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| Monthly Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 4 | April 2012 |
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Greetings!
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Education and advocacy efforts from the local to the national are being profiled and promoted. There are some very effective and relevant programs out there that have had positive outcomes. I've been pondering this time of year, its meaning, the work being done, and how Angels could further contribute to this mission of prevention, but I keep getting distracted.
 Distracted by the past three months and my impression of it being a very busy time for our colleagues at Child Welfare Services as they try to ensure the safety and well being of our community's children. Distracted by how that means sad, distressing, and at times, often unfathomable events have happened in the lives of children and their families. Distracted by the highlights in our local news describing situation after situation of children being hurt, neglected, and abandoned. Distracted by the reality of what is occurring every day here in Santa Barbara County. The reality that on any given day there are too many children of all ages in need of a caring and committed home.
All these thoughts leave me with a sense of urgency. So, I'm simplifying the rhetoric of this month of national recognition and what it hopes to convey to the following:
Yes, child abuse does happen in this community, daily.
The need for intervention and assistance is great.
Help is available.
There is much to be done.
Get involved in some way.
The time is now.
Please.
Respectfully,
Jennifer Mills, LCSW
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| Angels Announcements
New Placements: Thank you to Ashley & Jason and Jody & Kris for accepting Angels children into their homes.
New families: Welcome to Jody & Kris of North Santa Barbara County.
Adoptions: Congratulations to Jeannie and Colin on their adoption of twin boys in March!
New Births: Congratulations to Angels Advisory Board member Dr. Charish Barry and her husband for giving birth to twin boys in late March!
Angels in the Community
We're looking for opportunities throughout Santa Barbara County to speak about Angels Foster Care and the urgent need for foster families. If you know of a local club, group, church or synagogue that would be interested in a presentation about Angels, please contact Ellen.
Facebook: Please become a friend of Angels today and receive frequent posts about our latest news.
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Angels Calendar
Community Environmental Council Earth Day
Saturday, April 21, 10-7pm
Sunday, April 22, 10-6pm
Alameda Park, Santa Barbara
Visit Angels at the Earth Day Kid's Zone, where there will be great information and fun activities for your little ones, plus live music, cool cars, booths, food and demonstrations galore. A classic Santa Barbara event! If you are interested in volunteering for a short shift with us to help recruit new foster parents, please let our Volunteer Coordinator, Margot Clarke, know.
Kite Festival
Sunday, April 21, 11-4pm
Rotary Centennial Park, Orcutt
Come fly a kite and experience the kaleidoscope of colors at the annual festival! This is a great family event. Bring your own kite or purchase one at the event. Angels will be there with a booth to meet and greet prospective foster families. If you have some free time, we would love to have some volunteers work short shifts and help us with our booth. Please contact Margot for more information.
Mid-Morning Parenting Circle
We hope to see you and your Angels baby at a gathering soon!
South County Circle
Tuesday, April 24, 10-11am
Victoria Court office, upstairs in Suite 207B
North County Circle
Wednesday, April 25, 10-11am
Orcutt office, 210 E. Clark Ave., Suite D
Angels Foster Family Picnic for Family & Friends
Saturday, May 19, 11-1pm
Tucker's Grove Park, Santa Barbara
Area 5 - Kiwanis Meaadows
(See full information below)
Angels Foster Parent Training
Tuesday, May 22 - 5:30-9:00pm
Thursday, May 24 - 5:30-9:00pm
Tuesday, May 29 - 5:30-9:00pm
Thursday, May 31 - 5:30-9:00pm
If you know of anyone who may be interested in joining our next series of training classes in May, please have them call the Angels' office or give us their name and number and we would be happy to call them.
