From FPAWS Presidents February 2, 2012

2-2-12 We are needing to address the issue of Psychological Evaluations/Parenting Evaluations that Children's Administartion is using as a tool or intervention to deal with caregivers. Stay tuned, this can go very wrong and is often very sad for the families and kids we as a community are trying to care for.

1-28-12 Okay, the Conference was terrific! We all give many thanks to Marci, Jamie and Dianne for coordinating the 1000s of hours of volunteer work. Having two events at the same time took phenomenal effort and these guys worked tirelessly. Well over 400 adults participated in these combined events. Well over 200 kids swam, slid and splashed through the conference time as well. From this experience we are already dreaming up what we can do next year.

Did you hear it snowed? We can’t praise the caregivers enough for finding a way to be there. Great Wolf lost power for a few minutes and those in the elevator were not happy.  The slides came to a stop too! Yet with all that the weather could throw at us the conference went on and only one training was cancelled. Attendees reported their appreciation and happiness with the event. All that talked to me said they hope we have it at Great Wolf again next year, and that is our intention.

We want to give heartfelt thanks to the trainers that showed up on a couple days that made mail carriers think twice. Josh Kroll flew in from Minnesota. Gary Benton, Scott Hanover, Mark Richards, Mary McGauhey, Amy Gardner, Kathy Suites and Christin Kundert, Marci Miess and Dianne Dorey all provided much appreciated knowledge for caregivers. If I missed anyone, read this again sometime and I will have added them for sure, right after I apologize profusely.

Now the business of FPAWS goes on. We are working to inform the legislators what we think about the legislation they have before them. We are against HB 2264 right out of the gates.  We disagree mostly because it has language that simply allows for one private agency to be the single provider for child welfare services. It says “one or more”, but what does that mean in reality. Does it mean that if we start with 5 like Nebraska did and when 4 of the 5 go bankrupt we are left with one?  We don’t need this law the same way we didn’t need 2106 which this law repeals. We need lots of competition between lots of private agencies. We need performance based contracts. We should be embarrassed that the previous contracts were not performance based. You mean I could get a contract and not actually help anybody and I still get paid? I haven’t even mentioned the cost of creating this additional layer of bureaucracy. I am finding more and more that agendas are hidden in the lawyer speak. The bill says shall, which means we will try this way but if it doesn’t work we will just do it the way we wanted to in the first place. In an effort to help kids, we have to see who really benefits from this legislation.

 12-25-11 Merry Christmas

12-19-11 I agree it has been too long since I have updated this blog: When I noticed the date of my last entry I was a little embarrassed. So much has happened over the last 2 months I could have nearly written daily; my apologies. Most of our efforts have been focused Greenhouse, the PNW Caregivers Conference and Night of 1000 Dreams. We have had special Board meetings and we can also throw in a little work for the lawsuit. All of these items are moving forward. Our conference committee continues to wear themselves out, but attendees will reap the benefits. Over 200 kids have been registered to attend the conference with their families. We have a few surprises for the kids!

For those following the lawsuit, FPAWS responded to the State’s first Set of Interrogatories and Request for Production this week, and it looks like we will go to trial in August 2012. We remain confident.

We have also started working on the Walk Me Home event in Tacoma. It is shaping up to compete with the Walk Adriane Gardner pulls off in Yakima. FPAWS Board members Micah Arneberg and Chris Forward have really stepped up. Regina Forward has joined the Walk team as well; this is going to be our best walk season to date. Let me know if you would like to play! We need to get a Seattle group together. May7be Seattle folks will want to just come walk with us at the Bremerton Blackberry walk in September.

Today I will attend the Commission on Youth in Foster Care. I will add more soon. Don’t forget to pay your dues! I will attempt to get back soon, in the meantime have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the Holiday Season.

