Share a little Care Giving With Your Caseworkers, too!

It's getting tougher to keep up with this but I will do my best.
Two new girls moved in a week ago, so I have two sets of sibling girls! They are (so far) great for each other; they each have someone to play with; take walks with, ride scooters with :)

There's twice as much to think about with another sibling set; but I have a great caseworker with this second set of sisters. (I actually hired her when I worked at DCFS a number of years ago!) She returns emails very timely. I know she enjoys carmel & chocolate dipped pretzel rods, so I made her two on the night she dropped off the girls. I promise, it doesn't hurt to take care of the caseworkers you work with. DCFS in Utah is pretty broke these days (as many government agencies are, nationwide)...the supervisors there have no funding to buy bikes for their kids, let alone give a worker a $50 'pat-on-the-back' for a job well done. It will serve you well, if you can send them a note of 'thanks' a couple times a year (Mothers Day or Fathers Day and any other time you think of it). Get to know your caseworkers; what motivates them (dipped pretzels?) a note from one of 'their kids' (one of the kids on their caseload); a school picture, an invitation to a graduation, etc.

My first 'i love you, Nancy' ....

It was just a day...nothing special...she's 7 years old and she was walking through the garage to get into my truck and she just turned to me and said, 'i love you, Nancy'. She's one of the bravest kids I've ever met. She's a survivor of a horrible abuse...and she can still love! And she chose to share some of it with me. Sometimes, she blows me away....

The Foster Roster

The Foster Roster is the monthly newsletter created by the Utah Foster Care Foundation to share resources, upcoming events and trainings, recognitions, policy updates, legislative decisions and even contests. It is one way Utah has found to keep foster parents connected with each others' successes, interests and challenges. Beginning in July 2009 it became an every-other-month mailed publication (on the even-numbered months) and an online updated version on odd-numbered months. It is only mailed to currently LICENSED foster homes.

There are five regions in Utah (Northern, Salt Lake Valley, Western, Eastern and South Western); each region develops it's own six pages (well, three pages front and back) and then the state news is added to the end of that, two pages front and back. It is always mailed out on purple paper (the signature color of the UFCF); so it is easily recognizable when it's delivered.

This publication is really the baby of the Retention department of the UFCF; although the regional trainers have a significant responsibility. It is always available online for anyone to see, located at www.utahfostercare.org just click on the purple Foster Roster button.

I received my first copy today, as a licensed foster parent...I read it from cover to cover! :)