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Caregiver Courier -
September 2022
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Dear Caregivers,
September is National Kinship Care Month!
On behalf of the Clark County Department of Family Services, it’s truly an honor to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of kinship caregivers and the children they are raising in stable, loving, and nurturing households.
This month, and every day, we proudly recognize and highlight the love shared within kinship families, the promise of hope kinship provides, and the commitment of the advocates and allies who work tirelessly to serve kinship caregiving families.
We know that every child in Clark County deserves the opportunity to grow and learn in a supportive and safe home environment, all while retaining a sense of family, and cultural heritage. That’s why DFS is committed to supporting kinship families who are raising a relative’s child on their own or with the aid of child welfare tools and resources.
National Kinship Care Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that kinship care has on the child welfare system. Daily, amazing caregivers like you demonstrate that kinship works. Because of your earnest efforts and dedication to our children and their families, kinship care has become the rule for children removed from the custody of their birth parents, rather than the exception.
Thank you for the time you take to value, strengthen, and preserve families so that our children can thrive. You understand that kinship care provides kids with stability and the continuity of care they deserve.
We appreciate everything that you do. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Tim Burch
Clark County Administrator of Human Services
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September is Kinship Care month
This national awareness month recognizes the grandparents, aunts & uncles, and relative or non-relative adults that step up and care for children when they cannot safely remain with their parents. Alarmingly, six percent of children in Nevada are growing up without either parent. National Kinship Care Month is a reminder of the important work of keeping children connected to their kin and a time to thank those that have made the effort to step up for these children.
The mission of Foster Kinship is to meet these kinship families with the support and resources they need to raise healthy children. We provide evidence-based and evidence-informed programming that strengthen caregivers' capacity to provide safe, stable, and nurturing homes for vulnerable children. Foster Kinship helps keep home in the family.
Get help and support or give back by volunteering or donating learn more here: https://www.FosterKinship.org.
We also still have our Kinship Excellence Award Nominations open here: https://forms.gle/bLG6DAmRgVKbD6b49
Finally, attached is our upcoming conference, Marcie's Heart info, cc programming, and trainings. The registration link for the conference is: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/semi-annual-kinship-conference-tickets-396101639667
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FOSTER KINSHIP CELEBRATES 10 YEARS.
On Thursday August 25th, 2022, Foster Kinship celebrated their 10 years supporting Kinship Families. Executive Director and founder Dr. Ali Caliendo received a standing ovation from a packed house at the Gala. A wonderful night celebrating a incredible community partner.
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For the Kinship Excellence Awards please Click Here to sign up.
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Do not miss this park meet up !
Fostering Hope is having a park meet up at Desert Bloom Park on Saturday 10th, 2022 from 10 - 12 pm.
No need to RSVP just a time to get together with other foster families.
Text Link
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September 3, 2022 $3.00 National Cinema Day | |
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Clark County Foster Families Night
Call 702-455-5424 to get your tickets.
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Important Educational Updates from DFS
September 2022
CLICK HERE
CCSD Education Update - Back to school Guide
| INDEPENDENT LIVING CORNER | |
The Independent Living Program is designed to assist and prepare foster and former foster youth in making the transition from foster care to adulthood by providing opportunities to obtain life skills for self-sufficiency and independence. Program services are available to youth 14 and older who are currently in foster care and to former foster care youth who aged-out of the foster care system at age 18. Independent Living services are also available to youth who were adopted from foster care on or after their 16th birthday. Some of the services provided through the Independent Living Program include:
· Daily living skills
· Money management
· Decision making
· Housing assistance
· Substance abuse prevention, nutrition education, smoking prevention, and pregnancy prevention
· Preparation for postsecondary training and education https://nshe.nevada.edu/initiatives/foster-youth/
· Mentors and permanent connections
· Financial assistance with college or vocational schools ETV@ClarkCountyNV.gov
· Medical insurance
· Counseling
· Assistance in obtaining the GED and higher education
Upcoming IL Workshops:
College 101 for Nevada Students in Foster Care September 29, 2022, 3pm-5pm. Flyer will be sent out soon.
FAFSA workshop for Clark County Students in Foster Care October 13, 2022, 3pm-5pm. Flyer will be sent soon.
Money Management Workshop with SCE FCU on September 14, 2022, 2:30pm-4:30pm. Flyers have been sent out. Ask your IL worker about attending.
