| Monthly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 11 |
November 2009 | |
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 Greetings!
Here we are in November already. Is anyone else stunned at the speed of the passing of this year?
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the holiday party. There will be music, dinner, activities for the kids, family photos will be taken and fun, fun, fun. Monday, Dec. 7. 6-8 pm, open house style, so come when you can and stay as long or short as you wish.
One of my best Christmas presents is seeing all the beautiful babies that you love and care for together at this event, and knowing that they are warm, safe and blossoming in your care and in wonderful homes this holiday season.
This Thanksgiving I am so grateful for all of you and the selfless work you do and love you share.
-Meichelle |
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Ask Dr. Charish
Dr. Charish is better known as Charish Barry, MD, a local pediatric hospitalist with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and a pediatrician in private practice (www.petitepediatrics.com). She is also a member of the Angels Board of Directors. If you have any questions about child development, health or safety, please e-mail Dr. Charish and we will feature your question and Dr. Charish's answer in a future issue of the Angels newsletter.
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 Social Work Corner
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-Melody Beattie
I read this selection a while ago and wished I had written it; the words resonated so in my mind and heart. I feel this sense of gratitude in my work with Angels. Daily, I am inspired by the generosity of self and spirit that our foster families bestow on children in need. I am awed by the compassion they show the birth families. I am amazed by the knowledge that I can always pick up the phone and find someone willing to help a child or another foster family, even when it is often not the most convenient time or circumstance. And then knowing, that each Angels' child has these same warm and accepting experiences, I am grateful.
Many thanks to the Angels' children and families who teach us daily about the power of love, dedication and gratitude.
-Jennifer
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 Special Announcements
New Families
We have no new families to report this month.
New Adoptions There are no new adoptions this month, but in recognition of November being National Adoption Month, Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Services is hosting "Adoption Day" on November 16th. Four Angels families will be finalizing their adoptions at a special court session. We look forward to sharing the good news in our next newsletter edition.
"One" Children's Clothing Resource
Gina, a former Angels foster parent, is coordinating a program that occasionally offers children's clothing. Please contact Gina for details or to be included in her mailing list.
Angels Calendar
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 11am in Santa Barbara
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 11am in North County
Angels Foster Family Picnics for November
There will be no picnics scheduled in December. Please RSVP as soon as possible to your social worker or to the office at 898-0901 so we can be sure we have enough food for everyone.
Thursday, November 19, 9:15pm
Pre-screening of the new film The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara. Tickets now on sale ($25 general admission, $100 VIP seats). Call the Arlington Ticket Office at (805) 963-4408 for general admission tickets. Call Angels at (805) 898-0901 to purchase VIP tickets. VIP includes pre-film dessert party, early admission (8:15pm) and preferred seating. Tickets will go fast!
Monday, December 7, 6-8pm
Holiday Party for all Angels Families Please join us for our holiday celebration for all Angels families. Open house style featuring activities for the kids, a special dinner, and photographer for family pictures. Please RSVP to Angels that you can attend. Hope to see you there!
January 22 & 23, 2010
Angels Foster Parent Training
If you know of anyone who may be interested in joining the class, please have them call the Angels' office or give us their name and number and we will call them. |
Angels Family of the Month
This month, we would like to acknowledge and thank Rick and Shelley for the love and care they have showered on their little guy since his arrival just over a year ago. He has certainly thrived and is fortunate to not only have two wonderful parents but doting older siblings as well! Very soon, their family will have more to celebrate, as their adoption of their Angels baby will be finalized. Congratulations!! |
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Angels Contacts 
Executive Director
Meichelle Arntz
Meichelle@angeslsb.com
(805) 898-0901
Program Director
North County
Social Worker
Jennifer L. Mills, LCSW
Jennifer@angelssb.com
(805) 264-4470
South County
Social Worker
Stacy Peterson, MSW
Stacy@angelssb.com
(805) 898-0901
Recruiter
Outreach Coordinator
Newsletter Editor
Ellen Dameron
ellendameron@cox.net
(805) 886-0390
Angels Office
Phone:(805) 878-0901
Fax: (805) 682-6649
3905 State Street,
#7-115
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
info@angelssb.com
www.angelssb.com
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ANGELS - Odds & Ends
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Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogger ... the world of online social networking is expanding and hard to keep up with! Although sites such as these provide a great way to connect with others, please remember sharing information or photos of your Angels child online without setting access restrictions, is strictly prohibited. Unless you are 100% sure your web page is set to authorized viewers only, please refrain from posting photos or sharing any information about your foster children. Privacy settings do not occur automatically and must be set up by you as the user.This is an important reminder for all of us to be careful what we share on the web, not only due to compliance with policy, but also for your personal protection, and of course, for the protection of foster children. We know these sites are fun to use, but can also be difficult to navigate. If you are unsure, just ask! We are happy to help or work with you to make sure the proper settings are up and running.
Sleeping Arrangements Refresher:
1) Foster children must sleep in their own crib or bed
2) No more than two children can share a bedroom
3) Children of opposite sex sharing a room must be under age five
4) No rooms used for other common purposes shall be used as bedrooms
4) Unless the child is an infant (under age 2) or there is a medical need, foster parents may not share a room with foster children
If you have any questions about the above items, please contact your Angels' social worker.
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| November is National Adoption Month |
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National Survey of Adoptive Parents Releases First Data
The National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP) is the first national large-scale survey of parents who have adopted children through private adoption, intercountry adoption, and adoption from foster care. Sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Administration for Children and Families and conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the telephone survey collected data in 2007-2008 from 2,089 parents.
Public use files for the data are now available, and studies from these files will eventually provide information about adoptive families in the United States, including:
- Characteristics, health, and well-being of adopted children and their families.
- Adoptive parents' experiences in choosing and preparing for adoption.
- Parents' use of postadoption supports and services.
Adoptive families can supply insights into the variables that help or hinder the success of adoptions. Their feedback on postadoption supports and resources will also inform adoption specialists about what services the families find most helpful. These data also provide information on parents' reasons for adoption, decisions about adoption type, openness, postadoption financial and nonfinancial service use, and other factors. Detailed information about the survey's content, including survey instruments and procedures for accessing the data, is available on the CDC website. A second, related survey, the National Survey of Adoptive Parents of Children With Special Health Care Needs, collected survey responses from approximately 1,000 parents who had adopted children with special needs. More information is available on the CDC web site. A special thanks to all of the Angels families who have adopted children or are in the process of doing so!
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