GRG of Brevard February 2013 Newsletter

GRG OF BREVARD

Issue #141

#141

GRG of Brevard

February 2013 GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA INC.

ISSUE # 141

February 2013 Support Group Meetings Tuesday, February 12th – Titusville Support Group Meeting 805 Century Medical Dr, Building B, Titusville. This group is partnered with Parrish Senior Solutions. 10:00 – 11:30 am Thursday, February 14th – Club Esteem Support Group Meeting 10:00 – 11:30 am. Libscomb Street Community Center Tuesday, February 19th – Central Brevard Support Group GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd., Rockledge 09:30 – 11:00 am Thursday, February 28th – Beach Side Support Group.

Memaw’s Restaurant, Indian Harbour Beach, 9:30 – 11:30 am (Breakfast is available at member's expense) South Brevard Support Group Meeting This support group is suspended at this time until further interest. Please contact the office if you are interested in restarting the Palm Bay evening meeting call 321-631-7776

Happy Valentine’s Day! WELCOME to the new edition of our newsletter!

I hope that you find it to be informative, educational and entertaining.

GRG of BREVARD Office: 321.631.7776 Cell: 321.848.8006 123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge FL 32955 www.grg-brevard.org

Mary Ann Sterling, Executive Director Page 1

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E-NEWSLETTER Help us Go Green and environmentally responsible.

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The newsletter can be delivered to you each month via email. This new capability could enable GRG to save up to $4,000 each year in paper and printing costs. If you would like to receive your newsletter via Email, send your name, current mailing address and the email address where you would like to receive the newsletter to grg.brevard@gmail.com

COLORING BOOK Yasmena, a GRG of Brevard Grandchild, has completed a coloring book for our grandchildren to receive when they come to live with grandma and grandpa.

It covers the small children coming to their new home and contains events of eating, going to school, going to the park, and other activities in which we engage with our grandchildren.

We wish to extend our appreciation to Yasmena for this wonderful job. It is the first coloring book involving the event of grandparents raising grandchildren.

The coloring books are at the printers and will be available by this Easter.

What is T.A.R.G.E.T Training?

For those new to GRG of Brevard TARGET is a six-week training course that covers the latest information from community and state experts on topics ranging from financial stability and legal assistance to parenting autistic children.

Who can attend? Relative caregivers, community organizations and child advocates.

Cost is $20 for non-members to offset the administrative cost.

Check out the flyer for more information.

Mark your calendars TARGET Course Schedule this month! th February 13 th February 20 th February 27 HEADING 4 STYLE

Get answers to questions on custody, guardianship, adoption issues, public benefits, legal services, support with groups and other community services.

When you call, be prepared to leave a message and contact number.

GRG OFFICE MOVE We are making a minor move with our office. We will be in the same building located at 123 Barton Blvd., Rockledge; however, we will move to a hall in the middle of the building.

Access to our offices will be made through the front door facing Barton Blvd. Signs will lead you to us after you enter the building. THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

SHINING STARS DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO?

If you have a great story or news about your grandchild please let us know; we would love to publish it in our newsletter.

CALL THE WARM-LINE!

Older children are welcome to submit stories, photos or poetry.

321.631.7776

Please email grg.brevard@gmail.com

GRG OF BREVARD SUBTITLE | Issue 141

LETTER TO GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT Below is a letter which we plan to send to the State of Florida Governor, Rick Scott; with a copy to the Secretary of DCF, David Wilkins.

It is our hope that he will meet with some of us and discuss our concerns with the Department of Children and Families here in Brevard County. We need as many signatures as possible.

If you have not attended a support group to sign this letter, please stop by the office so we can obtain as many signatures as possible.

Please make an effort to make some changes.

Governor Rick Scott State of Florida Tallahassee, FL Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc. was established in 1994 by a grandmother with a vision to improve conditions for relative care families and the community who care for them. Our mission is to provide advocacy, support, and referral to relative care families throughout Brevard County. Our vision is that one day all children will live in a safe loving home with relatives that will help them to develop into their full potential.

Living in a place you can call home and knowing that someone will always be there for you is something everyone needs, especially children.

GRG of Brevard would like to bring to your attention issues within our state that have great consequences on a large number of Florida’s children. There are over 350,000 children in Florida being raised by someone other than their parents. Of this number 19,000 are in foster care with the remainder being raised by grandparents and relatives.

Relative Caregivers do not receive the same financial assistance as Foster Families and is not considered a Party if the case goes to court, only a Participant.

