Updated April 2015 color

GRG of Brevard

April 2015 GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA INC.

ISSUE # 165

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION

SUMMER PICNIC

The next time everyday pressures build up to the point where you feel like lashing out -- STOP! Try any of these simple alternatives. You'll feel better... and so will your grandchild.  Take a deep breath... and another. Then remember you are the adult.  Close your eyes and imagine you're hearing what your child is about to hear.  Press your lips together and count to 10... or better yet, to 20.  Put your child in a time-out chair (remember this rule: one time-out minute for each year of age).  Put yourself in a time-out chair. Think about why you are angry: is it your child, or is your child simply a convenient target for your anger?  Phone a friend.  If someone can watch the children, go outside and take a walk.  Take a hot bath or splash cold water on your face  Hug a pillow.  Turn on some music. Maybe even sing along.  Pick up a pencil and write down as many helpful words as you can think of. Save the list.

Our annual picnic is June 13th 12-4pm it will be held at the Kiwanis Island SR 520. GRG supplies hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Please bring a covered dish. There will be a Bounce House, Water Slide, Boat Tour and organized sports

April is Nation Child Abuse Prevention Month www.preventchildabuse.org

T.A.R.G.E.T. TRAINING TARGET is a six-week training course that covers the latest information from community and state experts on topics. Please plan to join us Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm at the GRG office 123 Barton Blvd Suite 102, Rockledge:  April 22: Legal Information Culmer and Davidson, Attorneys  April 29: Department of Children and Families Protective Investigations Division, Katie Guemple Economic Self-Sufficiency Division,David Chioma  May 6: Parenting Survival Training Cliff Valentine  May 13: Resources FIT Scott Autism Center, Dr. Colleen Middlebrook Brevard Cares, Diane Scott Early Learning Coalition, Jennifer VanGuilder Impower, Mindi Rogers  May 20: Assisting teens from following a path to a troubled future Larry Lawton (Reality Check)  May 27: Parenting Again / When to Call for Assistance Sheriff Wayne Ivey Page 1

Issue 165

GRG of Brevard

Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act: Implications for Grandfamilies On September 29th 2014, President Obama signed the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980) into law. (Public Law 113-183) The bill has three titles:  Title I focuses on provisions to help states identify, track and develop services for children who are believed to be in danger of being trafficked.  Title II includes a series of child welfare provisions related to improving the Adoption Incentives program and extending the Family Connections Grants.  Title III improves the process of getting international child support by allowing tribal governments and authorized foreign agencies to access the Federal Parent Locator Service.

Unless otherwise noted the following provisions take effect immediately.

Key Provision for Grandfamilies: Supporting Families:  Reinvestment of Savings for Post Permanency Supports: States must calculate and report the savings gained from de-linking Title IV-E adoption assistance and show how they were applied to other child welfare services. They must spend a certain percentage of these savings on postadoption/guardianship services.  Guardianship Assistance for Successor Guardians: Guardianship Assistance payments for children eligible under Title IV-E may be transferred to the care of another named “successor” guardian in cases where the eligible child’s guardian dies or is otherwise unable to care for them.

Empowering Youth and Caregiver Voices: These provisions will take effect one year after enactment unless otherwise specified.  Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard: States must implement a “reasonable and prudent parent standard” to allow foster parents (including licensed kinship caregivers) more autonomy to make decisions in matters affecting the health, safety, and best interest of the child, as well as extracurricular and social activities.  Youth Voice in Case Planning: Youths aged 14 and older must be allowed to assist in developing and revising their case plan. They can elect to have two adults (including relatives) who are not foster parents or caseworkers aid them in planning.  Key Documents for Youth Aging Out: Youth who have been in care at least six months must be provided a legal copy of their personal documents, including their birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license or identification and medical records.

Prioritizing Relative Care:  Notification and Placement with Siblings: Clarifies that agencies must notify parents of a child’s siblings when the child is removed from a parent’s care. This does not give them additional rights over any other party.

