March E-Newsletter

Volume 5 Edition 3

In This Issue

AdoptUsKids

CT Heart Gallery

Suggested Reading

Open House Schedule

Support Groups

News and Items of Interest

Star of the Month

Building Blocks Club

Foster Care Alumni Group

Words of Wisdom

Contact Us

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Stay connected and receive updates on issues important to you. Receive invitations to events, participate in fun contests, receive coupons for events and see photos from past events.

Adoptive Parents

Are you an adoptive parent?

Join the

CT Adoption Community Network on Facebook for news and information on trainings and adoption-related events.

Waiting Children
*Please click on the AdoptUSKids logo to view CT's children and youth waiting to be adopted who are registered with AdoptUSKids.*

CT Heart Gallery
*Please click on logo to view the write-ups and videos of CT's children and youth waiting to be adopted. (These children and youth may be different from the ones listed on the AdoptUSKids site.)*

Suggested Reading

Books on Foster Care And Adoption

Click here to download a PDF file containing an updated comprehensive list of books on foster care and adoption topics, including childrens' books.

Have we forgotten one of your favorite books? Please let us know and we will be happy to add it to the list.

Open House Schedule

Want to learn more about foster/adoptive parenting?

Prospective foster and adoptive parents are welcome at any Open House listed on our website. Please call one of the regional 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 across the state.

FAM Support Groups

Foster Care Alumni Support Group 211 Schraffts Dr #A5

Waterbury
1st Thursday, 6-8 pm

Building Blocks Club
211 Schraffts Dr #A5

Waterbury
3rd Thursday, 4-5:30pm

Post-Adoption Support Group

211 Schraffts Dr # A5

3rd Wednesday, 7pm

No childcare.

Relative Caregiver Support Group

211 Schraffts Dr # A6

4th Monday, 10 a.m.
No childcare.

Relative Caregiver Support Group

Torrington Headstart

Beginning November

1st & 3rd Saturday

10 a.m.

Child care available with RSVP

Quick Links

Adoption Assistance Program

Adoption Community Network

-official kids' portal for the U.S. government

NAMI-CT

Help with mental illness resources and support

Represent Magazine

-national magazine written by youth in foster care

Spoonful

Wrightslaw -
CT page for resource relating todisability resources

March 31, 2014

This coming month brings a few new groups to explore and the annual lead-up to National Foster Care Month. I hope you are all as excited as we are!

In this month's newsletter there are some really great links to check out. Something for everyone! Consider checking out the Heart Gallery write-up on Patrick. He has been featured on our Facebook page a number of times. It can be very helpful when you share kid's write-ups. And these kids deserve all the help we can offer. We feature a child from the Heart Gallery every Wednesday morning. Look for them. We find that sometimes inquiries come in from folks who have seen a share once or twice removed on Facebook. So share away!

Our new Building Blocks group gets underway on April 17th. If successful, we plan to branch out into Danbury and Torrington. If your kids love Legos, then this is definitely the group for them.

And - if you know of any alumni of the foster care system or any youth age 18 or over currently still in care, please share our support group flyer with them. We are hoping for a strong turnout.

Here's hoping for sunshine and warmth!

News and Items of Interest

Click on the calendar at right to see FAM events.

Check out all the great information we've been posting on Facebook recently!

Are you ready?
Current foster parents - what do you think of this article? Anything you'd add? 5 Ways to Know You're ready to Be a Foster Parent
Does your child have this app downloaded onto a device? New App Could be Tool For Cyberbullying
These young people will inspire you....
(May take a while to load but worth the wait!) Life After Foster Care
A true fighter, Patrick, now 17, needs a family, a loving family that is dedicating to helping Patrick be all he can be. Patrick has spent a long time waiting. Imagine how wonderful it would be if he finally found his forever family.
You can help - whether you feel you can parent Patrick or you simply want to be a part of his journey home. Please share his story. Let's all help bring Patrick home. Heart Gallery: Patrick
What an amazing young lady - and kudos to NJ for their summer housing program to provide foster youth attending college a consistent place to live. After a lifetime of more than 30 foster care placements, social work student finds a home at Rutgers
Thinking about fostering? Teens need families. Today. Right now. Listen to this young man's story. We guarantee it will provide food for thought....... A Homeless Teen Finds Solace In A Teacher And A Recording

Star of the Month

Each month one of our member agencies feature 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, we share a family from our partner, The Department of Children and Families, Danbury Area Office.

Shannon Richard is a wonderful foster parent, who shows much commitment and love for her foster daughter, Hannah, a teen. This relationship has blossomed since Hannah was first placed. Now, Shannon and Hannah are truly a family and Hannah will be adopted this spring. Working with Shannon is always a pleasure and she demonstrates a high degree of professionalism to be sure Hannah's needs are met, as well as to work with service providers. Being discriminating and a strong advocate are strengths for Shannon. She is a parent willing to improve and seek advice to help her family grow. They are two peas in a pod, sharing many of the same likes and extending themselves to others. For example, Hannah knits blankets and caps for premature infants and volunteers at an animal shelter. They have come to the Pride foster care training to share and help new families. Hannah is happier, settled and able to be herself due to the love, patience and care she receives from Shannon. Shannon was specifically approached about Hannah, who had much disruption in her life, varied special needs, and in need of someone willing to keep her family connections. Also at this time Shannon was feeling sadness from the loss of a child, who was a pre-adoptive placement. Yet, she kept her heart open to listen and made the decision to be there for another child as she dealt with her own grief. Shannon is regarded very highly by Hannah's DCF Social Worker, who considers their relationship and pending adoption a real success story to be remembered. Shannon has earned praise as an outstanding foster parent and deserves to be recognized.

Gerald Keane, SW

FASU, Danbury DCF

**New** Building Blocks Club

Download PDF here.

New Foster Care Alumni Support Group
A group just for alumni of the foster care system ages 18 and above.* Download PDF here. *Youth currently in care who are 18 or over are welcome to join us.

Words of Wisdom

Contact Information
Northwestern CT Regional Coordinator: Deb Kelleher 203.706.0101 Email Greater New Haven Area Regional Coordinators: Ashley Minihan 203.394.8506 Email Laura Rainey Email Central/Southeastern CT Coordinator: Alana Jones 860.710.1593 Email