NationalAdvocate - National Foster Parent Association

Transcription

The NationalAdvocate -NFPA Mission: To support foster parents in achieving safety, permanence and wellbeing for the children and youth in their care.
National Foster Parent Association
NationalAdvocate
•face2face with NFPA
President,Irene Clements
•The Role of
Foster Parents,
Social Workers, and
Others In The Lives
Of Children in Care
•Foster Family Honored By Celtics
The National Foster Parent Association - NFPA
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www.nfpaonline.org
www.facebook.com/nationalfosterparentassociation
twitter@nfpaonline
face2face
With NFPA President, Irene Clements
Dear NFPA Members and Friends,
Table of Contents
‘face2face’ with President, Irene Clements ................ Page 3
Roles of Foster Parent, Social Worker
And Others In the Life of a Child in Care ..........Page 4
Join NFPA ................................................................... Page 5
Working With Your School For The Kids .................. Pages 6-7
NFPAs Blog ................................................................ Page 7
NFPA News ................................................................. Pages 8-9
TALK To The Teens .................................................... Pages 10-11
Bullying in Kids TV ................................................... Page 12
National ‘Move Over’ Law ......................................... Page 13
Meet The Educational Needs of Children ................. Page 14
LifeSTORY Lifebooks ................................................ Page 15
NFPA Board Of Directors .......................................... Pages 16-17
Educational Records of Kids In Care .........................Pages 18-19
Foster Family Honored by CELTICS ......................... Page 19
Here is something you may not know about me. I love to use other people’s words and ideas to
help express myself because so many others can do that so much better than I. I always have a new
quote posted by my computer to help remind me of why I am so committed to advocating for foster
parents and the children they serve. On the days when I am tired and wonder if it is time to “retire”
from advocating, I quickly look at the quote and others that are important to me and I know I can
and want to continue my work on your behalf. So, for this edition’s letter, I thought I would share
three quotes that are among my favorites in hopes they will help you, too.
“They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I don’t know who first
said this, but whoever it was, they were right on the money!
“Parental guidance is provided. I drive to visits, to counseling, to doctors appointments. I buy
toys. I buy clothes. I watch dance recitals and soccer games. I conference with teachers. I tutor. I
wipe dirty noses. I run the bath. I hear the prayers. I hug. I kiss. I rock. I scare away the bogeyman
at night, and the ones in the daytime, too. Proudly, I watch them grow. Sadly, I watch them go.
And though I may not be the “real” parent, I love to foster.” What more can any foster parent say?
I think this very simply sums it all up pretty well.
“Family means a love so deep there’s no way to measure it…and no need to.” How powerful is that
statement? I think this is why it is so hard for many of us to accurately explain what foster parenting
means to us when we are asked why we do it. How do you explain that kind of love and commitment
for other people’s children?
I hope these three statements have given you some food for thought and that they will help
motivate you to be the very best foster parent or social worker or case manager or therapist that you
can be. Thank you for being a part of the National Foster Parent Association and I encourage each of
you to become a Friend of NFPA as soon as you possibly can.
You are my heroes,
Irene Clements, President, NFPA
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twitter@nfpaonline
I am a recently retired social worker and worked in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area for
almost forty years. I was born in Mississippi, raised in rural Minnesota, and spent three years in North Carolina as
the wife of an Air Force sergeant. I attended college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, remained in the
area when I had completed my education, and raised my children here. During the course of my career, I worked
with both children and adults.
Many of the people I saw were in need of protective services, many had mental health concerns and many
had emotional and behavioral issues. And all of them were people who had experienced some disturbance, trauma,
distress, or damaging condition in their lives. Throughout this article I will refer to the people with whom I had client
relationships as clients. It is in vogue, at least in Minnesota now, to refer to clients as consumers, but I personally find
the term misleading and demeaning. In my opinion, clients are people in need of a service, and our job is to provide
them that service.
Over the years, I worked with many excellent foster families, and contact with foster caregivers was a regular
part of my day. And, I found that, just as my job was often difficult, so too was the job of the foster provider –
perhaps more so. It worked best if we clearly understood our roles. The first role is a legal role. Both the social
worker and the foster provider are under legal mandates that are set by the Federal and the State governments,
and policies that are set by the various agencies with which we work. We must make decisions within that legal
framework. At times, those decisions are intellectually or emotionally offensive to us, but we work within the
law. Our clients also have certain legal obligations; it is, for instance, illegal to physically or sexually harm another
individual, or to steal, and clients, as well as the other parties involved, must answer for their behaviors. Although all
parties must be in some manner aware of the law, it is a primary responsibility of the social worker to know the legal
mandates and consequences.
The second role is an unwritten ethical or principled or moral contract; it is a “compassionate contract.” Are
we respecting each other – client, social worker and foster provider? Are we allowing each other dignity? For good or
ill, we are, all of us, rooted into families and into our experiences. They help form us.
