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Executive Director's Report
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I was talking with a foster parent a couple of days after Mother’s Day, and they were sharing how the child in their care had a “really bad day” on Mother’s Day Sunday. The child could not verbally articulate what was wrong, however, the behavior spoke volumes: hitting, shouting, throwing objects, meltdowns. The foster parent recognized immediately what was occurring - Mother’s Day is an intense reminder to the child of their loss - a loss that may not have a set grieving period or eventual closure. An ambiguous loss.
The Mayo Clinic defines ambiguous loss as “a person’s profound sense of loss and sadness that is not associated with a death of a loved one. It can be a loss of emotional connection when a person’s physical presence remains, or when that emotional connection remains but a physical connection is lost. Often there isn’t a sense of closure.” (Unnamed pain: Coping with ambiguous loss, mayoclinichealthsystem.org, April 10, 2023).
Children in foster or adoptive homes will almost universally have experienced an ambiguous loss. Even children adopted before age one, who have no conscious memory of their birth parents, may experience symptoms of ambiguous loss as they approach their teens. In Ambiguous Loss: Coming to Terms with Unresolved Grief, author Pauline Boss states, “Although the birth mother is more conscious of the actual separation than is the baby…the birth mother is thought about often and kept psychologically present in the minds of both the adoptive mother and the adopted child.”
While our instinct is to want to take away the pain associated with the loss and help the child ‘get over it’ or ‘move past the loss’, this is likely an impossible task. Foster and adoptive parents are called to be the front line ‘loss managers’ for the children in their care, and I would encourage you to have open dialogue with the social worker, counselor, doctor, BMS and anyone else involved in the child’s care plan about how this can best be approached.
We have material in the FFNL resource library covering grief and loss, how you can support the children in your care with their losses, and how to manage your own grief and loss in healthy ways.
Please reach out to Lori or I at the office if you need support in the important role of ‘loss manager’ for the children in your life.
I would also like to wish everyone a safe, happy summer. Remember that the simplest activities and moments can make some of the best memories.
Kelli
Executive Director
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The Backpacks of Comfort initiative kicked off in the winter with the funding help from Honda Canada and Verafin to purchase supplies. RBC staff were amazing in filling the backpacks on two occasions with items to prepare them for delivery to CSSD office across the province. RBC also invested financially in this endeavor. Without the community, this project would not have been a success.
By May 2024, all offices in Newfoundland and Labrador received the backpacks to provide to any child/youth entering foster care or transitioning to another placement.
A social worker noted "I just wanted to touch base and let you know the impact that one of the backpacks had on a youth that came into our care yesterday. Specifically, the teddy bear. When he opened the bag and saw the teddy bear, he was thrilled and stated that he had wanted one previously for his birthday but didn’t get one. He then snuggled the teddy bear throughout the duration of our two hour drive to his new placement. Thank you so much for this. I figured it would be nice to reach out and let you know the positive impact that we are already seeing with the backpacks. I cannot thank you and the sponsors enough for doing this!!!"
If you would like to learn more, please reach out to Kelli at (709)754-0213 or by email at kelli@fosterfamilesnl.ca.
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RBC staff volunteering their time to fill the Backpacks of Comfort on two occasions as well as volunteered at our Annual Symposium in June. For their efforts, a total of $4500 was donated to Foster Families NL. Thank you! | |
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Here are some pictures of some of the CSSD staff from across the province who accepted the filled backpacks: Springdale, Natuashish, Sheshatshiu, Harbour Grace, Roddickton, Grand Falls- Windsor, Bay Roberts, St, John's, Corner Brook, and virtually on the North Coast, Labrador City, Clarenville, Marystown, Bonavista, Botwood etc.
Without the support of the social workers, this initiative would not be possible. They are the unsung heroes behind the scenes of the backpacks who aid us in getting the backpacks to those entering foster care. Thank you for supporting us in the Backpacks of Comfort project.
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Board of Directors Update | |
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We have two vacancies on the Foster Families NL board for a Director from the St. John’s and the North Coast of Labrador regions.
