Black Hawk Foster & Adoptive Parent Newsletter · If you have any questions about AMP at all or would like more information, please feel free to contact me at 515-290- 9161 or via

Black Hawk Foster and Adoptive Parents, 108 Sunset Lane, Elk Run Heights, Iowa 1.888.622.4521 or 319.235.2534 www.blackhawkfosteradoptiveparents.com

.

AMP 2

Foster Families 2

Miscellaneous 3

How To Be A

Strong Foster Family

4

Training 5-6

More training 7

Black Hawk Foster & Adoptive Parent

Newsletter

Invest in Iowa’s Children….OUR FUTURE

VOLUME 16 ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 2013

November Meeting

“The Parent Partner Approach”

At our next support group meeting on Tuesday, November 12th, we will have

the privilege of hearing about the Parent Partner Approach, from the Parent Part-

ner Program Coordinator in our area, Jan Pratt. Many of you remember Jan from

her many years as a social worker and administrator with DHS. Jan recently ac-

cepted the position as coordinator and is anxious to spread the word about his

program which uses parents who have had their children removed and been suc-

cessfully reunited to support and mentor parents currently involved with DHS.

Please join us from 7-9 pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 1024 W. 8th Street,

Waterloo. Jan will also be bringing one of the current parent partners who will

share her story of being successfully reunited with her children and her new role

as mentor for parents who are currently involved in the system.

This training is approved for 2 hours of foster parent training credit.

Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Childcare will be available for children ages 0-12 years and AMP for 13– 18 years.

If you have any questions please contact Dianna Seedorff, IFAPA Peer Liaison, at 319.235.2534 or one of

our dependable co-chairs: Judith Jefferies at 319.610.1861 or Nicole Grieves at 319.939.7693.

I’ve learned that people will forget

what you said, people will

forget what you did,

but people will never forget how

you made them feel. - Maya Angleo


AMP– Achieving Maximum Potential

NEWSLETTER

INVEST IN IOWA’S CHILDREN...OUR FUTURE Page 2

Hello Everyone and HAPPY FALL!!! We have some pretty exciting things going on in AMP right now and would

love to have you involved!

AMP has partnered with Junior League. Junior League will be providing snacks for our AMP groups and will also be

helping out with meetings in the future. We are very excited to have them as a support to our AMP group! AMP will

also be working with the Cedar Falls Kiwanis group to provide needed items to youth that are in college and receiving

the Education Training Voucher. AMP youth will be able to go out and pick out items needed for these college stu-

dents. We are also collaborating with the other councils throughout the state to develop our legislative agenda for this

next year. This is a great opportunity for youth to voice their opinions and ideas to the group and continually strive to

improve the foster care and adoptive systems.

Our upcoming meetings will be:

October 22nd-Kaplan University will be presenting on how to register for college and other necessary information

November 12th-We will be having our New Member Training. The meeting will start at 6:30PM and dinner will be

provided! This will give any youth interested in AMP at all a chance to hear all about AMP and how they can get in-

volved in this wonderful group!

November 26th-We are planning to have a Thanksgiving Dinner that evening-more details to come!!!!

December 10th-This will be our last meeting for 2013. We will be having a fun activity that has yet to be deter-

mined! If you have any ideas, feel free to contact me!!

If you have any questions about AMP at all or would like more information, please feel free to contact me at 515-290-

9161 or via email at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]


Page 3 NOVEMBER 2013

Miscellaneous...

Christmas Gifts for the Children

Black Hawk Foster and Adoptive Parent Support Group is in the process of planning our annu-

al Holiday party. If you are planning on attending on December 10, 2013 and you would like

Santa to bring your child a gift; please email Dianna Seedorff at [email protected]

or call 319-235-2534 with the following information no later than November 15th.

Foster Parent’s last name

Child’s first name

Child's age

Child’s gender

Child interests

Can Foster Parents Sign?

Just as a reminder, please make sure you are NOT signing anything for a foster youth that requires a "parent or guardi-

an" signature. You are NOT the parent or the guardian of the children who are placed in foster care with you. Even if a

school, doctor's office, agency, or other professional tells you that it is OK, it is not OK. You are putting yourself at risk of

being liable if anything happens to that child. Please do not put yourself in that situation. (Signing it with your name and

"foster parent" does not release that liability. In fact, you could be opening yourself up to issues regarding confidentiali-

ty.) Protect yourself!

November is National Adoption Month

Every November, a Presidential Proclamation launches activities and celebrations to help build awareness of adoption

throughout the nation. Thousands of community organizations arrange and host programs, events, and activities to

share positive adoption stories, challenge the myths, and draw attention to the thousands of children in foster care who

are waiting for permanent families. In Iowa approximately 1,068 children are waiting in foster care to be adopted. Black

Hawk will be celebrating National Adoption Day in Waterloo on Friday, November 22 at the court house from 1-

3pm at the Black Hawk Court House. This year Iowa will celebrate eight Adoption Day events across the state.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/about/proclamations.cfm



How to Be a Strong Foster Family

Your Children Need Time Away From Foster Children

Don’t forget that your children were in our home first and need he opportunity to be your focus. This may be a concern

your children have voiced in the past.