People do not arrive on our doorsteps, nor do we arrive on theirs, without the baggage. Some of our
baggage serves us well, and some does not. We cannot, therefore, necessarily expect clients to be grateful for the
“better” experience that we as social workers and foster providers are eager to give them. It may go against their
personal issues, their family standards, or the roles that they believe they have.
The third role is a non-legal stewardship or guardianship role that we must all respect and honor, but that
falls primarily on the foster provider. You are the guardian or steward of your home. You set the rules and the
expectations for behavioral conduct. You cannot set the standard for a client’s intellectual or emotional content, but
you can and should decide what behaviors can and cannot occur in your home. And, if those behaviors do occur,
what are the consequences. Social workers also have responsibility here. It would be unethical, for instance, to place
someone in your home without disclosing essential information, particularly if there is a serious or even dangerous
issue. But it is your home, and you must be a careful custodian. You must decide what can fit into the already
existing environment, what are your roles and rules, and what happens when the situation gets broken in some
manner. The more we can work as a team - the social worker, the foster provider, and the client - the more chance we
have of a successful placement. We must all treat each other with respect and dignity, and we must all understand the
roles and rules. Connie Johnson
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Join NFPA - Today!
This level of membership is available to all foster parents, child welfare
personnel, and individuals concerned with the welfare of children. Regular
members have the right to vote on all matters brought to the members of the
association, and each receives information about the national activities of
the association. Cost: $35 a Year! REALLY! What a bargain!
Join now!
OR you can show your support of NFPA by being a Friend of NFPA.
Friends of NFPA has three areas of Support:
• Friends of NFPA: ADVOCATE LEVEL
Fee: $15 per Month
Your Name or Company Name listed on the NFPA Website
Your Name or Company Name listed in the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate
Automatic membership renewal every year.
• Friends of NFPA: HERO LEVEL
Fee: $25 per Month
Your Name or Company Name listed in the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate
10% Discount on NFPA Conference Registration Fee
• Friends of NFPA: CHAMPION LEVEL
Fee: $50 per Month
Your Name or Company Name listed on the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate
15% Discount on NFPA Conference Registration Fee
FREE Subscription to Fostering Families Today magazine
Invitation to Champions Reception at the Annual NFPA Conference
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OSTER PARENT PTA, A FIRST IN THE NATION
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any foster children face unique challenges during their school years that their fellow students may
never have to think about. For example, it’s not unusual for foster children to change schools mid-
year because of relocating to a new home. Just having to leave one’s home is traumatic enough–but leaving one’s
friends and trying to fit in at a new school makes the move and life that much harder, often resulting in negative
educational outcomes. For foster children in Maryland, there is an organization ready to help foster parents help their
children have positive educational outcomes. Traditionally, Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) exist to help school
and families work together for the benefit of the students. The Maryland Resource Parent Teacher Student Association
Planning an Effective Parent /Teacher Conference
•
The student, parent, teacher, social worker and where appropriate the biological parent or relative should be members of the
educational support team.
•
Request a conference at the beginning of the marking period preferably prior to the general parent /teacher conference
night sponsored by the school when there is often a 10-15 minute time restriction.
•
From kindergarten to the 12th grad include the student in the conference. It is essential that the students consider
themselves to be a part of the educational support team.
•
Create a list of pre-conference questions and submit them to the teacher 3-4 days prior to the meeting so that the teacher
will have time to prepare and offer comprehensive responses to address issues and concerns.
•
Parents should have knowledge of the learning expectations for each subject.
•
During the conference identify areas in need of improvement.
•
Create a short term improvement plan prior to ending the conference. Plan should include:
-Setting measurable goals,
(PTSA) is the first PTA in the nation to serve foster families and care providers in their efforts to increase and sustain
-Identify content to be taught prior to each test,
academic achievement for all children in our-of-home placement. Also referred to as the Maryland Foster Parent PTA,
-Determine test schedules,
the group’s president Michele Burnette and Sam Macer, immediate past President of Maryland PTA recognized the
-Review content prior to each test,
-Determine days and times of school sponsored coach classes,
-Determine how support will be provided at home.
need to address the educational needs of the thousands of Maryland children in foster care. Naming it the Maryland
‘Resource’ Parent PTSA was appropriate because it includes foster parents, adoptive parents, kinship care providers
such as grandparents, informal providers, group home providers and the community, all considered to be educational
resources for our children. This unique and historic PTA is different because of the intense focus on the foster parent
family. A traditional PTA may have a more broad view of parent involvement and engagement, while the nontraditional
foster parent PTA may have a more specialized focus that addresses the intense needs of foster children and the families
that serve them. Parent engagement for example may be a universal concept however the foster parent must be well
versed in numerous foster care and child welfare challenges in order to be an effective education advocate. For a foster
child to earn the same or comparable grade outcomes, the foster parent may also need to understand the complexity
of traumatic stress and positive behavior management. Traumatic stress is a constant that almost all foster kids have
experienced and implementing the skills to address the sometimes challenging behaviors resulting from the stress is of
great value in the area of parent engagement. A traditional PTA would not have the expertise or the experience to help
a foster family guide their child through the education challenges. The Maryland Resource Parent PTSA is available to
•
Create a follow up communication plan with the teacher to monitor weekly progress.
