Fostering perspectives

              fostering perspectives VIEWS ON FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION IN NORTH CAROLINA
November 2012 • Vol. 17, No. 1 WWW.FOSTERINGPERSPECTIVES.ORG
Sponsored by the NC Division of Social Services and the Family and Children’s Resource Program
Writing Contest
What would you tell a judge about your family?
In the last issue of Fostering Perspectives we asked
children in foster care “what would you tell a judge
about your family?” Here’s what they had to say.
1st Destiny, age 16
I would ask that judge, why treat my parents
like convicts? Is this really what’s best for the
children? Is our case only a number to you? Is
my voice actually heard? For I feel my voice is
only a raindrop in a demoralizing storm....
Why are you in such a hurry to close our case? I love seeing my mom’s
smile, and receiving my dad’s hugs. Seeing them is what keeps me motivated
and level-headed....
Adoption may be the answer in your book, but in mine it shuts the door
to who I really am.... Yes, you have found a great foster home for us. As far
as your plan for our future, I’m not so sure I can agree with that right now.
I know I don’t have very much input, but just one more question: what
would you do if you were in my shoes?
Autumn received $50 for winning second prize in the writing contest.
“Thank you for changing my life.” That is one
thing that I would say to a judge.
If it was not for the judge’s de-cision
and the decisions of many
other people along the way,
I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today.
I am successful in the way that I present
myself, the activities that I participate in, as well as the mor-als
and values that I have set for myself with my foster par-ents.
I am a cheerleader, making A/B Honor Roll, president
of two clubs, taking multiple AP and Honor classes, have a
job, and preparing to start my senior year of high school. I
am successful because I overcame an obstacle that most of
my friends could not even imagine going through.
A judge’s decision helped make me into the person I am
today, with my mother and father—not the biological ones.
It changed my life. That one decision that changed my life
for the better was the best decision that somebody could
ever make for me.
That is why I would simply say, “Thank you, Judge.”
Destiny received $100 for winning fi rst prize in the writing contest.
Reading my family’s history, you probably
wouldn’t like them very much, but neither
you nor anyone else knows my family like I
do. My whole life I sat back and listened to
the harsh stereotypes and cruel accusations, but today I am reach-ing
out.... They love me unconditionally and will always support me. Of
course there have been hard times, but haven’t there been hard times in ev-ery
family? They are good people regardless of their backgrounds.
Olivia received $25 for winning third prize in the writing contest.
My family are
good people
regardless of their
backgrounds.
2nd
3rd Olivia, age 13
Autumn, age 15
I feel my
voice is only a
raindrop in a
demoralizing
storm.
This is some-thing
every
foster parent
should know
how to do.
Supporting young people when it is time for court
Most young people in foster care are invited
to attend court, to be involved in the proceed-ings,
and sometimes to testify. That’s a good
thing, because hearing from children helps
judges make appropriate decisions. But that
doesn’t mean being in court is easy for kids.
In fact, many young people report feeling
anxious, angry, and frustrated with their ex-periences
in court (Zinn & Slowriver, 2008).
To change this, resource parents must know
how to prepare children for court and sup-port
them afterwards.
Court Can Be Scary for Kids
Court is hugely important to children in fos-ter
care. After all, it’s where deci-sions
are made about whether they
can go home. If children are crime
victims, court is where the person
who committed the crime—possibly
a family member—will be tried and,
if needed, sentenced. Given the seriousness
of the issues being decided, simply knowing
court is being held can be anxiety producing.
Being present in court can be even moreso.
Children may feel scared and uncomfortable
about testifying in front of judges, lawyers,
and people they don’t know. Memories of
their abuse or neglect may rise to the surface.
They may experience overwhelm-ing
emotions. If the abuser is a loved
one, children may blame themselves
for the charges against that person.
Or they may think that if they tes-tify
about the maltreatment they
won’t get to go home. There may be feelings
of intense self-blame, especially if the child’s
brothers or sisters have also been placed in
care and are upset with them for disclosing
the abuse and neglect (Jenkins, 2008).
A Resource Parent’s Role
Fortunately, there’s a lot caregivers can do to
support children in foster care around court.
continued page 3
Thank you.
Your decision
changed my
life for the
better.
2
CONTEST: What would you tell a judge about your family?
The young people below all received $15 for having their work published in Fostering Perspectives.
from page 1
There are so many things I could say to a judge about
my family, but if I had to choose one thing, I would tell
them that no matter what, we never give up! Some-times
it becomes very hard for my brothers and I to per-severe
through things such as mowing the lawn, doing
homework, and even eating broccoli. I thank God that
I am blessed to have parents like mine. —Sasha, age 16
I hope that the judge would see that my family is the best
and that they all love me to death and have been with
me and supported me since I was born. Next month I
am transitioning from the foster home back to my home
with my family. I am so excited to live with them again
and show them how much I have learned from my ex-periences
at the foster homes and group homes. I have
lived away from my family for three to four years and I
can’t wait to go back home! —Taylor, age 17
I was 11 when I was placed in foster care. . . . I have
been in 6 foster homes, 4 group homes, 1 lock down
PRTF, and soon to be stepped down to another foster
home. . . .
