LINK Families - Part II
Linking Information Networks for Kids
Overview of Network Sponsor Site Plans and Accomplishments
Supporting Foster/Adoptive Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disabilities
Family Resource Network (FRN)– Chenango and Otsego Counties
http://familyrn.org
Agency/Provider Contact: Roxane Carpenter •607-432-0001 • carprl99@yahoo.com
Parent Contact Chenango: Geri Barnes • 607-334-5596 • barnesfamily@frontiernet.net
Parent Contact Otsego: Karen Olmsted • 607-286-9311 • karenpaffenroth@yahoo.com
Overview of Project Goals and Plans: The plan was to help develop and facilitate a new parent run foster and adoptive caregiver support group utilizing their existing affiliation with Parent to Parent NYS to match F/A caregivers with trained support parents as needed. FRN plans included facilitating/nurturing support group development thorough expansion of the FRN library to include resources for adoptive and foster families and providing assistance in identifying guest speakers and training opportunities to enable group members to become knowledgeable about local services and provide information/support to other parents.
Community Outreach: Outreach activities included adding a box for F/A information-interest to the existing Parent to Parent / Families Together intake form; adding a section of information and announcements for the foster and adoptive group to the FRN bi-monthly newsletter sent to over 2000 families/agencies in 6 counties, posting announcements on the FRN website and email lists, and placing PSA’s announcing the formation of the group in media outlets in Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties. FRN utilized existing, long standing, collaborative relationships with area service providers to invite them to participate in the planning support services and “disseminate information to families who were interested in participating in the group, and draw on each area of expertise for outreach to the families in the form of information sharing and/or training.”
Accomplishments: New parent led /FRN facilitated foster and adoptive parent support groups were developed in Chenango and Oneonta counties and a new section for foster and adoptive parents added to the FRN newsletter. Support group promotion and outreach efforts resulted in several adoptive and foster families caring for children with development disabilities attending existing FRN recreational and training events and receiving educational advocacy services. Grant funds were used in part to develop a resource library for parents in Chenango County and expand the resources available in the FRN office lending library.
Hillside Children’s Center – Monroe County
http://www.hillside.com/Services/adoption.htm
Agency Contact: Lisa Maynard • 585-350-2504 • lmaynard@hillside.com
Parent Contact: Jonathan Bush • 716-200-8416 • Jbush25@aol.com
Overview of Project Goals and Plans: Hillside planned to build on the existing resources, relationships, and services of their Adoption Resource Center (ARN) to identify F/A caregivers parenting children with developmental disabilities, determine caregiver identified support needs, research existing services to address them, and form a parent/provider planning committee to discuss fall training plans and outreach and promotion of new and existing services.
Community Outreach: Activities conducted included outreach through established local DSS and OMRDD connections, outreach through the ARN website and newsletters, identification of F/A families currently served through other Hillside programs, surveys of existing parent support group participants, meetings with Hillside’s Cross Systems service to identify families parenting children with DD, and discussion with ASAP (post adoption services) Parent Liaisons.
Accomplishments: Hillside’s Adoption Resource Network parent support groups supported by mini grant funds were expanded through outreach to 34 adoptive/foster families caring for parents caring for children with developmental disabilities. Grant funds were used to in part to provide childcare and refreshments at support group meetings and support outreach activities including ads in local newspapers, community wide distribution of the ARN monthly newsletter, and postings on the Hillside website. Parents attending support groups were informed about and connected other ARN services such as parent liaison services, clinical services, and their annual adoption conference in November which featured a series of workshops on developmental disability issues. Hillside conducted phone surveys and discussions with community service providers to identify providers experience or expertise with adoptive families and the core issues of adoption and expand their online preferred service referral list.
New Directions Youth and Family Services – Erie County
http://www.ndyfs.org/
Agency/Provider Contact Erie: Lynn Siradas • 716-834-9413 • lsiradas@ndyfs.org
Agency/Provider Contact Cattaraugus: Leslie Shellenbarger • 716-358-3636 • lshellenbarger@ndyfs.org
Parent Contact Chautauqua: Jane Cain • 716-358-3200
Parent Contact Erie: Kim Ehlenfield • 716-897-0090
Overview of Project Goals and Plans: New Directions' plans included developing and supporting new Foster /Adoptive parent support group in Erie County and providing a speaker series of training events on topics identified by foster / adoptive caregivers. Further plans included research into available community services, forming connections with area service providers, and building a resource library for parent group members.
Community Outreach: New Directions conducted caregiver interviews and surveys to identify parents support need and recruited three caregivers to serve on a planning committee and interview other parents. Identified needs included service access issues, lack of adoption competent providers, and a forum for parents to come together and share information. Outreach activities included included articles in service provider newsletters, website postings, electronic/postal mailing to identified families and contact with local service coalitions and organizations. Staff engaged in researching local services via the internet, made personal phone calls to the identified providers, and conducted interviews with state office (i.e. OMRDD) staff, and local service provider groups and coalitions. Interested providers were asked to assist with identifying needed caregiver support services, learn about the unique needs of foster/adoptive families, and participate in the speaker series training events.