•
Share conference outcomes and progress with the social worker at each monthly visit.
•
Ask the student how he/she can be further assisted.
Submitted by Sam Macer, the Maryland Resource Parent PTSA [email protected]
W
hat Is A Blog?
‘A blog is a personal diary; A daily pulpit; A collaborative space; A political soapbox;
A breaking-news outlet; A collection of links; Your own private thoughts; Memos to the world. A blog is
whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules. In simple
terms, a blog is a website, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so visitors
can read what’s new. Then they can comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not. Since Blogger was launched in
offer the specialized professional development for Maryland resource parents. The Maryland Resource parent PTSA
1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have
will address issues such as closing the achievement gap, decreasing the dropout rate, developing strong home/school
a voice and connect with others. And we’re pretty sure the whole deal is just getting started.’ Join-in the NFPA Blog!
connections, encouraging parent engagement, and conducting effective parent teacher conferences. The PTSA is an
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educational partner of the Maryland Foster Parent Association and its President holds a Board of Directors seat. Even
though this is a Maryland chartered PTSA, it seeks input, advice, assistance, and guidance from resources nationwide.
You are encouraged to send your comments, ideas and suggestions concerning how to improve educational outcomes
from children in foster care. Please contact Michele Burnette at [email protected] or Sam Macer, President,
MD Foster Parent Association at [email protected]
or those of you unfamiliar with our blog it is a way for NFPA to communicate organizational information along with other
information important to foster parents. The best thing about this blog is that it provides an opportunity for you to share
information about fostering with other foster parents all over our country. eel free to contribute information that you have read or post comments on what you feel are important issues facing foster
parents today. Here is your opportunity to be heard. We look forward to some lively dialogue —6—
from all foster parents. Check it out HERE.
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twitter@nfpaonline
NFPAs NationalAdvocate Advertising Policy:
The National Foster Parent Association’s publication, the NationalAdvocate, is published quarterly (March, June,
September, and December) and posted on the NFPA website.
This publication is then available to the over 125,000 foster families, kinship families, and adoptive families
and other resource families across the U.S. and to others interested in the foster care system.
Ad’s are accepted by the issue or on an annual basis.
Ad Requirements:
• Ad must be camera ready and sent as an attachment, in PDF format, in an email to [email protected] or gram@
itsallGods.com, the NFPA Editor.
• Ads must be family friendly and will be published at the discretion of the Editor and the NFPA Communication
Committee.
• Deadline for Ad/article/information submission is the 15th of February, May, August, and November.
• Payments are to be mailed to NFPA [2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 320 / Minneapolis, MN 55413] and are
expected within one week of submitting the Ad.
Save the Date: June 5-8, 2013
NFPA 43rd Education Conference
at the
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel /Long Beach, California
Oceans of Opportunity...
Catch a Wave to Permanence!
Rates:
Non-Member of NFPA
$300 for a single issue full-page Ad (8.5x11)
$175 for a single issue half-page Ad (8.5x5.5)
OR
$900 for an Annual full-page Ad (all issues)
$500 for an Annual half-page Ad (all issues)
Member of NFPA
$150 for a single issue full-page Ad (8.5x11)
$100 for a single issue half-page Ad (8.5x5.5)
OR
$450 for an Annual full-page Ad (all issues)
$325 for an Annual half-page Ad (all issues)
Annual rates may include a link on the NFPA website to the Advertiser’s website upon
request of the Advertiser and approved by the Communication Committee Chair.
Visit the NFPA website at www.nfpaonline.org for Membership.
The NFPA Board of Directors
Monthly Conference Call Schedule for the year of 2013
• January 7th
• February 4th
• March 4th
• April 1st
• May 6th
All calls begin promptly at 7:00 PM Central Time.
Please contact the NFPA office for call-in instructions.
Members of NFPA are welcome to join the calls.
Face-to-face meetings of the Board of Directors will be held in Long Beach, California, on November 2-3,
2012 and June 4 & 7, 2013. Please note that visitors may join the Board of Directors call but they may not
actively participate. If you would like to speak to a specific agenda item, please inform the chairman at
the beginning of the meeting.
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For additional information visit the NFPA website at www.nfpaonline.org
or contact Sarah Schafer at [email protected]
or call 800-557-5238
NFPA Supports Foster Parents in achieving safety, permanence and
well being for the children and youth to their care.
