representing attorney for D1 in Judge Cureton's courtroom. D1 staff welcomes the opportunity to work with both The Honorable Judge Donald Cureton Jr. and attorney Marc Gentile.
Stanely Alexander, Manager, Distict 2
Geo Manager Stanley Alexander continues to communicate on a regular basis with Judge Kim Best-Staton to make sure the district is meeting the Judge's expectations and to ask any questions raised by social work staff for clarification. Judge Best-Staton has visited the district on two occasions that yielded open and honest dialogue with the staff. Staff were able to express their concerns and Judge Best-Staton was able to articulate what she expected from social workers. She publically acknowledged that she was very pleased with the performance of the social workers in District 2.
Over the last year, collaboration with Judge Best-Staton has resulted in the drafting of protocols regarding the administration of Guardisil to our teenagers. Optional medical treatment will not conducted unless the parents have provided permission. Further biological parents are to be encouraged to attend medical appointments with their children so that families are engaged in decision making. Judge Best-Staton will be reassigned in January 2012 and will be replaced by Judge Reagan Miller. Attorney Marc Gentile has been reassigned to District 1 and will be replaced by Attorney Alan Edmonds.
 Denise Steele-Campbell, Manager, District 3 In an effort to build greater collaboration in District 3, Senior Social Services Manager, Denise Steele-Campbell and District Court Judge, Elizabeth Trosch meet on a regular basis to discuss and identify district improvements, opportunities, challenges and needs. As such, Judge Trosch attended a District 3 supervisor's meeting to discuss the need for social workers to provide the Court with more detailed and behaviorally specific case plans. It is known that the success of a court case often depends on the quality and speed with which services are delivered. In tackling this core issue, staff and the Court has seen improvements in the quality of case plans which ultimately leads to better service delivery for children and families. 
Charles Bradley, Manager, w/Judge Trosch District 4
On 11/10/11, the Honorable Louis A. Trosch attended the District 4 Permanency Planning Team Retreat. Judge Trosch spent time with the team discussing court performance and answering questions from the team. Judge Trosch complimented the Permanency Planning staff in District 4 for their timely submission of court reports and providing comprehensive information so that he can make the best decision for children involved in his court. Judge Trosch shared that he really feels good about the work that is being done in District 4; Investigations, Family Intervention, Permanency Planning, Independent Living and Adoptions.
District 4 is very appreciative that Judge Trosch took time out of his schedule to be with us at our retreat and to hear the positive feedback he shared during his presentation. The District 4 team presented Judge Trosch with a certificate in recognition of his participation at the District 4 Permanency Planning Retreat.
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Expansion of Z - 5
Children's Development Services (CDS), has joined in partnership with YFS to begin a process that will enable us to better meet the social, emotional and developmental needs of children 0-5 years old.
The CDS has entered into a process that will eventually see 4 Licensed Mental Health Clinicians, 4 Z-Five Case Coordinators and a Program Supervisor imbedded into the Geo-Districts at YFS. To date, all positions have been filled and plans are being made to begin this collaboration in February 2012.
We are thankful for this opportunity to parnter with CDS to meet social, emotional and developmental needs of children 0-5 years old |
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SUCCESS: Congregations for Kids Partnership ... Still Expanding !!!
The "Congregations for Kids" (CFK) program, which started on April 17, 2007, continues to aggressively reach out to community, churches and other congregations in hopes of securing foster or adoptive parents for children in care as well as to educate them about their needs. These partnerships which include representatives from approximately 25 churches of various denominations meet quarterly. The most recent churches to join this collaborative effort include The River Church and Center City Church. We are grateful to all of the churches who provided assistance to us by hosting and sponsoring adoption recruitment events.
Meetings are held with representatives quarterly in an effort to keep them abreast of progress being made in establishing permanency for children cleared for adoption and foster parents and other needs. The most recent "Congregations for Kids" (CFK) quarterly meeting was held on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at Greater Vision United Methodist Church from 11:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. Bethany Stacey Huntley, the featured speaker, provided a powerful testimony about "Life after Adoption." Her heartfelt and inspirational speech emphasized the importance of community collaboration to recruit foster and/or adoptive parents who exhibit and provide unconditional commitment and love. She also spoke about the importance of allowing children, even when they are adopted, to continue to maintain a relationship with their biological family, if at all possible. Ms. Huntley, who is 19 years old with cerebral palsy, also defied the myth that foster children cannot excel. She is currently a student at Central Piedmont Community College.
CFK partners were given information about National Adoption Awareness Month which convenes in November, 2011. They were encouraged to allow staff or an adoptive speaker to address their members, have an adoption information table/display, show pictures of waiting children via their website and/or distribute bulletin inserts during their services.
The next Congregations for Kids Meeting will be held in January, 2012 from 11:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. at Brookstone Elementary School. The date will be announced in the near future. Please contact Tammera R. Nelson at (704) 336-4972 if you think your congregation may be interested in becoming a Congregation for Kids partner.