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Angels Foster Care Picnic for Family & Friends Saturday, May 19 from 11-1pm Tucker's Grove Park, Santa Barbara Kiwanis Meadows - Area 5 Join us for our first annual foster family picnic celebrating National Foster Care Month! Bring your family and kids for a delicious BBQ featuring tri-tip, chicken, hot dogs, beans, salsa and bread...all donated by the Kiwanis Club of the South Coast. We'll have face painting, crafts, a bouncer, an adjacent playground and family games. Please share this invitation with any friends that are considering foster parenting. Everyone is welcome! This is a great opportunity for people to learn more about the Angels program in an informal environment, and meet our wonderful foster families and children. Help us spread the  word about this fun event! Current and former foster parents will also receive our Evite invitation. Lunch is available on a pre-sale basis and costs $20 for past and present Angels families (the cost includes all adults and kids in the immediate family). The cost for non-Angels families is $25. All proceeds benefit Angels Foster Care! You may send cash or a check to Angels Foster Care, 3905 State Street, #7-115, Santa Barbara CA 93105. Or, pay by credit card using the secure donation page on Angels' web site (www.angelssb.com/donation). Be sure to note your name and your meal choices for each family member: Tri-Tip, Chicken or Hot Dog. The deadline to reserve lunch is Monday, May 14. Thank you for supporting Angels and helping us to introduce the program to new families. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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Angels Contacts
(805) 264-4470
Lead Social Worker (805) 884-0012 RecruiterOutreach CoordinatorNewsletter EditorEllen Dameron ellen@angelssb.com (805) 884-0012
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Social Worker Corner
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
April was first declared Child Abuse Prevention Month by presidential proclamation in 1983. Since then, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse. In 2010, an estimated 695,000 children in the US were victims of child abuse; and 1,560 children died as a result of abuse or neglect.
The majority of child abuse cases stemmed from situations and conditions that can be preventable when community programs and systems are engaged and supportive. A community that cares about early childhood development, parental support, and maternal mental health, for instance, is more likely to foster nurturing families and healthy children.
We can all be proud that Angels Foster Care is one agency that makes a significant impact on children who have suffered from abuse in our community.
-Stacy Peterson, MSW
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A Court Minute: The First Three Court Hearings - Detention, Jurisdiction and Disposition
The first three court hearings chart the course of what happens for a child and his/her birth family after the initial removal from the home. The first hearings, Detention, Jurisdictional and Disposition, will be reviewed in this edition of "A Court Minute."
The first hearing is the Detention Hearing, which occurs 72 hours after the child has been placed in protective custody or "detained". At this hearing:
- The court gives the parent(s) a notice about what is going on with the proceedings;
- The parents get a copy of the petition and any other papers for the case;
- The court tells the parents what can happen in a dependency case;
- The court writes down the names of the children's relatives, if possible;
- The court confirms who the parents of the child are to establish paternity.
At this hearing, the court decides if the child should remain detained or if the child can be returned to the custody of one or both parents. If the court continues the detention of the child, it can make a visitation order so the parent can see the child. The court also decides if Child Welfare Services (CWS) made a reasonable effort to keep the child with the parents.
The next hearing is the Jurisdictional Hearing. At the jurisdictional hearing the court decides if the detention petition filed by CWS is true. CWS presents all the information to the court regarding the case. CWS also makes a list of evidence that supports each allegation in detail for the court to sustain the petition.
If the court sustains the petition, the Court takes jurisdiction of the child and makes the child a dependent of the court. Each parent also has the right to a contested hearing or trial on the allegations. After a trial, the court then makes a determination about whether the allegations are true or not.
If the petition is found to be true, the next hearing to occur is the Disposition Hearing. At the Disposition Hearing, CWS makes a recommendation about what should be the plan for the child and birth family. The judge can:
- Have the child live with a parent(s) and offer the parent(s) family maintenance services. This means that a CWS worker and the court supervise the child while living in their parent's home;
- Have the child continue to live apart from the parent(s) and live with a relative, foster parent or group home and offer the parent(s) family reunification services with an individualized case plan of goals and services for the parent(s);
- Have the child continue to live apart from the parent(s) and not offer family reunification services to the parent or parents, which is often referred to as "bypassing" the parents. This action is not common and requires certain specific legal findings. If a bypass is ordered, a 366.26 hearing will then be set within approximately 120 days to decide the child's permanent plan.
Parents can also contest CWS's recommendation at the Disposition Hearing and a trial would be set, as discussed earlier in this article under the Jurisdictional. After the judge makes a ruling on disposition, the next court hearing, called the Status Review Hearing, is scheduled for 6 months from the date of the Disposition Hearing (except in the case of a bypass ruling when the next hearing would be the 366.26 hearing as noted above).
- Jennifer Mills, LCSW
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The Last Word
"I've learned that people will forget what you said and what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
~Maya Angelou
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