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www.nfpaonline.org
twitter@nfpaonline
And somewhat surprisingly, the research found that few youth use or trust the Internet for information on sexual
health. “The level of sexual activity at a young age and incidence of STDs, including HIV and AIDS, in low-income,
urban black teenagers is high,” said Margaret Dolcini, an associate professor in the OSU School of Social
and Behavioral Health Sciences. “We have made strides in prevention, but need to continue to deepen our
understanding of the factors that contribute to unsafe sexual activity." The OSU studies were published in Research in Human Development, a scientific journal, with support
from the National Institutes of Health. They explored the influences and pressures this group of teenagers faced,
including choices to have sex, where people get information, and how that affects behavior. “We found that young black kids who got information from varied sources tended to do pretty well in making
smart choices,” Dolcini said. The most important progress, the OSU researchers found, could be made if various educational, religious
and social support organizations would make a more concerted effort to address issues collectively, within the
constraints of their roles and belief systems. “We need more collaboration between family, schools, medical clinics, churches, and other entities that
traditionally may not have worked together,” Dolcini said. “This is possible, and we should encourage more of it,” she said. “We wouldn’t necessarily expect a church to
offer condom demonstrations, but a community clinic or school sex education program might do exactly that. And
there’s a place for both.” Among the findings of the studies: Stressing abstinence at young ages is appropriate, but could be made far more effective if youth were taught
other forms of emotional interaction as an alternative to sexual intercourse. Sex education will be more effective if sex is treated as a healthy part of life at appropriate ages and circumstances. Young women benefitted strongly from families who had open lines of communication, talked about sex,
monitored their activities and made it clear their health and safety was important. Many teenagers have received surprisingly little accurate information about sex and sexual health. Sex education programs in schools are nearly universal and there is also strong participation in sex-related
education from youth at community centers. Improved Communication Could Reduce STD Epidemic Among Black Teenagers
By David Stauth
Contact: M. Margaret Dolcini, 541-737-3829 or [email protected]
This story is available online: http://bit.ly/S2hwMX
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Black urban teenagers from low-income families face a rate of sexually transmitted
disease up to 10 times higher than their white counterparts, but recent studies at Oregon State University have
identified approaches to prevention programs that might reduce this problem. The research, based on interviews of black adolescents ages 15-17 in San Francisco and Chicago, found
that information from parents, teachers and other caring adults is actually listened to, more than the adults might
think. And the problem of youth getting “mixed messages” from different entities, ranging from schools to movies,
churches, peer groups and medical clinics, may not be that large of an issue. If teenagers get a wide range of medical, social, educational and personal support and information
from multiple sources, they are fairly adept at separating the good sense from the nonsense, scientists said.
Unfortunately, that broad range of information and communication often doesn’t exist. —10—
This research was outlined this year in several publications by Peggy Dolcini and Joseph Catania at OSU, as
part of their work with the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families. It was done in collaboration with
researchers from the University of California-San Francisco, University of Alberta, DePaul University, Michigan State
University and other organizations. About the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences: The college creates connections in teaching, research
and community outreach while advancing knowledge, policies and practices that improve population health in communities
across Oregon and beyond. This research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, grant number R01
HD061027-01.
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New Indiana University research study finds social bullying prevalent in children’s television
Nicole Martins
The study, ‘Mean on the Screen Social Aggression in
Programs Popular With Children,’ which appears in the Journal of
Communication, found that 92 percent of the top 50 programs for
children between the ages of 2 to 11 showed characters involved in
social aggression.
On average, there were 14 different incidents of social
aggression per hour, or once every four minutes.
While physical aggression in television for children has been
extensively documented, this is believed to be among the first studies
to analyze children’s exposure to behaviors such as cruel gossiping
and manipulation of friendship.
“Social aggression was more likely to be enacted by an
attractive perpetrator, to be featured in a humorous context and
neither rewarded or punished, “ wrote Nicole Martins, assistant
professor of telecommunications in the IU College of Arts and
Sciences. “In these ways, social aggression on television poses more
of a risk for imitation and learning and learning than do portrayals
of physical aggression.”
Martins, the lead researcher on the study, and Barbara
Wilson, professor of communication at the University of Illinois,
conducted a content analysis of the 50 most popular children’s shows
according to Nielsen Media Research from December 2006 to March
2007. In all, 150 television shows were viewed and analyzed.
Careful attention were given to what was portrayed in the cases of social aggression, whether the behavior
was rewarded or punished, justified or committed by an attractive perpetrator.
The findings suggest that some of the ways in which social aggression, whether the behavior was rewarded or
punished, justified or committed by an attractive perpetrator.
The findings suggest that some of the ways in which social aggression is contextualized make these depictions
particularly problematic for young viewers.
‘These findings should help parents and educators recognize that there are socially aggressive behaviors on
programs children watch,” Martins said. “Parents should not assume that a program is OK for their child to watch
simply because it does not contain physical violence.
“Parents should be more aware of portrayals that may not be explicitly violent in a physical sense but are
nonetheless anti-social in nature,” Martins added.
The vast majority of social aggressive incidents -- 78 percent -- were verbal: words to hurt the self-esteem or
social standing of another character on the program. The most common types of social aggression were insults (52
percent) or name-calling (25 percent). Other common types of negative behavior shown were teasing (10 percent)
and sarcasm (9 percent).
National Campaign Launches Effort Educating Drivers to “Move Over” and Protect Officers on Roadways
WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 150 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed since 1997 after being struck
by vehicles along America’s highways, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. To
lower that deadly toll, a new coalition of traffic safety and law enforcement groups is launching a nationwide public
awareness campaign to protect emergency personnel along our nation’s roadsides.
