James and Charles are adorable 5-year-old twin brothers who love playing together.
They both attend preschool and are looking for a forever home where they can be together.
James is an active, pleasant, energetic and sweet little boy who is eager to please.
Charles is noted to be sweet, well mannered and kind. He appears shier than his twin brother and will follow his lead.
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Have you heard about SafeCare?
SafeCare is a great program that helps parents of young children who are at risk for child abuse or neglect or have been reported for it.
The Hamilton County SafeCare Collaborative is a partnership of Job and Family Services, Every Child Succeeds and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. The program sends trained providers into families' homes, where they help with home safety, child health and the interactions between the parents and children. The providers teach how to manage a child's difficult behaviors, how to make homes safer and how to keep children healthy and less at risk for illness or injury. SafeCare is for families with children up to the age of 5.
Our local team recently earned its accreditation from the National SafeCare Training and Research Center, part of the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. SafeCare has spread internationally to six countries.
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Our coffee sleeves are here
Our coffee sleeves that promote foster care and adoption are here.
If you know of a shop that might want to use some,
please let us know. We're ready to deliver.
If you see one on a cup somewhere, snap a pic and share it on social media!
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Could you mentor a teen in foster care?
One of the things our older kids need most is someone to help them with the transition from being in care with us to living on their own. Someone they can ask for help and advice. Someone who might invite them over for Thanksgiving dinner.
One of the ways to get involved with our older kids is through HEMI, the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative. It's a collaboration that matches kids with mentors who help them stay in school, look for colleges, trade schools, etc.
If you are interested in helping a teen, email HEMImentors@uc.edu.
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You might see us
at the movies
 We're trying something new to try to get more people to foster and adopt - movie theater advertising.
Many agencies around the state and country are tying in advertising and recruitment efforts to the movie,
Instant Family
, which opens next week and stars Mark Wahlberg. It's about a couple that becomes foster parents, then adopts.
You'll see
this 30-second spot on screens starting next week in Springdale and Sharonville. Have you seen them?
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Our Children's Services staff judged best
in the region
 Director Moira Weir got the honor this past weekend to pick up an award for our Children's Services section.
The Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers selected HCJFS as the best of all public and private agencies in an 11-county area. NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world.
The job of a social worker can be tough. Dea
ling with families at tough points in their lives can be so challenging and can take a toll on your emotions. So we appreciate this recognition of our workers' diligence.
"We are thrilled to have the hard work and dedication of our employees recognized in this fashion," Weir said. "Just as with our recent timeliness award in processing food applications, it is refreshing when professionals outside of our organization validate the great work we are doing.
"I am proud and grateful that JFS employees are extremely committed to helping Hamilton County's children and families."
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No toys, no bikes
Some sad news to share - we won't be getting any bikes or toys this year to give to our kids in foster care.
We have received thousands of toys from Toys for Tots over the years, but the agency decided this year to only give toys directly to families, not to any agencies or non-profits. Toys for Tots partnered with the Salvation Army for distribution of the toys.
We also will not be getting any bikes this year from The Bike Lady, the Columbus-based charity that has given us hundreds of new bikes and helmets over the past several years. The Bike Lady has reduced the number of bikes to give out and is focusing those bikes on kids in the Columbus area.
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Another great
Adoption Day
Thirteen kids were adopted into nine families at our annual National Adoption Month ceremony this month.
Congratulations to the nine families, to their extended families and to the many caseworkers and managers who helped bring about these wonderful outcomes.
Here are some pictures from the day:
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