My sister Destiny will soon be 18, and has planned
to sign herself out of foster care. My mom has require-ments
she is supposed to meet but hasn’t really made
an effort. My dad signed away his rights. Outside of
my sister I have no close family I would be able to live
with. The court initially gave my mom a year, but kept
extending it till it turned into four years. But my team
keeps telling me it’s still a possibility to live with my
mom.
—Krystyna, age 15
When I was six, I went to court. All I did there was cry. I was speechless. I
didn’t know what to say. I was scared.
Now, six years later, I am in a great home. I couldn’t ask
for a better family.
Take my dad for instance, with his corny jokes! And my
mom—she’s good at tennis and helps me with homework.
My brother Reed is good at soccer and likes to play video
games. My brother Seth wants to be a missionary, and my
sisters Maggie and Callie both just graduated from college.
My brother Shawn lives in California.
Then there is me, adopted into this big, happy family. I would want to say
this to a judge because I have had a good experience being in foster care, and
some people don’t get good experiences.
Some day I also want to help kids experience a happy life!
I had a good
experience in
foster care, and
some people
don’t get good
experiences.
Messages for a Judge about
My Family
De’Angelo, age 17
I’m a sibling from a family of eight. Kindergarten through elementary I was
a great kid. When I was in the 5th grade my mother caught
breast cancer but was a survivor. In my middle school days
I began making friends, experimenting with drugs, and gang
banging. At that age I felt my reputation in the streets was way
more important than an education. I was known for stealing
cars and fi ghting. I was going down the wrong path.
When I was 15 I got sent to juvenile for stealing and then
I was sent to out-of-home placement because I was out of control and rude. I
went to a level one group home. I was there for 6 months, showed improve-ment,
and got discharged. I went back home.
It was okay, but my mom’s cancer came back. It spread, and she died of
bone cancer. These were hard times for me, so I kept myself busy by robbing
and stealing. I felt alone and wasn’t being disciplined for my actions.
On June 22, 2011 my dad gave me, my little brother, and my little sister
away to DSS due to lack of income, discipline, and motivation. He said his
mindset was gone due to my mother’s death. Today I’m in foster care. I go to
therapy, I’m pursuing my GED. Me and my father have no contact at all.
I’ve learned that second chances are mistakes’ best friend. A wise man once
said: “the only way out is the way through.” I understood right away. I went
through the stealing and robbing stages and it wasn’t me. Now I want to be a
mentor and let other young teenagers know that there is a way!
Stealing cars
and fi ghting:
I was going
down the
wrong path.
“I’m confused about
why they won’t send
me back to my family. “
I have been in foster care for six years.
Before I went into foster care I had a bad attitude
and could not control my anger. I used to tease the
cats and even killed my sister’s fi sh. I would not fol-low
directions. I would always do things my way and
not the adult’s way.
But after I went into foster care I learned how to
control my anger and get along better with my sib-lings.
I would like to go back home and get along
with my siblings much better than I used to.
I would tell the judge that I have completed all my
goals, and that I am confused about why they won’t
send me back home to my family.
“I will ALWAYS love
my family. No matter
what they do, I will
still love them.”
Breana, age 12 Sarah, age 15
Anna, age 17
Child Welfare-Related Adjudicatory Hearings in
District Courts in North Carolina
July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010
• 6,806 child neglect hearings occurred; of these 1,217 (18%)
were dismissed.
• 988 child abuse hearings occurred; of these 303 (31%) were
dismissed.
• 1,889 termination of parental rights hearings occurred;
in 287 (15%) of these parental rights were not terminated.
NC Administrative Offi ce of the Courts, 2011
3
Supporting young people when it is time for court
Before Court
Educate yourself. Foster parents and kin-ship
caregivers must understand how the
court process works and who the different
players are. Your licensing social worker is a
good source of this information, as he or she
will be able to provide you with details about
how your particular judicial district works.
Other good sources for learning about rele-vant
court procedures in North Carolina are:
• Chapter 13 of Reporting Child Abuse
and Neglect in North Carolina, http://bit.
ly/Nco2oy. Provides a good description of
procedures in child welfare cases.
• Help Your Kids Help Themselves: A Par-ent’s
Guide to the Juvenile Justice Pro-cess,
http://bit.ly/SfnYVy. Explains what
happens if a child in your care commits
a crime.
Prepare the child. As mentioned above,
the court process can be nervewracking for
children. Fortunately, most resource parents
naturally do a lot of things for children that
indirectly help them prepare for and cope
with the stresses of the court process. These
include getting to know and building a trust-ing
relationship with the child, nurturing
the child, and reaching out to birth families
through the shared parenting approach.
It is important to be able to provide an-swers
to the questions children have about
court. The child’s attorney and the child’s so-cial
worker will probably be the best people
to answer the child’s questions. However,
sometimes it falls to foster parents and kin-ship
parents to respond, so you should be
ready to respond to questions* such as:
Children’s Initial Questions
• What does the courtroom look like?
• Who will be in the courtroom?
• What does each person in the courtroom
do?
• Where will I sit? Who will sit next to me?
