2009 AnnuAl RepoRt

Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime
2009
Annual
Re p or t
FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of
tHE CALL
(LEFT TO RIGHT) SHAY SINGLETON, dcfs liaison to the call; kim black, family
support specialist; lauri currier, communications coordinator; and
mary carol pederson, executive director
Wow, God is up to something big. He has opened up a continuing waterfall of response
FROM THE
DIRECTOR OF Arkansas dhs’
DIVISION OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILY SERVICES
During the state’s 2009
fiscal year, 4,198 children entered the Arkansas foster care
to the CALL that is nothing short of miraculous. Almost daily, I receive emails from additional Christian
system. The majority of them entered the system as a result of abuse and neglect. At any given point
volunteers who want to launch the CALL in their county! The CALL is God’s idea, clearly mandated in
during the year, we have approximately 3,856 children in care, and there are currently 1,077 foster
scripture, for His people to help solve the “orphan” crisis in foster care in Arkansas.
homes open to care for them.
In 2009, the CALL went from being in Pulaski, Lonoke and Ouachita Counties, to being launched in
Partnering with The CALL over the last three years has helped DCFS begin to meet the critical
a total of 13 counties by the end of the year. This was beyond our most aggressive plans – “beyond
placement needs of the children who enter foster care. Due to the recruitment efforts of The CALL, our
all we could ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20). This growth happens because Christian volunteers in multi-
partnership has made it possible for more children to be placed in quality loving homes. The majority
denominational steering committees work together with their churches and local state agency workers
of children, when removed, adjust better in a home setting with a family structure. For this reason,
to put the volunteers and relationships in place to recruit, train and support enough foster and adoptive
more homes are necessary to meet the needs of our children. It is our hope to spread The CALL
families for the children in foster care in their counties. We are also sharing our successful model with
statewide to help us continue our important foster and adoptive parent recruitment efforts.
government and Christian groups in other states. All glory be to God for what He is doing in mobilizing
His churches to care for His children in foster care!
I look forward to our continued partnership with The CALL. Together we have made a difference in
many children’s lives, and we will continue to make a difference – one child and one family at a time.
In Pulaski County, the county with the greatest number of children in foster care, there is still much
Our partnership reflects the care and commitment we have for children and families, and it allows us
to be done. We need to partner with a greater number of churches, and especially to a greater extent
to connect families to the services that best meet their individualized needs so the family can become
with the African-American church community.
stronger, healthier and self-sustaining.
Moving forward, our key need is additional funding, so that we can put into place the statewidefocused staff to support all of these various county efforts. These groups need additional assistance as
We appreciate The CALL and the concern and love shown to our children and families. Again, we
look forward to our continued partnership and all the new things to come.
they put together something that has never been done before in their area – a cooperative partnership
with the state agency working closely together to recruit, train and support the needed foster and
Sincerely,
adoptive parents. These additional staff would allow existing staff to have a laser-like focus on the
needs of Pulaski County.
Would you consider joining with us to a greater extent financially, so that we can be a good steward
of this amazing opportunity that God is putting before us? Through the CALL, Christians are opening
Cecile Blucker
their own homes to show God’s unconditional love to hundreds of “orphans” in foster care– let’s make
it thousands!
One Child at a Time,
cecile blucker, DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS DHS’ DIVISION OF CHILDREN
AND FAMILY SERVICES
Mary Carol Pederson
2009 CALL Board of Directors
2009 Ex-Officio Board Members
Treeca Dyer-Cotton, Board
Chair Dependency/Neglect
Attorney Ad Litem
Gary McGhee
President
Serv-Atron
Larry Page
Executive Director
Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council
Paul Chapman
Pastor – Local & Global Mission
Fellowship Bible Church
Mark Leggett
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty
Pat Page
Director, Retired
DCFS
Claborne Gillespie
Minister – External Focus
Second Baptist on Barrow
Jim Miles, Treasurer
President
Covenant Medical Benefits
Alicen Bennett
DCFS Liaison to The CALL
AR Foster Care Recruitment
and Retention
Cecile Blucker
Director
DCFS
Lisa McGee
Deputy Counsel for County
Legal Operations
Office of Chief Counsel
Mary Carol Pederson
Executive Director
The CALL
SALUTE OUR
VOLUNTEERS
The CALL is blessed with a host of volunteers who assist our staff with recruiting, training and
equipping Christians to care for the fatherless. Their work allows us to stretch our resources
as far as they can go. Here, we are putting the spotlight on a few special people who have
gone the extra mile during 2009. This small group represents a huge army of Christian foot
soldiers who are doing the hard work. To all of our CALL volunteers, thank you for your
service. We salute you!
