Kindred Family Focus July 2017 Donor Newsletter
- 1. 505 Hwy 169 North, Suite 500 Plymouth, MN 55441 612-331-4429 • www.changingonelife.org Timber Dash 5K & Kids Fun Run Saturday, October 7, 2017, Bertram Chain of Lakes, Monticello, MN Register online at www.timberdash.com Supports Crisis Nursery serving Wright County programming for children and families in need Turkey Trot 5K, 10K & 1 Mile Saturday, November 11, 2017, Fergus Falls, MN Register online at www.FergusFallsTurkeyTrot.org Support Kindred CARES funding for foster parents and the youth in their care Holiday Parties Celebrating Our Foster Families Dates and locations coming soon! MARK YOUR CALENDAR
- 2. KINDRED FAMILY FOCUS YOUTH AND FAMILY SOLUTIONS A FAMILY MEMBER Alison Sherman Kindred Family Focus Development Coordinator It’s the start of another school year. Families are busy going school supply shopping, buying new clothes, signing up for activities, and readjusting to a new schedule. Children are looking forward to the new year and new experiences. Children in foster care are no different. They just need a loving foster home to nurture them physically, emotionally, and spiritually, so they can be ready for what’s ahead. It all starts with great foster parents. This issue features a woman who has seen both sides of foster care. Tammi Stoos’s story is inspiring, and I hope it will move you as much as it has moved me. We need more foster parents like Tammi. The opioid crisis is driving an urgent need for foster parents, especially for infants. Minnesota’s need for foster parents has gone up 33% in just the last year. This issue will give you more information on ways you can help. Thank you for all you do to positively impact a child’s life. From The Heart THE FOCUS As Tammi Stoos tells her story, Kelly Clarkson’s song“Piece by Piece”plays in the background. We learn of the importance of the lyrics “and the father could stay” as we learn that Stoos grew up in foster care. She speaks about her experiences with the system both as a child and now as a grown woman. She lives by the motto,“Never give away the day.” When Stoos left foster care, she went to college and became a social worker herself. She trained foster, adoptive, and kinship care providers, as well as human service supervisors. As an active member of the Foster Care Alumni of America, she has reviewed child welfare systems for the Federal Government. Tammi Stoos is now a foster and adoptive parent herself, with 6 children currently under her care. But she has touched the lives of many more children. Stoos has commemorated her passion for her biological, adopted, and foster children with a tattoo. She currently has 8 completed pieces on her arm, and says she has 18 more to go. She will also need to find space to represent her 5 grandchildren, she adds. Having seen the foster care system from every angle, Stoos is brutally honest about the experience. She really connects with foster children because she understands their mindset and knows that they may be thinking, “There must be something wrong with me because the last people on Earth who should have hurt me did just that.” Her unflinching candor lets the youth know they cannot say or ask anything that will shock her or cause her to judge them. Stoos says she believes the most important aspect of foster parenting is supporting and talking to the children at the level they are at; understanding that longing and loss will be present along the way. FOSTER CARE FULL CIRCLE Tammi Stoos has seen both sides of the foster care system. As a foster parent, she has given a loving home to 27 youth in need. “Never give away the day” -Tammi Stoos
- 3. All across America, addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin is destroying families and causing a surge in foster care admissions. Minnesota is one of five states seeing the largest increase in foster care admissions due to the opioid crisis. Since 2016, there has been a 33% increase in the number of children needing placement. Additionally, because federal laws require hospitals to notify Child Protective Services if infants have been affected by prenatal substance exposure, more newborns are in need of foster homes. Parental drug and alcohol addiction robs parents of their ability to safely care for their children. A substance abuse disorder can change a parent’s brain structure and lead to destructive behaviors such as ignoring their child’s needs, lashing out in anger or violence, or becoming fixated on acquiring more drugs. Kindred Family Focus has stepped-up efforts to meet the crisis: • Recruiting new foster parents • Working through sponsors to gain public awareness • Creating new roles for recruiting • Generating an outreach campaign Children need stable, loving foster homes to help protect their long-term emotional, mental, and physical health. To learn how you can help, visit www.changingonelife.org or contact Alison Sherman at [email protected] or 612-505-9946. “KIDS WILL RISE TO THE LEVEL EXPECTED OF THEM.” There has been a surge of infants needing foster care, as a result of parental opioid addiction. She wants current foster parents to understand that“as adults, you need to expect the children in your care to succeed. Kids will rise to the level expected of them.” She says living happily and healthfully is the greatest gift that a foster parent can give to the youth in their care. Tammi says she succeeded in life because she saw the happy and healthy life she had with her foster parents and wanted it for herself. While fulfilling that dream, she has helped dozens of children along the way. If you would like to be a foster parent or help foster families and the youth in their care by volunteering or donating, please contact [email protected] or call 612-505-9946. Fost er Care Full Cir cle Helping theVictims of the Opioid Crisis