Children’s Ongoing Questions
• What is the purpose of the hearing?
• Who will be attending the hearing?
• Will I be expected to speak? What if I don’t
not want to speak? Can another means of
communication be used?
• What should I do if I have questions, need
to use the bathroom, or feel scared?
• How am I expected to behave? What hap-pens
if I misbehave?
• Can I bring quiet toys to court?
• Can I bring a support person or item to
court?
How People in Different Roles Can Prepare Children for Court*
Attorney
for the
Child
The attorney for the child makes certain the child is aware of the hearing and lets the child
know he/she is entitled but not required to attend. The attorney is the point person for famil-iarizing
the child with all aspects of the hearing, for explaining what is going to happen, and
determining the child’s preferences and wishes so that they can be taken into consideration.
Child
Welfare
Worker
The caseworker is also a source of information and can answer questions about the purpose
and expectations of the hearing. Discussing who will be in court, what the child will see,
and what is expected of the child will help alleviate stress and provide a better understand-ing
of what to expect.
Guardian
ad Litem
The GAL is a specially trained person appointed by the court who volunteers his or her time
to investigate the facts of a case and make recommendations to the court on what is in the
child’s best interest. The GAL can be a resource and can share insight if he or she has a con-nection
with the child.
Foster
Parent
Foster parents should support the child and provide reassurance about the hearing, answer
questions, encourage participation, and support the child’s decision whether to attend court.
Birth
Parent
Where appropriate, birth parents can speak to the child about the hearing, answer questions,
encourage participation, and support the child’s decision whether to attend court.
Judge The judge can request that children attend their court hearings and can ask why a child is
not in court. It is not the responsibility of the judge to prepare children for court but the
judge can determine if a child has been prepared for court and proceed accordingly.
• How should I dress for court? Why is attire
important?
• How long will the hearing last?
• How long will the child have to wait for
the hearing?
• Where will the child wait for the hearing?
Visiting the courthouse in advance is one
way to allay children’s fears and answer their
questions. Contact the child’s social work-er
to see about arranging a field trip to the
courthouse. Be sure to bring books or appro-priate
toys on this outing, in case you must
wait.
After Court*
In an ideal world, after a hearing the attorney
for the child should debrief the child about
the experience. However, sometimes it falls
to resource parents or the child’s caseworker
to do this.
Whoever does the debriefing should begin
by thanking the child for their courage and
the part they played in the court process.
Make sure the child understands what hap-pened,
what the implications of the hearing
are for the child, and what happens next.
One of the goals of this discussion is to iden-tify
any supports the child might need going
forward.
from page 1
* Adapted from New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children, 2008
More Tips for Preparing
Children for Court
• Normalize anxiety. Reassure children that
anxiety about court is normal and everyone,
including social workers and lawyers, experi-ences
it.
• Ensure the child understands that sometimes
several hearings are held and they may have to
return to court.
• Even if they aren’t attending, tell children that
a hearing about them is scheduled. This may
cause some anxiety, but it is better than an “out
of the blue“ announcement about the court’s
decision.
• If the child is not attending court but wishes
to write a letter to the judge, make it clear the
letter will be read by all parties at the hearing.
• You can’t know in advance what will be de-cided
in court, so don’t make promises to chil-dren
you can’t keep (e.g., that they’ll never be
asked to talk about their abuse or neglect in
court again).
• Avoid critcizing any parties in the case. It’s okay
to describe an individual’s behavior as bad, but
not the individual him or herself.
• Never give gifts or rewards to a child for testify-ing
in court. This could make it seem as if you
are trying to infl uence the child’s testimony.
• Be sure to thank the child for their courage and
their willingness to be involved in the court
process.
Source: Baldwin, 1998
4
Advice for foster parents about going to court
When it comes to court, fos-ter
parents have a vital role
to play. Although judges have
the responsibility to make de-cisions
about children, they
can only make good decisions
if they receive good information. Foster parents can
have a huge impact on the lives and welfare of children
by attending court and sharing information about the
children in their homes.
Your Rights
Foster parents have a legal right to be notified of the
following important court hearings for children in
foster care. Foster parents also have a legal right to
participate in these hearings:
• Review Hearings. Held every six months until the
child is in a permanent home and the case is closed.
Can be combined with Permanency hearings.
• Permanency Hearings. Must be held by the twelfth
month the child is in care and every six months
thereafter. Can be combined with Review hearings.
• Post-TPR Review Hearings. If termination of pa-rental
rights occurs, these hearings are held every
six months until the child is in a permanent home
and the case is closed.
Other Important Hearings
Although they do not have a right to be notified or to
participate in them, there are two other types of court
hearings that foster parents are often involved in:
• Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) Hearings.
These occur only when necessary. Foster parents
may be called as witnesses during Termination of
Parental Rights hearings, especially if they have
done shared parenting or are willing to adopt.
• Adoption Finalization or Permanent Guardian-ship
Hearings. These complete the process of
establishing a new, legal, permanent home for a
child. Adoption hearings are totally separate from
the juvenile court process in North Carolina and
are done before the clerk of court. Guardianship is
granted during a review and/or permanency plan-ning
hearing.
