Let’s Spring Into Action!

Did you know that you are Clark County Department of Family Services’ (DFS) best partner when it comes to recruiting foster parents? Through the Foster One Recruit One promotion, DFS is calling on all foster parents to refer their reliable friends, neighbors, acquaintances and work associates to attend a foster care information session, because we need more foster parents like you!

This June, our goal is to increase the number of foster and adoptive resources in Clark County to ensure that every child has a safe and nurturing environment in which to thrive while they are out of the home. Please support this important effort by participating in the Foster One Recruit One promotion, which begins Tuesday, June 4th and ends Saturday, June 22nd.

As a thank you from DFS, you will receive a gift for every individual, or couple, that you refer who attends an information session. A recruiter will contact you to pick up your gift. There is no limit to the number of referrals you can make – so please help spread the work! For more information, please call (702) 455-0181.

Below is a list of the only foster care information session dates and times that qualify for the Foster One Recruit One promotion.

May 24, 2013
Team Never Give Up,
The NGUF needs your help. We have one of our NGU babies in the hospital. Foster mom
has reach out to us for help. She needs help watching Baby Bryson in the hospital while she
tends to her other six children and runs errands. I had the pleasure of sitting with him yesterday
for three hours and it was amazing. He basically just sleeps. All this little guy needs is to be
held and feed. You may need to change a diaper but if you can’t a nurse will come in. Baby
Bryson has whooping cough. We ask that if you have a child under the age of 18 months, you
are over the age of fifty, or you are pregnant, please do not sign up for this volunteer project.
We will have other projects you can help us with in the future.

As of yesterday he is going to be in the hospital for six weeks. Foster mom has been by his
side 24/7 for the last week and now is in need of our help. Please contact me to sign up and
help. Morning, afternoon or evenings work, Foster mom just needs a little break. Let’s show
Baby Bryson and Foster mom what a great and supportive foundation we are. I will be helping
Saturday evenings.

Any help is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me
at 702-287-5501.

Sincerely,
Catalina Pericon
Director and Co-founder of the Never Give Up Foundation
wwww.nevergiveupfoundation.org
Never Give Up Foundation is nonprofit organization is Federal tax ID number #

Now’s the time to get started on your teams for this year’s Walk Me Home to raise money for foster kids here in Clark County and all over. You can register here: – Post it on your facebook, twitter, at work, at church, wherever. Get your team together. We also need sponsors. If you know a company who might be interested in a sponsorship, contact Mark at dewsdad@gmail.com for the sponsorship opportunities.
Let’s have a great walk this year at:

To Our Agencies & Crisis Shelters
My Stuff Bags Foundation Needs Your Help!

We’re so pleased to be able to provide My Stuff Bags to children in your care. Please help us to continue delivering My Stuff Bags to agencies and crisis shelters caring for abused, neglected and abandoned children by becoming our fan on Facebook! Together, we can care for the many more children who need it most. Thank you for your help.

CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON ON FACEBOOK HERE!

WESTERN FIRE PREVENTION, 301 W. St. Louis behind the Stratosphere, open Mon-Fri 8-4, phone # 384-1546
You can drop it off one day, pick it up the next for $10. They take cash or check only. No credit or debit cards.

Other options:
Liberty 463-5218
Certified 873-5995
ACF 382-8254
Foothill 597-3100

Help support our youth!

What is the cost of one large pizza or one meal at a fast food restaurant? $10? And, what does one large pizza or one meal from a fast food restaurant have to do with Youth Scholarships?
If everyone reading this would be willing to contribute the cost of just one large pizza or one meal from a fast food restaurant, NFPA could offer at least some of our youth the opportunity to pursue a higher education, which in turn could lead to a better job and a productive future.
Youth in foster care have faced, and many will continue to face, barriers to achieve a full, meaningful life. They deserve a better chance in life and together we can give them that chance.
Help support our youth by supporting NFPA’s Youth Scholarship Program.
To make a contribution, go to the NFPA website: www.nfpaonline.org and click on Membership and Support, click on Donate and check NFPA Youth Scholarship Fund for your contribution.

Or send a check, made payable to NFPA Youth Scholarship Fund, to:

NFPA
2021 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 320
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Thank you for your anticipated support,
National Foster Parent Assoc.

Adoption Myth Busters

You have to be married to adopt – FALSE

You do not need to be married to adopt. Single parents can make great parents to a child looking for their forever family.

