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| FOSTER CARE AUXILIARY NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2007 |
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| INSPIRATION |
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Cut not the wings of your dreams, for they are the heartbeat and the freedom of your soul.
Flavia
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| Picnic Photos Are Now Online! |
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Reminders And Important Notices!! |
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Members Only Distribution Days
November 2nd, a Friday 11am-2pm
November 3rd, a Saturday 9am-noon
November 5th, a Monday 9am-noon
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Pastry
continues to be available every Friday and Saturday during specific hours…you do need to confirm that you are coming for the pastry donation so that we can divide it evenly. Watch your email for the announcements and call or reply to the email if you can make the pick up time.
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SALE-SALE-SALE
Please come in on Friday and Saturday, November 2nd and 3rd to check out the sale in the thrift store. Buck a pound for all clothing and bedding scarves, neckties, new clothing & Christmas wear excluded.
Download the flyer HERE
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Meetings and Upcoming Events:
Pictures with Santa and a store super sale, December 15, SATURDAY
Come and get a picture taken with Santa…extras can be obtained for a small fee. Friends, Family and other visitors can obtain a picture with Santa for a small fee also. Santa will be handing out gifts to Foster Parent Auxiliary Member Kids.
Download the flyer HERE
November 15th Quarterly Meeting and Elections with Free Lifebooks and lifebook training which counts toward hours needed for foster parents. Plan on joining us in the Eckhoff Cafeteria for this fun and informative evening.
The year is coming near its end and it’s time for the Foster Care Auxiliary to elect some of our 2008 – 2010 officers. The offices of President, 2nd Vice President, and Treasurer need to be voted on at our November quarterly meeting. In addition to the present officers who have agreed to be reelected if you so choose, if you have an interest of know of anyone who has an interest in running for any of our board or chair positions, please contact our secretary, Chrysty Hodson. Also if you cannot attend the meeting, but wish to cast your vote, this can be done in writing and sent to the secretary.
Open Positions: Let us know if you are interested in filling these vacancies or serving in another capacity on the board.
Newsletter Notes: This position entails gathering information and putting it into articles for the newsletter each month.
Gifts In Kind Chairperson: This position would be responsible for regularly calling our partner stores and arranging pick ups when needed and keeping a log of donations.
Picnic Chairperson: This position has some activity throughout the year, but mainly in August and September.
In addition to our election at our Quarterly meeting on November 15 at the Eckhoff Cafeteria 7pm which will take a very short time, we will be obtaining training credit while we learn to keep our children’s records in Robbin Hattan’s designed and donated LifeBook. This LifeBook makes it really easy to keep a scrapbook for your child, and in addition to the training credit each participant will be receiving their very own LifeBook to get started with.
Download the flyer HERE
December 7th Auction and SSA Dinner for Orange County Social Services Agency Foster Parents only
February 2, Anaheim Arsenals BasketBall Game at Anaheim Convention Center 7:30 pm. The kids will get to meet the players, participate in on court activities during half time and have a great time. Members will be given a ticket for each one they sell....sell to your neighbors, friends, relatives and get enough tickets for your whole family to go for free! Everyone is welcome! Start getting your orders for tickets now!
Download the flyer HERE
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| No Cost Money For Foster Care! |
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GoodSearch
What’s up with GoodSearch? Other non profits are making $100’s and we haven’t even made $25 in the first 8 months of 2007…am I the only one using it to search the net? I know we can do better – it’s so simple to set up and use…please check it out…for the kids! And now for those who shop online there is GoodShop too!
The more people who use this site with Foster Care Auxiliary of Orange County as your chosen cause, the more money will go to those in need. So please spread the word to your friends and family.
Here's the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com
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| Other Happenings |
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Let’s Make Changes:
One of the classes I attended at the California State Care Providers Association was by Lois Raap and Regina Deihl, both lawyers who happen to be foster parents and have started LAPP (Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting). The class hoped to establish an on-going support group to continue after the training to pursue future State and Federal Bills that benefit caregivers.
Their experience is that getting change requires letters...seems an easy task for the Foster Care Auxiliary to help with, right? If you agree and want to be sent the email letters to attach your name to and send back to me if you agree with the contents, then make sure I have your email.
