FOSTER CARE & ADOPTION E-NEWS

Urgent Need for Quality Foster Families

Everyday, Children’s Bureau receives calls for foster families to care for children who have just been removed from their birth families.  This need is immediate and necessary to keep a child safe until his or her parents can make changes that will support a safe and healthy family dynamic.  We might have one child who needs a home or we sometimes get sibling sets that come to us with two or more children of various ages and a variety of needs.
Current foster and adoptive families, staff, volunteer leaders and supporters are our best resource in recruiting potential foster families.  There are a few ways you can help us promote this urgent need for families:

• Talk to your family, friends or coworkers about the foster care and adoptions program at Children’s Bureau.  If they have questions, direct them to our website at www.www.all4kids.org.
• Include Children’s Bureau’s parent information meetings in your newsletters, bulletins or post on your social media sites. A detailed list of these meetings is located on the website.
• Distribute postcards or flyers at your work, place of worship, local grocery store, hair salon, etc. Please contact Maria at 213.342.0168 or Lucy at 661.208.4212 for these materials.
• Forward this e-newsletter to your contacts.

Your support is deeply appreciated and will greatly impact a child in need!Click Here to See Families We’ve Helped to Create!

Remember to watch “A Home for the Holidays” 14th Annual Adoption Special – Wednesday, December 19th on CBS at 5:00 p.m.

Adoption Promotion and Support Services Works to Strengthen Families

In an effort to strengthen families being formed by adoption and kinship adoption, Children’s Bureau provides Adoption Promotion and Support Services (APSS).  This free program focuses on providing support, education and treatment to families in the process of adopting or those who have already formed a family by adoption or kinship adoption.  The program is being offered in partnership with the Los Angeles DCFS.APSS case managers help families identify their strengths and needs and to establish family goals. Examples of goals can include disclosing adoption history, developing a life book and/or family adoption story, learning specialized parenting skills along with accessing and advocating for community programs. Families can choose to come together to receive peer support through support and education groups and/or more individual support from an Adoptive Parent Mentor. When needed, children and families may receive mental health services with a therapist sensitive to adoption issues. Children and youth also have the opportunity to meet with their peers who are in the process of being adopted or those who have already have been adopted.

By taking advantage of support services early, many challenges inherent in adoption can be minimized later in life.  Relationships are established that will be helpful when there are issues.  Getting services like these for the family shows a child that pursuing support is healthy and normal. Furthermore, peer support provides a safe circle where an adopted child’s issues are understood and shared.

Obtaining support is necessary in everyday life and acknowledging and learning those life skills is a key to later success for an adopted child. For more information on how you can access APSS, please call one of our four sites listed below:

• Palmdale Office (SPA 1/Antelope Valley)               661-272-9996
• Baldwin Park Office (SPA 3/San Gabriel Valley)   626-337-6611
• Oakwood Family Center (SPA 4/Metro North)     323-953-7350
• Carson Family Center (SPA 8/South Bay)              310-523-9500