Stay Informed and Know Your Role
It is very important for you to stay informed about court
hearings and ensure that your voice is heard through-out
the process. You can also play an important role
in making sure that the children’s voices are heard at
every step along the way. If you have questions about
the court proceedings or schedule of hearings, talk to
your child’s social worker.
Participate in the Court Process
You are an important part of the professional team.
Your input at every decision point is essential to ensur-ing
the best interests of the child will be met. It is also
understandable to feel nervous about participating in
court. Being prepared will help you feel less nervous.
Here are some tips to help you be an effective partici-pant
in the court process.
Tips for Participating in Court
• Stay informed about court dates and times. Speak up and ask for information
if you do not feel you are getting what you need.
• Ask the social worker and attorneys involved with the case to explain the pur-pose
of each hearing and to help you understand your role.
• Always arrive at least 15-30 minutes early for court hearings to allow time to get
through security and find the correct courtroom. However, you should also be
prepared to wait; courts are busy and there are often delays.
• Bring the child or children whose hearing you are attending, but make child
care arrangements for other children in your care.
• Dress professionally. Do not chew gum, eat, or drink anything in the court-room.
Turn off your cell phone.
• Bring records with you. This can include notes you have made about the child’s
progress while in your care, a log of doctor’s appointments, school records, and
notes related to visits with the birth family.
• Keep in mind that any written materials you bring may be requested by and
copied by all attorneys for the official record.
• When you speak, speak slowly, clearly, and using clear and professional lan-guage.
Give all of your answers out loud, do not simply nod or shake your head.
Refer to the judge as “Your Honor.”
• Be as clear and complete as possible when responding to questions or offering
information about the child so that the judge will have adequate information
upon which to make a decision.
• Avoid appearing to be hostile to or against the birth family. The court often lis-tens
best to foster parents who have truly attempted to work with birth families
and who are not focused on a personal objective/agenda (e.g., getting the child
to stay permanently in their home).
• When asked to give sworn testimony, make sure you have discussed this with
the attorney and you understand what this means.
• If your religious beliefs prevent you from taking an oath, inform the lawyers and
social worker ahead of time so that an alternate pledge can be arranged.
• Prepare yourself by reviewing the list of common questions (see below).
• Talk to other foster parents about their experiences in court.
• Relax—remember, you are an important part of the team!
Adapted from New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children, 2006 (http://nysccc.org/)
Common Questions Foster Parents Are Asked in Court
• How long have you been a foster parent, and how many children have you cared for?
• How long have you known this particular child? Did you have a relationship with this child
before you became her foster parent?
• Do you have any special training or experience related to caring for children?
• What was the physical and emotional condition of this child when she fi rst came into your
home?
• What changes have you noticed in the child’s behavior, emotional state, or physical condi-tion
since being in your home?
• Describe the child’s typical day.
• Describe your relationship with the child’s birth parents.
• Have you observed the child interacting with her parents? Can you describe the interac-tion?
You may be asked to give specifi c dates or details for these observations.
• Describe the nature of the child’s contact with the birth parents—such as dates and length
of visits, phone calls, gifts, etc.
• How does the child react and/or behave before and after contact with her birth parents?
• How is the child doing in school?
• How is the child’s health? When was the last time the child went to the doctor?
• What other activities (sports, recreation, music, church, etc.) is the child involved in?
• What concerns do you have?
• If reunifi cation does not happen for this child, are you interested in making a permanent
commitment to the child through adoption or guardianship?
Adapted from New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children, 2006 (http://nysccc.org/)
5
A judge’s perspective on foster parents and court
An Interview with Judge Monica Bousman
by Amy Ramirez
Recently I had a chance to speak with Judge
Monica Bousman, an experienced judge who
has served in the 10th Judicial District in
Raleigh, North Carolina since 2001. During
our conversation I asked Judge Bousman if
she had any advice for foster parents about
how they can best contribute to the judicial
process. (This interview has been edited for
style and length.)
What should foster parents know about court?
Let me first say that I really see foster par-ents
as being on the front line. They are the
ones who have to watch the children, comfort
them when they cry themselves to sleep at
night, get them up, and get them to school.
When it comes to court, foster parents
need to be reminded that they have the right
to be present at any review hearings. And
they have the right to be heard by the court.
They should be getting a notice of hearing.
If they are not getting notice of hearings
they need to talk to the clerk for juvenile mat-ters
or the social worker.
Do you have any advice for foster parents about attending
court hearings?
Don’t come to court unprepared. The more
prepared for the hearing everyone is, the
smoother and more quickly court goes.
What about preparing children and youth for court?
One thing that can really help children feel
prepared is to come in and practice when
the courtroom is empty. Show a child what
a courtroom looks like. Share with the child
where they will be sitting, who will be asking
questions. They may want to come to a hear-ing
when their case is not on the calendar.
This is about the children. This is their life
and they are welcome to come to any hearing.
When they come in for a review I think the
child needs to consider why they want to be
there. Again, they are always welcome—but
why are they coming? Do they want to be
there just to hear what is going on and what
people say?
