Bill,
As a Davis foster parent I appreciate the attention you have given to our need for more foster parents in Davis. Thanks to Yolo counties outreach and great education program, we have been liscensed for two months. Like Wendy and Marilyn said, fostering can be a scary step. There is great joy and heart break, especially after a child leaves your home. But you realize the joy far outweighs the loss and you have helped a child. We have fostered a newborn who has been reunited with family and we now have a bright, wonderful 14yr old girl in our home. While we are doing something special for these children, we are the ones that are truely blessed.
Thank you for taking an interest in foster care and our community’s most vulnerable children – newborns to teens -- that are placed into out-of-home care for their protection and well-being. Most children come into foster care because of improprieties by their parents or principal caregivers, often involving drug and/or alcohol use, abandonment, or domestic violence; they each need a safe and loving place to call home. Kids come under protective custody from all communities within Yolo County, including Davis. Whenever possible, it is best to place children in local homes.
First, it is the law; AB 490 states that “in all instances, educational and placement decisions shall be based on the best interests of the child.” Changing schools is very hard on kids, ours struggle to keep up, to hold friendships and have the requirements and resources for extracurricular events. Local placement helps with family reunification, the initial goal of foster care. A significant part of the “reunification plan” is visitation, typically set for a few hours 2 or 3 times a week, arranged and supervised where the parents are living, usually the community of removal. For little ones, local placement it is important too as they are able to maintain primary physicians, have extended family nearby, and keep a network of sustained support and connection.
The shortage of Davis Licensed Foster Homes became evidently clear when over the course of a few months this past spring local families could not be found for 3 Davis teens that care into care. Each was doing quite well academically and hoped to continue in their school and keep close friends. Diligence was used and we looked to our 29 licensed foster homes in Davis -- only one was an appropriate fit. Definitely more foster families are needed -- in Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento -- particularly those willing to accept school age and older youth, or a sibling group.
I appreciate that it is scary. I assure you kids that come into care are worth your time and effort and many are doing far better than you can imagine given their history. Many of us, regular people with the courage to risk opening our hearts and homes, have taken teenagers and overall we concur, each was far more resilient and competent than anticipated and our families are enriched from the experience. We ask that you give fostering consideration. Maybe you know a fantastic parent or family who is now an “empty-nester” and would enjoy another child in the household; please mention foster care to them.
Should you like to know more about foster care in Yolo County look to our website at www.yolofostercare.com or feel free to give me a call, Cherie Schroeder, Foster Care Recruitment & Retention Coordinator//Director of Foster & Kinship Care Education at (530) 574-1964 – I welcome your questions. An introduction to foster care is set for July 20th, 6:30 to 9:30 at the County Building, located at 25 N. Cottonwood Street in Woodland, we would love to have you with us!
Comments
Bill,
As a Davis foster parent I appreciate the attention you have given to our need for more foster parents in Davis. Thanks to Yolo counties outreach and great education program, we have been liscensed for two months. Like Wendy and Marilyn said, fostering can be a scary step. There is great joy and heart break, especially after a child leaves your home. But you realize the joy far outweighs the loss and you have helped a child. We have fostered a newborn who has been reunited with family and we now have a bright, wonderful 14yr old girl in our home. While we are doing something special for these children, we are the ones that are truely blessed.
Sallie, Davis Foster Mom
Bill and Davisville Radio,
Thank you for taking an interest in foster care and our community’s most vulnerable children – newborns to teens -- that are placed into out-of-home care for their protection and well-being. Most children come into foster care because of improprieties by their parents or principal caregivers, often involving drug and/or alcohol use, abandonment, or domestic violence; they each need a safe and loving place to call home. Kids come under protective custody from all communities within Yolo County, including Davis. Whenever possible, it is best to place children in local homes.
First, it is the law; AB 490 states that “in all instances, educational and placement decisions shall be based on the best interests of the child.” Changing schools is very hard on kids, ours struggle to keep up, to hold friendships and have the requirements and resources for extracurricular events. Local placement helps with family reunification, the initial goal of foster care. A significant part of the “reunification plan” is visitation, typically set for a few hours 2 or 3 times a week, arranged and supervised where the parents are living, usually the community of removal. For little ones, local placement it is important too as they are able to maintain primary physicians, have extended family nearby, and keep a network of sustained support and connection.
The shortage of Davis Licensed Foster Homes became evidently clear when over the course of a few months this past spring local families could not be found for 3 Davis teens that care into care. Each was doing quite well academically and hoped to continue in their school and keep close friends. Diligence was used and we looked to our 29 licensed foster homes in Davis -- only one was an appropriate fit. Definitely more foster families are needed -- in Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento -- particularly those willing to accept school age and older youth, or a sibling group.
I appreciate that it is scary. I assure you kids that come into care are worth your time and effort and many are doing far better than you can imagine given their history. Many of us, regular people with the courage to risk opening our hearts and homes, have taken teenagers and overall we concur, each was far more resilient and competent than anticipated and our families are enriched from the experience. We ask that you give fostering consideration. Maybe you know a fantastic parent or family who is now an “empty-nester” and would enjoy another child in the household; please mention foster care to them.
Should you like to know more about foster care in Yolo County look to our website at www.yolofostercare.com or feel free to give me a call, Cherie Schroeder, Foster Care Recruitment & Retention Coordinator//Director of Foster & Kinship Care Education at (530) 574-1964 – I welcome your questions. An introduction to foster care is set for July 20th, 6:30 to 9:30 at the County Building, located at 25 N. Cottonwood Street in Woodland, we would love to have you with us!
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