Just recently HR2669 that LAPP has been pushing for realized success:
On Friday, President Bush signed into law the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (HR 2669), the bill that includes the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act amendment, making it possible for teens in foster care to be adopted without losing access to college financial aid. Under this new law, youth who are adopted after their 13th birthday will not have to include their parents' income in the calculations for determining their need for financial aid.
Regina Deihl
Executive Director
Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting (LAPP)
One foster mom’s response: Can you forward this to all of our foster parents in the Auxiliary? I believe this is crucial for all of us foster parents that want to adopt older children but do not want to take resources away from them (that sometimes we might not be able to afford to give to them) In our case since we will have two boys in college at the same time, it comes as quit a relief. I'm sure there are other parents in the same boat. Thanks! Nancy
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| For Internet Access and Computer Resource Info in Anaheim: |
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For internet access and computer resource information in Anaheim , people need a library card or a computer card from the Anaheim public library, Broadway and Harbor, Anaheim , phone 714-765-1880.
They can sign up for a free email account once they get on line at g mail, or hotmail, or yahoo, or aol.
From Membership Chair, Martin Harvey
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| Baby Gear Loaner Program |
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Did you know that we have a baby gear loaner program? We have items like playpens, strollers, jogging strollers, double strollers, swings gates, mobiles, cradles, infant seats/rockers, activity gyms, jumpers, exersaucers, bassinets, carriers, potty chairs, portable cribs, sleep positioners, monitors, rocking horses, booster seats, high chairs, etc…all ready for an Auxiliary Member who is an Orange County Licensed Foster Parent with an active foster placement in need to check out. These items are available to borrow for up to six months at a time. Call to make an appointment to see what is available before you buy your next piece of baby equipment.
Download the flyer HERE
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| Let’s Keep our Babies Safe: |
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Vincent Iannelli, M.D.'s Pediatrics Blog
From Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,
Crib Recall
About one million cribs have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because the "drop-side can detach from the crib," and that can "create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants."
The recalled cribs were made by Simplicity Inc. and were sold from January 1998 through May 2007 and include the Simplicity Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery in a Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Pooh 4 in 1, and Chelsea. Also included in the recall are several cribs sold with a Graco logo, including the Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Trio, and Whitney.
Unfortunately, there have been several deaths and many more injuries because of this crib hazard. Specifically, because of the way the cribs are designed, some parents are installing the drop-side upside down (like the one in this image), causing it to eventually come off.
If you have a Simplicity or Graco crib, review the CPSC recall alert to see if you have one of the recalled cribs and to learn what you should do about it, which can include a free repair.
Even if you don't have one of these cribs, it is an important reminder to make sure that your baby's products, including her crib, car seat, swing, etc., are assembled and installed correctly.
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| Services We Offer |
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The Foster Care Auxiliary always strives to offer the most possible in ways of providing services, trainings, events, products and services to our foster families.
Presently we offer the following from our resource and distribution center:
Foster Family Friend Program
Baby Gear Loaner Program
Reading Literacy Program
Fun Family Events
Member Library
Foster Parent Training Opportunities
Scholorships
Training Opportunities
Quarterly Events
Monthly Distribution Days of new items obtained from community resources
Social Worker referral Family Program for Families in Need with new placements
Thrift Store with deeply discounted used donations
A network of foster families to ask for support and help from
A network of foster families to offer support and help to
And more
If you’d like to receive services from one of the programs, contact us!
If you’d like to volunteer to help serve on one of the programs, contact us!
And if you have ideas on other services and programs for our foster families, contact us!
See our web site, call or email for more info on any of them.
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. Talmud
I look forward to and welcome input, suggestions, and criticisms of the newsletter.
Until Next Time,
Kathy
FosterCareAux@yahoo.com
714 891-2468
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| Our Board |
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| For More Information about FCAOC: |
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Visit our web site to see the article on Natalie and her efforts to collect teddy bears for all the children at our picnic along with articles about the rate increase coming to foster parents and much more information. You might also want to join my FaceBook Page (Kathy Harvey) and join our Foster Care Auxiliary of Orange County Group where I’m trying to post information and encourage comments and views from the community.
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln
I look forward to and welcome input, suggestions, and criticisms of the newsletter.
Until Next Time, Kathy FosterCareAux@yahoo.com 714 778-3383
333 S. Brookhurst Street, Anaheim, CA 92804 phone 714-778-3383 www.fostercareaux.com
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