Welcome To Resource Parent Training

1. Welcome To Resource Parent Training

2. Name Exercise

3. Agenda Part I • History & Mission of Children’s Choice • Resource Parent Agreement • Cultural Competency • Ansell-Casey Life Skills • Child Safety

4. Housekeeping • Bathroom locations • Cell phones • Lunch • We thrive on questions! • Keep notes • Difficult topics will arise… please be sensitive to the group • Confidentiality

5. History & Mission Children’s Choice, Inc. • The agency was founded on April 1, 1982 by Drs. Bill and Carolyn Eberwein in Chester, PA • The agency was created to provide specialized services, such as foster care and adoption, in the community due to the large number of children in need • It is uniquely designed to provide thorough, individual attention to the birth family, resource parents and the children

6. An Attitude Of Service • The board of directors, the administrators, agency employees, and resource families of Children’s Choice share a spirit of compassion, caring and Christian values. • This does not mean however that everyone we work with must be a practicing Christian. In addition, it is important to remember that we do not impose our Christian values on those we work with. We respect all religious practices.

7. An Attitude Of Service (cont’d) Children’s Choice, Inc. is currently licensed for a variety of programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, and we maintain numerous small offices, rather than one large impersonal facility. This structure allows us to establish a close, personal relationship with each of our clients, reflecting our commitment to serve.

8. An Attitude Of Service (cont’d) • The work of Children’s Choice, Inc. is impacted by current state and federal legislation, contract obligations, and social service trends.

9. Mission Statement Children's Choice is a Christian social service agency which provides specialized community-based services. Children’s Choice serves as a bridge for individuals who are in need of the re-integrative process of family living. Intensive, individualized supportive services are provided to empower clients in achieving their highest potential. As a response to changing needs in families and society, Children’s Choice seeks to be an agent of positive change to those we serve throughout the world.

10. Core Values • To be committed to serve • To uphold Christian values • To provide and promulgate positive family environments • To promote family reunification • To facilitate choices, respecting each individuals right to choose • (continued on next slide)

11. Core Values (cont’d) • To work in a team-oriented approach • To provide for the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of others • To stimulate personal growth and self determination • To be agents of faith • To encourage and enhance social consciousness

12. History Of Foster Care In America

13. History Of Foster Care In America • Colonial America • Church congregations and communities provided alternative care • Orphanages • Formalized institutional care of children in urban settings, led to “orphan trains” • 1873 • Animal protection laws were used in the first child abuse court case • 1930 • Children’s Charter acknowledged that each child has the right to grow and develop in a home environment

14. History Of Foster Care In America(cont’d) • 1980 • Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act • Mandated adoption & foster care subsidies • Defined “special needs” children • Placed heavy emphasis on reunification and family preservation • Required regular status hearings • Required court to decide child’s future status: foster care, adoption, etc. • 1997 • Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) • Designed to correct unanticipated systemic problems created by Child Welfare Act • More emphasis on safety of the child, less emphasis on family preservation • Required states to provide insurance coverage for dependent children

15. History Of Foster Care In America(cont’d) • 2011 • Act 101 (Pennsylvania) • Allows legally enforceable “open” adoptions • Pennsylvania joins 23 other states that use these agreements

16. The Resource Parent Agreement

17. ResourceParent Agreement • Resource & Treatment Family Agreement • Agency Purpose • Agency Responsibilities • Resource Family Responsibilities

18. ResourceParent Agreement (cont’d) • Reimbursement • Grievance Procedure • Discrimination Policy

19. Licensing and Contract Responsibilities • From intake to six months this is what to expect: • Foster care vs. kinship referrals • 10 day meeting after intake • (Important to attend) • Levels of care • Participation in the ISP meeting • Resource Parent Monthly Reports

20. Licensing and Contract Responsibilities (cont’d) • Billing reports/receipts • Agency reimbursement schedule • Attendance at monthly support/training sessions • Transportation of children • Medical and dental examination for children

21. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • How frequently must the Resource Family provide care and supervision for any child in placement? • Whenever the child is awake • Nights and weekends • 24 hours a day (every day)

22. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • Children’s Choice will provide the _______ of the resource parents to the foster child’s birth parents: • Annual income and vital statistics • Financial history, vehicle description, and blueprint of home • Name, address, and phone number (Unless doing so is restricted, threatens, or there is basis for refusing such disclosure)

23. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • How often is a Children’s Choice worker available to the Resource Family and children in placement? • Twice a week • 24 hrs. a day / 7 days a week • Three times a day

24. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • The Resource Family will assist children in maintaining relations with their ______. • Birth parents • Former teachers • 5th cousins (Unless contraindicated by the child’s court-ordered permanency goal)

25. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • The Resource Family must obtain prior approval before allowing anyone to move into the home for a period that will extend beyond _____. • 1 day • 6 months • 2 weeks

26. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • What form of physical punishment may Resource Parents use for children in placement? • Hand smacks, mouth slaps, and rulers on the legs • None; physical punishment is NOT permitted in any form • Spanking with a plastic serving spoon or wooden switch

27. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • What is the primary goal for the child in placement? • To reunite with his birth family and participate in concurrent planning • To achieve average grades in a mainstream educational setting • To receive crisis counseling

28. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • The Resource Parent may not alter the child’s hairstyle or have the child’s ears pierced without written permission from: • The birth parent • The Governor of the applicable state • Children’s Choice

29. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • Members of the Resource Family under the age of 18 are permitted to provide child care for children in placement (including diaper changes, feedings, or supervising play when adults are present): • TRUE • FALSE

30. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • Who is responsible to schedule appointments and provide transportation for the child to medical and dental health services? • The Program Coordinator • DHS • Children’s Choice Medical Office • The Resource Parent

31. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • The Resource Family must participate fully in the child’s psychological and emotional health by: • Calling the therapist daily • Reading the DSM-IV and Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams • Providing transportation and participating in therapy when requested or appropriate

32. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • Who is responsible to provide the child in placement with transportation to the birth family visits (at the birth family home or children’s choice office, county agency, or other location)? • Children’s Choice Worker • The Resource Parent • DHS • The Birth Family

33. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • The Resource Family must notify Children’s Choice ____ days in advance when requesting that a child be moved to another home. • 30 days / 90 days for medical level children • 63 days • 14 days / 21 days for TFC level children

34. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • Clothing purchases for the child in placement must be documented by: • Annotated receipt and Basic Clothing List Inventory • Verbal report to the child’s county worker • Annual tax return

35. Group Assessment: Just What Am I Agreeing To? • A medical exam for the child in placement should be scheduled within ____ of placement: • 30 days • 60 days • 120 days

36. Cultural Competency

37. Objective • To explore differences in culture and the importance of respecting diversity when dealing with foster, kinship, adoptive children, and their families

38. Personal Reflections • What are some expectations you have of the children that may come into your home? • What are some things that you would like to involve the child in once they come into your home? • How are you prepared to handle a child that does not meet those expectations? • (Cont’d on next slide)

39. Personal Reflections (cont’d) • How will you handle a child that does not like doing activities that you like? • Are you willing to participate in activities that the child likes, that you may not enjoy? If not, then why do you expect them to do the same?

40. Consider All Children As Individuals • Never assume that a child or birth family’s ethnic identity tells you anything about his or her cultural values or patterns of behavior • Treat all “facts” you have ever heard or read about cultural values and traits as hypotheses. Turn “facts” into questions • Identify strengths in the child’s cultural orientation which can be built upon • (cont’d on next slide)

41. Consider All Children As Individuals (cont’d) • Some aspects of a child’s cultural history, values, and lifestyles are relevant to your work with the client. Do not prejudge what areas are relevant • Be aware of your attitude regarding other cultures • Caring, empathy and a sense of humor will help ease the tension in sensitive cultural interactions

42. Group Activity • Reflect on your earliest memory of being different- any difference: skin color, age, body size, sexual preference, cultural background, ethnicity, etc. • Discuss with your group, who the people were in the memory, what institutions were involved (school, home, work) and what feelings you had at the bottom of the page • Do your early memories influence your behavior and interactions? Why or why not? • How do you believe your previous experiences impact you? • How do your beliefs and behaviors differ from your family/upbringing?

43. Core Characteristics Of A Culturally Competent Resource Parent • Warmth: Unconditional Acceptance and Commitment • Empathy: The ability to perceive and communicate, accurately and with sensitivity, the feelings of an individual and the meaning of those feelings • Genuineness: Openness and honesty • Appropriateness: Being sensitive to age and cognitive abilities

44. Self Concept Of Children • Where does one’s self concept come from? One’s self concept comes from how we are treated by the people who were close to us as children • Families teach self-reliance, responsibility, loyalty, who we relate to, and social skills

45. Why Are Foster Children At Risk For Having Low Self Esteem? • Trauma of physical/sexual abuse or neglect • Confused about identity because separated from family • Being in foster care is difficult, especially if they feel their culture isn’t supported by foster parents • Children in foster care may feel something is “wrong” with them and/or their family

46. What Can You Do To Learn More About A Child’s Culture? • Small Group Activity: • Select one holiday that everyone in your group celebrates and compare and contrast how each family celebrates this holiday. • Come up with a list of at least 25 days of celebration.

47. Preserving A Child’s Identify And Self-esteem • Attend community activities, museums, and festivals that celebrate the child’s culture and your own • As differences in the child’s cultural experiences are discovered, incorporate them into your family’s routine (i.e. holiday celebrations) • Don’t be afraid to discuss cultural differences with the child • Allow yourself and your family to conform with the child’s presence in some areas, instead of expecting the child to conform totally to your family (cont’d on next slide)

48. Preserving A Child’s Identify And Self-esteem (cont’d) • Make sure the foster children stay in contact with siblings (visitation) • Meet and get to know the child’s birth family • Allow the child’s room to reflect his or her own interest • Obtain information from child’s referring county worker • Obtain information on the birth family’s religious practices and church

49. Personal Reflections… Revisited • What are some expectations you have of the children that may come into your home? • What are some things that you would like to involve the child in once they come into your home? • How are you prepared to handle a child that does not meet those expectations? • How will you handle a child that does not like doing activities that you like? • Are you willing to participate in activities that the child likes, that you may not enjoy? If not, then why do you expect them to do the same?

50. Ansell-Casey Life Skills