This is a great opportunity to: meet other foster parents; increase your knowledge about fostering on a provincial level; travel to other parts of the province for in-person board meetings; participate in regional training days; and attend our annual Symposium in St. John’s. There is no cost to you to sit on the Board. Any travel costs for in-person meetings are covered by the Association and monthly meetings are held via Zoom. The successful candidate for the St. John's region will be completing the remaining 2 years of the outgoing Director's 3-year term. At that time, they will be eligible to run for an additional 3-year term.
Attached is a copy of the Director position description and an expression of interest form for you to complete if you are interested. All expressions of interest must be received at the office by July 31st. If only one person expresses interest, that person will fill the position. If more than one person expresses interest, there will be a mail-in ballot. Thank you for considering this request. Foster parents who have sat on the Board will tell you it’s a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.
If you have any questions or want further information, you can contact me at the office at 754-0243 or you can e-mail me at kelli@fosterfamiliesnl.ca
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We welcomed B.S.W. students Kaelie Oake and Victoria Power from Memorial University. Foster Families NL was busy this winter with the backpack initiative, school presentations, attending CSSD meetings, provincial travel, preparing for our auction fundraiser and organizing our annual symposium. Their assistance aided us in accomplishing our goals.
They both were an asset to our organization and will be missed. We wish them success in their future social work careers within the province. We know they will do great!
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In February, we travelled to the west coast of NL. We delivered the first of the Backpacks of Comfort, the public library in Port Aux Basques hosted an information session on how to become a foster parent, and we had a foster family bowling night in Stephenville. We also visited social workers and schools in the region throughout our visit.
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In March, we visited foster parents, schools and CSSD on the Northern Peninsula. We had a great turnout at Rappa where the kids had a good time.
We hosted a community gathering in Natuashish with the assistance of CSSD and IRT staff.
Our foster parent recruitment poster was also translated into innu-aimen.
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Also, in March we had an in-person training day in Happy Valley - Goose Bay. Topics were: Intergenerational Trauma and Play Therapy – Grant Gear, Child & Youth Mental Health Specialist/Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider, and Denika Lyall, Trauma & Addictions Counsellor; Stress and Anxiety for Adolescents, Lori Petersen, MSW and Emotional Understanding, Blake Sheppard-Pardy, Therapist at Holistic Haven. The BSW students presented to the board virtually on Self Care, a presentation they developed for FFNL. We also had a Family Fun Day at the YMCA. Thank you to all foster families who attended.
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In April, we had the pleasure of meeting with foster families at a family fun day in Bay Roberts.
The winter and spring were busy with travel, but it was great to meet foster parents and social workers throughout the province.
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Our Annual Silent Auction was a great success and we raised almost $7900.
A huge shout out to Bartlett Auctions for donating their time and space to host our auction. Your dedication to not - for -profits is exceptional and appreciated.
Without the support of our sponsors, our fundraising efforts would not be possible. Please support the following supporters as they are appreciated for all they do for their community:
Adrina's Creations
Alteen's
Axion - Corie Lee Normore
Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
Affordable Limosines (Bursey's Bus Service)
Auk Island Winery
Bell Aliant
Bev Moore Davis - Author and Advocate
Bodhi Hot Yoga
Bogart's Jewellers
Bon Bay Tours
Boston Pizza - Kelsey Drive
Breakwater Books
Browning Harvey
BWSealStyle Sealskin
CakeyHand
Capelin Craft Co.
Ches's Famous Fish & Chips
Christine Reich Blackwood (Norwex and Pampered Chef Consultant)
Churchill Music Festival
City of Mount Pearl
Clay Cafe
Clyde Penney Baking
CNA
Coast 101.1
Coffee Matters Paradise
Coleman Group of Companies
Colin Murphy, Author
Colin Pittman Photography
Collison Clinic Ltd.
Corner Brook Centre Bowl
Courtyard by Marriott
Crosbie Job Insurance
Deadly Cookies
Diamond Fudge
Dicks & Co.
Dominion Lake Ave.
Dough By's
Downhome Inc.
Downtown Comics
East Coast Converters
Electronis Centre
Emporium
Edna Kenny
Escape Quest
Exploits Lanes
Flanker Press
Frontline Action
Furniture Market
Get Air Newfoundland
Glassea Bits
Grand Time Inc.
Greco Pizza
Greta Ward-Park
Guillevin International Co.
