Today is the last day of May and the last day of National Foster Care Month. I hope if you followed along you got some good ideas of how you can support the foster care system, no matter where you are in life.
My very last tip for you is - Ask. If you desire to meet a need of the foster care system call up an agency, CPS or a foster home and just ask how you can help. It's as simple as that.
I'm sure there are plenty of ways people can help that I didn't cover, if you have an idea I'd love to hear it!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 29 & 30
I'm cheating here a little bit, but when I wrote out the list I put day 29 and day 30 separate. Now that I look at the list it seems like they could be put together for basically the same thing. So I'm going to write them together and call it good :)
I remember sitting in McDonalds one day when we had our first foster placement. We were there having a sibling visit with his sister. I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me, and like most of my conversations with strangers, we ended up talking about foster care and adoption. The lady said she was interested in "adopting" a youth that has aged out of care. One that has aged out and started their adult life with no family support. She wanted to give them a place to go for Christmas and holidays. A place to take their children, once they had them. The conversation really hit something in me. I remember calling our agency the next week and expressing interest in doing the same thing. They weren't sure there was any program in place to do such a thing. I still have yet to hear about a program like this in Texas and to be honest, after 2 adoptions and 16 foster kids it's kind of gone on the back burner. I do however still pray God would open up this opportunity for us. And I pray more people will open their homes to youth who have or are about to age out of care. Either by legally adopting a youth that DESIRES to be adopted (tip 29) or making a Permanency Pact with them (tip 30). Can you imagine how disappointing it must be for teens who so want a family to age out of care without one? It's not the same as fostering a teen who is angry with the system - these kids WANT a family.
Let me tell you some facts about youth that age out of foster care -
If you are not able to legally adopt a child who has aged out of care, a Permanency Pact may be a very good alternative.
Granted, neither of these options are "easy". But why not? Why not bring a youth into your life that so desires a relationship? We're not talking here about a youth who is angry they have to be in your home, or who is going to be disruptive. They are choosing you as much as you are choosing them!
I really could go on and on on this subject... it's something that is so dear to my heart and that I hope to be part of the solution one day. I pray God opens your hearts to these kids. I pray each and every one finds a family. Could you be that family?
Here is a link that has more information about a Permanency Pact and how to make one -
http://www.fosterclub.com/files/PermPact.pdf
I remember sitting in McDonalds one day when we had our first foster placement. We were there having a sibling visit with his sister. I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me, and like most of my conversations with strangers, we ended up talking about foster care and adoption. The lady said she was interested in "adopting" a youth that has aged out of care. One that has aged out and started their adult life with no family support. She wanted to give them a place to go for Christmas and holidays. A place to take their children, once they had them. The conversation really hit something in me. I remember calling our agency the next week and expressing interest in doing the same thing. They weren't sure there was any program in place to do such a thing. I still have yet to hear about a program like this in Texas and to be honest, after 2 adoptions and 16 foster kids it's kind of gone on the back burner. I do however still pray God would open up this opportunity for us. And I pray more people will open their homes to youth who have or are about to age out of care. Either by legally adopting a youth that DESIRES to be adopted (tip 29) or making a Permanency Pact with them (tip 30). Can you imagine how disappointing it must be for teens who so want a family to age out of care without one? It's not the same as fostering a teen who is angry with the system - these kids WANT a family.
Let me tell you some facts about youth that age out of foster care -
- Each year, approximately 20,000 of the 542,000 children in foster care nationwide are discharged to live on their own.
- Five percent of these, or approximately 1,100 young adults, are discharged to fend for themselves in New York City.
- I once heard that 75% of New York City's homeless was at one point in the foster care system
- 70 percent of California prison inmates have spent time in the foster-care system.
- According to studies of young people discharged to themselves in different states: 12-30 percent struggled with homelessness; 40-63 percent did not complete high school;
- 25-55 percent were unemployed; those employed had average earnings below the poverty level, and only 38 percent of those employed were still working after one year;
- 30-62 percent had trouble accessing health care due to inadequate finances or lack of insurance;
- 32-40 percent were forced to rely on some form of public assistance and 50 percent experienced extreme financial hardship;
- 31-42 percent were arrested;
- 18-26 percent were incarcerated;
- 40-60 percent of the young women were pregnant within 12-18 months of leaving foster care. (Where the cycle continues. Our Fancy Pants birth mother was pregnant within a year of leaving foster care. Within 6 months of her birth Fancy Pants was a foster child herself.)
I could continue these very sad statistics, but I think you get the picture. I truly believe that by helping these children you are helping the future of America.
So what is a Permanency Pact? A pledge by a supportive adult to provide specific supports to a young person in foster care with a goal of establishing a lifelong, kin-like relationship. A Permanency Pact does not necessarily mean they will move in with you. The idea of this pact is SUPPORT in ways you can. You decide what ways you are able to support these young adults and you promise them this support throughout their lifetime.
If you are not able to legally adopt a child who has aged out of care, a Permanency Pact may be a very good alternative.
Granted, neither of these options are "easy". But why not? Why not bring a youth into your life that so desires a relationship? We're not talking here about a youth who is angry they have to be in your home, or who is going to be disruptive. They are choosing you as much as you are choosing them!
I really could go on and on on this subject... it's something that is so dear to my heart and that I hope to be part of the solution one day. I pray God opens your hearts to these kids. I pray each and every one finds a family. Could you be that family?
Here is a link that has more information about a Permanency Pact and how to make one -
http://www.fosterclub.com/files/PermPact.pdf
The statistics above were taken from the following articles -
Saturday, May 28, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 28
Day 28: Send a care package to a youth who has aged out of care and gone to college
So yesterday one of our high schools in town had their graduation, another has theirs today. Graduation is such a proud time for parents! And of course for students who just worked hard the last 13 years (if they went to Kindergarten) and are finally finished with their mandatory education.
Now think about those youth who don't have a supportive family to come to graduation with them. I know the majority of foster homes are supportive and would go cheer on those youth. However, not having family they may have grown up with for most of their lives there must be emotional and hard.
In a few weeks most of these proud parents will pack up their cars, maybe a little u Haul trailer and take their kids off to college. In our state if you've aged out of foster care you get to attend college for free! It's a bitter sweet thing for parents to send their kids off to college. Some kids who have aged out may not have the help of a parent to get settled in.
And the may not get those much looked forward to care packages college students seem to like so much. Some will still have the support of previous foster parents, however many will not. As mail and packages come for the other students, even though they are out of foster care... this can be another reminder of how different their life growing up was to those around them.
Call your local CPS and ask them to be matched up with someone who has aged out of care and wants to receive care packages. If they don't have a program like this, ask if they can make one or find someone. If they aren't helpful, ask for someone who has more authority in the department. Or ask around, have friends ask friends... someone is bound to know someone in this situation! Or call you local college and ask them. They may have to ask the student's permission to give you their info but do what it takes to make sure it gets done if this is a way you feel you can help!
So yesterday one of our high schools in town had their graduation, another has theirs today. Graduation is such a proud time for parents! And of course for students who just worked hard the last 13 years (if they went to Kindergarten) and are finally finished with their mandatory education.
Now think about those youth who don't have a supportive family to come to graduation with them. I know the majority of foster homes are supportive and would go cheer on those youth. However, not having family they may have grown up with for most of their lives there must be emotional and hard.
In a few weeks most of these proud parents will pack up their cars, maybe a little u Haul trailer and take their kids off to college. In our state if you've aged out of foster care you get to attend college for free! It's a bitter sweet thing for parents to send their kids off to college. Some kids who have aged out may not have the help of a parent to get settled in.
And the may not get those much looked forward to care packages college students seem to like so much. Some will still have the support of previous foster parents, however many will not. As mail and packages come for the other students, even though they are out of foster care... this can be another reminder of how different their life growing up was to those around them.
Call your local CPS and ask them to be matched up with someone who has aged out of care and wants to receive care packages. If they don't have a program like this, ask if they can make one or find someone. If they aren't helpful, ask for someone who has more authority in the department. Or ask around, have friends ask friends... someone is bound to know someone in this situation! Or call you local college and ask them. They may have to ask the student's permission to give you their info but do what it takes to make sure it gets done if this is a way you feel you can help!
Friday, May 27, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 27
I can't believe we're already to day 27! I hope everyone is enjoying the tips. I know some don't apply to everyone, but I'm hope I'm providing a variety of ideas that will touch people and encourage them to be part of the world of Foster Care.
