FIRST HOME CARE Spring Newsletter 2013

FIRST HOME CARE
Spring Newsletter
2013
Dear foster parents,
Table of Contents
May is national foster care
month. We want to thank
each and every one of you
for all that you do! Your
job is tough and we hope
that you take this time to
reflect on what brought
you to do foster care in the
first place and recognize
the impact you’ve had on
the children.
~Parent training dept
Trainings…………………..2
Camps……………………….3
Article “What fostering
teens has taught me”....4
Cooking Corner…………5
Birthdays and
Anniversaries…………….6
Trainer contact info…..7
AMF free bowling……...8
FHC Trainings –Roanoke
Please remember to RSVP to Ms. Donna at 265-2380 ext. 201
whether you need child care or not.
MAY
5/4
“Foster Parent Appreciation BBQ” 11:00am - 2:00p.m.
5/14 “Foster Parent Support Group” 6:00pm - 7:30pm
JUNE
6/11 “Understanding Reactive Attachment Disorder” by Sara Jennings
9:30am - 11:30am (FHC Office; no childcare)
6:00pm - 8:00pm (BRAAC; Childcare provided)
6/24 “Mom’s Lunch and Learn by Sabrina
12:00pm @ Famous Anthony’s on Williamson Rd.
JULY
7/9 “Foster Parent Support Group” 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
7/23 “Bullying” by Reesa Moore
9:30am - 11:30am (FHC Office; no childcare)
6:00pm - 8:00pm (BRAAC; Childcare provided)
Checkout First Home Care’s new Facebook page for reminders
and updates on trainings. Refer a friend to our Facebook page to
learn more about becoming a foster parent. FHC is still offering
a $400 referral bonus to foster parents that refer a new family
who completes the home approval process!
All parents must call by 4pm on the day before each training session to
register. Please call Ms. Donna at 265-2380 ext. 201
Camp AuSome offers a day-camp experience for school-aged children and youth with a
diagnosis of High-Functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome in the Roanoke Valley
region.
Social skills expansion, problem-solving experiences, team-building and daily living skills
will be part of the AuSome experience, with emphasis on fun, creativity and exploration.
Camp takes place during the weeks of: July 8th-July 25th
Mondays-Thursdays ~ 9:00AM-3:00PM.
The cost is $1,200 for all 3 weeks. Scholarships are available!*
Camp AuSome activities include:
~Swimming~
~Arts/Crafts~
~Daily Puzzle/Mystery~
~Hiking/Fishing/Exploring Flora/Fauna~
~Indoor Gym Activities~
~Therapeutic Riding and/or Stable Chores~
~Field and/or Indoor Games~
~Community Trips~
Camp Groups
By Grades
Primary: K-2
Elementary: 3-5
Middle: 6-8
High: 9-12
Each week supports a unique theme. Ideas and skills learned in the previous weeks will be highlighted to create a cumulative effect, emphasizing interactions between and among self, family,
friends and community . Problem-solving challenges and activities allow Counselors to serve as facilitators for problem-solving challenges and state the objective, while campers come up with the
“problem/s” as well as the “answer/s”. Sub-sets of campers determine individual group member
responsibilities and how the objective will be accomplished before an activity begins, and then will
engage in helping one another throughout the activity and debriefing.
Special visitors, field trips and activities also support AuSome themes.
A packed lunch from home is eaten as a large group,
with optional small group picnics. Daily snacks are provided.
Each week, a group will prepare a meal or snack for the entire camp.
Every day begins with a preview of activities, and all campers will have daily “map” schedules. Every
day ends with a review and campers offer news of their day. Positive feedback is shared about each
camper, so that everyone goes home with something to celebrate!
Registration begins on April 2 ~ *Scholarship application FIRM DEADLINE is May 17.
For more information/application forms for camp and scholarships:
Please call Tammie at 540-366-7399.
What Fostering Teens Has Taught Me
by Janier Caban- Hernandez
If you asked six years ago if I wanted to be a foster dad, I would have said, “NO way Jose!”
Being a single, Latino male I had no idea what I could offer a child, especially as I generally
don’t like little kids. As I was going through the PRIDE (Parent Resource for Information,
Development, Education) classes, I became increasingly nervous
as I learned more and more about the needs of these children.
Could I deliver, am I ready and what about the “what ifs”…?
I was ready to speak to the trainer and drop out, until I befriended four Latino foster teenagers who lived in another foster
home. After raiding my refrigerator and asking me to cook them
Puerto Rican food, they encouraged me to become a foster father
as “there aren’t any Latino men.” All the teens that come to my
home are Latinos because from the start, we have something in common: a cultural connection and understanding of the importance of “familia” (family), “respecto”(respect) and
“confianza” (“trust”).
Little kids always drove me crazy, but teenagers are an age group that I can talk and negotiate with. What I have learned about living with teenagers, I learned by attending postlicensing training, participating in roundtable discussions with other foster parents and foster
teenagers and mostly by talking with the boys in my house (…and at times, “therapeutic yelling” helps!).
I tell the boys that come to my home that:
1.You don’t earn my respect or trust, you only lose it.
2.When you get me upset, you’ll be the first to know and when I get you upset, I want to be
the first to know.
3.I’ll make mistakes, so help me out.
4.Help me understand how to use my cell phone, please!
5.Being courteous is never old fashioned.
6.Women like to be respected and not treated as “one of the boys.”
7.I’ll cook dinner, but you clean up.
8.As we need to communicate, I’ll get you a cell phone and pay half the bill, you pay the
other half with your chore money.
9.Your education is NOT an option, you HAVE to go to school and if you need school related items, I’ll get it.
10.You’ll get $10 for every “A” grade.
11.Don’t tell me you are proud of being a Puertorriqueño, show me by your actions and
deeds.
My boys are part of my family. Some have moved out but we still contact each other and
when they need help, they know they can call me. Now that I co-facilitate PRIDE classes and
open houses, I challenge the participants to consider teenagers, as there is such a need for
them to be welcomed to a nurturing and supportive foster home. After all, those cute little
kids eventually become teenagers!
Cooking Corner
It’s an
exciting
time
here
at
FHC,
and I am so fortunate to work with such a
committed group of people. We have
wonderful tenured staff willing to go above and beyond; we have
Shortcut Vegetable
Lasagna
Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) curly egg noodles