For all upcoming events: If you would like to register please email DFSIndependentLiving@ClarkCountyNV.gov or call Nicole Smith 702-455-0602. You can also ask your IL worker to register you!
For more information on transitioning out of care: https://www.fosterclub.com/foster-parent-training/course/using-fosterclub-transition-toolkit
For information on job readiness program, paid internships, monetary assistance with work clothes, training and assistance with job placement click on the following links;
One Stop Career Center onestopyouth@nvcareercenter.org; Employ NV Youth Hub www.employnvyouthhub.org Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
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CAREGIVER TRAINING CORNER
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Aaron - Age: 8
· Aaron is kind, friendly and silly
· He loves to play with his toy cars and likes to do things that are more independent like riding
riding his bike or playing games on the phone
· Aaron has limited speech and has services in place that have helped with his communication
Mariella - Age: 6
· Mariella is friendly, sweet and talkative
· She thrives on attention and positive praises
* She loves having tea parties, playing with her dolls and spending time with caregivers
* She can be a little sassy and bossy at times.
Legal Status: Legal Risk
Recruiter: Yessenia Crawford - Yesenia@clarkcountynv.gov
Click Here to see more of their profile.
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Other DFS profiles - Click Here
Clark County website:
https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/residents/family_services/divisions/adoption_program/index.php
Raise the future website:
https://www.raisethefuture.org/
Click children we serve, Click meet waiting children-search Nevada
ADOPTUSKIDS website:
https://adoptuskids.org/
-search Nevada
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In-Person TBRI® Caregiver Training
September 26th - 30th
Register Here
Please click here to see all TBRI courses for the year
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Quick Q&A with the CASA program
Q: Once assigned, what are some general requirements for CASA volunteers?
- CASA volunteers are asked for an initial 2 year commitment to the program.
- CASA volunteers are asked to remain active in the case until permanency is achieved.
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CASA volunteers are required to have at least monthly face-to-face contact with their child(ren), but more often when initially assigned.
- CASA volunteers are required to complete a CASA report for the Permanency Planning and Review Hearings.
What is a Peer Coordinator?
A Peer Coordinator is an experienced CASA volunteer who supports the CASA program by coaching a small group of CASA volunteers. The Peer Coordinator is assigned to specific volunteers and may be included in communications and meetings to support the CASA volunteer?
Sometimes, there are CASA volunteers taking notes in the courtroom. What is their purpose?
Court Monitors assist the CASA program by attending specific court hearings, to ensure there is a CASA representative in court. These are also experienced CASA volunteers, who may or may not be currently assigned to a case. Unlike Peer Coordinators, these volunteers are not assigned to specific volunteers. In their role as a Court Monitor, they serve the program by:
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Assisting CASA volunteers by representing their case, if the assigned CASA volunteer
is not able to participate in the hearing.
- Taking notes in court on CASA cases, to provide to the CASA staff and CASA volunteer, following the hearings.
- Providing support in the courtroom for newly trained volunteers.
- Listening to all cases and take brief notes to share with the CASA program, to determine if a specific case may benefit from having a CASA volunteer assigned.
Please contact the CASA office at casa@clarkcountycourts.us with specific questions about the CASA volunteer assignment process.
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The Children's Service Guild's 47th Annual Holiday Craft Boutique & Raffle is only 12 weeks away:
**Our 47th Annual Holiday Craft Boutique and Raffle
will be Saturday, November 12, 2022 10am – 3pm**
**NEW LOCATION**
Desert Springs United Methodist Church, 120 N. Pavilion Center Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89144.
Click here to read more about Children's Service Guild
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Canyon Ridge Supports Caregivers
Open to all foster caregivers (licensed, unlicensed, relative, fictive kin) Please make sure to register your register yourself and each child that will be participating.
Registration closes once all slots are filled. Must register no later than Monday, September 12, 2022.
Click here to register
What Do You Get Out of it?
Foster Parent Night Out -
Friday September 16, 2022
Being a Foster Parent is a tremendous responsibility and help to our community. We understand that with the increased responsibility it is difficult to find regular respite care. In the third Friday of every month, from 6p - 9p. Canyon Ridge Christian Church would like to serve the foster parents of our community by providing free respite care. During that time, we will provide your children and your foster children a fun, safe and nurturing environment so that you can take some time to rest, catch a movie, go out with your spouse and more! Space is limited to a first come, first serve basis. Please drop off your children between 6:00p - 6:30p as the doors will closed after that time for safety purposes. Fill out the registration form to sign-up today!