Today's tip is to donate to a local agency. I am pretty certain all private foster agencies are non-profit. I know ours is! Many offices don't have any "extra" for things that they may need around the office. I know I talked earlier about donating things like furniture or how someone donated a fridge to our agency... if you don't have anything like that to offer, consider making a cash donation. This not only can help out with things around the office, but also things that come up with foster kids as well. My husband once took placement of an 11 month old boy at 1am while I was out of town at a Women's Conference. Our worker ran to Walmart, knowing that my husband would be outnumbered with 4 kids on his own and not likely to be able to run out and get stuff, and brought him some clothes and shoes for the little boy who was about to arrive. Cash donations can go toward things like this as well. I'm sure I could get a list from my worker alone with 100 things they could use a donation for!
Making a financial contribution not only helps them but it's also a tax write off!! It's a win-win!!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 26
Day 26 - Hire kids in Foster Care and create training programs in your company for them.
Many kids in care feel like they got the short end of the stick, and they kind of did. Most kids in care are there because of no fault of their own. It would be easy for them to just give up and give in to a life just like the one they've come out of. We need strong adults in our community to take these kids under their wing and shape and mold them. We need to show them there is another way of life. Many kids in care are embarrassed about their circumstance, which is just heartbreaking because again - it's not their fault!
If you own your own business consider creating a training program just for foster kids. One that inspires them to make more of themselves than where they came from. After all, isn't that what we want, even for kids from our own family? We should want that for these innocent kids as well!
http://www.fosterclub.com is a great website, I am having trouble getting on it right now, but they have a lot of articles that may give you some ideas on how to start a training program.
Many kids in care feel like they got the short end of the stick, and they kind of did. Most kids in care are there because of no fault of their own. It would be easy for them to just give up and give in to a life just like the one they've come out of. We need strong adults in our community to take these kids under their wing and shape and mold them. We need to show them there is another way of life. Many kids in care are embarrassed about their circumstance, which is just heartbreaking because again - it's not their fault!
If you own your own business consider creating a training program just for foster kids. One that inspires them to make more of themselves than where they came from. After all, isn't that what we want, even for kids from our own family? We should want that for these innocent kids as well!
http://www.fosterclub.com is a great website, I am having trouble getting on it right now, but they have a lot of articles that may give you some ideas on how to start a training program.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 25
All day today I have been writing the 24th, so it's a good thing I realized it's actually the 25th and remembered to write today's post.
My 25th tip for helping support Foster Care is to donate meeting space. Our foster agency's office is very small. We used to have quite large trainings and our church would allow our agency to do training there to accommodated all the people. It makes it much nicer to do trainings like Behavior Intervention where you have to practice different ways to free yourself if a child (ie. teen) grabs your hair, bites you, grabs your neck, etc.
If you have a church building or any large room, consider allowing foster agencies or even CPS, to hold trainings there free of charge.
Any little bit helps!!
My 25th tip for helping support Foster Care is to donate meeting space. Our foster agency's office is very small. We used to have quite large trainings and our church would allow our agency to do training there to accommodated all the people. It makes it much nicer to do trainings like Behavior Intervention where you have to practice different ways to free yourself if a child (ie. teen) grabs your hair, bites you, grabs your neck, etc.
If you have a church building or any large room, consider allowing foster agencies or even CPS, to hold trainings there free of charge.
Any little bit helps!!
Letter to Jellybean
Dear Sweet Jellybean,
It's been a week since I learned that God was forming you in my womb. I wonder when it will sink in completely. Will it be the first time I feel your sweet movement? Or maybe the first time I see you on the ultrasound machine? The first time I hear the beating of your heart? At that first sign of labor, or maybe at the painful end? Or even when I hold you in my arms for the first time? For now I will just have to keep going in this wonderful, beautiful, surreal feeling...
I wish that you could know how excited I am. Even now when you're just the size of a tiny apple seed. Do you know how much I love you already? Do you know how long I've longed for you? Do you know how many people prayed for you? I can't wait to share this all with you.
I can't wait to see that flicker of your heart. To feel you fluttering around inside me. To see how you react to the ultrasound machine. I can't wait to sit in my chair, my favorite spot, and rock you and read to you even now while you are growing inside of me. I can't wait to see how your brother and sisters react to my growing belly. In my mind I can see your sisters talking to you, rubbing my belly, singing to you, telling you all about this world you are about to be born into. Surely your brother will want to talk to you all about Star Wars, start you off right :)
I can't wait to lay in bed at night, cuddled up to your dad, moving his hand around to feel your sweet movement. To marvel at you, this wonderful thing that we made together.
I pray that God sends His beautiful angels to keep watch over you now. That you would know Holy Spirit even now in that wonderful place where you are being formed. Your life is truly a miracle! I can't wait to see what God has planned for you, for surely He's seen every day of your life already and that it is amazing!
I am so excited little one. I can't wait to share this life with you. I can't wait to enjoy all that is to come in the next 8 months and then beyond.
Love,
Mom
It's been a week since I learned that God was forming you in my womb. I wonder when it will sink in completely. Will it be the first time I feel your sweet movement? Or maybe the first time I see you on the ultrasound machine? The first time I hear the beating of your heart? At that first sign of labor, or maybe at the painful end? Or even when I hold you in my arms for the first time? For now I will just have to keep going in this wonderful, beautiful, surreal feeling...
I wish that you could know how excited I am. Even now when you're just the size of a tiny apple seed. Do you know how much I love you already? Do you know how long I've longed for you? Do you know how many people prayed for you? I can't wait to share this all with you.
I can't wait to see that flicker of your heart. To feel you fluttering around inside me. To see how you react to the ultrasound machine. I can't wait to sit in my chair, my favorite spot, and rock you and read to you even now while you are growing inside of me. I can't wait to see how your brother and sisters react to my growing belly. In my mind I can see your sisters talking to you, rubbing my belly, singing to you, telling you all about this world you are about to be born into. Surely your brother will want to talk to you all about Star Wars, start you off right :)
I can't wait to lay in bed at night, cuddled up to your dad, moving his hand around to feel your sweet movement. To marvel at you, this wonderful thing that we made together.
I pray that God sends His beautiful angels to keep watch over you now. That you would know Holy Spirit even now in that wonderful place where you are being formed. Your life is truly a miracle! I can't wait to see what God has planned for you, for surely He's seen every day of your life already and that it is amazing!
I am so excited little one. I can't wait to share this life with you. I can't wait to enjoy all that is to come in the next 8 months and then beyond.
Love,
Mom
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 24
Sorry today's post is late! I am just very worn out today, I can't imagine why ;) Someone told me this weekend that her doctor told her being pregnant is like climbing a mountain every day - that's how much energy it drains from your body. I must have climbed a big one today!!
Day 24's tip is - Adopt a Caseworker
Obviously I mean "adopt" in a different way than I usually would mean it. Many case workers put in so much time and energy and now with budget cuts they are also spending a lot of their own money on items for the kids in their case load. A lot comes out of their pocket and believe me, they don't make enough to be spending that money. Most just love what they do, they love the kids so they can't help it.
Here is a link to an example of a program where you can adopt a caseworker -
http://www.cpdtx.org/default.asp?contentID=22
It could also be a simple as calling up some friends - I'm sure one of your friends knows a caseworker - and getting in contact with a worker. Ask them what kind of support they could use. They may even just want you to pray for them. Their daily life is so stressful, their job is not easy, and we all know a little prayer goes a long way :)
Day 24's tip is - Adopt a Caseworker
Obviously I mean "adopt" in a different way than I usually would mean it. Many case workers put in so much time and energy and now with budget cuts they are also spending a lot of their own money on items for the kids in their case load. A lot comes out of their pocket and believe me, they don't make enough to be spending that money. Most just love what they do, they love the kids so they can't help it.
Here is a link to an example of a program where you can adopt a caseworker -
http://www.cpdtx.org/default.asp?contentID=22
It could also be a simple as calling up some friends - I'm sure one of your friends knows a caseworker - and getting in contact with a worker. Ask them what kind of support they could use. They may even just want you to pray for them. Their daily life is so stressful, their job is not easy, and we all know a little prayer goes a long way :)
Monday, May 23, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 23
Day 23 - Donate handmade blankets to your local CPS or private agency. Or there are organizations like Blessed Blankies who accept donations and distribute them.