Foster parents and others should help chil-dren
understand that in order to talk to the
judge in chambers all of the parties have to
agree—including the parents. We have some
parents that just flat out say “No. You are not
talking to my child.” If that is the case then it
is not going to happen.
What is it like talking to children in court? What kinds of
things do they say?
As long as they are respectful, children are
always welcome to say what they want to say.
However, lots of times it strikes me that the
children clearly want to be there, but they
also seem reluctant to say anything.
To help I’ll usually start with some of the
pleasantries. I’ll ask questions such as: How
are you? Where do you go to school? What
grade are you in? I probably already know
the answers to these questions.
Often I think they just want to meet the
judge. They are very curious about who is
making the decision about their life.
Sometimes I wonder—how has someone
spoken to this child about the judge? Has it
been in a good way or a bad way?
Sometimes they just want to say “I want to
go home” or “I’m done with my parents.”
Or they may know there are certain things
that could happen and they want to tell the
judge that this is what they want to happen.
Do most kids understand what is being decided in court?
Many don’t see the danger to themselves that
I do. This is the life that they know. Other
times kids get into great foster homes and
realize that not everyone lives like their fam-ily
has been living.
What would you recommend if a child or youth chooses not
to be present at a hearing?
If you are talking about a review hearing I
would suggest they write a letter. They should
understand that the judge is not the only
one who will see the letter. Unless everyone
agrees, at least the lawyers are going to see
the letter and more than likely the lawyer is
going to share it with the child’s parents. The
child needs to understand that this may not
be for the judge’s eyes only.
How else can foster parents contribute to the judicial
process?
One of the things I suggest to foster parents
to help the child—and thus assist the court—
is consider keeping a journal of what they’re
doing. Sometimes the easiest way to keep
that journal is to get a huge calendar and
write down when and what things happen.
Try it.
If the parent is permitted to call the foster
home or the child is able to call the parent–
do those phone calls happen? Sometimes it
is just as important to know what doesn’t
happen.
Keep a record of things like this. Docu-ment
“We had a visit and the child was laugh-ing
and skipping and having a good time” or
“I got that child home and there was a ter-rible
nightmare that night.” Write down the
things children say about events. It might not
be admissible in court, but write it down. Let
the lawyers worry about whether it is admis-sible
or not.
Amy Ramirez is Training Coordinator with the Family
and Children’s Resource Program at the UNC-CH
School of Social Work.
“Foster parents
have the right to
be present at any
review hearings.
And they have the
right to be heard
by the court.”
Sharing Written Information with the Court
Because of their “24-7” contact with the child, fos-ter
parents have more relevant information than al-most
anyone else. By sharing what they know, they
can help the court make the best decisions possible.
The best way to share what you know is to attend
the hearing. However, if you can’t attend the hear-ing,
providing a written report is the next best thing.
When providing a written report to the court,
give it to the social worker at least one week be-fore
the hearing. If you ask the social worker to at-tach
your report to their report, they will do so. Any
reports you submit will be distributed to everyone
involved in the case.
Your report should be typed, short (a few pages),
and organized by headings. Describe behavior you
have observed in the child and present information
about the child’s needs. Focus on fi rsthand informa-tion
about the child. Present facts, not opinions.
Never call or send the judge a letter. Contacting
a judge in this way is called ex parte communica-tion
and is prohibited by the ethical provisions ap-plying
to both lawyers and the court.
Adapted from Iowa Child Advocacy Board and Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association
6
Guardians ad Litem (GALs) play a vital role
Perspectives of North Carolina’s GALs
Guardians ad litem have the power
to influence what the court decides
about children in foster care. All fos-ter
parents should know what GALs
do, how they benefit children, and
how to work with them effectively.
Who Are GALs?
GALs are trained volunteers appoint-ed
by judges to represent children’s
best interests in child abuse and ne-glect
cases. GALs conduct indepen-dent
investigations into children’s circum-stances
to determine their needs and what
resources are available to meet these needs.
Through their advocacy, GALs help move chil-dren
out of the court system in a timely man-ner
and into safe, permanent homes.
GAL volunteers come from all walks of
life. The main criterion for becoming a GAL
is a sincere desire to advocate for maltreated
children involved with the juvenile court sys-tem.
GAL applicants must complete a writ-ten
application, a personal interview, and
undergo a criminal record check. The appli-cant
then completes 25-30 hours of training,
which includes court observation. The train-ing
emphasizes that every case is factually
different and that as GALs reach out to each
new person they must remain neutral, calm,
objective, respectful, and keep the informa-tion
they receive confidential.
GAL volunteers are supervised by GAL pro-gram
staff. These professionals are available
to assist volunteer child advocates with their
investigations, offer resources, and provide
guidance regarding their duties. The GAL
program is run by the NC Administrative Of-fice
of the Courts, which recruits, screens,
trains, and supervises GAL volunteers.
What GALs Do
When a county DSS takes legal action to
protect the safety of a child, a district court
judge appoints a trained GAL volunteer and
an attorney advocate to provide team repre-sentation
to the child.