Other concerns are when the relative caregivers are adjudicated custody of their grandchildren, the parent is given a case plan. This plan constitutes stable housing, drug evaluation, psychological evaluation, stable employment, completion of parenting classes, anger management course, visitation as ordered, plans for child care while working, family counseling, and contact as assigned and no new law violations. These goals should be completed by the parent in order to reunite their family. According to the State of Florida Chapter 39, which covers children within state protection, the parents have a year to complete this plan. If this plan is not completed the Department of Children and Families has the opinion to terminate the parents’ parental rights. In most cases DCF closes the after 6 months and the case plan “seems” to be forgotten.

We have relative care families where the case plan goes on indefinitely. In one such case ten years after two children were placed with a grandparent, the parent has requested to reopen the case and will attempt to get her children back. The children were place with the grandparent at ages 3 and 5 and are not 13 and 15. Mental health experts express this in not in the best interest of the children.

Within Brevard County, Florida we are raising 8500 of the counties’ children. This amount would fill 10 of our county schools. We have four support groups within the county with 800 members, the largest support group within the State of Florida. We provide DCF ACCESS assistance, support, resources, information, referrals, training, monthly support group meetings, legal assistance, recreational activities, and a monthly newsletter.

It is our request that you meet with a small group of these Brevard relative caregivers to hear our concern with issues we encounter on a daily basis. We have discussed these issues with our local DCF organization and feel that they cannot assist us in making any changes.

Your consideration of this meeting would be greatly appreciated. Enclosed are signatures of many of our members hoping that you will give us a short period of your time?

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Sterling, Executive Director We will include a list of our names.

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United Way of Brevard / AARP Tax Aide Schedule Tax Assistance Sites in Brevard County Starting Feb 1, 2013 United Way has partnered with AARP to offer free tax preparation to assist our community. At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, free tax prep and maximizing EITC can give you that extra boost you can use to reduce debt, improve job skills, build savings or take other steps to improve financial stability. (see attached list for locations).

Free Tax Prep - Be sure to bring these things with you: • Last year's tax return (if you have it) • Social Security cards for all family members • All W-2's and 1099 MISC for 2012 • Name, address and SSN/EIN of child care provider • A photo ID (both you and your spouse if filing jointly) • Joint returns require both filers to be present to sign• All 1099-R forms for 2012 (pensions, IRAs, retirement accounts, etc.)

BREVARD WORKFORCE, ROCKLEDGE **(opens Jan. 30, 2013) 295 Barnes Blvd., Rockledge, 32955 WED 1 PM TO 7 PM BREVARD WORKFORCE PALM BAY**(opens Jan. 31, 2013) 5275 Babcock St., NE, Palm Bay 32905 THU 1PM TO 7 PM and FRI 1PM TO 5 PM SALVATION ARMY 1080 S. Hickory St., Melbourne 32901 SAT 9 AM TO 1 PM MELBOURNE LIBRARY 540 E. Fee Ave, Melbourne, FL 32901 THU, FRI & SAT 9 AM TO 1 PM WEST MELBOURNE LIBRARY 2755 Wingate Blvd., West Melbourne, FL 32904 TUE & FRI 11:30AM TO 5 PM SATELITTE BEACH LIBRARY 751 Jamaica Blvd., Satellite Beach, FL 32937 MON & WED 9 AM TO 2 PM SPACE COAST CREDIT UNION 2100 Highway A1A, Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937 TUE & THU 9 AM TO 1PM COCOA BEACH LIBRARY 550 North Brevard Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 MON & THU 10 AM TO 2 PM and TUE & WED 9 AM TO 1 PM MERRITT ISLAND LIBRARY 1195 North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, FL 32953 MON 10 AM TO 2 PM and THU 3 PM TO 7 PM CENTRAL BREVARD LIBRARY 308 Forrest Ave., Cocoa, FL 32922 TUE, THU, SAT 9 AM TO 1 PM PORT ST JOHN LIBRARY 6500 Carole Ave., Port St. John, FL 32927 MON 9 AM TO 1PM and THU 2 PM TO 6 PM TITUSVILLE LIBRARY 2121 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville, FL 32780 MON 1 PM TO 5 PM - WED 12:30 PM TO 4:30 PM and SAT 9:30 AM TO 1 PM

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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. are deductibleRaising on corporate, foundation and individual tax returnsFL, to theInc. extent provided by statechildren and federal Members All of gifts Grandparents Grandchildren of Brevard County, I am raising wholaws. are not my receive our newsletter and invitations to events where they can meet others in own I am their: similar situations

[ ] Grandparent

Name Date:

[ ] Aunt / Uncle

Address:

[ ] Sister / Brother [ ] Other (please specify)

City/State:

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

Zip: Phone: Email: [ ] Annual Membership $20

[ ] 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: $

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc. 123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge, FL 32955

Address Label

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