Today's post is dear to my heart and a huge pet peeve of mine. I can't tell you how many children I've had come into my home without their own personal blanket. Especially coming from another foster home, I think this is just a sad disservice to the kids. The majority of children have a "comfort item". Each of my forever kids has a blanket that they've been partial to. One that brings them comfort when they're not feeling well, or just one to cuddle up under on a cold night while we're watching movies as a family. Mini Jedi's blanket as a baby/toddler was made for us by a friend of the family, as was Baby Cakes.
When a child goes to a new home they should be able to bring something of comfort. A blanket of their own brings a familiar feeling as well as a familiar smell. Even for teens a blanket they can curl up under is important. Knowing someone took the time to make a blanket for them is important too. Most new babies receive at least one hand made blanket. It's heartbreaking to think that these kids may miss out on that! I was so touched when Baby Cakes blanket arrived in the mail from a friend. I was so very glad she got her own blanket, crocheted with love.
Last year the Lord prompted me to start Blessed Blankies, an organization that collects hand made blankets and donates them to our local foster agency. Right now we just donate to the agency we're licensed to, but hope to expand in the future.
If you are good at sewing, knitting, crocheting or know how to tie a knot, then you could make a blanket that a foster child would cherish for their whole life!
Today's post is dear to my heart and a huge pet peeve of mine. I can't tell you how many children I've had come into my home without their own personal blanket. Especially coming from another foster home, I think this is just a sad disservice to the kids. The majority of children have a "comfort item". Each of my forever kids has a blanket that they've been partial to. One that brings them comfort when they're not feeling well, or just one to cuddle up under on a cold night while we're watching movies as a family. Mini Jedi's blanket as a baby/toddler was made for us by a friend of the family, as was Baby Cakes.
When a child goes to a new home they should be able to bring something of comfort. A blanket of their own brings a familiar feeling as well as a familiar smell. Even for teens a blanket they can curl up under is important. Knowing someone took the time to make a blanket for them is important too. Most new babies receive at least one hand made blanket. It's heartbreaking to think that these kids may miss out on that! I was so touched when Baby Cakes blanket arrived in the mail from a friend. I was so very glad she got her own blanket, crocheted with love.
Last year the Lord prompted me to start Blessed Blankies, an organization that collects hand made blankets and donates them to our local foster agency. Right now we just donate to the agency we're licensed to, but hope to expand in the future.
If you are good at sewing, knitting, crocheting or know how to tie a knot, then you could make a blanket that a foster child would cherish for their whole life!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 22
Day 22 - Throw a "Kids Night Out"
As I was researching for this, asking other foster families what would be helpful to them and looking up lists online that others had compiled I found one that said "Throw a Kid's Night Out". How fun!! I'm not sure what all this might consist of, you'd have to think of that yourself. I think these children deserve so much more than we, as a foster family, can give them. We try our hardest to cherish them, to shower them with love and affection. Often though they don't know how to accept that, especially from caregivers. It's not something they're used to. An evening out, full of fun, focusing on making them feel special... what a wonderful thought!
A few ideas off the top of my head -
As I was researching for this, asking other foster families what would be helpful to them and looking up lists online that others had compiled I found one that said "Throw a Kid's Night Out". How fun!! I'm not sure what all this might consist of, you'd have to think of that yourself. I think these children deserve so much more than we, as a foster family, can give them. We try our hardest to cherish them, to shower them with love and affection. Often though they don't know how to accept that, especially from caregivers. It's not something they're used to. An evening out, full of fun, focusing on making them feel special... what a wonderful thought!
A few ideas off the top of my head -
- Carnival for younger kids (Make sure to talk to the foster families you want to invite to take into consideration any sensory needs of the kids in care)
- Costume Night
- Movie and Popcorn night
- Spa night for teen girls in care
- Family Game Night
- Pool Party
I'm sure you can think of some ideas!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 21
My tip for Day 21 is - Share your expertise
Earlier this year we got placement of the sweetest little African American girl who was 2 years old. When she came she had the prettiest braids in her hair and I had zero idea what to do with them or her hair! After her first visit with her mom since coming to us the mom complained (rightly so) that the braids had been in too long and were hurting her scalp. I had no idea what to do, other than take them out of course. But then what?
Our Associate Pastor's wife is a saint and came over and helped me with our little girl's hair. She helped me take the braids out, explained in detail how to do her hair and even did a quick do for me since the girl REALLY hated to have her hair done. She even brought me some products to keep and showed me which kinds of combs and brushes to use. I had so much fun with her hair after I knew how to properly care for it!
I have another friend who is a Pharmacist who recently volunteered to teach a Psychotropic Medication class for a foster parent association we're part of. The class is mandatory once a year for us and must be taught by a Pharmacist or RN. (I'm guessing a Dr. could do it too).
Think about the things you know that you may be able to lend a hand doing a training for a foster parent group or agency. Trainings I've been to that were helpful but people wouldn't necessarily realize foster parents would like are - Baby Massage, Sign Language, Lifebook classes (which is basically a scrapbooking/journaling class!), etc. Even a class on how to care for African American hair would be accepted as training for our agency.
Foster parents are required to have certain amounts of training each year. Every state and level of license requires a different amount of training. Tony and I have to have 30 hours EACH per year. Think about what you know and are an expert at and call an agency or foster parent today and offer to help them out!
Earlier this year we got placement of the sweetest little African American girl who was 2 years old. When she came she had the prettiest braids in her hair and I had zero idea what to do with them or her hair! After her first visit with her mom since coming to us the mom complained (rightly so) that the braids had been in too long and were hurting her scalp. I had no idea what to do, other than take them out of course. But then what?
Our Associate Pastor's wife is a saint and came over and helped me with our little girl's hair. She helped me take the braids out, explained in detail how to do her hair and even did a quick do for me since the girl REALLY hated to have her hair done. She even brought me some products to keep and showed me which kinds of combs and brushes to use. I had so much fun with her hair after I knew how to properly care for it!
I have another friend who is a Pharmacist who recently volunteered to teach a Psychotropic Medication class for a foster parent association we're part of. The class is mandatory once a year for us and must be taught by a Pharmacist or RN. (I'm guessing a Dr. could do it too).
Think about the things you know that you may be able to lend a hand doing a training for a foster parent group or agency. Trainings I've been to that were helpful but people wouldn't necessarily realize foster parents would like are - Baby Massage, Sign Language, Lifebook classes (which is basically a scrapbooking/journaling class!), etc. Even a class on how to care for African American hair would be accepted as training for our agency.
Foster parents are required to have certain amounts of training each year. Every state and level of license requires a different amount of training. Tony and I have to have 30 hours EACH per year. Think about what you know and are an expert at and call an agency or foster parent today and offer to help them out!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Albondigas!
I originally posted this recipe last June. We're having it tonight for Tony's birthday so I thought I'd post it again! I have since made this with chicken broth instead of beef and I love it that way!! Tonight we went with beef though :)
I have a crockpot Albondigas soup that is SOOOO yummy. I searched high and low this morning and could not find the darn thing. I even searched the website I know I got it from, but they must have deleted it. How disappointing! However, I knew it was something Tony would like today so I looked up about 10 other recipes, picked which things looked similar to what we've had before and forged ahead. I apologize that there are no photos, by the time I was done cooking my foot hurt so badly that it was all I could do to serve up the soup!
Here is what I ended up with, which is so different than any of the recipes I looked at I don't feel bad calling it my own. Anything with a * next to it means I made a note about it at the end.
Tracee's Albondigas
For the meatballs -
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 lb chicken sausage (I was going to get turkey but found this super spicy chicken sausage that looked yummy!)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 egg
Salt and Pepper (I don't measure these)
1/4 cup or so chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped basil
3 cloves garlic, pressed (fresh makes ALL the difference!)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
Broth -
10 cups water*
3 tablespoons beef flavored "Better than Bouillon"*
1 cup salsa Verde
10oz can Tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel)*
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp Italian parsley (flat leaf), chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Anaheim peppers, diced*
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup brown rice
Optional Extras -
Sour Cream
Avocado
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
Start your broth first. In a large pot, over medium high heat, pour in your water and mix in the Better than Bouillon paste. Add the salsa, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, parsley, carrots and peppers. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Make sure you taste your broth for any adjustments at this time, as you will be putting raw turkey and chicken into it. You want to do any adjusting before this!