Promoting Permanency:  Incentivized Permanent Guardianship: The Adoption Incentive Program is renamed the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments Program as of October 1, 2014. The program is reauthorized through the fiscal year of 2016. Incentive payments to states will now be based on guardianships in addition to adoptions. The incentive categories and payment amounts have also been changed to include $5,000 for foster child adoption, $7,500 for pre-adolescent child adoption and guardianship, $10,000 for older child adoption and guardianship, and $4,000 for foster child guardianship.  Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) will no longer apply as a permanency goal for children under age 16, and further case planning and review requirements will go into effect for youth with an APPLA permanency goal The state must prove its extensive but unsuccessful efforts to find permanent placements during permanency hearings, which should include attempts to find biological family members. Further, the state agency must ask the child at each hearing about his or her preferred permanency goal and conduct a judicial determination showing why APPLA is still the best option.  Data on Adoption and Guardianship Disruption and Dissolution: The Department of Health and Human Services will release regulations for states on the collection and analysis of information on children who re-enter foster care after being placed in adoption or guardianship.

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Issue 165

GRG of Brevard

9th Annual Kids in the Kitchen presented by the Junior League of South Brevard, Inc. Nearly 1/3 of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight. This increases the chances of health problems such as high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, and high blood pressure.

What can you do to help your child fight obesity? Please join us for the This year’s KITK will feature nutritionists, chefs and instructors to teach the importance of healthy living and how it can be easy, yummy, and fun at the same time. Additionally, attendees will participate in an obstacle course, learn sports with coaches, have a Zumba class, cook with chefs, eat samples of healthy food, receive a goodie bag and much, much more!

When: Saturday, April 18, 2015 (9AM - 1PM) Where: Eau Gallie High School Gym 1400 Commodore Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32935 Who: Children ages 6 -13 years & their parents (A parent must be present with child) Cost: FREE! Pre-registration required (ON-LINE Registration ONLY) ***ONLINE REGISTRATION ONLY: www.jlsb.net/kitk

SCAVENGER HUNT

This idea comes from www.Grandparents.com and is a great way to connect with your grandchild.

Turn an ordinary walk into an adventure with scavenger hunts. Make a list for your grandchild or - a red leaf, a Y-shaped twig, a feather-and start walking and collecting. With older youth, you can make rhyming clues that they need to figure out. Or take a camera with you and have your grandchild take photos of objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

SPECIAL NEWS We now have a notary at our office if you need papers notarized (call 321-631-7776 for an appointment) NO charge.

HELP NEEDED- If any of our grandparents are handy with woodworking please contact us. We have two jobs we need assistance with. Please call 321-631-7776

We are very sad to announce that Priscilla Livingston had to leave the GRG of Brevard staff for personal health reasons and family obligations. We wish her the very best and will miss her.

You're Stronger When We're Together

APRIL 2015 ~ SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS Thursday, April 9th – Club Esteem Support Group Meeting (Leslie Brimer – PAL) Club Esteem 3316 Monroe Street, Melbourne 10:00 – 11:30 am.

(This meeting is always the second Thursday of each month) Tuesday, April 14th – Titusville Support Group Meeting (Kip Pastermack – PAL) 805 Century Medical Dr, Building B, Titusville. This group is partnered with Parrish Senior Solutions. 10:00 – 11:30 am (This meeting is always the second Tuesday of each month) Wednesday, April 15th – South Brevard Support Group Meeting Memaw’s Restaurant, 4916 Babcock Blvd, Palm Bay 6:00 – 7:30 pm (Dinner is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the third Wednesday of each month) Tuesday, April 21st – Central Brevard Support Group (Kip Pastermack – PAL) GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd, Rockledge 9:30-11:30 am (This meeting is always the third Tuesday of each month) Thursday, April 30th – Beach Side Support Group (Rene Ingram – PAL) Memaw’s Restaurant, Indian Harbour Beach, 9:30 – 11:30 am (Breakfast is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the last Thursday of each month)

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GRG OF BREVARD The Child First Program Thank you for helping GRG of Brevard to identify the issues and challenges facing relative families in Brevard County. Over 8,500 children in Brevard are being raised by relatives other than their birth parents. GRG of Brevard is working to provide a voice for these families, and we need your HELP! By completing this form for your relative care family, you will help us to educate state and local policy-makers and funding organizations about the experiences of relative care families in Brevard County. Please complete all sections of the survey, however, if there is information requested that you are not comfortable sharing, please feel free to leave the area blank. We will not share your personal information with anyone.