“Move Over, America” is a partnership of the National Safety Commission, the National Sheriffs’ Association and
the National Association of Police Organizations. The campaign is the first nationally coordinated effort to educate
Americans about “Move Over” laws and how they help protect the law enforcement officers who risk their lives
protecting the public. According to a national poll by Mason Dixon Polling & Research, sponsored by the National Safety Commission:
• 71 percent of Americans have not heard of “Move Over” laws;
• 86 percent support enacting “Move Over” laws in all 50 states; and
• 90 percent believe traffic stops and roadside emergencies are dangerous for law enforcement and first
responders.
Forty three states have passed “Move Over” laws, which require motorists to “Move Over” and change
lanes to give safe clearance to law enforcement officers on roadsides. If drivers can’t change lanes or are
driving on a two-lane road, they must slow down at least 20 m.p.h. under the posted speed limit. If drivers
do not move over or slow down, officers can and do write citations.
“When America’s law enforcement officers pull over a motorist, they put their lives at risk. The last thing they need
to be worried about is being struck by a bad driver, but that’s one of the gravest dangers they face today,” said Ken
Underwood, president of the National Safety Commission. “Americans must know that they are required by law to
move over and keep our state troopers, police officers and sheriff’s deputies safe.”
“Move Over, America” has produced a dramatic television public service announcement that will be distributed to
broadcast affiliates and cable across the country, calling on drivers to obey state Move Over laws that were passed
by states following a series of tragic deaths of officers struck by vehicles.
In South Florida on Feb. 15, 2006, Broward County Deputy Sheriff Ryan Seguin was struck and killed by a motorist
as he and his partner made a traffic stop on Interstate 595. He was 23 years old. “Ryan was the best son a man
could ever ask for: a good man and an exceptional deputy,” said Phil Seguin, Ryan’s father and a former Fort
Lauderdale police officer. “Police work is dangerous business and every law enforcement officer knows the risks
of the job. But deaths like Ryan’s could be prevented if people just pay attention and obey the law. That’s the real
message here.”
The “Move Over, America” television public service announcement can be viewed online at www.MoveOverAmerica.
com, as can an interactive state-by-state map listing the laws in all 50 states.
“Too many motorists still do not understand the importance of ‘Move Over,’ which is the law in Virginia,” said
Sheriff Charles E. Jett of Stafford County, Va., a member of the Traffic Safety Committee of the National Sheriffs’
Association.
Only about 20 percent of all socially aggressive incidents were non-verbal in nature and typically employed a
mean face (36 percent). Rolling eyes, finger pointing and simply ignoring the other person also were common.
“Drivers: please help protect the people who protect you, and follow this common-sense law. Slow down or Move
Over away from emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road. The stakes are just too high.”
Most “Move Over” laws require drivers to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.
This includes police cruisers, Sheriff’s or Highway Patrol vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances.
“We also coded whether social aggression was directly perpetrated at the target -- such as making a mean
face -- or indirectly perpetrated behind the target’s back -- such as spreading a rumor,” the authors wrote. “The
vast majority of socially aggressive incidents (86 percent) were enacted directly at the target. Rarely were socially
aggressive incidents perpetrated behind the target’s back.”
“Our nation’s law enforcement professionals put their lives on the line to protect our citizens,” said Bill Johnson,
executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations. “Slowing down and changing lanes to give our
first responders the space they need to stay safe is the least we can do in return. It’s what we must do. Move Over,
America. It’s the law.”
Electronic copies of this study are available from George Vlahakis at [email protected] or 812-855-0846
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twitter@nfpaonline
LifeBook Help IS Here
The Uninterrupted Scholars Act Proposes Amendments to FERPA (Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act) to Allow Child Welfare Agencies, with the
Assistance of Education Agencies, to Better Meet the Educational Needs of
Children in Foster Care
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives* on
May 31, 2012 (H.R. 5871) and the Senate* on August 1, 2012 (S.3472),
amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to
better meet the educational needs of children and youth in the child
welfare system. FERPA provides important protections to parents and
students, but it was not written with children in foster care in mind. As a
result, it unintentionally creates obstacles for children in care to receive
needed educational support. The Uninterrupted Scholars Act addresses
these barriers.
The Uninterrupted Scholars Act provides child welfare agencies that
have responsibility for children’s placement and care with direct access
to the children’s education records.
• Child welfare agencies will be able to access educational records
in a timely fashion to ensure children in their care are immediately
and appropriately enrolled in school and receive the supports and
interventions they need for educational success. Records are to be
used only for the purpose of addressing a student’s educational needs.
• Title IV-E of the Social Security Act requires that child welfare
agencies maintain children’s educational records in their case plans
and assess educational stability for children as they move from
placement to placement while in care. The bills help states meet these
requirements.
Have you ever wanted to create a LifeBook for your foster child but didn’t have
enough creative inspiration? Now you have help! LifeSTORY Lifebooks were designed
by an Illinois graphic artist, who herself was adopted and a Texas foster parent.