While that is simmering mix up your meatballs. Since you are using poultry I suggest using gloves to mix this and roll the meatballs. In a medium bowl add your turkey, chicken sausage, onion, egg, salt, pepper, cilantro, basil, garlic, milk and cornmeal. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cornmeal, which tends to happen. Roll the meatballs into your preferred size. I did them into a large marble size, you know the one you shoot with? About that size. They plump up a bit in the broth. Drop them into the broth and add the rice at this time as well. Let simmer very gently for an hour and a half. Serve with a spoon full of sour cream topped with avocado and a little sprig of cilantro, if so desired. It was yummy this way!
I entered the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder and divided into 8 servings this is 5 points.
Notes:
I have a crockpot Albondigas soup that is SOOOO yummy. I searched high and low this morning and could not find the darn thing. I even searched the website I know I got it from, but they must have deleted it. How disappointing! However, I knew it was something Tony would like today so I looked up about 10 other recipes, picked which things looked similar to what we've had before and forged ahead. I apologize that there are no photos, by the time I was done cooking my foot hurt so badly that it was all I could do to serve up the soup!
Here is what I ended up with, which is so different than any of the recipes I looked at I don't feel bad calling it my own. Anything with a * next to it means I made a note about it at the end.
Tracee's Albondigas
For the meatballs -
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 lb chicken sausage (I was going to get turkey but found this super spicy chicken sausage that looked yummy!)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 egg
Salt and Pepper (I don't measure these)
1/4 cup or so chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped basil
3 cloves garlic, pressed (fresh makes ALL the difference!)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
Broth -
10 cups water*
3 tablespoons beef flavored "Better than Bouillon"*
1 cup salsa Verde
10oz can Tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel)*
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp Italian parsley (flat leaf), chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Anaheim peppers, diced*
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup brown rice
Optional Extras -
Sour Cream
Avocado
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
Start your broth first. In a large pot, over medium high heat, pour in your water and mix in the Better than Bouillon paste. Add the salsa, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, parsley, carrots and peppers. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Make sure you taste your broth for any adjustments at this time, as you will be putting raw turkey and chicken into it. You want to do any adjusting before this!
While that is simmering mix up your meatballs. Since you are using poultry I suggest using gloves to mix this and roll the meatballs. In a medium bowl add your turkey, chicken sausage, onion, egg, salt, pepper, cilantro, basil, garlic, milk and cornmeal. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cornmeal, which tends to happen. Roll the meatballs into your preferred size. I did them into a large marble size, you know the one you shoot with? About that size. They plump up a bit in the broth. Drop them into the broth and add the rice at this time as well. Let simmer very gently for an hour and a half. Serve with a spoon full of sour cream topped with avocado and a little sprig of cilantro, if so desired. It was yummy this way!
I entered the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder and divided into 8 servings this is 5 points.
Notes:
- Next time I will add probably 2 more cups of water, we like a lot of broth with it. If you like your soup on the thick side 10 will do fine.
- You could use 5 cans of beef broth or 10 cubes of bouillon, however, the Better than Bouillon is SO tasty and has no MSG. It's completely worth the little bit of extra you'd pay over the cubes. You could easily substitute Better than Bouillon chicken flavor too, I think I will do this next time. I'm pretty sure my old recipe used chicken broth.
- If you like your broth spicy you can use 3 cans of rotel instead of 1 rotel and 1 diced. If you don't like spicy then make sure you get mild salsa Verde and use 2 cans of diced tomatoes. I used one of each but next time will use 3 cans of Rotel (or the store brand, which is what we buy, but everyone knows the name Rotel!)
- I'm not sure what I'll do about the Anaheim peppers next time... they weren't quite spicy enough for us. One recipe I saw used canned green chilies but those aren't that spicy either. Maybe next time I'll try jalapenos.
- I will add celery next time too... I think...
- This recipe was about a medium on the spice scale. Next time I will be looking for ways to spice it up a bit. Flavor wise it was great! Very flavorful. But we love spicy food, the spicier the better!
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 20
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 20 - Make a meal for a foster family.
I realize once again this can sound self serving, lol! However, this is something a few other foster parents shared with me that they felt would be helpful.
Think about when a mom comes home from the hospital. A few meals can be helpful! It's the same when you get a new foster child. Your body isn't tired like a new mom's, however it can be hard to get a new child settled into your home. They are likely to be very upset. Your routine is completely different and getting a meal on the table is not always easy. We often have little notice when we get a child so preparing ahead isn't always feasible.
Making a meal for a foster family any time, not just when they get a new placement, is sure to be a blessing to both you and the family!
I realize once again this can sound self serving, lol! However, this is something a few other foster parents shared with me that they felt would be helpful.
Think about when a mom comes home from the hospital. A few meals can be helpful! It's the same when you get a new foster child. Your body isn't tired like a new mom's, however it can be hard to get a new child settled into your home. They are likely to be very upset. Your routine is completely different and getting a meal on the table is not always easy. We often have little notice when we get a child so preparing ahead isn't always feasible.
Making a meal for a foster family any time, not just when they get a new placement, is sure to be a blessing to both you and the family!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Well...
I know I promised another blog earlier today and never got to it. I can't even begin to tell you how crazy things are in my house right now. If you've read this week you might have seen that we got twins placed with us on Monday! Well.... Tuesday we found out we are expecting!
If you've followed the blog for any amount of time you probably know that we've been trying to get pregnant for 11 years now. We lost a pregnancy almost 7 years ago. I am positive that this one is going to produce the sweetest, cutest little baby ever! I can't wait to share my testimony with everyone but I first want to make sure you know - this baby is 100% from God. No medications, no special herbs, no ovulation predictor kits. Prayer is all! I really am quite in shock still, it's not sunk in completely yet but I'm getting more used to it with each passing hour :)
I'm still very newly pregnant and I'm sure some will wonder why we've shared so early. I have a few reasons.
1. I have 8 younger sisters... I wanted them to know right away. There's no way 8 girls can keep a secret!!
2. I just could not wait to share God's work in our lives and our testimony. I believe sharing our testimonies builds faith in others.
3. More people will be praying for us!
4. It's been 11 YEARS! I just wanted to shout from the mountain tops how good God is!
Our journey to this moment has been long and hard, but nothing short of amazing. I can't wait to share it with you. I'm thinking I may need to start at 11 years ago, so it may need to be a series :) I'll probably want to finish the whole thing before I post it but stay tuned!!
Please join us in praying for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery!
If you've followed the blog for any amount of time you probably know that we've been trying to get pregnant for 11 years now. We lost a pregnancy almost 7 years ago. I am positive that this one is going to produce the sweetest, cutest little baby ever! I can't wait to share my testimony with everyone but I first want to make sure you know - this baby is 100% from God. No medications, no special herbs, no ovulation predictor kits. Prayer is all! I really am quite in shock still, it's not sunk in completely yet but I'm getting more used to it with each passing hour :)
I'm still very newly pregnant and I'm sure some will wonder why we've shared so early. I have a few reasons.
1. I have 8 younger sisters... I wanted them to know right away. There's no way 8 girls can keep a secret!!
2. I just could not wait to share God's work in our lives and our testimony. I believe sharing our testimonies builds faith in others.
3. More people will be praying for us!
4. It's been 11 YEARS! I just wanted to shout from the mountain tops how good God is!
Our journey to this moment has been long and hard, but nothing short of amazing. I can't wait to share it with you. I'm thinking I may need to start at 11 years ago, so it may need to be a series :) I'll probably want to finish the whole thing before I post it but stay tuned!!
Please join us in praying for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery!
31 Days - 31 Ways: Days 18 & 19
I was unable to post yesterday, I'll write a second post in a few and tell why. So I decided I would put both yesterday and today's posts in the same since they are similar -
Tip 18 - Volunteer with your local Heart Gallery
Tip 19 - Help your church or local organization you're involved with host a Heart Gallery
What is a Heart Gallery you ask? A Heart Gallery is a traveling exhibit filled with photos from kids in your local area who are waiting to be adopted. Instead of snapshots at the local CPS office to help children find forever homes, the Heart Gallery works with CPS to pair up local photographers who volunteer their time to take photos of these kids that shine their personalities!
Read more about the history of the heart gallery here.
Heart Galleries need more than just photographers though, they also need organizers and people to donate to the cause. The Heart Gallery travels around to churches, businesses, malls, etc. to display these amazing photos of the kids who need forever homes in hopes that a family will be touched by a photo and think about adopting. I read on the site that at least four Heart Gallery photographers have even adopted their subjects :)
You can also help by talking to you local church and asking them to host a Heart Gallery. I gave information to our pastor about our local Heart Gallery and our church is hosting it this month!! (The director of our Heart Gallery also goes to our church, I'm sure that helped!)
Take a moment to look up your local Heart Gallery and see how beautiful these waiting children are!
Tip 18 - Volunteer with your local Heart Gallery
Tip 19 - Help your church or local organization you're involved with host a Heart Gallery
What is a Heart Gallery you ask? A Heart Gallery is a traveling exhibit filled with photos from kids in your local area who are waiting to be adopted. Instead of snapshots at the local CPS office to help children find forever homes, the Heart Gallery works with CPS to pair up local photographers who volunteer their time to take photos of these kids that shine their personalities!
Read more about the history of the heart gallery here.
Heart Galleries need more than just photographers though, they also need organizers and people to donate to the cause. The Heart Gallery travels around to churches, businesses, malls, etc. to display these amazing photos of the kids who need forever homes in hopes that a family will be touched by a photo and think about adopting. I read on the site that at least four Heart Gallery photographers have even adopted their subjects :)
You can also help by talking to you local church and asking them to host a Heart Gallery. I gave information to our pastor about our local Heart Gallery and our church is hosting it this month!! (The director of our Heart Gallery also goes to our church, I'm sure that helped!)
Take a moment to look up your local Heart Gallery and see how beautiful these waiting children are!
Twirly Dress
Last week I picked up some clear elastic, which I've been wanting to try out for some time. I've mentioned the blog IndieTutes before on my blog, she has a great tutorial for clear elastic sewing and for twirly skirts. I decided to try both! It wasn't my best sewing, I kept making mistakes and having to fix them, fix the fix, etc. Eventually we came up with a super cute twirly dress for Baby Cakes. (It was supposed to be a long skirt for Fancy but she sucked her pot belly tummy in while I was measuring her and when I went to fit it on her it was too tight to give it the twirly quality. So Baby got a dress!) Here are photos of the finished project -
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Crayon Cakes
There are about 100 tutorials out there for Crayon Cakes, so I'm not really going to do a tutorial. Just a quick rundown. (You'll have to excuse some of these photos, I went to take them and the battery in the good camera was dead. I took some with my cell phone. Excuse them, they're not the greatest.)
We peeled the crayons -
We peeled the crayons -
This took them forever and they were SOOOOO curious about "crayon cakes" that they did it very well and patiently! I think they'd even do it again if I asked them to...
(I slit the crayon wrappers down the length of the crayon to make it easier for the girls to peel off)
We then broke all the crayons up into little pieces and put them in a muffin tin and mini muffin tin
Then they go in the oven. I put mine at 175 but next time would put 200. It took about 40 minutes or so for the large ones to melt, 20 for the small ones.
And then they cooled and popped right out! I did read if they don't pop right out to put them in the freezer for a few minutes. We didn't have to do this!
.
I'll post a picture of the girls playing with them later... They do love them, but they are much better for toddlers or coloring on blank paper. It's a bit tough to color in the lines with these!
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 17
Well, I have a little bit of news to add into todays way to help... yesterday we got new kiddos! An adorable set of 2 year old twins! We've known for awhile they'd be coming and have been busy getting stuff ready for them. They are so sweet and we already just adore them :)
So today's tip may be a bit shorter because 3/5 of my kids are already awake. The twins may be, I'll go check on them in just a minute.
Today's "way" is - help pack. When I have to pack up my kiddos to move on... it's just terrible. All I want to do is be spending time with them but instead I have to count every item they own, log it and pack it up. Gone are the days kids move on with a Wal-Mart bag full of stuff. Our kids have so much stuff one time a social worker declined to take it all! So it can take quite some time to get it all counted and sorted.
Plus, looking at all their stuff with memories of them wearing this outfit, or remember the look on their face when they got this toy... it's hard. I usually cry through the whole process. Having a friend there to help would get it done faster, which means more cuddle time with the child who is about to leave.
So today's tip may be a bit shorter because 3/5 of my kids are already awake. The twins may be, I'll go check on them in just a minute.
Today's "way" is - help pack. When I have to pack up my kiddos to move on... it's just terrible. All I want to do is be spending time with them but instead I have to count every item they own, log it and pack it up. Gone are the days kids move on with a Wal-Mart bag full of stuff. Our kids have so much stuff one time a social worker declined to take it all! So it can take quite some time to get it all counted and sorted.
Plus, looking at all their stuff with memories of them wearing this outfit, or remember the look on their face when they got this toy... it's hard. I usually cry through the whole process. Having a friend there to help would get it done faster, which means more cuddle time with the child who is about to leave.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Menu Monday 5/16- 5/22
| Day | Dinner |
|---|---|
| Mon 5/16 | Double Macaroni & Cheese, Broccoli, Applesauce |
| Tue 5/17 | Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti (Meals Made Easy), Salad |
| Wed 5/18 | Southern Style Tomato Gravy w/Biscuits, Three Bean Salad, Carrots & Dip |
| Thu 5/19 | Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken, Tortillas, Veggies |
| Fri 5/20 | Slow cooked pinto beans, Rice, Tortillas |
| Sat 5/21 | Leftovers |
| Sun 5/22 | Roast Chicken w/Lemon and Rosemary Roast Potatoes, Asparagus |
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 16
Day 16 and I'm out of cute ways to introduce each day's idea :) So here it is - Host a Foster Shower for a new foster family.
Again I will say, expenses add up! Start up expenses are a lot because you aren't getting any reimbursement yet, plus you have other expenses to pay for. A fire inspection, FBI fingerprints, child safety items to childproof your home, any renovations you may have to do to be in compliance with state regulations... I have a friend who had months worth of work she had to do on her home which seemed safe enough to her! A few of the people (I think plumber) ended up donating some of their services since it was to get her home ready for foster kids, thank God, otherwise the expenses may have kept her from starting.
Christy D. shared her story with me -
We had 3 hours notice when we got M and had no baby stuff at all. I called a friend from church and everyone rallied together to help us with a bed and carseat and the ladies from my bible study threw us a baby shower. It was so sweet how everyone came together to help and by the time our baby girl got here, we had most of what we needed!
As a fellow foster parent stories like this are so heartwarming to hear! Often people really can't become foster parents or it's not their calling. They'd like to do something but aren't sure what to do. Throwing a foster parent-to-be a shower is a great way to support our system! Then when the children come to their home they are well prepared and ready, not stressed about needed supplies!
Again I will say, expenses add up! Start up expenses are a lot because you aren't getting any reimbursement yet, plus you have other expenses to pay for. A fire inspection, FBI fingerprints, child safety items to childproof your home, any renovations you may have to do to be in compliance with state regulations... I have a friend who had months worth of work she had to do on her home which seemed safe enough to her! A few of the people (I think plumber) ended up donating some of their services since it was to get her home ready for foster kids, thank God, otherwise the expenses may have kept her from starting.
Christy D. shared her story with me -
We had 3 hours notice when we got M and had no baby stuff at all. I called a friend from church and everyone rallied together to help us with a bed and carseat and the ladies from my bible study threw us a baby shower. It was so sweet how everyone came together to help and by the time our baby girl got here, we had most of what we needed!
As a fellow foster parent stories like this are so heartwarming to hear! Often people really can't become foster parents or it's not their calling. They'd like to do something but aren't sure what to do. Throwing a foster parent-to-be a shower is a great way to support our system! Then when the children come to their home they are well prepared and ready, not stressed about needed supplies!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 15
Sorry today's post is so late. A friend and I got to go spend the weekend with my mom, we shopped and shopped and shopped some more. I got some great bedding from Ikea for our foster room! I think I may need to get some for my girls eventually, I love their bedding!
So day 15 of 31 Days - 31 Ways: Supporting our Foster Care System is - Sponsor a foster child for a special event/unscheduled expenses/lessons, etc.
I'll say again - it's rare to make money fostering kids if you are actually taking care of the kids. I don't know any foster parents though who are financially able to foster for free without some reimbursement. That reimbursement can go quickly though, especially with kids who have a lot of therapy appointments and gas at $4.00/gallon. You can't exactly find fuel efficient cars that hold 7 to 14 people.