Keith Jones’
Focus on a
foster family
heart was stirred when he saw The CALL’s video at church. He said yes to God’s
invitation to serve by using his gifting as a volunteer trainer. According to Keith, “We truly experience
our spiritual gifts when we use them for God’s greater purpose. I consider it an incredible blessing to
Michael and Jill Delon took the first step on their foster care journey in February 2008.
Tim and Dana Thomas knew right away that God wanted to use them in a special way
“We felt the Lord leading us in this direction, and that was confirmed at the Information Meeting
to support The CALL. He revealed His purpose when Dana heard about foster parents who spent one
we attended,” Michael said. After persevering through the certification process, the Delon’s home
monthly stipend on prom dresses. Dana immediately thought, “I have prom dresses hanging in my
opened as a foster home. They took in a two-month-old African-American girl, now two years old,
and are thrilled that she is now a part of their forever family. They are also currently fostering a
15-year-old girl and her 5-month-old child. “The blessings that our family has received from fostering
are too numerous to mention,” Michael said. “I can only imagine what the Lord will do in the lives of
Michelle Douglas has been The CALL’s Training Coordinator since 2007, preparing for and
managing all the details of our monthly PRIDE trainings. She is making a huge investment in our
our children as they have families of their own one day. We have been changed forever simply by
answering the call.”
families and our ministry, and she says, “Volunteering for the CALL and knowing that I am making a
Ronetha Taylor
learned about the needs of abused and neglected children in foster care as a
DHS attorney. To make a difference in their lives, she became a CALL Church Rep. She’s also a member
of the Recruitment Commitee where she serves as a liaison to African American churches. “The CALL
enables me to fulfill a God-given desire to help children in foster care,” says Ronetha.
ALL ABOUT
ADOPTION
Sharen Wahlfeld brings a can-do spirit to her work as the CALL’s volunteer financial secretary!
She is highly organized and meticulous about her work. Her exceptional talent and commitment to The
Beth Petz,
a licensed clinical social worker, trains and completes home studies for families
Ron and Rebecca Brown
had been considering adoption for a long time but were
recruited by The CALL. She enjoys identifying and affirming the strengths that foster and adoptive
uncertain about the process. In October 2007, they attended a CALL Information Meeting to start the
families will use in ministry to the children they serve. Beth shares, “I love working with CALL families
ball rolling. As they completed the certification process, their son Justin dreamed of finding a family
who are joining together in obedience to God’s directive to care for orphans.”
to call his own forever. Justin had been in numerous foster homes during his time in foster care.
When the big day finally came for the Browns to meet him, they immediately knew they were a perfect
match. Becky said, “We saw a child full of life, charm, and potential who needed a mommy and daddy
Brian and Jenny Kubacak have faithfully served foster and adoptive families as Support
Group Leaders since 2007. After seeing The CALL’s video, they clearly knew how they could help.
According to Brian, “With our experience working with children at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, we
to love him, and we knew God had placed him in our lives forever.” Justin is thriving in their home, and
Ron and Becky are so proud him. “What would life be like for these children without the CALL?” Ron
wondered. “I don’t want to even imagine the answer.”
