WHAT S YOUR BACKUP PLAN?

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1 WHAT S YOUR BACKUP PLAN? Methodist Home for Children Volume 6, Issue 1 January 2015 Parents, Have you thought about what you would do for childcare in an emergency? Do you have a backup plan if respite cannot be secured in a short time? Firstly, the circumstances of each placement is different. Make sure you are clear on who can provide childcare for your placement depending on if the child is therapeutic, traditional, and other factors. Once that has been determined, think about supports and people in your life that may be able to provide support and childcare in the event of an emergency in your life. Do you have family members, neighbors, friends, or other people that you trust? Talk to those supports and determine if they would be willing to help. We and the Department of Social Services will need to run background checks if the placement is in traditional or regular foster care. Remember that therapeutic placements require a higher level of training in their childcare providers. If you typically provide therapeutic foster care ask your supports if they would be willing to go through MAPP as a support, as opposed to a licensed facility. Identify these supports and speak with your Licensing Specialist about how to clear them to assist you in foster care in a time when you may need it the most! Who knows, they may be inspired to go through the process of licensing their own home as a facility! Thank you for your attention to this matter! st QUARTER TRAININGS: RALEIGH: In-Service on Relationship Building: Monday March 16th from 6-8:30pm GREENVILLE: In-Service on Relationship Building: Monday February 2nd from 6-8:30pm Safety Day (First-Aid/ CPR/Bloodborne Pathogens/Medication Administration: Saturday February 7th from 9am-4pm Non-Violent Crisis Intervention: Saturday February 28th from 9am -4pm

2 Families, Do you like us? In the coming weeks you will notice regular information about our foster care program on Facebook. Please like us so you can get updates on recruitment, upcoming information sessions and MAPP classes, videos, and featurettes on current families. We are going to make a big recruitment push to find more families like you, so please share MHFC information with your friends interested in joining our foster family. OPOur If you know anyone interested, please refer them to your Licensing Specialist. Remember our foster parents are our best recruiters and there is a $150 referral bonus if your referral completes the licensing process. Page 2 Newsletter

3 Licensing and Foster Care Reminders: GENERAL REMINDERS FROM THE FOSTER CARE TEAM Relicenses Please remember that your license requires renewal, or relicense every two years. Your Licensing Specialist will send you a relicense packet five months before your license expires. You will then have three months to complete the paperwork which includes a new fire inspection, background checks, and new physicals for all household members. It is VERY important that you have your relicense packet ready AT LEAST two months before your license expiration date. Work with and communicate with your Licensing Specialist to ensure you meet this deadline. If you do not complete your relicense packet in time your license will lapse and your placements COULD BE IN JEOPARDY! Incident Reporting: Thank you to everyone that reports incidents in a timely manner. Please remember to report incidents to your Foster Care Specialist immediately. All incidents must be reported to the State promptly and it starts with your report. The following incidents need to be reported immediately: run away, self harm, suicidal ideation or gesture, contact with police, hospital visit, injury to foster parent or client, unauthorized contact with parent or friend that the youth is court ordered to have no contact, verbal or physical aggression, suspensions from school or community programs, inappropriate sexual activity, drug use, contraband, medication error, and medication refusal. Respite Respite: Please remember that in non-emergency situations to request respite to give your Specialist with a two week notice. This will give our team and the parent providing respite an appropriate amount of time to prepare. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

4 Happy 2015! Want to Make Some Changes? A new year can be a great time to make some resolutions. Help the children in your life make some resolutions of their own. Here are some suggestions for healthy New Year s resolutions for kids from the American Association of Pediatrics: Younger kids: I will clean up my room and put away my toys I will talk to a trusted adult if I need help or am scared I will be nice to other kids I will keep my fingers out of my mouth and brush my teeth Pre-teens: I will find an activity that I like and practice it three times a week I will be friendly to other kids and include them I will never encourage or participate in bullying I will follow household rules for video games and the internet I will talk to a trusted adult if I m having issues Teenagers: I will do my best to eat healthy I will exercise regularly in an enjoyable form or fashion I will help out in my community I will follow safety rules on the internet When faced with a difficult decision I will talk to an adult I trust I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol I will not text and drive I will be careful in whom I date and treat that person with respect. I will expect the same treatment for myself

5 LIGHTHOUSE CERTIFICATION JANUARY UPDATE: Our Foster Care Team is in the midst of the Lighthouse Certification Program with select Foster Parents. The Lighthouse Certification Program is a means to formally recognize the personal and professional achievements of Foster Parents as they seek to provide effective quality services to youth and families. A Foster Parent s investment in the program provides additional training and workshop opportunities, an engraved plaque, a customized polo shirt, a shoutout in the Newsletter, and more! We take a great deal of pride in effective Foster Parents that proudly represent Methodist Home for Children and that work hard to create the leaders of tomorrow. Continue practicing role plays with your family so we can certify more homes in 2015! Currently Certified Families: Thad & Lois Hodge, James & Carolyn Stephenson, Russell & Susie Fleming, Eric & Angel Allgrim, Julius & Ella Henry, and Dontrieze & Starsheema Chapman. We are in the process of certifying four more families. Through one lighthouse, you can guide many ships.

6 Methodist Home for Children 1041 Washington Street Raleigh, NC Phone: Fax: "In service to God, our mission is to build upon the social, physical, emotional, and spiritual strengths of children, youth, and families, and to affirm their worth." NEW!!! Foster Parents of the Quarter Recognition: CONGRATULATIONS to: Bettie Allen of Ayden AND Tyson Robertson & Asia Gray-Battle of Raleigh These two families have been recognized as our FOSTER PARENTS of the QUARTER! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO! Monday January 19th is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Please welcome new Raleigh Foster Care Specialist Tamikca Styles to the team! Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate can not drive out hate, only love can do that. We all look forward to working with you!