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SUCCESS: Freedom School Grant from Bank of America
The Freedom School Project, a grant funded and county funded project, was hosted over the summer months between June 2011 - July 2011. The focus of the summer enrichment program provided academic activities for children in custody.
There were targeted CMS schools throughout Mecklenburg County who participated in the Freedom School Project. The Freedom School Project provided an educational instruction in a smaller setting for children grades K - 8. This was a wonderful opportunity for Youth and Family Services children who struggled academically during the 2010 - 2011 school year.
The Freedom School model is used across the country and has yielded astonishing results for the children who have participated. At the end of the summer project, Freedom School Project hosted a Finale Program event at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church to honor; children, literacy, and the Freedom School scholar's hard work.
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SUCCESS: 4th Annual Educational Summit Updates with New Edition | The Resource Fair !!
DSS is continuing our vision of "One Team, Many Services". We are excited about the many services and resources DSS offers to our families. We continue to strive for the highest level of service delivery to the children and families in our care, as well as all families involved throughout the agency.
On Saturday, September 10, 2011, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services in collaboration with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools/Parent University and ForeSight Leadership,Inc. hosted a Foster Parents, Kinship and Caregivers Educational Summit and Resource Expo. This year's theme was Celebrate Education, "Responsibility and Accountability for the Children". The purpose of the Summit and Resource Expo were to provide a framework which allows DSS involve caregivers/families to be more active and knowledgeable in the education process for their children. DSS is committed to making every effort to assist all children to be throughout their educational experience.
The event consisted of giving away door prizes, a Play Station, Wii and Nintendo Lite to students who attended. Special guest presenters were on hand sharing educational sessions such as; Becoming Your Child's Best and Most Effective Advocate, Homework without Headache, How You Say It Matters, Mad Science, Hip Hop Literary and a youth motivational speaker, Coffee Talk, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and more. The Resource Expo consisted of numerous exhibits which were sponsored by community partners and agencies. The event was an unique opportunity for DSS to work with caregivers in our community to partner together while working on the educational success and progress of our children. The achievement of positive outcomes for children in our community requires that we all work together. DSS looks forward to continue working with each of you meeting the challenge together!
Click HERE to enjoy a video of the Educational Summit (title - educational summit) |
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SUCCESS: Staff Development
8 out of 10 supervisors who attended the Whitehead Center for Intentional Leadership were from YFS! This Intentional Leadership program was developed to identify the natural leadership qualities in an individual and to assist them in tapping into their strengths to become a great leader. The intensive course focused on building collaboration, self assessment, developing trust and much more.
As a result of this successful pilot all managers and above have attended the course and we are on track for all supervisors in DSS to attend by May 1st, 2012. Look out! A transformation is coming! |
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Update on Mecklenburg County Foster Parent Association
My name is Nicki Bartholomy. I have taken the position of MCFPA Clothes Closet Coordinator. Karen Hicks did a great job, but due to scheduling conflicts she has stepped down. I have been a foster parent for a bit over 4 years. I have a stepdaughter who is 18 years old who lives in RI. My stepson Daniel lives with my husband and I. He is almost 15 and is special needs. I have been blessed to adopt my daughter, Genevieve, who is almost 4. Currently I have a foster daughter who is 1 1/2. We are working toward adoption with her as well. Some of you may recognize me since I also serve on the Speakers Bureau. I may have spoken at an event, MAPP class or orientation you attended.
I am super excited to be taking on this project. It is near and dear to my heart since I was once a Foster child (in another state). I remember what it feels like to have nothing and be so grateful for new clothes. New clothes can be such a self esteem booster. Also as a Foster parent I know what it is like to receive a bundle of joy on a few hours notice and then realize that they have no clothes or supplies with them. Its not fun running out to the store at 10pm to pick up just the basics when you would really like to be home comforting and helping this precious little one adjust to their new world.
First I'll start by saying that this closet is a wonderful service for our youth. The idea was inspired and came from the needs of Foster children. We need Foster parent participation to make it happen. Please consider donating some of your time to help get the closet prepared for opening and then to help it stay open and viable, thereafter. Foster parents who would like to volunteer or anyone that wants to donate, can contact me by email at Nicki.Bartholomy@mcfpa-nc.com to let me know what your availability is. In addition Foster parents who come and donate at least two hours can pick out one outfit per child in their care to take with them upon leaving. I am dedicated to making this work and for it to grow and become the envy of every Foster Parent Association.
Until the time we are able to say this service is open to all we will only be able help emergency placements. Only Social Workers will be able to ask for and receive a few clothes or supplies for a placement just coming into care. Once we get open we have lots of ideas of how to help our Foster Parents and Children such as Swap and Shops, all you can fit in a bag events, special birthday or achievement shopping awards are just a few. I would love to hear any ideas you have.
Sincerely,
Nicki
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