$162,404
CONTRIBUTIONS
CHURCHES
Special THANKS
43%
$69,650
INDIVIDUALS
41%
$65,833
companies
13%
$19,940
foundationS
3%
$5,150
other
1%
$1,831
$138,460
EXPENSEs
Program support & Continuing education
78%
$108,108
administrative
14%
$19,923
Recruitment
3%
$4,379
training
3%
$4,801
Fundraising
2%
$2,261
BY The NUMBERS
6
Adoptions Finalized by
CALL Families in 2009
130
8
adoptions pending
by CALL families
103
N e w f o s t e r , ad o pt i v e ,
or Respite Care
Fam i l i e s r e c r u i t e d
( P ack e t s t u r n e d i n )
$750
in Donations
needed per
child placed
with a CALL family
10 TRAININGS
46
new foster,
adoptive and
respite care
families
11
Children
Placed with
CALL Foster
or Adoptive
Families
Information Meetings for New Volunteers and
Prospective Foster, Adoptive and Respite Care
Families
92 Families
Trained for Foster,
Adoption and
Respite Care
195
Couples/Singles who
attended a CALL Info
Meeting
We would like to recognize The Nehemiah Group and the many associated churches for designating the gifts given during the 2009 Sharefest Love Offering to The CALL.
Champions (Giving of $1,000 or more)
Braswell & Sons and
Douglas and Camille Braswell
Bruce and Gena Brown
Aaron and Karen Black
Hunter and Megan Carpenter
Rodney and Vicki Dardenne
Discount Imaging Franchise Corporation
and Darin and Kari Shea
Keith and Joni Englin
Max and Patti Ferguson
Gary and Marley Jones
Leonard and Polly Mano
Gary and Phyllis McGhee
Helen Nugent
Scott and Lisa Paden
Jason and Amy Smith
David and Caryl Watson
Dennis and Kris Cooper
David and Rebecca Cranford
Rodney and Vicki Dardenne
Gerald and Angela Driskill
Richard and Kristi Eckerd
Keith and Joni Englin
Max and Patti Ferguson
Butch and Gina Floyd
Jason and Steffanie Fowler
Terry and Jean Harville
Bill and Donna Head
Brett J. and Jamie Holiman
Randa Hull
Tom and Catherine Janosky
Casey Jones
Gary and Marley Jones
William and Janell Keith
Mark and Tiffany Knight
Dave and Christina Madsen
Leonard and Polly Mano
Stacey McBryde
Gary and Phyllis McGhee
Charles and Doris Mixon
Helen Nugent
Scott and Lisa Paden
Pat Bailey Page
Bill and Ann Parkinson
Bruce and Johnnie Patterson
Jason and Mary Carol Pederson
James and Kim Poteat
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Blake and Alice Scheer
Darin and Kari Shea
Jason and Amy Smith
Jeff and Leslie Smith
Joey and Debbie Smith
Dawn Steppach
Michael R. Styduhar
David and Caryl Watson
Blakeley Chapman
Chick-fil-A at Pleasant Ridge Town Center
Chick-fil-A at Park Plaza
Bryan and Sharon Christian
Robert and Lindsay Coon
Jeffrey and Elizabeth Covay
John and Karen Crowley
Phillip and Lauri Currier
Jonnathan and Kristen Davis
Jeanette Donahue
William and Nena Farris
Chad and Ronni Fellers
John and Karen Festa
Michael and Melissa Fugett
Waldemar and Vera Grafals
Douglas and Kelli Greenwood
Terri Hardy
Casey and Kibo Hyman
Jennifer K. Jenkins
John and Martha Ann Kooistra
Mark and Lisa Leggett
Gary and Nancy LeMaster
Margaret Leveille
Randy and Brett Likens
John and Julie Majors
Stephen and Roxanne Maloy
Ronald and Terri Lynn Martin
Don McClure
Kimberly McDonald
Elizabeth McGee
Frederick and Carol Meadors
Jeffrey and Stacey Moore
Everett Munsell
George and Cindy Murphy
Brad and Stephanie Newcomb
Tim and Kerri Osterholm
Bob and Marty Paine
Dorothy Payne
Joe and Kerry Pere’
Gary Phillips
Russell and Cheryl Rainey
John and Tina Santoro
Tracy and Marianne Shelton
Daryl and Jody Smith
Christy Snell
Stephen D and Jill M. Snyder
John and Anita K. Stafford
Rebecca M. Stalcup
Tyler and Annie Turchi
Finley and Erica Vinson
Chris and Ashley Wadsworth
Darin and Connie Wagner
Frank and Betty Walker
Kathy Weiler
Kevin and Jennifer Wilcox
Toss Worthington
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church
Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic
Church
Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church
Second Baptist Church on Barrow
The Church at Rock Creek
The City Church
St. James United Methodist Church
Second Baptist Church on Barrow
The Summit Church
Founding Families
Joel and Ann Anderson, Jr.