LifeSTORY Lifebooks provides foster and adoptive parents an affordable, simple and
organized ‘fill-in-the-blank’ format to help document a child’s life.
There are five books available: Toddler (birth to 12 years); teen (12-18 years); combo
toddler/teen (birth-18 year); international adoption.
For every LifeSTORY Lifebook sold, the creators are donating $3 to NFPA.
Not being ‘creative enough’ should no longer stop you from joining in the fun!
Order a LifeSTORY Lifebook for your child today!
Use the
code NFPA
when
ordering
The Uninterrupted Scholars Act allows child welfare agencies to
use educational records for research studies to improve educational
outcomes for students in foster care.
• Child welfare agencies will be able to conduct studies to better
understand the unique educational needs of children and youth in foster
care and to identify policies and practices to support positive educational outcomes.
The Uninterrupted Scholars Act eliminates the need for duplicative notice to parents and the resulting delays in
transferring students’ educational records.
• Current FERPA provisions require that when there is a court order authorizing release of a child’s education
records that the parents be notified by the educational agency as well as through the court proceeding.
The bills will eliminate the need for the education agency to notify the parent again when the parent is
already a party to the court proceeding where the order about the records was issued. This will expedite
child welfare agencies’ receipt of students’ educational records.
The amendments to FERPA in the Uninterrupted Scholars Act would assist child welfare agencies to fully
implement provisions in the bipartisan Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008
that promote improved educational experiences and outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
Original cosponsors of H.R. 5871 include the founding members of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth: Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA), Tom Marino (RPA), Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Michelle Bachman (R-MN), and others. Co-sponsors of S.3472 include Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Charles Grassley
(R-IA), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, and Sens. Mark Begish (D-AK), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN) and
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The bills have been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and
Pension (HELP) Committee.
—14—
—15—
www.nfpaonline.org
NFPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
twitter@nfpaonline
President
Irene Clements
Pflugerville, TX 78660
512-670-1024
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Vice President
Sue Dondiego
Plant City, FL 33656
908-307-5196
[email protected]
Secretary
Heather Hosmer
Tracy, CA 95377
209-834-0599
[email protected]
Treasurer
Aubrey Manuel
LA, CA 90037-2902
323-846-0007
[email protected]
Member at Large
Lana Freeman
Newcastle, OK 73065-5850
405-387-5052
[email protected]
Council of State Affiliates
Pat Llewellyn
Missoula, MT 59801
406-207-9398
[email protected]
Region 1 Vice President
Dorris Marshall
Quincy, MA 02169
671-472-6325
dmmarshall131@verizonnet
Region 1 Advisor
Jean Fiorito
Rocky Hill, CT
860-258-3400
[email protected]
Antoinette Cotman
South Ozone Pk, NY 11420
917-387-0195
[email protected]
Region 2 Advisor
Sarah Gerstenzng
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-369-7363
[email protected]
Michele Burnette
California, MD 20619
240-298-5825
[email protected]
Region 3 Advisor
John Bertulis
Ellicott City, MD
410-767-7561
[email protected]
Wanda Douglas
Charlotte, NC 28269
704-599-0052
[email protected]
Region 4 Advisor
Kimberly Hernandez Tampa, FL 33625
813-956-6480
[email protected]
[email protected]
Randy Ruth
Apple Valley, MN 55124-9541
612-849-0246
Region 5 Advisor
Josh Kroll
St. Paul, MN 55114
651-644-3036 x15
Lana Freeman
405-387-5052
[email protected]
Region 6 Advisor
Terri Parsons
Austin, TX
512-438-4793
[email protected]
Pam Allen
Aurora, NE 68818
308-631-5847
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Region 7 Advisor
Cory Rathbun
Salina, Kansas
785-825-0541 x 308
Corrie Player
Cedar City, UT 84720
435-327-1096
heavenhelpusbeourbest@gmail.