You must have a stay-at-home parent – FALSE

You do not need to be a stay-at-home parent to adopt. As long as you have a safe place for the child to stay while you are away from the home, working full-time should not be a problem.

You have to own your own home to adopt – FALSE

You will not be turned down for adoption if you do not own your own home. There are no rules preventing you from renting your home.

You must be a certain age to adopt – FALSE

It is encouraged for parents with experience to adopt. Age should not be a barrier to becoming a parent to a child in foster care.

You have to have a high income to adopt – FALSE

While it does not cost to adopt from the state foster care system, there are fees with choosing a private agency to write your home study/assessment. The fees for private agencies vary considerably and are usually less than other forms of adoption. A Family For Every Child charges $500 for Oregon Families to adopt from foster care.

You don’t have to be perfect to be a great adoptive parent – TRUE

Children are looking for someone to love and care for them, a family to be committed to them forever. These children need a family to help them with their homework, to attend their sporting events, graduation, and weddings. You do not have to be the perfect family to adopt a child. These children will love you just as you are.

How Can You Contact
A Family For Every Child?

Call, email, or visit us online or in person!

contactus
info@afamilyforeverychild.org

1675 West 11th.
Eugene Oregon 97402

office – 541-343-2856
toll free – 877-343-2856
fax – 541-343-2866

Click on the link to get all the information! Well Care Pharmacy

“Your environment doesn’t define you. I don’t have a lot of money, but I can help train people and I can talk to people. We can all be mentors to the next generation.”

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee

A Family For Every Child’s Mentor Program has served over two hundred youth in the last five years of operation, and our numbers are steadily increasing! While there are always children who are waiting for mentors, we are always “waiting” for more volunteers! If you have ever thought about becoming a mentor, please feel free to reach out to our organization and our Permanency Director, Caitlin, at caitlin@afamilyforeverychild.org

Here is a testimonial from one of our mentors:

“When I first signed up to be a mentor, I had no idea- no idea about how rewarding it would be and no idea how difficult it would be!I can truly say that my relationship with Alice* has changed my life, and I believe that I have been able to do some good things for and with her. It’s an amazing experience, and everytime I think it’s settling down and nothing else will surprise me, I am proved wrong!”

- Amy Miller*

*Names have been changed

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or just learning more about our mentor program, please RSVP to our next Mentor Orientation on February 20th from 5:30PM until 7:30PM. Learn about the benefits of mentoring, the youth we serve, and start your journey towards a great relationship with a child!

Our orientation is held at A Family For Every Child’s offices, 1675 W. 11th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401. Please RSVP by emailing the Permanency Director, Caitlin Baird,

caitlin@afamilyforeverychild.org

We hope to see you there!

The National Voice of Foster Parents

There’s a FAPA Near You
Check out the FAPAs in your area
We’ve rounded up a few foster and adoptive parent associations (FAPAs) from around the web. The list is in no particular order but please feel free to submit your own FAPA website or Facebook page to editor@nfpaonline.org for future inclusion in the list.
Click here to view the list.

NFPA Youth Scholarship Information Now Available
The National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) Youth Scholarship Fund was established to benefit foster, adopted and birth children of NFPA members. Up to five scholarships are awarded annually based on available funds.
Visit NFPA’s Youth Scholarship page for more information. Deadline to apply is March 15, 2013.
Setting Goals and Getting Organized Webinar
New year, new goals! With all the paperwork, phone calls and appointments we have as foster parents, it can be overwhelming. Sign up for the FREE webinar on January 25 at 1 p.m. (PST) to learn how you can get more organized. Register here for this one-hour session with Scott “Q” Marcus.
NFPA releases Privacy of Foster Parent Information position statement
by David H. Sharp
Every day we read of privacy violations, identity theft, and other incidences of our personal data and information being released into the wrong hands. Be it the hacking of computer systems jeopardizing our finances, or other types of identity theft, the problem is real, serious, and a concern for many Americans.
This reality is even a greater threat for many resource (foster, kinship, adoptive) parents throughout many parts of our country. Sadly it is not uncommon to see the files of these parents left open on desktops where they are easily accessible to the public. Conversations regarding these files are often overheard in elevators and restrooms amongst caseworkers and child welfare professionals.
Read more about the Privacy of Foster Parent Information position statement here.

National Foster Parent Association
2021 E Hennepin Ave #320
Minneapolis, MN 55413-1769
Phone: 800-557-5238
Fax: 888-925-5634
Email: Info@NFPAonline.org
Web: www.NFPAonline.org