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| Volume 2, Edition 11 | November 2010
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 Happy Thanksgiving!
November was a very busy month at FAM. We participated in the Bells of Hope initiative which was very well-received across the state. Over 160 faith based organizations and schools participated in close to 90 towns. Of those, at least 11 hosted prayer services and/or candlelight vigils. Bells of Hope was featured in local newspapers and even appeared on Fox News! Our need for more foster/adoptive homes was surely heard across the state. Photos from the event hosted by FAM are available on our website. We would like to thank the three young people would courageously shared their stories at the prayer service at the First Congregational Church in Cheshire. Charneil, Anthony and Luis are my personal heroes! National Adoption Month is always one of the busiest months of the year.
The December holidays are fast approaching and I know we are all very busy preparing. Dr. Gregory Keck is coming to Connecticut on December 10 to speak about attachment and youth. There is still time to sign up for this event. Details are available on our website. Adoptive parents and guardians please consider taking an evening off from your shopping to attend our second Ring of Hope support group in Prospect on December 15th. We will be serving up some mouth-watering desserts and coffee that evening. Click here for details on both events.
Also, we have added a link in our Quick Links section to the Whirling Moms blog written by a CT adoptive mom. We hope you will check it out. The site provides information on attachment and many other parenting issues particularly germaine to foster and adoptive families. We, at FAM, and all of our partners wish you and your families a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!
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 Fosterware Parties!
Do you like to have fun? Are you looking for an excuse to hold a party? And have you ever wondered what you could do to help find homes for waiting kids? Consider hosting a Fosterware party. These parties are based on theTupperware home party concept and not only are they fun but they are designed to provide information to partygoers about ways they can help children in foster care.
FAM presenters come to your home and talk with groups of three or more of your friends and neighbors about our foster care and adoption programs. Our presenter makes a brief presentation and brings literature and goodies for all partygoers. Hosting families are given a gift card to cover the cost of food and drinks.
Please help us find good homes for great kids! We promise you'll have fun and you'll be opening your home and heart for a good cause.
Contact one of our regional coordinators at 1877-550-4FAM or e-mail us to schedule a party.
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 Budget Overage Affects Office Overseeing Attorneys Appointed for Children in Foster Care
Many of you may recall that Carolyn Signorelli from the state Commission on Child Protection wrote an very informative article for FAM ( click here to read the original article in the March 2009 issue) on issues pertaining to attornies for foster children. Recently, the agency Atty. Signorelli acts as lead commission lawyer for was questioned by CT lawmakers regarding their budget overages. These overages reflect the cost of increasing the reimbursement rates for attornies working for the families in the DCF system. The new rates changed reimbursement from a flat fee of $350 per case (in 2006) to the current rates of $40 to $75 per hour for attornies working on child protection cases. To read more about this issue affecting the foster care system, click here. |
Each month one of our member agencies honor a "star" whose service to children in foster care deserves special recognition. Stars receive a small gift from FAM and a certificate of appreciation from the nominating agency.
This month features our partner, Wheeler Clinic in Plainville. It is truly amazing how the love and security of an individual can change the lives of children and show them a world that they may not have otherwise seen. This month is National Adoption Month; we salute Ms. Julie Burt for her remarkable dedication and commitment to making a difference for children in the foster care system. Ms. Burt, an attorney with years of experience in the child welfare system had dreamed from very early on of becoming a foster/adoptive parent. In 2007, Ms. Burt went through the process of becoming a licensed foster parent through Wheeler Clinic. Ms. Burt welcomed her first foster child into her home in 2007. She worked diligently to provide a home filled with a sense of belonging and care. As the relationship between this young child and Ms. Burt grew it became evident to Ms. Burt that they had become "a family". In late 2007 this child officially became a part of the Burt family through adoption. Ms Burt describes this experience, "On November 15th, 2007, my first little one became a member of our family. As we both signed our own adoption certificates, my heart soared. While family and friends looked on, with tears, smiles, and joy.... We became a "forever family". The day, the moment, this child was born from my heart will always be etched in my mind as the most amazing and unforgettable experience of my life." Ms Burt continues to be a resource for Wheeler Clinic's therapeutic foster care program. Beyond her role as a foster and adoptive parent, Ms. Burt continues to assist many of our families in their journey with children who have entered the child welfare system. Sometimes she has just listened as parents discussed their worries and concerns, other times she has provided legal advice, or been a respite resource for a child in need. Regardless of circumstance Ms. Burt has opened her home and her heart to both families and children in need. As an agency we are so thankful for Ms. Burt's commitment to our program and her willingness to share her life to make a difference in the life of child.
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This month we would like to introduce you to a wonderful publication written by youth in foster care called, Represent. Represent is written by a small but dedicated group of NYC teens in their foster care system. Please check out the link to their website. Their stories are amazing and brutally honest. For anyone thinking about fostering teens, they should be a "must read." And for those already fostering teens, they will provide you with a wonderful opportunity to learn more from a "teen" point-of-view and I think, they will provide thought-provoking reading for the youth in your care.
To learn more about Represent, click here.
To read articles from their latest issues, click here.
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Integrated Aesthetics
Star of the Month Gift Certificates are made possible by the generosity of our partner, Integrated Aesthetics, a skin care studio in Woodbridge, CT.
Please visit their website to check out the range of organic & clinical facials as well as therapeutic massage & body treatments, makeup lessons & application. The studio serves all ages, including teens.
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Waiting Children
Please click on the AdoptUSKids link to view CT's children and youth waiting to be adopted. |
| Upcoming Events |
Please visit our events calendar on our website for a complete and up-to-date listing of ALL events that we will be hosting or appearing at. The events listed below are those we are hosting or play a significant role in.
Helping Build Healthy Attachments for Adopted Youth w Dr. Gregory Keck
Cromwell, CT
December 10
Ring of Hope
Post-Adopt Support Group
Prospect, CT
December 15
Workshop with Heather Forbes
Location TBA
March 10, 2011
Mother Daughter Tea
Miss Porter's School
Farmington, CT
May 21, 2011
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Open House schedule available on our website
| | Prospective foster and adoptive parents are welcome at any Open House listed on our website. Please call Deb Kelleher or one of the other coordinators listed at the bottom of this newsletter or email us for more information or to schedule an individual appointment. Click here for the most current listing of open houses around the state. |
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Wednesday's Child 
WTNH Channel 8 airs a weekly segment featuring CT children available for adoption and families formed through adoption. Click on the logo above to see recent video segments hosted by Ted Koppy. | |
Words of Inspiration 
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
~Marion Wright Edelman |
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| Contact Information | |
Northwest CT Regional Coordinator: Deb Kelleher 203.706.0101 Email
Meriden/Greater New Haven Area Regional Coordinator:
Ashley Minihan 203.394.8506 Email
Greater Fairfield County Coordinator: Lori Boersma 203.583.9374 Email
Central/Southeastern CT Coordinator: Alana Jones 860.710.1593 Email |
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