com or [email protected]
Region 8 Advisor
Bonnie McNulty
Edgewater, CO 80214-1235
303-233-6216
[email protected]
Ron Clanton
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-867-9473
[email protected]
661-588-2146
Region 9 Advisor
Bobby Rufus
Bakersfield, CA 93314
Juliane Rinard
Rathdrum, ID 83858
[email protected]
Region 10 Advisor
Melody Curtiss
Tacoma, WA 98446-3503
235-232-9561
[email protected]
Implementations Chair
Randy Ruth
Burnsville, MN
612-849-0246
[email protected]
Diversity Chair
Lana Freeman
405-387-5052
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nominations Chair
Bonnie McNulty
Edgewater, CO 80214-1235
303-233-6216
[email protected]
[email protected]
Finance /Budget Chair
Jean Fiorito
Windsor Licks, CT 06096
860-258-3400
[email protected]
By Laws Chair
Peggy Kirby
Monroe, LA 71291
888-655-9564
[email protected]
Member Services Chair
LaShaun Wallace
Miramar, FL 33027
954-699-0844
[email protected]
Public Policy Chair
David Sharp
Birmingham, AL 35242
205-369-5167
[email protected]
Walk-Me-Home Cochair
Mike Canfield
Bremerton, WA 98311
360-377-1011
[email protected]
Walk-Me-Home Cochair
Buddy Hooper
Cullman, AL 35058
256-507-3273
[email protected]
[email protected]
Conference Chair
Michele Burnett
California, MD 20619
240-288-5825
Resource Development Chair
Bob Dewhurst
Birmingham, AL
205-541-5655
[email protected]
Board Development
Stacey Darbee
Apex, NC
919-367-9301
[email protected]
903-586-7103
[email protected]
Presidential Adviser
Patrick Jaggers
Houston, TX
Editor of NationalAdvocate
Carolyn Walker
Jacksonville, TX
IT & Web Master
Dennis Seger
Longmont, CO
Region 1: Connecticut / Maine /Massachusetts /Rhode Island /Vermont
Region 2: New Jersey /New York /Puerto Rico /Virgin Islands
Region 3: District of Columbia /Delaware /Maryland /Pennsylvania /
Virginia /West Virginia
Region 4: Alabama /Florida /Georgia /Kentucky /Mississippi /North Carolina /South Carolina /Tennessee
Region 5: Illinois /Indiana /Michigan /Minnesota /Ohio /Wisconsin
—16—
[email protected]
[email protected]
Region 6: Arkansas /Louisiana /Oklahoma /New Mexico /Texas
Region 7: Iowa /Kansas /Missouri /Nebraska
Region 8: Colorado /North Dakota /South Dakota /Montana /Utah /
Wyoming
Region 9: Arizona /California /Nevada /Hawaii /Guam /Samoa /Wake Island
Region 10: Alaska /Idaho /Oregon /Washington
Meet the Friends of NFPA
NFPA is proud to list our generous supporters that have joined the Friends of NFPA program.
Learn more about how to add your name to the list by becoming a Friend of NFPA!
Friend of NFPA..........Friend Level
Pamela Allen..........................Advocate Member
John Bertulis........................ Advocate Member
Michelle Champion............... Hero Member
Irene Clements...................... Hero Member
Sue Dondiego....................... Advocate Member
Jean Fiorito............................Advocate Member
Kalyani Gopal....................... Hero Member
William ‘Buddy’ Hooper....... Advocate Member
Peggy Kirby........................... Advocate Member
Bylaws Committee
Chair, Peggy Kirby
• Bylaws
• Policies & Procedures
• Board Manual
Nominations Committee
Chair, Bonnie McNulty
• Oversight of Nomination process
Budget /Finance Committee
Chair, Jean Fiorito
• Assist in development of annual budget
• Financial oversight
• Conduct Internal audit and secure external audit
• Develop relationships with philanthropic and corporate
sources
Advocacy /Public Policy Committee
Chair, David Sharp
• Advocacy & public policy at state & national levels
• Foster /adopt /kinship public policy
• National advocacy presents
• Helps maintain a roster of credible spokespersons
• Positive Statements
• NFPA Support of legislative issues
Board Development Committee
Chair, Stacey Darbee
• Board activities -training, retreats, mentoring, orientation
& recruitment of new Board members
• Identifies Board development resources, materials &
workshops
• Networking & interaction during conference
• Youth voice representation on Board of Directors
• Staff Development
• Management of NFPA grievances
Member Services
Chair, LaShaun Wallace
• Scholarships & Awards
• Identifies training, educational materials & other supports
& services needed by foster families
Pat Llewellyn......................... Advocate Member
Doris Marshall...................... Advocate Member
Mike Peterson....................... Advocate Member
Phyllis Pierce........................ Advocate Member
Corrie Lynne Player...............Advocate Member
Rob Rinard, Jr...................... Advocate Member
Dee Robinson........................ Advocate Member
David Sharp...........................Advocate Member
LaShaun Wallace ..................Hero Member
• Evaluates effectiveness of trainings & workshops
• Seeks new membership in all categories
• Seeks renewals of membership in all categories
Diversity
Chair, Lana Freeman
• Be included on other committees for specific diversity
issues
• Identifies materials, trainers, & workshops on diversity
• interact with Development Committee to bring diverse
people into leadership of NFPA
• Develop liaisons to the diversity committees
• Interact with Development & Conference committees to
include diversity topics in trainings
Implementation
Chair, Randy Ruth
• Coordinate efforts between committees
• Oversight of implementation of new programs & services
• Provide information or implementation efforts to
Executive Committee
Resource Development
Chair, Bob Dewhurst
• See opportunities for diversification of funding
• Develop new programs to benefit NFPA & Membership
• Coordinate with other committees for program
implementation
• Generate programs to increase operating income for
NFPA
Conference
Chair, Michele Burnett
• See locations for educational conferences
• Coordinate all conference activities
• Coordinate call for presenters & assign workshops
• Coordinate registration, banquets, etc.
