Prevention Blog Archives by Date Blog
Swimming is one of the most popular summertime activities, and living in Florida, we are never at a shortage of bodies of water to swim in. Between pools, lakes, oceans and water parks, there are plenty of ways to cool off from the sweltering Florida heat. With the pool and beach season now upon us, it is important to be mindful of your family’s safety in and around water. (As my mom always reminded us...
"SAFETY first!)
Many children in school know how many days are left in this school year, and if they don’t know, they can always ask their teacher. Soon, they will have a lot of time on their hands, so parents are given the monumental task of helping them find ways to pass the time. If you’re like me, you know it won’t be long before you hear those two words that every parent dreads – “I’m bored!” What if I told you there was something you could put in their hands to help with that? I’m not talking about the latest smart phone, tablet, or video game controller; this is even better than that. I am suggesting that you put a book in their hands, and if you plan it right, they can actually have fun reading it!
My wife, Joy-Lynn and I became Foster Parent Mentors (FPM) through Heartland for Children in 2012. When we were approached with the opportunity to be an added support for incoming Foster Parents, we jumped at the opportunity because we saw the value in having someone who other Foster Parents could relate to as being an invaluable resource; especially, if the individual(s) were completely new to the fostering and/or parenting experience.
As FPMs through Heartland, we've had the chance to interact with incoming Foster Parents on many levels including assisting with respite, providing guidance or best practices with difficult behavioral issues, advocating for a child who had to be moved from one home to another, making recommendations on working with case management, providing another vantage point through the process of Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), and many other areas that Foster Parents can encounter during their first and continuing years of child advocates.
What we've gained as FPMs is a heightened level of understanding of how important it is to identify the needs of incoming Foster Parents. Being able to make recommendations on how the training component has and can continue to successfully equip incoming parents with the proper training and education; is a value add that Heartland has really welcomed input on.
Cebien Alty - HFC Foster Parent, Foster Parent Mentor