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

Have you ever heard the statement "Change is the only constant in life."? It is certainly true in our case. The regional community collaborative serving Region 5 (Waterbury, Danbury and Torrington areas) had been known as Foster Adoptive Mission for many years. I have been the regional coordinator for the collaborative for the past six plus years. Recently, the collaborative contract was moved over to the Annie C Courtney Foundation in Waterbury in order to strengthen and enhance services offered to families. We continue to welcome all of you and hope you will remain with us as we transition websites and services to our Waterbury office. We will continue to offer the support groups, events and opportunities families have come to rely on and look forward to.

In addition, Annie C offers a larger array of services including fee-for-service clinical programs (one of which appears in this newsletter) and counseling; Extreme Recruitment®; and our long-term dream of intentional, intergenerational housing for families, active seniors and youth who have aged out.. Please visit our website and learn about us.

We welcome drop-in visitors (some of you have already begun to stop by!) and hope that moving the community collaborative to an office in the community we serve will offer more opportunities for interaction with families and youth.

Happy Halloween!!

 
Stars receive a small gift from the community collaborative and a certificate of appreciation from the nominating agency.  This month, we share a family from our partner, NAFI, Connecticut.

On behalf of the NAFI Connecticut, Foster Care Services, I am pleased to nominate Tonia Phillips as the October 2014 Region 5 Community Collaborative "Star of the Month." Tonia is being recognized for demonstrating exceptional service to the NAFI Connecticut, Inc. Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) program since becoming licensed in January of 2013.

Tonia became interested in becoming a MTFC foster parent because she liked the idea of dedicating more of her life to helping youth in need. MTFC is most appealing to her because it allows for a temporary home, while the youth and their families work on reunification. Tonia has always enjoyed helping others as evidenced by her career choices and her willingness to allow others a temporary support when needed. With that said, she has also shown her ability to set clear limits and boundaries while opening her home to others. Tonia has recently shown her ability to deal with difficult behaviors while continuing to be supportive to the youth in her home.

Tonia seems to have a thorough understanding of the MTFC model through the point and level system, and she can always be counted on to find strengths and positive things to say through trying times. Tonia is sensitive to the trauma many of our clients have experienced and is always interested in brainstorming creative ideas and solutions to address some of the most diverse needs. Tonia is able to continually maintain a positive and professional relationship with the MTFC team, other foster parents and biological families.

It is evident through talking with Tonia's daughter, that she has instilled the same empathy and genuine care for others through her own parenting. Tonia has had the ability to make her foster children feel just as much as a part of her home as her own children. Tonia has recently worked very hard at keeping her foster children involved in pro-social activities and always makes sure her schedule is able to accommodate the interests of her foster children.

When Tonia does not have a full time placement, she has been supportive to other families in need of respite care. Tonia has proven to be a model foster parent through the MTFC program, which is why we are pleased to nominate her as the Star of the Month recipient.