A GAL’s overall duty is to protect and pro-mote
the child’s best interests and to advo-cate
for a safe, permanent home in the short-est
time possible. GALs are responsible for:
1. Investigating to determine the facts, the
child’s needs, and the resources available
in the family and community;
2. Recommending to the court services and
interventions to ensure the child’s safety
and to ensure the child achieves perma-nency
as soon as possible; and
3. Giving evidence and examining witnesses
in court.
GALs have a lot of latitude with regard to
how they gather information. Some talk with
foster parents, teachers, parents, relatives
and others. Often they attend meet-ings
at DSS or at the child’s school.
Monthly face-to-face contact be-tween
the GAL and the child is rec-ommended,
when feasible.
Confidentiality
By statute and court order, GALs
are authorized to obtain any infor-mation
or reports they consider
relevant to the case. When GALs
exercise this authority, they present
the court appointment order that contains
that authorization. The person or agency
from whom information is sought may want
a copy of the order.
Any agency or professional from whom a
guardian ad litem seeks information should
provide the information promptly, unless the
GAL does not have a court order authorizing
him or her to obtain confidential information
or federal law or regulations prohibit disclo-sure
of the information.
By law, GALs must protect the confidenti-ality
of information they receive. Therefore,
the GAL cannot disclose confidential infor-mation
to foster parents. If foster parents
have questions about the court case, they
should contact DSS.
What Makes a Good GAL?
GALs provide advocacy in varied ways, based
on personal style and guidance from their
supervisors. Often a good GAL is described
as someone who is in the child’s life and is
accessible, focused on the child’s best inter-est,
and committed to finding solutions for
the child.
Examples of GAL volunteers’ deep com-mitment
to children are easy to find. For ex-ample,
Elaine Morris, Mecklenburg County’s
GAL program supervisor, says she is amazed
by GAL volunteer Amanda Gaughan’s dedica-tion.
“Over the past year Amanda has man-aged
cases that have included two very ill chil-dren,
two long, drawn out TPR hearings, and
multiple systemic issues—all while working
full-time and moving into a new home.”
Working Effectively with GALs
Like foster parents, GALs are community
members who make a huge difference in chil-dren’s
lives. Here are suggestions for working
with them to benefit children and families:
• Share information. Because they live
with the child, foster parents know how
children are adjusting to separation from
home, interacting with other children,
performing in school, and doing in other
areas. Foster parents should share this
important information with GALs.
• Invite them in. It is helpful when foster
parents make room in their schedules so
GALs can visit the children in their home.
• Understand the limitations. GALs are
prohibited from disclosing confidential
information to foster parents.
• Support the GAL program. Foster par-ents
are some of the best recruiters of
quality GALs. If you know someone you
would want to see advocating for chil-dren
in court, or someone tells you they
admire you as a foster parent but don’t
feel fostering is right for them, tell them
about the GAL program and ask them to
consider volunteering.
• Learn more. To learn more about this
program and how you can help, visit
www.ncgal.org.
“Often children’s voices are not heard because
they do not speak for themselves. Sometimes
when they do speak, no one listens. As a GAL, it
is my job to make an unbiased decision as to what
I feel is in the best interest of the child or children
involved. This decision might not be what DSS is
recommending or what the parents want. Again, it
has to be based on what I feel is in the best interest
of the child.”
—Mary Alexander, Duplin County
“My guardian ad litem experiences have reinforced
that children are capable of great things if given
the chance to develop and grow.”
— Greg Howe, Wake County
“If I had known how rewarding and fulfi lling being
a guardian ad litem was, I would have volunteered
the minute I was old enough. I am thankful for
the program, I am thankful for the volunteers, but
most of all, I am thankful for the opportunity to
make a difference in the life of a child.”
— Susan Brown, Cumberland County
“Each of us has something we can do to be of ser-vice.
There are children in our communities who
need someone to speak for them. They need to
know they are not alone in a very scary world.
Every time I hug a child that has more hope today
than he or she had the day before I feel all things
are possible for that child.
This year, I have seen a child who I thought
might never come out of her shell begin to take
the fi rst tentative steps toward trust and belief.
This child, who has been so cruelly treated and so
horribly abused, is fi nally accepting the kindness
offered to her and beginning to believe that she
can trust again. It has taken nearly two years to get
her to accept a gentle pat on the back without re-coiling,
and for the fi rst time a genuine smile now
emerges when I come to visit. The joy this brings
cannot be measured. That smile lights up my day
in a way that cannot be described.”
— Mary White, Duplin County
In 2011-2012, 5,173
GALs represented over
15,000 children in NC
courts.
7
Released but not reunited by Chrystal Reddick
Getting my son home has been more stressful than I imagined.
My beautiful 4-year-old son was removed from
my care when I was arrested. I was so devas-tated.
It was 42 days until I saw him again.
For the first few days, I wasn’t able to make
any calls and I didn’t know anything about
where Brandan was or how he was doing.
That drove me crazy.
I could only think, “My child has only been
with my mom, my daughter, and me in his
entire life. Who has him now? Is he eating? Is
he sleeping? Is he being abused? Will he for-get
me?” I was especially concerned because
Brandan has Down’s Syndrome and requires
special care.
How Could I Prove Myself?