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen assorted vegetables, thawed

1 jar (16 ounces) chunky marinara sauce
amazing experienced foster parents whose
dedication has not waivered; and we have a set
of new foster parents that bring a heartfelt de-
Make It
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 2-quart casserole dish with
cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Drain noodles; rinse under cold water.
2. While noodles are cooking, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and vegetables.
3. In large bowl, mix noodles, marinara sauce, and reserved cooking
liquid. Place 3 cups noodle mixture in casserole dish. Spread ricotta
mixture over noodles. Top with remaining noodles and sprinkle with
remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
sire to become caretakers
for our at risk youth.
This
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving:
cal.(kcal): 384
Fat, total(g): 15
carb.(g): 43
fiber(g): 4
protein(g): 23,
Percent Daily Values are
based on a 2,000 calorie
diet.
MAY
L. Cooper
M. Akers
B. Patterson
JUNE
S. Warren
S. Gentilini
D. English
K. Green
C. Whitley
R. Anderson
D. Green
L. Johnson
6/6
6/7
6/10
6/13
6/16
6/21
6/23
6/22
1 year
The Gentilini’s
6/8
2 years
The Patterson’s
A. Martin
M. & M. Johnson
5/10
5/20
6/2
3 years
C. Johnson
5/20
4 years
P. Cabbler
B. Morgan
5/11
5/29
5 years
D. Robinson
6/25
5/15
5/19
5/24
We’re here to help!
On-Call Weekend/
Holiday Numbers
520-8512—Caseworker
494-0366—-Supervisor
Summer fun is just around the corner, and so are we. Sign-up for Summer
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