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Everyone Lies -- Why Should I Believe You?
I remember the lie that my mother told me on the day that I entered foster care:
"I'll see you soon."
These four words were said to me as she put me and my siblings on a bus that was to deliver us to our grandparents home nine hours away. Her version of seeing me soon ended up being 39 years later.
That lie was hard to come to terms with, but the one that hurt the most was the one that comes with a mother's love. The one where your mother is suppose to take care of you and love you forever. Not abandon you and leave you to the mercy of strangers.
When a child enters the foster care system, chances are good they are skeptical of those around them. After all, up until that point, and this probably goes without saying, that one or more of their parents failed to protect them or to provide a safe environment for them.
They may have also heard, seen and experienced more in their short lives than many people have in their lifetimes. Broken promises and lies are all too common and are just words that may become meaningless to a child.
Read more by Adam Robe, author of the Robbie Rabbit series, as he teaches foster parents how to help a child feel valued, safe and ultimately, as if they belong.
Monthly Conference Call
Please join us for our monthly conference call on Monday, Feb. 7, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker -- Judith Karim
Topic -- Independent Living Rollout
Here's how to access the conference call:
Dial 1.888.808.6959
Punch in the PIN 9229094# when prompted
You're in!
FSFAPA Quarterly Meeting
The next FSFAPA Quarterly Meeting will be held Feb. 12, 2011 in West Palm Beach. All foster/adoptive parents are invited to attend. The schedule is listed below:
Saturday, Feb. 12:
9 a.m.: Nex Gen Planning Meeting -- Open to anyone interested in providing input on the teen conference
10 a.m. - noon.: President's Council -- Open to all local association presidents or representatives
10 a.m. - noon: F.A.S.T. Training -- Open to anyone interested in attending
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Quarterly Membership Meeting
Topics: Advocacy and Awareness Day in April; Lindsay Baach, Florida Youth SHINE Youth Coordinator, will be on hand to share some insight on issues facing our teens; and Perry Borman, DCF Regional Director for Broward/Palm Beach counties will attend as representation for new DCF Secretary David Wilkins
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.: FSFAPA Board Meeting
Meeting Location:
Foster Adoptive Parent Association of Palm Beach County
4100 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL
Hotel accommodations can be acquired at:
Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport
1301 Belvedere Road
West Palm Beach, FL 3340
Rate is $99/night
Contact your CBC or provider representative to discuss mileage and/or hotel reimbursement for attending FSFAPA's Quarterly Meeting as there are training hours available.
IMPORTANT: Please contact Maria Bond at mbond@fapapbc.org if you are in need of child care.
National Advocate Available Online
The December issue of the National Advocate, a publication by the National Foster Parent Association, is available online at http://www.tffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1st-Issue-Final.pdf. (Note: This is a very large PDF file.)
Training Opportunities Florida's Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) invites foster parents and others to participate in two upcoming webcasts:
Issues of Love and Loss in Foster Parenting
Thursday, February 10, 2011
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Presenters: Devi Miron, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and Anna Smyke, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine
You must pre-register for this event at http://childwelfarecenter.cbcs.usf.edu/webinars/isslove.html.
Dr. Miron and Dr. Smyke will briefly review how attachment develops between a caregiver and a young child and address impediments to this important process. They will then discuss the importance of recognizing and addressing attachment issues, while examining the interaction of grief, loss and attachment and their impact on coping with transitions in foster care.
Bridging the Gap: The Foster Parent/Birth Parent Connection Part 2 of 2
Thursday, February 17, 2011
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. (EST)
Presenter: Denise Goodman, Ph.D.
You must pre-register for this event at http://childwelfarecenter.cbcs.usf.edu/webinars/bridgegap2.html.
Who better to work together on behalf of the child than the child's parent and the foster parent?! This 90-minute session will examine the benefits and challenges of this partnership and highlight a variety of ways and opportunities for the relationship to grow and develop that will feel comfortable for all involved.
Part Two will continue this discussion and include a panel of a foster parent, birth parent and social worker who "bridged the gap" and developed a positive working relationship! The Postcard Project The Postcard Project is a collection of postcards created by children who experienced being in the "system" of foster care. With just a few words on each card, they tell a lot. View the Postcard Project at http://www.fostercarealumni.org/postcard_project/ViewPostcards.htm. Save the Date FSFAPA will host its 12th Annual Education Conference June 16-18, 2011 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando. More information coming soon.
Send Us Your News FSFAPA would like to share your news with the state. Send any news and/or photos of events happening in your area to fsfapanewsletter@gmail.com. | 