I did not know my rights or responsibilities at
all. I knew I needed help because I saw what
direction my case could go in. I had a long
history of drug abuse and a criminal record
related to my addiction. My daughter, who is
now 20, lived with my mother for most of her
life. Plus, I’d been investigated for neglect not
long before my arrest. That case was closed,
but I knew it wouldn’t look good.
All the judge and lawyers knew about me
was what they read on a piece of paper. I could
just imagine the attorneys laughing among
themselves about my criminal record. How
could I make them see that I was a woman
with a child she loved more than life?
Fortunately, Rikers Island has a program
called WINGS that gives parents information
about their rights. Staff from the ACS Office
of Advocacy also came in to explain how to
get visits with children in foster care through
the Children of Incarcerated Parents Pro-gram
(CHIPP). Like me, the average person
might think that once they are arrested, they
no longer have the right to see their child or
to have a say in any decisions made regard-ing
the child. This is so not true! A parent
has rights even within the prison walls.
Even so, it was almost impossible for me
to advocate for my son while I was in jail. No
one at his foster care agency accepted collect
calls and the officers didn’t care that 2 p.m.
was the only time to reach his social worker.
There were so many doors shut in my face
that discouraged me.
Back in Touch
Finally I began to see my son once every two
weeks through CHIPP. My visits with Bran-dan
were great. They gave me the strength
to keep fighting. At 5 years old, Brandan is
a bright-eyed, handsome young boy. He’s af-fectionate
and inquisitive. He’s delayed in
speech and gross motor skills—he’s just get-ting
potty trained now, for example. He says
only a few words. But I understand what he
wants and needs.
At our visits, I played with Brandan and
read to him. In between visits I missed Bran-dan
so much.
Luckily, I had a reasonable judge. I wrote to
him constantly from jail. I reasoned with him
about giving me another chance. In my letters
I tried to spark his interest in my kids’ well-being
and my situation as a single parent. He
took interest in my kids and asked me to bring
pictures. Instead of giving me the maximum
time in jail, he sentenced me to three years of
probation. I am truly thankful for that.
‘Mommy’s Coming Home!’
The day I was told to pack my things, I
screamed at the top of my lungs, “Brandan!
Mommy’s coming home!” Nothing was go-ing
through my head but “When am I gonna
see my son?” A few days after my release, I
met with my attorney and the caseworker. We
went over the service plan and my visitation
schedule. I started off with one visit a week. I
was grateful for that.
I had to complete a parenting class for
children with special needs, a CPR class, and
random drug testing. I also started taking an-ger
management classes on my own.
I knew I had some work to do. I imme-diately
began looking for a job and hit the
law library to educate myself. I also reached
out to a support program called the Women’s
Prison Association (WPA) and my attorney
and stayed on the internet, learning about
what I would need to do.
Consistent, not Aggressive
Still, I never thought the process of getting
Brandan home would be this emotional and
stressful.
Foster care agencies are supposed to assist
you with the process of reunification. But they
don’t always do that, or do it well. The case-worker
assigned to my case has only worked
at the agency for a year. I have a problem with
that. She has so much power over what hap-pens
to my son and me, but she doesn’t know
as much about the system as she should. It’s
frustrating watching her make mistakes with
my case while I suffer.
I’ve learned that a person who really wants
her child back must be consistent and po-lite
with the important players in their case.
They can use everything against you. They
can cancel your visits and give bad reports
to the judge.
Looking back, I was so very aggressive
when I met the caseworker. She wouldn’t talk
to me, she never smiled or asked me ques-tions.
That bothered me. By the time I was
released from Rikers, I had a reputation at
the agency of being angry and rude. Every
time I met with the workers, there was ten-sion
in their voices.
My lawyer also thought I came on too
strong. I called my attorney with questions
on a daily basis. Even though I was told to
sit back and let her fight the case, I was not
satisfied with that.
Baby Steps
It’s been four months now since I was re-leased.
I have completed my service plan in
full, submitting at least nine clean drug tests.
I don’t understand why Brandan is still in the
system.
It will be a year that he’s been in care by the
time I see the judge next, and that court date
is not about ending the case, just extending
my visits. I feel that, after a year, we should
have progressed way further than this. My at-torney
says we have to take baby steps.
This last month I’ve been feeling more pos-itive
because I’ve moved to a program run by
WPA called Sarah Huntington House, which
helps formerly incarcerated mothers reunite
with children in the system. I think this will
help me get through to the agencies that are
making this process so very difficult. I feel
blessed.
I think about my son every day. I see those
yellow buses pass my house. I wonder if
Brandan’s bus driver is driving safely. It’s
a bit much to have your child taken away.
I’ll never give up. I see the big picture: I’ll be
reuniting with my son one day soon.
Reprinted with permission from Rise, a magazine written by
and for parents affected by the child welfare system:
www.risemgazine.org
I have completed my service plan in full. I don’t
understand why my son is still in the system.
Illustration by Odessa Straub
8
‘You’re Still Our Mother’
My sons’ adoptive parents helped us have a relationship.
By Anonymous
When I was a young mom, I felt lost. I never wanted my children to feel un-loved,
like I did when I was a child. But I couldn’t
take care of them with nothing inside. When my
oldest son was 8, I became addicted to PCP and
then crack. Eventually, my rights to my seven
sons were terminated.