Extra curricular are hard to budget in. Recently a foster mom I know was saying she was so glad her foster daughter was able to take drivers training before she got to her home because the county no longer pays for it (remember those budget cuts we talked about?) and it's over $200! This can be hard to come up with and it's important for these kids to get to do these things most kids their age get to do. Some states used to be able to pay fees for kids to participate in summer camps, Girl Scouts, baseball, dance, etc. Now days most don't pay for these things anymore. With the budget cuts it's just not possible.
If this is something you're interested in helping out with contact a foster family you know or an agency and see if they are in need of this type of support!
So day 15 of 31 Days - 31 Ways: Supporting our Foster Care System is - Sponsor a foster child for a special event/unscheduled expenses/lessons, etc.
I'll say again - it's rare to make money fostering kids if you are actually taking care of the kids. I don't know any foster parents though who are financially able to foster for free without some reimbursement. That reimbursement can go quickly though, especially with kids who have a lot of therapy appointments and gas at $4.00/gallon. You can't exactly find fuel efficient cars that hold 7 to 14 people.
Extra curricular are hard to budget in. Recently a foster mom I know was saying she was so glad her foster daughter was able to take drivers training before she got to her home because the county no longer pays for it (remember those budget cuts we talked about?) and it's over $200! This can be hard to come up with and it's important for these kids to get to do these things most kids their age get to do. Some states used to be able to pay fees for kids to participate in summer camps, Girl Scouts, baseball, dance, etc. Now days most don't pay for these things anymore. With the budget cuts it's just not possible.
If this is something you're interested in helping out with contact a foster family you know or an agency and see if they are in need of this type of support!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 14
Day 14: Have a foster family over for dinner.
Since we've become foster parents we have had plenty of people over to our home for dinner. However, we've only ever been invited to dinner one time in the past 3 years! It's probably a bit overwhelming to have such a large family over (most foster families are large) but I can tell you it's a blessing to get to go out of the house with the whole family. We do eat out from time to time, but it can be stressful when we have a lot of kids, since we usually take toddlers and have 2 preschool age children ourselves.
If you do invite a family over and they decline, don't feel bad. They may have children in their home that have a hard time in new places.
Since we've become foster parents we have had plenty of people over to our home for dinner. However, we've only ever been invited to dinner one time in the past 3 years! It's probably a bit overwhelming to have such a large family over (most foster families are large) but I can tell you it's a blessing to get to go out of the house with the whole family. We do eat out from time to time, but it can be stressful when we have a lot of kids, since we usually take toddlers and have 2 preschool age children ourselves.
If you do invite a family over and they decline, don't feel bad. They may have children in their home that have a hard time in new places.
Friday, May 13, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 13
Day 13 is very important to me - Words of Encouragement and Support
Often the biggest help I get costs nothing for those who give it. Support is so important in fostering. I would not still be a foster parent if it wasn't for those who support me. I would have given up long ago. I have a group of friends who are... amazing, to say the least. I am also a part of an online moms group who has seen me through these past few years and encouraged me from afar. Both groups of friends are so dear to me.
When we adopted Baby Cakes we went through a time where we didn't know if we'd get to keep her. She was 5 months old and we'd had her since she was 3 days old. It was quite possibly the most stressful time of my life. I was raw and emotional. I got a card in the mail from one of my online mom friends one day with a little book of scriptures and prayers about courage and strength. I carried that little book with me and any time my anxiety over the situation started to rise I pulled out my little book. It was, and still is, so precious to me.
Another friend, one of the group that lives here and is so supportive, cried with me. In church the Sunday before we were to go to court she and her husband sat behind me and just cried with me. I can't tell you what that moment meant to me, that I wasn't carrying this burden alone. Even just typing about that moment 3 years ago brings me to tears again.
These moments and these encouraging words and actions will stay with me the rest of my life. I will get to share with Baby Cakes how everyone around her rallied for her and for our family. You hear that funny saying "It takes a village to raise a child" and I used to think that was kind of a stupid phrase. Since we've become foster parents that phrase has become very real to me. The support I get from my friends is what keeps me going, what makes me the mom I am, what allows me to continue to pour into these kids.
So, all that to say - if you know a foster parent, encourage them. Write them a little card or take them out for coffee for some time to decompress. Listen to them without offering all types of advice (chances are if you think they should try X with a difficult child, they already have. These kids are just very different to parent). It doesn't mean you have to become their best friend. But this is a hard ministry. We really need all the support we can get.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 12
Day 12: Volunteer to help a foster family
Since I'm a foster parent this post may seem a little self serving. I know how we could use help, however I also know everyone is busy so it's hard to accept help. I think it's the "military wife" in me not to want to burden other people. Someone once told me though that by not accepting help you're robbing a person of the blessing of blessing someone... did you follow that?
Beth R. a foster mom from Michigan offers these suggestions of ways you can volunteer to help out a foster family -
Since I'm a foster parent this post may seem a little self serving. I know how we could use help, however I also know everyone is busy so it's hard to accept help. I think it's the "military wife" in me not to want to burden other people. Someone once told me though that by not accepting help you're robbing a person of the blessing of blessing someone... did you follow that?
Beth R. a foster mom from Michigan offers these suggestions of ways you can volunteer to help out a foster family -
- Drive foster kids to/from sibling visits
- Drive foster kids to/from therapy appointments
- Take foster kids one Saturday/Evening/Overnight once in awhile
- Bake a dessert for a foster family
- Offer to help kids with their homework once a week at the library
- Give clothes to a foster family, hand me downs are awesome!
- Offer a Bible Study/Small Group where kids are welcome
I want to expand on the "take foster kids one Saturday". Often it's hard to get one on one time with each child. We can get an hour to two in but a day that's dedicated to that child is rare. Think about maybe becoming a "big brother, big sister" (or aunt/uncle) to a child in care. Making it a point to spend some one on one time with them once in awhile. Take them out for a day for some fun that they may not get to do with the family. Every child deserves days where they are the focus. When you have 5 or 6+ kids this just doesn't happen often enough.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 11
Day 11 - Volunteer to do odd jobs for a private agency.
I remember when I first walked into our agency. The worker's office was half painted purple, the other half a thin layer of white that you could still see the purple behind. I said the obvious "I see you're painting your office." She said "Well, I was one day when I wasn't too busy but that was weeks ago and I haven't had time to finish." That office stayed half purple for I think at least a year. I'm not exaggerating when I say the job of a social worker is highly stressful and so busy they have very little time for anything but doing what needs to be done for the kids and families they advocate for.
If you want to bless an agency, call and ask them what sort of odd jobs they may have wanted to do for some time but just had no time for. They may need some gardening done, painting, hanging pictures, etc. They may just need someone to come in and clean the bathroom, vacuum, etc. I can't imagine they have much time to do these things and it's usually out of budget for them to hire someone. Imagine how much just an hour a month of your time could do to help. I think it would make quite a big difference.
I truly believe blessing the people who work with our children (by "our" I mean America's children, future leaders of our country) we are encouraging them, which in turn blesses the kids with a less stressed out worker! Someone who can do their job better and who can have joy while doing it.
I remember when I first walked into our agency. The worker's office was half painted purple, the other half a thin layer of white that you could still see the purple behind. I said the obvious "I see you're painting your office." She said "Well, I was one day when I wasn't too busy but that was weeks ago and I haven't had time to finish." That office stayed half purple for I think at least a year. I'm not exaggerating when I say the job of a social worker is highly stressful and so busy they have very little time for anything but doing what needs to be done for the kids and families they advocate for.
If you want to bless an agency, call and ask them what sort of odd jobs they may have wanted to do for some time but just had no time for. They may need some gardening done, painting, hanging pictures, etc. They may just need someone to come in and clean the bathroom, vacuum, etc. I can't imagine they have much time to do these things and it's usually out of budget for them to hire someone. Imagine how much just an hour a month of your time could do to help. I think it would make quite a big difference.
I truly believe blessing the people who work with our children (by "our" I mean America's children, future leaders of our country) we are encouraging them, which in turn blesses the kids with a less stressed out worker! Someone who can do their job better and who can have joy while doing it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 10
Yesterday I mentioned that our agency has a Christmas Party run on donations every year. Another thing we need to have a successful Christmas Party is volunteers. So my tip for day 10 is - Volunteer for an event!
It doesn't just have to be a Christmas Party, we also have a Spring Party and I have heard about a new "run" that is being held in parts of the US to benefit foster care, much like the Relay for Life benefits cancer. I'm sure other agencies have many events they could use volunteers for - just call and ask!