Accomplishments: An agency facilitated parent support group, that began meeting in September, will continue beyond the project period as part of New Direction’s post adoption support services program. Planned parent group activities in the future include tri-annual recreation events ,speaker series training events, and educational videos and discussions. Post Adoption services staff is available by phone to answer questions and provide advocacy as needed, but families have each other' s number' s in order to provide each other with support and build on each other's strengths and knowledge base. Staff has recorded television specials, compiled newspaper articles, purchased books and educational videos that will benefit foster parents, adoptive parents, and service providers. Parent group “Speaker Series” workshops presented during project period, receiving 100% positive evaluations, focused on providing foster and adoptive caregivers with information and advocacy tips to access needed community services. Grant funds were used to provide childcare, refreshments, and door prizes at monthly meetings
Northern Regional Center for Independent Living, Inc. (NRCIL) Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties
http://www.nrcil.net/graphic/index.htmlJefferson
Agency/Provider Contact: Linda Finerson • 315-783-5562 • lindaf@nrcil.net
Parent Contact: Richard Beirman • 315-493-6348 • rbeirma1@twcny.rr.com
Overview of Project Goals and Plans: NRCIL's support network development plans included joining forces with the former North County Foster/Adoptive Kinship Care Network to form, a new “family focused, peer run, strength based network providing peer support, training and information to Foster Adoptive Families in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.” Project activity plans included developing/distributing support networks brochures/flyers; new support group member recruitment; provider education about F/A caregiver needs; collaboration with area organizations to identify available services; assisting/training caregivers to access services; and facilitation of parent/provider public forums to discuss common concerns and unmet service needs.
Community Outreach: Brochures and Flyers for training opportunities, parent staffed warm lines, and parent support group meetings were distributed via area service organizations and at community gathering places such as grocery stores and doctor’s offices. Group members attended and actively recruited new members at community functions such as annual picnics/outings, walks for charities, educational events etc. A service support questionnaire was developed and distributed via well-publicized open meetings in different geographical locations with the intent of reaching the largest number of F/A caregivers. Service providers (i.e. DSS / Community Service Boards) were be solicited to support and publicize network support services and membership.
Accomplishments: NRCIL used project mini grant funds to continue and expand its support for the former North Country Foster and Adoptive Network, which was renamed as the Tri-County Foster and Adoptive Network (TC-FAN) with an enlarged service area and expanded support services. TC-FAN receives funding and staffing support from NRCIL but is managed by an all-volunteer parent board of directors. As caregiver surveys indicated a need for increased respite, TC-Fan engaged in a successful campaign for increased adoption subsidy rates to provide financial support for families parenting children with developmental disabilities and increased the number of support group meetings time to provide more frequent support for the families. Through networking, trainings, and increased numbers of support groups, NRCIL significantly increased to the number of local families accessing family and caregiver support services by the end of the project period. In order to increase their northern service area TC-FAN joined forces with the St Lawrence Foster and Adoptive Parents Association and established email contacts with families in rural areas that are basically inaccessible during the winter.
Parent to Parent New York State – Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties
http://www.parenttoparentnys.org/
Agency/Provider Contact: Tia LaFlesh • 518-324-5732 • tiap2p@capital.net
Parent Contact: Robbielynn Rothstein •518-643-2651• rr_occupations@hotmail.com
Overview of Project Goals and Plans: The overall goal of the Parent to Parent project was is to develop an Adoptive and Foster Parent Support Network for parents of children with developmental disabilities coordinated by a provider/parent team. Planned activities included conducting a caregiver needs survey, scheduling face to face meeting with area service providers to complete an agency survey to aid in the collection of a comprehensive list of community resources, and providing families with training and technical assistance to (a) help build record keeping skills (b) develop effective partnerships with service providers, (c) keep their children at home by finding needed support services and (d) and receive emotional, support through the parent to parent peer network.
Community Outreach: A project announcement and parent survey was posted on the Parent to Parent website and local DSS agencies were asked to include announcements of grant funding and surveys with monthly foster care stipend and adoption subsidy checks. Meetings were held with key supervisors of DSS foster care/adoption units, local community services board members, and community service providers and the family court administration in all three counties. Media announcements were sent to all local newspapers, radio and television stations and distributed in church bulletins, community bulletin boards, libraries and physician’s offices.
Accomplishments: A new foster and adoptive parent support group began meeting in September, an email support/discussion group was established to link families who find it difficult to attend support group meetings in person, and NYSCCC conference materials formed the basis of a new lending library. Parent interest surveys collected throughout the project period indicated a need for family recreation or outdoor activities resulting in plans to develop/support a 4-H club chapter for families caring for children with special needs. Parent to Parent plans to continue sponsorship of the F/A parent support group and ongoing distribution/collection of parent interest surveys to assist their Parent/Provider planning team in planning future activities.
Back to LINK II Project Overview
Back to NYSCCC Home Page Back to NYSCCC Programs
NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
410 East Upland Road • Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-0034 • fax (607) 272-0035
office@nysccc.org
04/23/2008