Garrard Beeney
Aaron and Karen Black
Ross and Taya Black
Bruce and Gena Brown
Charlie and Abby Buchanan
Candace Caldwell
Hunter and Megan Carpenter
Brian and Dawne Carroll
Laura Challenger
Paul and Lori Chapman
Stan and Robbie Chapman
Sheryl Colclough
SUPPORTERS
Alan and Suzanna Abston
Anonymous
Katherine Anthony
W. W. and Sharon Arnold
John and Eva Bailey
Bob Baine
Shaun and Justine Baker
Victoria, Abigail, Julia, and Joshua
Barham
Brandon and Julie Barnard
Freddy and Sharyon Beck
Danny and Mary Bennett
Aaron and Karen Black
Ross and Taya Black
Kaitlyn Brown
David and Becky Bruns
Burnett Insurance Corporation
Paul Cafferty
CDP Strategies, LLC
Church FINANCIAL Partners
Christ the King Catholic Church
Fellowship Bible Church
Fellowship North
LOVE OFFERINGS
Cedar Heights Baptist Church
Trinity United Methodist Church
Corporations, Foundations and other special gifts
Bass Ice LLC
Bryan P. Christian, P.A., Attorney at Law
Discount Imaging Franchise Corporation
Huffman Drywall Company
Network for Good
PPS, Inc.
Braswell and Son Fine and Estate Jewelry
The Robert C. Englin Foundation
Discount Imaging and
Darin and Kari Shea
KHKN 94.9 TOM FM
KHLR 106.7 Hallelujah FM
KAAY 1090 AM
KABZ 103.7 The Buzz FM
KARN AM 920
KARN FM 102.9
KBDO 91.7 FM American Family Radio
KIPR Power 92 Jams
KLAL Alice @ 107.7
KMJX 105.1 The Eagle FM
KPPT The Point 94.1 FM
KRZK AM Power 92 Jams
KSSN 96 FM
KURB B98.5
Mano Law Firm
and Randy and Georgia Mano
Manatt Webb
and Steve Manatt
PC Rental and Repair Services
Soundscapes Creative Audio
The Sells Agency
and Mike and Bari Sells
In honor of the Uhland Family by
Lisa McGee
In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Munsell
by Everett Munsell
In honor of Lisa McGee by George and
Cindy Murphy
GIFTS IN KIND
Braswell and Son Fine and Estate Jewelry
Douglas and Camille Braswell
Chenal Restoration and
Phillip and Lauri Currier
Chick-fil-A and
Bob and Marty Paine
Covenant Medical Benefits and
Jim Miles
honor/memorial gifts
In memory of Cecil Bordeaux by
Lisa McGee
DESIGNED BY THE SELLS AGENCY
Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime
Our Mission
To educate, equip, and encourage the Christian community to provide
a future and a hope for children in foster care in Arkansas.
Our Vision
No waiting children in foster care in Arkansas.
The CALL involves an unprecedented collaboration between the Department of Human Services’ Division of Children and Family Services and Arkansas Christian churches.
Our STRATEGY
Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime
Little Rock, Arkansas 72221-5524
P.O. Box 25524
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Little Rock, AR
Permit No. 270