|
May is National Foster Care Month
Nationally, there are more then 400,000 children and youth in foster care. More than 100,000 of these children are waiting for a permanent family of their own. And each year, approximately 30,000 youth age out of care with no permanent connection to a family or a place to call home.
Find out how you can get more involved at www.fostercaremonth.or/Pages/default.aspx.
Monthly Conference Call, May 2
Please join us for our monthly conference call on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker -- Debbie Mortham, Florida Coalition for Children
Topic -- Legislative Update
Here's how to access the conference call:
Dial 1.888.808.6959
Punch in the PIN 9229094# when prompted
You're in!
FSFAPA Annual Conference
FSFAPA will host its 15th annual conference at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort on June 16-18 in Orlando. Scholarships to attend the conference will be handled by your Community Based Care organization; please contact your CBC representative to discuss obtaining a scholarship to attend the conference.
The registration fee is $175 and the hotel is $129 per night.
Our keynote speakers will be David Lawrence, Jr. from The Children's Movement on Friday and Deborah E. Polston, author and adoptive parent, on Saturday. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose among 30 hours of training (check our website at floridafapa.org for a list of trainings).
NexGen, our teen conference, will be kicking off during those days as well. Registration for teens 13 and up is $100.
Contact Trudy Petkovich at petkovij@me.com or Betsey McFarland at bamdyer@verizon.net for more information.
Monitors/Volunteers Needed for Conference
FSFAPA is in need of monitors and volunteers for its conference. If you would like to be a monitor for the workshop sessions, please view this flyer. If you would like to be a volunteer helping with the NexGen teen conference, please email info@floridafapa.org with the subject line NexGen Volunteer. Nominations
Nominations are still be accepted for Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary, Regional Vice President, Suncoast Regional Vice President, Central Regional Vice President, Southeast Regional Vice President, Southern Regional Vice President, Southern Regional Vice President, Northwest Regional Vice President, North Central Regional Vice President and Northeast Regional Vice President. Please send all nominations to Curtis Byrd at curtis@nowfapa.org. New F.A.S.T. Email
You may now reach the Foster Allegation Support Team (F.A.S.T.) at fast@floridafapa.org.
Free Class for Foster/Adoptive Parents
Understanding the Twists and Turns of Bonding and Attachment May 2, 6, 9, 13, 16
12 p.m. and 10 p.m. (EST)
Facilitator: Wilma Vance Sign up here: http://www.consciouslyparenting.com/classes/twistsandturns.php. Youth Survey for Teens in Your Home Connected by 25 is a community initiative that engages youth, public/private partners and policymakers to improve outcomes for foster youth. The initiative has developed a survey for teens to gain insight from their perspective. Please have the teens in your home go to www.flsurvey.org to complete the survey. Calling All Current and Former Foster Youth in Jacksonville Join the youth-led, youth-driven organization Florida Youth Shine at its next meeting May 7 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacksonville Public Library-Willowbranch, 2875 Park St. Refreshments will be provided. Contact jacksonville@floridayouthshine.org for more information. News from Around the Web One Church, One Child of Florida, Inc. hopes to find one family in each church to adopt one child. For more information, visit www.ococfl.org. The North American Council on Adoptable Children is offering a limited number of conference scholarships to parent group leaders who have never attended the NACAC conference before. The scholarship, of up to $1,000, can cover registration fee, lodging and travel. Deadline to apply is May 20. Download scholarship packet here. A former Jacksonville DCF worker was sentenced to probation and community service for lying about a site visit she made to check on a 7-year-old boy, leaving him in danger of abuse. Read more here: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-04-27/story/former-jacksonville-dcf-worker-sentenced-probation-community-service#ixzz1Kp22CNDe. Are you a foster-to-adopt parent? Be sure to read this blog on Psychology Today's website: The Foster Care Conundrum: Reunification. View it here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/adoption-stories/201104/the-foster-care-conundrum-reunification. Children's Homes will provide a free book to all children in Florida's foster care system: http://www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=12845. Children's Week will likely be held in January or February for 2012, due to the legislative redistricting which takes place every 10 years. FSFAPA will keep you posted.
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. | 