Hallmark Mount Pearl
Hempware
Hillhead House
Hillside Fire Craft
Holiday Inn Express Deer Lake
Home for Every Child
Imprint Speciality
Jennie Williams, Photographer
Jennifer's Gifts
Joanne Sampson
Johnson Geo Centre
Jungle Jim's Topsail Rd.
Kent's Building Supplies Stravanger Dr.
King's Photography
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Live Edge Design by John
Long & McQuade
Mainumby Art Canada
Mama Made That
Manna Bakery
Marystown Hotel & Convention Centre
Maverick Sports and Collectablees
Mercer's Marine
Michelle White
Miller's
Miranda Roxon Art
Mount Peyton Hotel
MUN Botanical Gardens
MUN Press
Napa Auto Parts
Neville Framing Art Gallery & Poster Shoppe
NL Dental Association
NL Floral Design
Newfound Art Co.
Newfoundland Canvas
Newfoundland Distillery
NTV
Nunatsiavut
Old Bones Photo
Paint Shop Torbay Rd.
Pennecon
Pink Teapot Co.
Pipers Head Office
Power Photography
Princess Auto
Pur & Simple
Purity Factories
Rafting Adventures
The Magnet King - Randy Harding Art
Work
Warren's
RecRoom
Regal Confections/Newfound Brokerage
Richard Steele Galleries
Rise & Shine Nursery
Round Da Bay Inn
Rowie Glass
Rumbolt's
Running the Goat Books & Broadsides
Sandman Signatire Hotel
Sandy Point Stained Glass
Sassy Tuna Studio
Scotiabank Avalon Mall
Shoppers Drug Mart Lemarchant Rd.
Signage Clothing & Crafts
Sky High Amusements Ltd.
Smith's Home Hardware
Smitty's Restaurant
Sobey's Kelsey Dr.
Terra Nova Attractions Ltd.
St. John Amulance
St. John's Soap Works
Steele Hotels
Subway
Surplus Frieght & Mattress Warehouse
The Body Shop
The Rooms
Wal-Nuts Climbing Centre
Wendy's Kenmount Rd.
Wood Shack Curiosoties
XHeight Zone Centre
YMCA
Ziggy Peelgoods
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This year's annual symposium took place from June 7-9, 2024. The theme for the event was Foster Care ... Fill Your Cup. It was a great opportunity to network with other foster parents, attend workshops and to relax with the entertainment.
Thank you to all foster parents, social workers and other professionals who attended this year’s symposium as we had approximately 83 people in attendance. We had workshops on Trauma and the Cayak Clinic presented by Dr. Drover and staff; Not A Number Training for Caregivers presented by Nicole Deveau and Lori Petersen; and a Guided Discussion by Elders from First Light. There was a lot of information sharing, networking and fun had by all. We also had guest speakers Geraldine Paul, Psychologist and author, and Tina Davies, Founder of Richard's Legacy Foundation.
Our youth speakers, Jennie Williams and Dustin Rendell shared their stories of being in foster care. Stella Circle’s Inclusion Choir, Black Cherry Band and St. John's Mi'kma Women's Circle rounded off the event with great entertainment. Thank you to Nunatsiavut, Innu Nation Sheshatsiu and CSSD for sponsoring foster parents to attend. Thank you to Minister Pike for his kind words and presentation of recognition certificates for years of service. This generous support is appreciated.
From the foster parents, social workers and other professionals who attended the weekend event, the evaluations noted positive experiences from those that participated. We added a photo booth and a bus tour of St. John's which were enjoyed and allowed attendees time to mingle.
We hope to see more foster parents next year at the event. Save the date of June 6-8, 2025. Many say once they attended for the first time, they want to come back every year. Remember all trainings can be used on your foster parent annual review. Here are some photos from the event.
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VOCM CARES/Foster Families NL Bursary | |
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Applications for the VOCM Cares/Foster Families NL Bursary are now open to any biological or adopted child of a foster family.
This bursary is awarded each year in October to a biological or adopted child of a foster parent who will be attending or is attending an education program after high school graduation.
Applicants are required to provide a small write up to support their application, obtain a teacher reference and a social worker reference. The deadline for submissions is September 13, 2024.