Please note - feed your children before drop-off (we will provide snacks, but not dinner).
Open for children ages birth - 5th grade.
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Save the date
Foster Parents Night Out
September 2, 2022
Being a Foster Parent is Tremendous responsibility and help to our community. We understand that with the increased responsibility it is difficult to find regular respite care.
On the first Friday of every month, Grace Point church serves the foster parents in our community by providing free respite care from 6p to 9p.
Click Here TO REGISTER
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RESPITE Opportunities for
Therapeutic Children
To better serve caregiver families providing foster care or placement for children through DFS, we have established an additional respite option with The Therapeutic Solution. This respite option provides therapeutic-focused respite services to our children and youth requiring a higher level of care during respite needs. And also, respite services for the standard level of care requests referred by DFS; a higher level of need for behavioral care is not necessary to utilize respite services through The Therapeutic Solution. Respite is available for both planned and emergency respite requests. Services are open from 10 am-10 pm Monday through Friday. Weekend respite is available upon request and is provided as needed.
To access this service please contact the DFS Case Manager with the requested respite timeframes. The DFS Case Manager will coordinate and ensure respite availability and provide you with confirmation and guidance.
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RESPITE REIMBURSEMENT -
We support you
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The Department of Family Services supports and encourages caregivers taking foster children in their care on family vacations and trips. We are committed to support quality care and to making these opportunities for the foster children a reality.
Respite is a tool that when used effectively can make foster children a priority and focuses on normalcy for the child. The message we don't want to give children is that "we need a break from you"
To further support children and families that care for them DFS is offering reimbursement to our caregivers who use normalcy respite, need support for safe key, spring break or summer camps.
for more information.
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FOSTERING HOPE SUPPORT GROUP
Fostering Hope support group meets every Wednesday from 6:00-8:00pm at Hope Church 850 E Cactus Ave. Childcare is provided just please email to RSVP for child care carly@thehublv.com
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Support Groups
Foster Parent Support Group
4th Fri Friday of the month
6:30 pm - 8:45 pm
Foster Kinship Support Group
2nd Tuesday of the month
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
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HANNAH'S CLOSET SOUTH
Hannah’s Closet South is open to shop go www.fosteringhopelv.com to Sign up for a shopping slot
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After having gifted guitars and offered music lessons to foster children over the last year, The Tone Guild was encouraged and set up a formal organization. 501(c)(3) This service organization mission is dedicated to spreading music to foster children and at-risk youth.
To make it easier to identify and distribute musical instruments/lessons, A form was developed to nominate potential recipients.
Submit nominations using this form:
Tone Guild Student Nomination
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Comedy Magician Farrell Dillon Celebrates 100th Las Vegas Performance
with Ticket Giveaway to 100 Foster Families
Farrell Dillon reached a performance milestone as the comedy magician celebrated his 100th show on April 3rd at The Magic Attic inside Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. To commemorate this landmark occasion, Dillon is giving away show tickets to 100 Nevada foster families.
Dillon’s decision to distribute complimentary tickets to foster families came after the entertainer and his wife, Amanda, worked at a transitional home for young adults during the height of the COVID pandemic.
“While we waited for the Vegas entertainment industry to recover from pandemic-related shutdowns, my wife and I decided to devote our time to a transitional home for young adults. We didn’t know much about this type of work, but we both decided to give it a shot and we are so thankful we did. As my wife and I developed genuinely loving relationships with these young people, and became an enriching part of their daily lives, the experience at the home instilled in us a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation for our own family,” Dillon said.
National Foster Care Month in May, Dillon decided to celebrate the 100th show of his Bally’s residency by treating 100 foster families to a complimentary performance.
To get your tickets call 702-455-5424
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OMBUDSMAN SERVICES
The Mission of the Clark County Ombudsman for the Department of Family Services and Clark County Social Service is to review, resolve, track and report complaints in an effort to add increased accountability and facilitate systemic improvements to the local child welfare and Social Service systems.
For more information, call
702.455.1046.
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What is Quality Parenting Initiative? | | |
Building quality relationships through support and partnership for the well-being and support of our children.
Enhance Your Skills
Various trainings are offered in the community to help enhance caregivers' capacity to parent. Please click on the links below to learn more about exciting training opportunities from which you can benefit.
The QPI Clark County Values
- Children do best in families
- Engaging our community
- Supporting & strengthening families
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