Walk Me HOME
Cochair: Buddy Hooper
Cochair: Mike Canfield
• Assist with event planning
• Manage Walk Contracts
• Manage website donations
—17—
www.nfpaonline.org
The Need to Improve Access to Education
Records through FERPA for Child Welfare
Agencies Caring for Children
www.ambar.org/LegalCenter
twitter@nfpaonline
Lack of timely access to education records prevents the child
welfare agency from meeting requirements under federal law
to support the educational stability and success of children in
foster care.
• The Fostering Connections Act of 2008 requires that child welfare
agencies work to improve the educational experiences and outcomes
for children and youth in foster care. Federal law also requires child welfare agencies to maintain the education
records of all children in care. However, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) currently hinders
child welfare agencies in their efforts to meet the educational needs of students in foster care.

learned that Sadie has autism. By then, Sadie was unable to attend the program designed for her needs, because it
was located too far from her foster family’s home.
Curtis, a teenager in foster care, was no longer living with a foster parent. His parents’ rights had been terminated,
so they could not consent to the release of records. Because Curtis had moved between many on-site schools, no
school had his complete educational records. Curtis’ caseworker wanted to help the schools gather information
on the courses Curtis had taken so he could graduate, but she couldn’t do anything without his education records.
Because there was no parent to consent, Curtis had to go through the court system to get the records. That process
took over six months. This prevented Curtis from graduating on time.
Have a question or want to share an example of FERPA causing barriers to education success for children in foster
care? Please contact the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education at [email protected].
State level leaders from around the country have identified FERPA concerns as a major obstacle to
educational success for children in the child welfare system.
• FERPA implementation concerns were identified as a “top issue” for state leaders in education, child welfare
and court systems who were brought to Washington, D.C. in November 2011 by the Children’s Bureau in the
Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) and the Department of Education for Child Welfare, Education
and the Courts: A Collaboration to Strengthen Educational Success of Children and Youth in Foster Care. Nearly
every state team identified the need for improved data collection and information sharing and they are working to
address barriers.
• Challenges created by FERPA were also raised at the National Listening Tour by the Congressional Caucus on
Foster Youth which visited Los Angeles, California and Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in Florida earlier in
2012.
• Local and state collaborations that received discretionary grants from HHS have also identified data and
information sharing concerns as a “top issue” for their grantee sites. HHS has hosted a call to outline the
requirements and barriers of FERPA and this will be a discussion topic at the grantee in-person meeting in June
2012.
• Over the last six months, the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education has worked directly with states to
help address FERPA challenges and barriers and support better information-sharing between child welfare and
education agencies. These states include: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas,
Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Delays and confusion around access to children’s educational records undermine educational success
and opportunities for youth.
•


Delays in accessing records hinder students directly: child welfare agencies make living and school placement
decisions with incorrect or limited educational information; students are placed in inappropriate classes or schools
because of missing records; students miss school for extended periods while they wait for records to transfer so
that they can be enrolled. The following actual examples highlight some of the numerous challenges children in
foster care face on a daily basis:
When Jasmine was placed in care on an emergency basis, her mother’s whereabouts were unknown and the child
welfare agency caseworker was unable to obtain a FERPA consent from any parent. Without timely access to
the child’s education records, the caseworker could not evaluate whether it would be in Jasmine’s best interest to
remain in the same school as required under the Fostering Connections Act. Jasmine moved to the new school,
which had entirely different graduation requirements, received no credits for her coursework from the prior school,
and had to repeat some of the same classes. She fell a full year behind, and eventually dropped out of school.
Sadie was in third grade and her mother, who was incarcerated out-of-state, told the child welfare agency that
Sadie had “special education needs.” Lacking access to her education records, her caseworker had no way of
assessing Sadie’s specific educational needs. As a result, she placed Sadie with a foster family without being able
to fully consider the programs or services Sadie needed. When Sadie’s new foster mother received the records, she
—18—
Celtics Honor Massachusetts Foster Parent as ‘Heroes Among Us
A beaming family of eight walked arm in arm onto center court during the Celtics game on February 1 to be
honored as ‘Heroes Among Us.’ Diane and Timothy Henry of Worthington, Massachusetts, are foster and adoptive
parents who have fostered 35 children and adopted six over the last decade. They have also reached out to other foster
and pre-adoptive parents to offer support, and have become vocal advocates for the 7.,000 children in Massachusetts
living in foster care. ‘Some see my Dad as the guy with lots of kids,’ said daughter Mercedes. ‘Some know him as a hero
foster parent. But I know him as the Dad he didn’t have to be.’ The Celtics chose to honor the Henrys for their lifechanging impact on children’s lives. ‘The way the Henrys have opened their hearts and home to care for so many kids
is inspiring.’ said Steve Pagliuca, Boston Celtics Managing Partner and Shamrock Foundation President.
‘We are excited to honor their commitment and the work of foster parents across the state.’ The Henrys were
nominated by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) who met them through
its program offering resources and training to foster parents.
The Celtics are long-time supporters of MSPCC work to protect children.
—19—

NationalAdvocate - National Foster Parent Association

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