10-25 11 It has been a while! One might think that there has been nothing going on if one was looking to this blog to keep up. For this delay I apologize. In fact there is much to report. We have had board meetings, added three positions to our board, worked on the PNW Caregivers Conference and supported the Foster Parents Association of Spokane with their annual conference. We sat at the Salmon Days Festival in the Hydroplane booth. We also have an update on the lawsuit.

I will update the lawsuit first. We are still moving forward, but there are delays that we can’t control. Things that were supposed to happen in November look like they will happen between January and March. The goal remains the same; assure that foster parents are reimbursed at a level that actually covers the cost of care.

We have added three positions to our FPAWS Board to include members that will focus on Adoption issues, Kinship issues and Foster Care Alumni issues. This brings us to a total 21 board members. On that note we are looking for two new Eastside board members to join the wonderful folks we already have serving the Eastside.

While sitting at the Salmon Days Festival I had the occasion to visit with many current and former foster parents and former foster youth. Many adopted people stopped to visit about their experience being adopted from foster care. One young mother came up to say she hated foster care. After we visited I found that what she hated was being separated from her family. She went on to introduce her bio-father that she searched for and found in Florida. She also found one of her siblings that had been adopted by a different family. She is still looking for another sibling. Folks were glad we were there and excited that FPAWS is looking out for the interest of caregivers and kids in care. I highly recommend that if you get an opportunity to sit at a FPAWS booth, do it.

A big applause goes to the FPAS for once again bringing a wonderful day of training and fellowship to caregivers in the Spokane area. You can link to their website from our top of the front page tag for Local Support Groups. We look forward to this event each year. They can count on FPAWS support again next year.

The PNW Caregivers Conference is shaping up. FPAWS Board members Marci and Jamie are leading the charge with several other members supporting their efforts, (Too many others to mention here.) If you would like to contribute just email the committee at fpaws@fpaws.org . If you can’t make it just send money and we will support other folks that would like to come but can’t afford it. Just mention on your donation that you would like to support a family that would like a scholarship to the PNW Caregivers Conference. Oh! The Conference theme is Flying Pigs!

8-12-11 Seafair weekend is behind us. Marie, Joe and the Foster Care Hydroplane Team gave foster families passes and hosted us in the Pits. Kayliegh flipped the boat and is okay  www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFvpIhMFsC4

8-2-11 August and still waiting patiently for summer to arrive on the Westside of Washington. Last week felt like autumn and this week a little like spring.  Of course we walked in the Pasco Walk Me Home event on 9-30-11. The noon temperature was around 90 degrees so I was reminded what summer could be like. Go Eastern Washington! The Foster Care Hydroplane was there with us and attracted attention to the walk and foster care.

Leaving that event and driving back to Seattle, I met up with Marci Miess and her dedicated family to walk in the Torch Light Parade. You may have missed us on the TV Broadcast unless you paused the last few seconds were one could make out a red boat with people carrying banners. That was us! We walked with the UL 72 Foster Care Hydroplane and their wonderful team members. Apparently the Hydroplanes go last, unless of course you are with the KIRO 7 News team who rode on the Miss Thriftway earlier in the parade.

I was amazed by Torch Light fans that stayed to the end. Foster Care and Foster Parents received many 11pm cheers and lots of applause from a crowd that had been there for hours and for some, all day. The Hydroplane handed out the Thunder & Lights magazine to excited fans. We had a great time! Many thanks to the UL 72 Hydroplane team; Joe and Marie Frauenheim, George Greer, Darren Olson and Land Washburn, for letting us play with them. Darren and Land had already driven the boat to the Pasco Walk Me Home in the early morning light and then back to the Torch Light Parade. They were often going 35 miles per hour over the hills and mountains.  Their passion and dedication to our efforts at FPAWS are heartwarming and much appreciated. Hope we can arrange for more families to walk next year. We are planning to be in the Salmon days Parade in October with the UL 72 team. Maybe you can walk with us or stop by our booth. Just look for the beautiful Red Boat!