The information for this bursary can be located on our webpage: www.fosterfamiliesnl.ca. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (709)754-0213.
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A beautiful story of family! You can also listen to the Rendell's radio interview by going to CBC Radio and searching their January 4, 2024 interview from On The Go.
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"Hi my name is Lindsey and today I want to talk about foster care. Every day kids go into care for a lot of reasons. Sometimes, kids go to foster homes because there are bad things happening at home and other times it may be because the kids mom and dad need a bit of help to become the best mom and dad they can be.
My nan and pop have been foster parents since before I was born. They treat every child with love and care just like they give me and my other cousins. My nan and pop had a baby in their home for 2 years and because his mom had help, from the foster workers, her son was allowed to go home and it was really sad but more happy because he got to go home.
In some cases though when a kid goes into care, they may not get to go back to their mom and dad's house because their home life is not safe. When that happens the kids go to foster homes and get the love and safe space to call home. At times when the kids can not go home, they may get adopted by the family's they get placed with or they may be adopted by moms and dads who can't have kids.
Foster care is there to help keep kids safe when their parent may not be able to. I want to thank you for listening to my speech about foster care and I hope you learned something about how foster homes work."
L.H. - 9 yrs old
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Different Kinds of Families Presentation | |
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We had a great response from schools to participate in the Different Kinds of Families presentation in the Spring and Winter. This presentation was developed to help reduce myths and stigma in the school system about children in foster care. It fits well with themes of inclusion, belonging and anti-bullying messages.
If your school would like a presentation, please contact Lori at lori@fosterfamiliesnl.ca or call (709)754-0213.
Below are the classes who won a pizza party for their entries showing what they learned from attending the presentation. Winners were Ms. Organ's Kindergarten Class from Holy Trinity who made a book and Ms. Cull's grade one class from White Hills Academy who submitted artwork.
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Would you like to win a prize? Color this page to enter our Summer Coloring Contest. Four prizes will be awarded. Send your picture to 211 - 90 O'Leary Avenue, St. John's, NL A1B 2C7 before August 31, 2024 or you can send a picture of your colored page to nlffa@nfld.net. Copy the page and share it with a friend! | |
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Reconciliation:
June was National Indigenous Peoples Month. The Caring Society has many resources to learn from that can assist you in participating in reconciliation. "No matter who you are or where you’re from, you can take peaceful and respectful actions to help make a better Canada for First Nations and all children and their families. There are a lot of ways you can make a difference!" Check out their website or follow them on Facebook for further information.
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Notified Training
"Notified Virtual Training, a free self-paced learning platform designed for youth and adults, providing education on online sexual exploitation and offering resources to support those who have been affected by such exploitation. Notified training is appropriate for youth connected online and for adults who live, work with, or care about youth who are connected online. The 10-module training will discuss vulnerabilities, signs, supportive disclosure, platforms popular with youth, and more. There are learning options. You can listen through audio-only video presentations or read through the modules. Folks can also engage with activities and short video animations throughout the modules." You can access this training in the link below.
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Online Resource
BridgethegApp has many resources for youth. Check it out!
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Lending Library
Have you had the opportunity to take advantage of our lending Library? We have a variety of resources available. If you are unable to stop by, just let us know which topic you are interested in and we can send you something via mail.
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Foster families are needed throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador.
What can you do to help?
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- Would your workplace allow you to leave brochures or posters for recruitment?
- Encourage people who you think would make good foster parents to apply.
- Correct any myths or stereotypes communicated by others in the community.
- Can your corporation or business assist with donations to the NL Foster Families Association or provide discounts to current foster parents?
- Become a Respite or Full-time Foster Parent
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Executive Officers
Lori Hudson
Chair
Jim Miller
Vice Chair
Brittani Dixon
Treasurer
Heather Bartlett
Secretary
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Staff
Kelli Hodder
Executive Director
Email Kelli
Lori Petersen
Social Worker
Email Lori
Camillia Rumbolt
Administrative/Financial Assistant
Email Camillia
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Our Newsletter has gone digital!!! We hope you enjoy our new layout. If you prefer not to receive our Newsletter you can unsubscribe at the bottom of the email. | | | | |