- 4. IT’S 6 O’CLOCK: WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Papa John’s Pizza Dollars for Dough Fundraiser 20% OFF and 20% DONATED to Kindred Family Focus When you, your family and friends order online from Papa John's and use this Promo Code: “KFF”, receive 20% off the total order at regular menu price. Papa John’s will also donate 20% of the total net sales generated by the Promo Code to Kindred Family Focus. Papa John’s Pizza is committed to the mission of Kindred Family Focus. Please support our “Dollars for Dough” fundraiser! . Online Only Offer @ PapaJohns.com Promo Code: KFF (ONLINE ORDERS ONLY) PROMO CODE: KFF Offer good at participating Papa John’s restaurants in MN only. Not valid with any other coupons or discounts. Limited delivery area, charges may apply. Customer responsible for all applicable sales tax. Papa John’s Dollars for Dough Fundraiser for Kindred Family Focus PROMO CODE: KFF PATH MN and Kindred Family Focus (KFF) merged on April 1, 2017, to expand and strengthen programs and offer more services to Minnesota foster youth and families. PATH MN’s offices and programs are now marketed under the Kindred Family Focus brand, under the leadership of George Hendrickson, Executive Director. Jay Kimball, former Executive Director of PATH MN, now serves as the Eastern Operations Director for Kindred Family Focus. The merger positions Kindred Family Focus as the largest private foster and adoption agency in Minnesota, offering expanded services in almost all areas of the state. George Hendrickson, Executive Director of Kindred Family Focus, said,“The need for foster care is greater than ever. We are so pleased to have such a strong partner for growth.” Jay Kimball Eastern Operations Director Kindred Family Focus George Hendrickson Executive Director Kindred Family Focus PATH MN and Kindred Family Focus Merge to Meet Minnesota’s Growing Need for Foster Care From OurTable toYours Back to school means back to soccer games, band practice, study groups, swim lessons, and busy evenings and weekends. With all that going on, we want to help by giving you one less thing to worry about. When the kids ask, “What’s for dinner?” we’ve got you covered. Kindred Family Focus has partnered with Papa John’s to offer our donors 20%off your order with promotion code: KFF. When you order using the code, 20% of the proceeds will go to Kindred Family Focus to help youth in foster care. So serve up a slice knowing you saved some money and helped youth in foster care!
- 5. A decentralized grassroots effort builds real, sustainable support in many areas, including recurring contributions and volunteer support. The following electric cooperatives through their Operation Round Up Programs have generously given their support to Kindred CARES: Goodhue Electric $300 Itasca Mantrap Cooperative Electric $500 Stearns Electric Association $500 Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative $500 Meeker Cooperative $750 Minnesota Valley Electric Trust $750 Lyon-Lincoln Electric Trust $1,000 People’s Energy Cooperative $1,000 South Central Electric Association $1,000 The following Lions Clubs and businesses have also given in support of Kindred CARES: Albertville Lions $400 Maple Grove Lions $500 Allianz Life Insurance $1,500 Thank you to the Otto Bremer Foundation, the Mardag Foundation, and the Northland Foundation for their generous support of the three recruiter/licensor positions working around the state. With their help, there will be more foster families available to help children overcome the challenges facing them and to thrive. Thank you, again, to Enterprise Fleet Management (above), MattressFirm (top right), and the Plymouth Lions (right) for Supporting the Kindred Family Focus Valley Fair Picnic Celebrating Our Foster and Adoptive Families on July 28. You Helped Make It aVery Special Day! WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO
- 6. Kindred CARES helps foster parents provide the same growth opportunities to children in fos- ter care as their peers enjoy – opportunities to get involved, to learn something new, to partic- ipate in sports, and to build their self-confidence. This crucial resource supports unreimbursed expenses and allows youth to more fully experience everything life has to offer. The value of such opportunities and activities goes far beyond fun and enjoyment, and lasts a lifetime. A strong body of research supports the critical importance of school and commu- nity involvement in the development of resilience and essential “protective factors” such as relational skills, problem-solving skills and the ability to manage and control emotions and behaviors. These attributes and strengths mitigate negative experiences and challenges, and help children cope in the face of adversity. Children in foster care have experienced more than their share of trauma and loss. Access to school and community engagement can play a huge role in healing and growing beyond their troubled histories. Jenny’s story helps to illustrate the impact Kindred CARES can have on a child in foster care. WHEN YOU SUPPORT KINDRED CARES, YOU ENRICH THE LIFE OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE When Jenny entered foster care, she was a 12-year-old with a strong history of neglect and abuse. She experi- enced social anxiety and post-traumatic stress as a result of her traumatic childhood. She had few, if any, oppor- tunities in school or the community to build friendships and participate in activities. Described as“difficult and non-compliant”, she rejected her foster parent’s involvement and guidance at first. Fortunately, her foster family secured funding through Kindred CARES to enroll Jenny in after school activities. Her passion for basketball was found. Jenny was encouraged and mentored by her basketball coach and gained pride and satisfaction from developing her talents. She met her best friend while playing basketball, and they developed such a deep connection that the friend’s parents became a source of support for Jenny, and began including her on trips and daily adventures. Jenny has become a well-adjusted, helpful, kind and thoughtful young woman. The foster family is now in the process of adopting Jenny and her siblings, something that might not have happened without the long-lasting impact of friendship and self-awareness gained through positive interactions and experiences. Jenny’s Story