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The Caregiver Courier
June 2016
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June is National Reunification Month
Reunification is a team effort. Thank you to all the biological families, foster families, case managers and other team members that support reunification and make it possible for children to reunify with their families.
Each June we take a moment to honor and recognize all those families that have reunified over the past year. Reunification is a team effort. So far, in 2016, we've reunified more than 400 children with their families. Those families took the necessary steps to stay together and we applaud them for it.
It takes hard work from biological parents, foster families, case managers, our friends in the courts and many more who support reunification efforts every day. Your collaboration makes reunification for our families a reality.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith: 22-Year Foster Parents Share Their "Humbling Experience"
Sam and Alga Smith have been foster parents since 1994. They have learned several important lessons in their 22 years of fostering. In that time, they have reunified 21 children with their biological families. In honor of National Reunification Month, we caught up with the Smiths as they shared their thoughts on the challenges and joys of fostering as they prepare to retire.
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Be our VIP Guest for Family Movie Night with the Peanuts Gang, June 23rd
A free movie, VIP seating and a goodie bag of treats for the whole family...
good grief, what more do you need? Join us in Downtown Summerlin for June's
Summer Screen Series presentation of
The Peanuts Movie.
What: Summer Screen Series presents:
The Peanuts Movie
When: Thursday, June 23, 2016 | Movie starts at 8 p.m. (seating begins at 6 p.m.)
Where: Downtown Summerlin, Sahara Avenue & the 215 Beltway, Las Vegas (Movie will take place on Park Centre Drive, near CREAM and H&M)
As our guests, all DFS family members will receive a free goodie bag and VIP seating. You'll want to bring your own blankets and lawn chairs. Don't be a
blockhead. Come on out for
The Peanuts Movie!
Please note: This event is limited to DFS licensed caregivers, their biological children and adopted children and children currently placed in their homes.
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Carole Shauffer of the Youth Law Center at the QPI relaunch.
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QPI: It's Not a Destination...Take the Journey
The month of May, which is also National Foster Care Awareness Month, wrapped up with an exciting relaunch of a significant county program. On May 24, 2016, in partnership with the Youth Law Center, executive management, managers and supervisors from the Department of Family Services (DFS) gathered to discuss the importance and rebranding of the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI).
Throughout the day the team collaborated on the vision for DFS, placing special emphasis on the fact that QPI is not about the destination. Instead, it's about how we take the journey as an agency. Quality Parenting is how we do our work, through partnership and team work. It is a philosophical approach to how we do business.
The QPI relaunch centered around our efforts. At its core, QPI is about ensuring that every child living in foster care receives the best parenting possible and is cared for by a caregiver who provides skilled, nurturing parenting; while helping the child maintain a connection to his or her family. Together we can improve our efforts to recruit and retain quality caregivers for our children. We look forward to working alongside you so that we can continue to support the healthy development of our children and their families.
Stay tuned as we continue to roll out more QPI updates!
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New Family Services Campaign Asks People to "Share Your Passion"
By now, you may have seen billboards around town and online ads of parents sharing their hobbies, their passions and their time with children of all ages to highlight the benefits of being a foster parent through DFS.
"We're excited to launch this campaign because it presents foster parenting in an authentic, positive manner for both the parents and the children," said Family Services Director Tim Burch. "We always need quality foster parents to help us achieve the goal of family reunification and this campaign speaks to that mission."
The advertising campaign, designed by
R&R Partners, is funded through a Diligent Recruitment grant and includes online and outdoor advertising as well as a new foster recruitment website.
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Peer Parenting Program Brings Together Parents in Need with Parents Who've Weathered the Storm
A trend has been underway in services to families involved with the child welfare system: parents who have been recipients of child welfare services are mentoring others newly involved with the system. "I share my story with them, so they can see that they are not alone,"
said Nicole Huber, peer parent advocate. "I am here to walk with them and encourage them on a journey that when I went through was very challenging and unfamiliar."
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Can't Start a Fire Without a Spark
Wouldn't it be wonderful if our foster youth could find
their spark? What is the spark? It's when they find their passion, their joy. SAFY's Kelsie Fahr shares one such story this month about the benefits of helping youth in care find their spark.
"When we show interest in children and invest in their 'spark', their ability to find their strengths and use those strengths increases," said Fahr.
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Summer's Here & the Time is Right...
...for summertime fun for the whole family! Wednesday, June 1-the last day of school in Clark County-is right around the corner. The kids are going to be home all day, every day. Need some help with summertime activities to keep them busy?
Click here
for a list of fun summer activities to keep your kids occupied.
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Coming to Las Vegas This Month: National Convention for National Foster Parent Association & National Kinship Alliance
Registration is now open for this exciting convention featuring workshops from top experts on foster, kinship and adoptive care and a special focus on foster and kinship communities working together.
Click here
for complete and up-to-date convention information.
What:
National Foster Parent Association & National Kinship Alliance for Children 2016 National Convention. Better Together: Collaboration for Kids!
When: Wednesday, June 22 - Saturday, June 25, 2016
Where: Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 3555 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas
Topics will include:
- First Care for You: Strategies to Overcome Compassion Fatigue
- It Takes a Village: Ways to Improve your Teen's Chances of Success
- How to get around the Drama and Avoid the Power Struggles
- Foster and Kinship Caregivers: Strategies for Sticking Together
- Adoption Subsidy and Federal Adoption Tax Credit
- Trauma-Informed Parenting Techniques for Reminders & Behavior
- Taking Care of Kin Who Take Care of Children
- 54 additional presentation and workshop topics!
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What is QPI?
Making sure every child living in foster care is cared for by a caregiver (foster, relative, fictive and/or adoptive) who provides skilled, nurturing parenting while helping the child maintain connections to his or her family.
Enhance Your Skills
Various trainings are offered in the community to help enhance caregivers' capacity to parent. Please click on the links below to learn more about exciting training opportunities from which you can benefit.
The QPI Nevada Brand
Foster parents nurture children who have experienced trauma and provide a safe, loving and healing environment in which the children can thrive. They are parenting partners who honor and support family relationships. Foster parents are dedicated, informed and committed advocates for children. They are instrumental and fully supported members of the child and family team. Great foster parents make a difference for children and families in our community.
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121 S. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89106
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