There are plenty of things you can do at these events - help organize, play with the kids, bring food, etc. Our Spring Picnic is this upcoming weekend and we have it at stables run by a family that attends our church. Many of the teen riders from the stables come and help out with the kids and everyone has such a fun time.
If you take the time to contact an agency and help out at one of their events I am sure you will be blessed and will consider it time well spent! Here is a photo from our Spring Picnic last year -
It doesn't just have to be a Christmas Party, we also have a Spring Party and I have heard about a new "run" that is being held in parts of the US to benefit foster care, much like the Relay for Life benefits cancer. I'm sure other agencies have many events they could use volunteers for - just call and ask!
There are plenty of things you can do at these events - help organize, play with the kids, bring food, etc. Our Spring Picnic is this upcoming weekend and we have it at stables run by a family that attends our church. Many of the teen riders from the stables come and help out with the kids and everyone has such a fun time.
If you take the time to contact an agency and help out at one of their events I am sure you will be blessed and will consider it time well spent! Here is a photo from our Spring Picnic last year -
Fancy Pants & our Case Manager who has seen us through both our adoptions... we just love her! Just look at that smile on my daughter :)
Monday, May 9, 2011
Blogiversary Winner!
Sorry I didn't post this Saturday, it was a long day of Behavior Intervention Training at our Foster Agency. By the time we got home we went right back out to get some toddler beds for some changes we're making to the foster room. We had 2 entries to the Blogiversary giveaway which leads me to believe I need to find better things to give away!!! Sorry everyone, next time it will be something more people will be interested in. So without further ado -
Congratulations to our Blogiversary Winner -
Congratulations to our Blogiversary Winner -
Which was a comment from Jennifer @ The Toybox Years!!! Congratulations Jennifer, I will get that in the mail for you this week!
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 9
I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day! I know that I did! My hubby and kids made me feel so very special. My hubby got me a necklace from the Tangled Hearts website as well as the book that goes along with the story. The Tangled Heart necklace has 3 hearts on it and symbolizes the bonds of the birth mother, child and adoptive mother entwined together. I'll have to go into how the symbolism is so perfect for our family at a later date, it could take up a whole blog in itself. The proceeds from this necklace are donated to scholarships for youth in foster care!!! So it's like a double gift for me! A piece of jewelry full of meaning and supporting a cause I am passionate about. I also got Zumba for the Wii and Mini Jedi went on a school trip last week and got me the most beautiful rock that says "Joy" on it. Quite perfect.
So back to our 31 ways to support the Foster Care System. I hope you're enjoying them, I haven't gotten any feedback yet so I'm wondering if anyone out there is reading them??
My tip for Day 9 is to donate to a Foster Agency/Rainbow Room/Toy & Supply Drive, etc.
There are so many needs in foster care. These children come out of their homes with basically the clothing on their backs. In Texas, at the DFPS office there is usually a "Rainbow Room" which is a room filled (well, I doubt it's ever filled) with clothing, diapers, formula, toys, etc. so that a case worker can grab a few items to start this child back on track at their foster home.
Why is this important? I can only give you my reason. Often when a child comes into care with nothing you have to rush out and buy a bunch of stuff right away. Financially this can be difficult. Contrary to popular belief, we don't make any money fostering. (It can be done and those parents should be stripped of their license, but if you care for the child the way you need to you will not make any money). The most difficult aspect of this however is - this child has just gone through a huge ordeal. They are traumatized! Taking them to Walmart as soon as the social worker drops them off is just not a good idea. As a family or even for one parent to leave. When the child is dropped off you really want a few days to get settled in. I usually try to cancel anything that isn't of the utmost importance to our family and if we have supplies then a trip to Walmart doesn't top my list, that's for sure.
If you take a large age range there's not a whole lot of preparing you can do. I do keep a supply of underwear and pajamas now, having once had a little boy show up without even any underwear on. When a social worker is able to grab a few items from the Rainbow Room for a child it makes it much easier. We won't have to go out right away. We can take a few slow days so that this child can get more comfortable with us before we drag him all over town.
Donating to foster agencies - Recently our agency had a number of brand new car seats donated to them. What a great resource for us parents! I was on the phone with my worker and mentioned I needed to get a new seat for our placement, the one I had her in seemed too small. She said "oh, no don't buy one, just come borrow one of ours." Fantastic! I really don't have enough room for any more equipment, so this was perfect! I only had the placement for a month, so buying a larger seat for a child to use just for a month is kind of pointless.
Another example - our workers had no place to put a lunch or drink in their office. A friend of ours donated an old fridge to the office so that the ladies had a place to store stuff that needs to be cold. Some days they'd be so busy they wouldn't have time to leave for lunch and without the option of keeping your lunch cold they'd all just skip it! So it was very helpful.
Our agency has a yearly Christmas Party that is run on donations only. (There really isn't any extra money in the pot for this type of thing!) You may not be able to sponsor an entire Christmas Party but you may be able to donate a toy for one of the kids or a gift card for the foster parent. The Christmas party from our agency is something my family looks forward to every year! It's great to get to socialize with like families...because face it, our family isn't normal!
There are a great many needs for foster agencies and your local Child Protective Agency, what I've gone over are just a few. If this is how you'd like to help out contact them and just ask how you can help! I'm sure they can give you a list!
So back to our 31 ways to support the Foster Care System. I hope you're enjoying them, I haven't gotten any feedback yet so I'm wondering if anyone out there is reading them??
My tip for Day 9 is to donate to a Foster Agency/Rainbow Room/Toy & Supply Drive, etc.
There are so many needs in foster care. These children come out of their homes with basically the clothing on their backs. In Texas, at the DFPS office there is usually a "Rainbow Room" which is a room filled (well, I doubt it's ever filled) with clothing, diapers, formula, toys, etc. so that a case worker can grab a few items to start this child back on track at their foster home.
Why is this important? I can only give you my reason. Often when a child comes into care with nothing you have to rush out and buy a bunch of stuff right away. Financially this can be difficult. Contrary to popular belief, we don't make any money fostering. (It can be done and those parents should be stripped of their license, but if you care for the child the way you need to you will not make any money). The most difficult aspect of this however is - this child has just gone through a huge ordeal. They are traumatized! Taking them to Walmart as soon as the social worker drops them off is just not a good idea. As a family or even for one parent to leave. When the child is dropped off you really want a few days to get settled in. I usually try to cancel anything that isn't of the utmost importance to our family and if we have supplies then a trip to Walmart doesn't top my list, that's for sure.
If you take a large age range there's not a whole lot of preparing you can do. I do keep a supply of underwear and pajamas now, having once had a little boy show up without even any underwear on. When a social worker is able to grab a few items from the Rainbow Room for a child it makes it much easier. We won't have to go out right away. We can take a few slow days so that this child can get more comfortable with us before we drag him all over town.
Donating to foster agencies - Recently our agency had a number of brand new car seats donated to them. What a great resource for us parents! I was on the phone with my worker and mentioned I needed to get a new seat for our placement, the one I had her in seemed too small. She said "oh, no don't buy one, just come borrow one of ours." Fantastic! I really don't have enough room for any more equipment, so this was perfect! I only had the placement for a month, so buying a larger seat for a child to use just for a month is kind of pointless.
Another example - our workers had no place to put a lunch or drink in their office. A friend of ours donated an old fridge to the office so that the ladies had a place to store stuff that needs to be cold. Some days they'd be so busy they wouldn't have time to leave for lunch and without the option of keeping your lunch cold they'd all just skip it! So it was very helpful.
Our agency has a yearly Christmas Party that is run on donations only. (There really isn't any extra money in the pot for this type of thing!) You may not be able to sponsor an entire Christmas Party but you may be able to donate a toy for one of the kids or a gift card for the foster parent. The Christmas party from our agency is something my family looks forward to every year! It's great to get to socialize with like families...because face it, our family isn't normal!
There are a great many needs for foster agencies and your local Child Protective Agency, what I've gone over are just a few. If this is how you'd like to help out contact them and just ask how you can help! I'm sure they can give you a list!
Menu Monday
| Day | Dinner |
|---|---|
| Mon 5/9 | Caprese Chicken, Couscous, Fresh steamed vegetable |
| Tue 5/10 | Clean Eating Black Bean Quinoa Salad |
| Wed 5/11 | French Fry Pie (Meals Made Easy), Green Beans |
| Thu 5/12 | Southern Style Tomato Gravy w/Biscuits, Three Bean Salad, Carrots & Dip |
| Fri 5/13 | Hubby is on his own, I'll be out of town!! |
Sunday, May 8, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 8
Happy Mother's Day to all my readers out there - whether you are a mom or waiting to be a mom, either way you're a mom at heart and I think that's what counts!
We are a week into May, have you done anything to spread the word about National Foster Care month yet? I'd love if you shared this series on your blog, if you so desire :)
Day 8 - Become a CASA worker! I just love CASA. CASA stands for "Court Appointed Special Advocate" and basically the job is just how it sounds. The judge appoints a CASA worker for each child that comes into the foster care system (in a county that has CASA) and that person is a complete outside party, there to fight for the child's rights and needs. This person is not influenced by the court, the case worker, the foster parents, the birth parents, etc. They are there for the child. They look at the case and if possible talk to the child and decide what is best for him/her.
We went through a bit of a rough time adopting Baby Cakes and our CASA worker was so supportive. Her opinion was that it was in the best interest for Baby Cakes to stay with our family. It was great to have someone to talk to about the case that didn't have some other agenda, other than to decide what was best for my daughter. I still think so fondly about our CASA worker, she happened to be both girls worker.
I've had other children who have had CASA workers and they just look so forward to seeing their person who is coming just for them. If the child has been in a few homes it's important for them to have a familiar person, a familiar face to see once a month. Please visit the site below to learn more about CASA and how you can help!
http://www.casaforchildren.org/
We are a week into May, have you done anything to spread the word about National Foster Care month yet? I'd love if you shared this series on your blog, if you so desire :)
Day 8 - Become a CASA worker! I just love CASA. CASA stands for "Court Appointed Special Advocate" and basically the job is just how it sounds. The judge appoints a CASA worker for each child that comes into the foster care system (in a county that has CASA) and that person is a complete outside party, there to fight for the child's rights and needs. This person is not influenced by the court, the case worker, the foster parents, the birth parents, etc. They are there for the child. They look at the case and if possible talk to the child and decide what is best for him/her.
We went through a bit of a rough time adopting Baby Cakes and our CASA worker was so supportive. Her opinion was that it was in the best interest for Baby Cakes to stay with our family. It was great to have someone to talk to about the case that didn't have some other agenda, other than to decide what was best for my daughter. I still think so fondly about our CASA worker, she happened to be both girls worker.
I've had other children who have had CASA workers and they just look so forward to seeing their person who is coming just for them. If the child has been in a few homes it's important for them to have a familiar person, a familiar face to see once a month. Please visit the site below to learn more about CASA and how you can help!
http://www.casaforchildren.org/
Saturday, May 7, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 7
First things first, we prayed. That truely is the most important thing you can do for the foster care system - pray God will pour out His spirit and blessing on the whole system.
Now it's time to take some action!
My tip for day 7 is - Become a respite care provider. I put this as the 2nd non-prayer tip (the first being become a foster parent!) because we are in desperate need of respite providers and it would be a HUGE help to the foster care system if more people would step up and do this.
What is a respite care provider? Respite care providers give overworked foster parents a much needed break! Often when foster parents need a break they rely on other foster parents to give them one. It's nice we help each other out that way, but sometimes it's hard to find a home that is able to give us this break. Many of our homes area already full and we can't go over state limits. Often we're tired ourselves!
We use respite very sparingly. We like to include our foster kids in most everything we do. However, there are some times like when we visit Baby Cakes siblings (adopted by another family) that we like to have fewer kids. This day is about Baby Cakes and her extended family. Taking 5 or 6 kids with us is overwhelming and we're not able to focus on allowing Baby Cakes to bond with her siblings.
As foster parents we are not allowed to leave our kids with just anyone. If it's a longer amount of time, like overnight, the person watching them must have background checks and some training - these are respite providers.
I tried to look up a respite info sheet, but most focused on respite of kids who have challenging behaviors - this isn't always the case for respite. Sometimes the children are great, we just need a break. We may need to go out of town for a training or once we got respite because we were helping my mom unpack her house and didn't think the 1 year old we were caring for would much like the chaos that would ensue.
If the foster care system had more respite providers, more families might be able to take on more challenging children, which would get them out of the shelters. If there is a struggle to find respite care then parents will consider that when accepting children with challenging behaviors. More people would also be willing to foster children with medical needs, knowing that when they are tired there is help.
Another thing to think about - respite providers are paid! We are required to give our respite providers our daily reimbursement for the days they care for our children. It's not much, but it is a little something for your time. For more information on becoming a respite provider contact your local family services or a private agency near you.
Now it's time to take some action!
My tip for day 7 is - Become a respite care provider. I put this as the 2nd non-prayer tip (the first being become a foster parent!) because we are in desperate need of respite providers and it would be a HUGE help to the foster care system if more people would step up and do this.
What is a respite care provider? Respite care providers give overworked foster parents a much needed break! Often when foster parents need a break they rely on other foster parents to give them one. It's nice we help each other out that way, but sometimes it's hard to find a home that is able to give us this break. Many of our homes area already full and we can't go over state limits. Often we're tired ourselves!
We use respite very sparingly. We like to include our foster kids in most everything we do. However, there are some times like when we visit Baby Cakes siblings (adopted by another family) that we like to have fewer kids. This day is about Baby Cakes and her extended family. Taking 5 or 6 kids with us is overwhelming and we're not able to focus on allowing Baby Cakes to bond with her siblings.
As foster parents we are not allowed to leave our kids with just anyone. If it's a longer amount of time, like overnight, the person watching them must have background checks and some training - these are respite providers.
I tried to look up a respite info sheet, but most focused on respite of kids who have challenging behaviors - this isn't always the case for respite. Sometimes the children are great, we just need a break. We may need to go out of town for a training or once we got respite because we were helping my mom unpack her house and didn't think the 1 year old we were caring for would much like the chaos that would ensue.
If the foster care system had more respite providers, more families might be able to take on more challenging children, which would get them out of the shelters. If there is a struggle to find respite care then parents will consider that when accepting children with challenging behaviors. More people would also be willing to foster children with medical needs, knowing that when they are tired there is help.
Another thing to think about - respite providers are paid! We are required to give our respite providers our daily reimbursement for the days they care for our children. It's not much, but it is a little something for your time. For more information on becoming a respite provider contact your local family services or a private agency near you.
Friday, May 6, 2011
31 Days - 31 Ways: Day 6
Day 6 - Pray for your state legislator and the government
There have been so many budget cuts this past year that affect our children in foster care. An article I read recently on an Austin News website said, "The current draft budget proposes a 7% cut in Department of Family and Protective Services funds , with the child abuse and neglect detection division losing 55% of its budget, along with 400 caseworkers and investigators." This equals about $467 million! (See source notes below)
I can tell you, having worked with DFPS for the past 3 years that loosing 300 of these workers or this amount of money nation wide would be terrible. Here we're talking about just Texas. Most states are struggling with the same cuts this year.
Sources -
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/politics/cuts-could-damage-abused-children
http://www.cryoftheorphan.org/User/Document/Fosterprayerguide.pdf
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-01-28/lege-land-child-advocates-seek-reforms/
There have been so many budget cuts this past year that affect our children in foster care. An article I read recently on an Austin News website said, "The current draft budget proposes a 7% cut in Department of Family and Protective Services funds , with the child abuse and neglect detection division losing 55% of its budget, along with 400 caseworkers and investigators." This equals about $467 million! (See source notes below)
I can tell you, having worked with DFPS for the past 3 years that loosing 300 of these workers or this amount of money nation wide would be terrible. Here we're talking about just Texas. Most states are struggling with the same cuts this year.
- Pray God would raise up more Christians in our local and state government as well as in our congress. Pray that these workers would hold tight to their convictions, that they would have the highest moral standards and the fortitude to get the job done right.
- Pray the workers would have a heart for these children and the workers who help them. That they would take the time to visit the offices of DFPS and truely understand why cutting these budgets is not good.
- Pray for unity among the parties. There are hurt children in all areas of our country, rich, poor, etc. This is something that affects everyone!
- Pray for creative ways to stretch the funds further.
Sources -
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/politics/cuts-could-damage-abused-children
http://www.cryoftheorphan.org/User/Document/Fosterprayerguide.pdf
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-01-28/lege-land-child-advocates-seek-reforms/
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