Here are a few ideas on what to do with your children to further built your relationship with them.

Consider joining them for lunch at school.

Taking them to lunch or to get ice cream.

Go for a walk.

Cook a meal together.

Run errands.

Go for a drive.

Ride bikes together.

Read together.

Having trouble finding the time? Sometimes you have to make the time, or sneak in a few minutes here or there. How

about these ideas:

Utilize the time your foster children are in therapy or family visit to spend special alone time with your children.

Consider setting up a play date with friends for the foster children, while you spend time with your children.

Use time before bed . Stagger bedtime so that all of the children have you a few minutes to themselves to talk about

their day.

Talk with your social worker, if needed, on how best to make this time with your children happen. It will benefit your

foster family and help keep your family stronger. Most foster care social workers will be supportive of helping you

brainstorm ideas on how to fulfill this need in your family.

Adapted from Carrie Craft, your Guide to Adoption/Foster Care



In Iowa, foster parents need six hours of training annually to renew their foster care license. At least three training hours must be done in a group setting. Foster parents must complete their training two months prior to licensing date. Note: Families will no longer be granted extensions or exceptions for not getting their training credit on time. If you want to receive foster parent training credit, it is your responsibility to send your training certificates to your KidsNet licensing worker within 30 days following the training. Be sure to keep the original copy for your records. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND - With the exception of CPR, First Aid and Mandatory Reporter classes, foster par-

ents CANNOT receive training credit for any class after October 2009 that they have previously attended

and used for re-licensing.

Foster parents are mandatory reporters of child abuse. As mandatory reporters, foster parents are re-quired to complete two hours of training in child abuse identification and reporting. This training must be taken within the first year of initial licensing and every five years thereafter. CPR & FIRST AID every three years, but before the end of the third training cycle.

“On Line Training”

DHS has approved that foster parents may receive up to

3 hours foster care training credit for courses listed on

www.FosterParents.com and

www.FosterParentCollege.com. The foster parent will

read the course material, answer the test questions, and

click on submit button. A certificate will be generated im-

mediately. The certificate will need to be sent to your

licensing worker. Remember to make and keep a copy

for your records. There is a charge for these trainings.

“Mandatory Reporters Training”

The Iowa Department of Public Health has ap-

proved one online Mandatory Reporter Training

Class for foster parents to take. Foster parents will

receive 2 hours of credit for this course. The cost to

take this course is $23.95 PLEASE REMEMBER-

IFAPA promotes this online class as an additional

resource for foster parents; however, this is not con-

nected to IFAPA. For detailed instructions on how to

take this online course, visit the IFAPA website:

http://www.ifapa.org/training/

other_trainings.asp

Training Available in Black Hawk County

Need Support? Have a question?

We are here for you!

Dianna Seedorff, IFAPA Peer

Liaison

319.235.2534 or 888.622.4521

[email protected]

Patricia Smart,

DHS Licensing Worker for Black Hawk Co.

319.292.2360

[email protected]

Katie Squier,

IKN Renewal and Support Worker

319.859.3588

[email protected]

http://www.fosterparents.com/

http://www.ifapa.org/training/other_trainings.asp



More Available Training

“MANDATORY CHILD ABUSE REPORTER TRAINING”

Date: Saturday, November 2, 2013

Time: 1:30 pm—4:45 pm

Location: Country Inn & Suites, Waterloo

Training Credit 3 hours

This is the state approved Mandatory Reporter class required for foster parents to complete within the first year of licensure and

every five years thereafter.

To register contact IFAPA at 800-277-8145 ext. 1 or go to www.ifapa.org and register on the homepage.

PTSD in Children and Teens


Time: 9 am—4:30 pm

Location: Country Inn & Suites, Waterloo


This workshop will focus on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and adoles-

cents. Children, youth and families experience trauma in their lives that can have immediate and long-term effects on

their ability to function at school, in the home, and with peers. Untreated trauma can have long-lasting effects on our

mental health, and our ability to achieve success in adult life. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to identify

how different factors and trauma impact brain and emotional development and will gain increased awareness of the

signs and symptoms of PTSD in children and youth. Participants will learn and practice basic ways of helping youth in

their homes to decrease reactivity and increase trust and connection within the family and school setting. (trainer: War-

ren Phillips, PhD)

To register contact IFAPA at 800-277-8145 ext. 1 or go to www.ifapa.org and register on the homepage.



Training

CPR & FIRST AID


Time: 1:15 pm—5:30pm

Location: Waverly (to be announced)


All licensed foster homes must be certified in CPR & First Aid through a nationally recognized training or-

ganization or by an equivalent trainer within their first year or licensure and every three years thereafter. If

you are unsure when you need to have your CPR completed please contact your Iowa KidsNet support

worker.

To sign up for this training you need to fill out the form on the back of your IFAPA training schedule booklet

or contact IFAPA at 800-277-8145 ext,1.

Documents

Black Hawk Foster & Adoptive Parent Newsletter · If you have any questions about AMP at all or would like more information, please feel free to contact me at 515-290- 9161 or via