Once we have recorded your answers and added your name and address to our contact list; we will shred the name and address section of the form and retain the non-identifiable information in our files.

Name: Address:

City: State: Email address: Phone numbers:

Zip:

Please indicate the importance of the following supports and services needed by your family as a result of your relative care arrangement with (10) being most important and (1) being least important.

Financial 1. School/Recreational Expenses 2. Food 3. Clothing 4. Legal Expenses Supports 1. Respite Care 2. Child Care 3. Advocacy 4. Support Group 5. Training 6. Tutoring 7. Transportation Medical/Mental Health 1. Insurance 2. Dental Care 3. Vision/Eyeglasses 4. Physical therapies 5. Counseling Other: ________________________________ 1.

Please check all of the following which apply to your relative care situation.

Child 1. Emotional disability 2. Physical disability 3. Developmental disability 4. Learning Disability 5. Chronic Health Condition 6. Drug usage by child Self 1. Chronic/Acute Health condition 2. Difficulty managing children 3. Overburdened by responsibility 4. Conflict over parental rights 5. No personal transportation Family 1. Not enough money to support children 2. Housing is overcrowded 3. Parental visits pose risk to child 4. Planning for child postincarceration 5. Don’t understand agency rules 6. Don’t know where to go for help.

Other: ________________________________ 1.

The top portion of this document will be destroyed after we have added your contact information to the data base. Thank you.

How many Relative care children are living in your home and what are their ages?

 0-12 months  1-2 years  3-5 years  6-12 Years  13-18 years  over 18 years Was the child/children placed by  social services (DCF) or  the birth parent?

How long have you provided relative care? _______________ Income level of your household.  under $10,000

 $15,000-$24,999  $60,000-$80,000

 $25,000-$39,999  over $80,000

 $10, 000-$14,999  $40,000--$59,999

Is primary income from government social security or disability? Yes / No Please mark any of the following that apply to adopting the children.

 Financial concerns  Parent Unwilling to terminate rights  Potential conflict with parent  Child does not want to be adopted  Other:

Please use these lines to provide us with any additional information that you believe may help us to speak out more clearly with one voice for all relative care families in Brevard County.

(You may also attach a separate sheet of paper.)

Thank you for your time in completing this survey. If you have provided us with your address/other contact information, then we will add you to our contact list and keep you posted on any relative care initiatives which result from this project.

Mail to:

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County 123 Barton Blvd. Suite 102 Rockledge, FL 32955

Or you can drop the completed survey at the GRG office or Support Group Meeting.

The Child First!

HELP THE GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDREN OF GRG OF BREVARD BECOME A MEMBER AND/OR FRIEND Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County FL, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

All gifts are deductible on corporate, foundation and individual tax returns to the extent provided by state and federal laws.

Members of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc. receive our newsletter and invitations to events where they can meet others in similar situations Name Date: Address:

I am raising children who are not my own I am their: [ ] Grandparent [ ] Aunt / Uncle [ ] Sister / Brother [ ] Other (please specify)

City/State: Zip: Phone:

[ ] I am not in this situation but I want to join GRG of Brevard because I am interested in what you do.

Email: [ ] Annual Membership $20 per family or $10 per caregiver [ ] Annual Corporate Membership $500 I want to be a friend of the GRG of Brevard and enclose an additional donation of: [ ] $25 [ ] $50 [ ] $75 [ ] $100 Other: $

Please make your check payable to: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard