FOSTERING NEwS

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HILLSDALE COUNTY DHS
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Foster
Volume 2, Issue 1
December 2013
Christmas Party
This year’s Christmas party will be held on Sunday
Dec. 15th from 1:30-4:30 at the bowling alley in
Hillsdale.
Pizza and two games of bowling will be provided.
Santa is scheduled to stop in for a visit too!
We hope to see everyone there!
Inside this issue:
Operation Good Cheer
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Facebook
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Spotlight Employee
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PRIDE Training
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REMINDER!
There will not be a December Support
Group meeting.
Support Group will resume on Monday
January 21st.
Dates to Remember
Christmas Party– Dec. 15th
Support Group– Jan. 21st
Last day to turn in training–
hours- Dec.30th
Don’t forget to turn in documentation of completed
training hours to Becky by December 31st. Each foster parent needs 6 hours of training each calendar
year. Alternative training options were sent out last
month via mail and email.
Please remember– foster parents are responsible for
completing and documenting 6 hours of training
each year.
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Operation Good Cheer
Fundraising efforts continue for
Operation Good Cheer. Ornaments can be purchased at
DHS, Probate Court or Jilly
Bean’s in downtown Hillsdale.
Donations will be accepted until December 19th.
Operation Good Cheer ornament on the
Courthouse tree.
Licensing Facebook PageFind us on FACEBOOK under Hillsdale Co Foster Care Licensing for up to date information on trainings, recruitment events, spotlights and agency news. Please
share our page with your friends!
Policy Reminder—
Pictures of foster children are not allowed to be posted on social media sites
such as Facebook. With the holidays approaching please remind family
members not to post any pictures as well. Also, do not post anything identifying the child such as names, where the child’s family is from, etc. If you
have any questions about this please talk to your foster care worker or
Becky.
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SPOTLIGHT EMPLOYEE
OF THE MONTH
Jason Macie is Hillsdale County’s Spot light employee
for December. Jason has worked for Hillsdale DHS for
nearly three years and was eager to be a part of the
monthly newsletter.
Jason spent two years as a CPS investigator and is now
working as an ongoing case worker. Jason has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and Criminology from John
Carroll University and a Master Degree in Sports and
Exercise Psychology from Cleveland State.
Jason enjoys exercise, golf and squirrel hunting. Jason
has been known to eat just about anything.
Jason reports he likes working in Children’s Services
because he wants to protect the children of Hillsdale
County and help those families in need.
Operation Good Cheer gifts were delivered on Saturday December
7th at the Hillsdale Airport. Our gifts were delivered by 5 helicopters and 2 airplanes Saturday afternoon. DHS staff, Judge Bianchi
and community volunteers helped load and transport the gifts to
the DHS office. Thanks to everyone that helped and to all of the
volunteer pilots that donated their time and aircrafts to deliver
gifts for foster children all across Michigan.
Foster Parents: If you have not received your child’s presents you
can stop by the office from 8-5 Mon.-Fri. or contact your Foster
Care worker to make arrangements.
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The CORE PRIDE sessions
will be held in Lenawee
Co. in January and February and Hillsdale Co. in
January. This is the required training for newly
enrolled general care
homes and relative
homes. Please RSVP to
Becky @ 517-932-8801.
January 2014 @ Lenawee
January 2014 @ Hillsdale
PRIDE 1,2,3—Saturday Jan. 11th PRIDE 1 & 2– Tues. Jan. 7th 6-9
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PRIDE 3– Tues. Jan. 14th 6-9
PRIDE 4 & 6—Saturday Jan.
PRIDE 4– Tues. Jan. 21st 6-9
18th 9-4
PRIDE 6– Tues. Jan. 28th 6-9
February 2014 @ Lenawee
*Hillsdale Sessions will be held
at DHS– 40 Care Drive
PRIDE 1,2,3—February 8th 9-4
PRIDE 4 & 6—February 15th 9-4 *Lenawee Sessions will be held
at Catholic Charities.
Tips for Safety: Christmas Trees & Lights!
Christmas Trees:
According to the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an
average of 240 home fires begin with
Christmas trees every year. "If there is a
fire, the Christmas tree often is the first
thing to ignite -- especially if it's dried
out," says Deborah Hanson, director of
external affairs for First Alert. These fires
result in deaths, injuries, and roughly $17
million in property damage. When choosing a real tree, opt for one that is green (no
brown needles!). If you're going with an
artificial tree, be sure to choose one that is
fire-resistant (look for a label), and remember that trees with built-in electrical
systems should also have the label of an
independent test laboratory that is approved to perform safety testing, such as
the Underwriters Laboratories. "Whether
it's a real or artificial tree, place it in a
sturdy stand so that it's not in danger of
falling over on children," Hanson advises.
For a real tree, cut off about 2 inches of
the trunk and then put the tree in a sturdy
water-holding stand; anchoring it will prevent children or pets from knocking it
over. Keep the stand filled with water, and
check often to make sure the tree is
"drinking" the water. If the water level
doesn't go down over a day, check for any
problems. "Keep the tree out of the way of
traffic, doorways, and exits, and away
from heating sources and candles," Hanson says.
Submitted by Brittany Carpenter
"Parents should also avoid putting sharp,
easily breakable decorations anywhere on
the tree," says Debra Holtzman, childsafety expert and author of The Safe Baby:
A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety
and Healthy Living. "They should also
refrain from using trimmings that have
small removable parts or that resemble
candy or food. And be careful with icicles
and tinsel. If the baby gets hold of these
items, she may put them in her mouth."
Some decorations might contain lead, cadmium, or other toxic materials that can be
harmful to young children, so keep all
holiday d?cor out of reach. When the holidays are over, discard the real tree when it
begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees
are a fire danger and should not be left in
the home or garage or even placed outside
against the home. Check with your local
community to find a recycling program.
lets," Hanson says. "And be especially
careful when using older lights." Check
lights for broken, cracked, or bare wires,
or loose bulb connections, and immediately replace any damaged light sets. Connect
no more than three stands of mini light
sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for
screw-in bulbs. Read the manufacturer's
instructions for the number of LED strands
to connect. Use no more than three light
sets on one extension cord. Place extension cords against the wall so people and
pets won't trip over them, but do not run
cords under rugs. And make sure you turn
off all the lights on trees and all decoration
lights when you go to bed or leave the
house. When you drive up to a lit house at
night, it looks festive, but you don't want
to risk starting a fire when no one is home.
Also, be sure to keep a watchful eye on
candles; keep them away from the tree,
decorations, and other things that can
Holiday Lights and Candles burn. The U.S. Fire Administration states
that candles cause more than 10 deaths,
Every year, more than 50,000 home fires
are started by electrical problems, accord- 175 injuries, and $20 million in property
damage each holiday season. "Never leave
ing to the NFPA. So when it comes to
hanging lights, follow the directions on the burning candles unattended, and place
box closely. Follow the obvious: Only use them away from the reach of children,"
Hanson warns. "Place them in stable holdindoor lights indoors (and use only outers, and make it a part of your routine to
door lights outdoors), and verify that the
lights have been tested and approved by an check that all candles are extinguished
before you go to bed." Consider using
independent safety-testing laboratory.
"If you live in an older house, it might be a electric or battery-powered candles instead.
good idea to get a professional checkup
from an electrician before loading up out-
Christmas Bauble
Submitted by Brittany Carpenter
This Christmas craft starts fun and messy, but ends with a chic globe to
hang on your tree. Cut up a bunch of colorful scraps of fabric, dip them
in glue, and cover a Styrofoam ball. Wrap the ribbon from bottom to top,
and add a bow to make it easy to hang.
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Foster Parents are mandated reporters. To report
the abuse/neglect of a
child or an adult call the
Central Intake Hotline @
855-444-3911.
Open Orientations are held the
3rd Wednesday of each month
from 5-7 pm. Orientations are
open to the public to learn more
about becoming a foster parent
in Hillsdale Co. All Orientations
are held at DHS—40 Care Drive.
RSVP 517-932-8801
MISSION STATEMENT
The Michigan Department of Human Services assists
children, families and vulnerable adults to be safe, stable and
self-supporting.
VISION STATEMENT
We will reduce poverty, help all children have a great start in
life, and help our clients achieve their full potential.
VALUES
In our day-to-day work we will live the values of Integrity, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Excellence in the way we treat our
clients, each other, employees and our partners.