My solace was that I knew my boys were in
good hands. Six of my boys were with foster
mothers who treated me with kindness and loved
my sons. The foster mothers told me, “Whatever happens, you’re still their
mother. As long as you’re not high, you can visit.”
‘Thank God’
Two years later, I went to treatment. I began talking about my addiction and
losing my children. My groups helped me with my pain. By then, I did not
know what to say to my children. My counselor said, “What do you want to
tell them?”
“I want to say I love you,” I said. He told me, “Go make your call.”
First I called Ms. Perez, who had adopted my younger sons. When I said
hello, she said, “Thank God.”
“Is everything OK?” I asked. “Are you OK?” she asked, and I said yes.
Then she put the boys on the phone. I told them that I loved them and that
I would ask if they could come see me.
Next I called Ms. Smith, who adopted my two oldest. She said, “I knew it
would happen one day.”
A Wonderful Visit
On Sunday, Ms. Perez came through the door with my six children. They’d
brought me cards that they’d made and some roses. I cried so much that my
oldest son, Kevin, said, “Look at you, you’re wetting up your clothes. Why
are you crying like that, Mommy? You are still our mother and it’s going to
be all right.”
That was wonderful to hear. I knew that was what the foster mothers had
taught them. I hugged Ms. Perez and said, “I love you very much.”
After that, I had two visits with my children at my program and then I was
able to visit my children at their homes. The circle was coming together again.
Coming Clean
The only dark spot in the circle was my third son James. James had been
placed by himself with a foster parent who told him that I did not love him.
When James was 10, he said terrible things to me on the phone: that he
was better than me and he did not want me in his life. Then he hung up and
never talked to me again.
Amazingly, my other children did not know that I used drugs. Ms. Perez
and Ms. Smith said that I was sick. They said that it was up to me to tell my
children the truth.
After my treatment, I told my boys about my addiction. “I could not take
care of my family, but I always loved you,” I said. “Please never make the
mistakes I did. You have people in your life who love you and will help you
through anything.”
Rebuilding a Family
After I got clean, I had two more children, who are now teenagers. It felt
good to take care of my two children and not have child welfare in my life.
But my youngest children know their brothers. We see my sons come on
Mother’s Day and holidays.
I am so happy to have my sons in my life. I am only sad that James still
won’t speak to me. I pray and I’m hopeful that one day we will all be to-gether
again.
Reprinted with permission from Rise, a magazine written by and for parents affected
by the child welfare system: www.risemgazine.org
Overview: The TPR process
Termination of parental rights (TPR) is the state’s ultimate interference into the con-stitutionally
protected parent-child relationship, severing all legal ties between the
parent and the child. TPR may occur only if a court fi nds that grounds for termination
exist and that TPR is in the child’s best interest (Hatcher, Mason, & Rubin, 2011).
Although TPR does not occur for most families involved with the child welfare
system, it does happen. On September 30, 2009, parental rights to 1,470 of NC
children in foster care waiting to be adopted had been terminated (USDHHS, 2010).
Parental rights must be terminated or voluntarily relinquished before a child can
be adopted. Because they are the group that most often adopts children from foster
care, foster parents sometimes have a big stake in the TPR process. Of the 1,442
North Carolina children adopted from foster care in 2010-11, 66.4% were adopted
by their foster parents (USDHHS, 2012).
Although they have may have an interest in the outcome, foster parents do not
have a right to be notifi ed or to participate in TPR hearings. However, as noted
above, foster parents may be called as witnesses during TPR hearings, especially if
they have done shared parenting or are willing to adopt.
The TPR Process
The following is adapted from Hatcher, Mason, & Rubin, 2011
All TPR proceedings occur in juvenile court, before a district court judge without
a jury. In North Carolina there are 10 reasons the court may terminate a parent’s
rights. A TPR proceeding is divided into two stages. At the adjudication stage, the
party initiating the proceeding (often DSS) has to prove that one or more of those
10 reasons exists. If the judge agrees, the case proceeds to the disposition stage, in
which the judge decides whether TPR is in the child’s best interest.
If the court does not fi nd that grounds for termination exist, or if the court fi nds
that TPR is not in the child’s best interest, the court dismisses the case.
If the court terminates parental rights and the child is in the custody of DSS or a
licensed child-placing agency, post-TPR review hearings are held at least every 6
months to examine progress toward achieving the child’s permanent plan.
Appeals. Any order terminating parental rights or denying a petition or motion
to terminate parental rights may be appealed. Appeals of TPR decisions are fairly
common, though seldom successful. North Carolina courts considered terminating
parental rights 1,889 times in 2009-10. Judges ruled not to terminate parental rights
in 287 (15%) of these hearings (NCAOC, 2011).
Even if appeals of TPR are not successful, they can take a long time. Weathering
this period of doubt and uncertainty can be frustrating and stressful for children and
for foster parents, but as Destiny, winner of this issue’s writing contest reminds us, it
is worth the wait: “A judge’s decision helped make me into the person I am today,
with my mother and father—not the biological ones....That was the best decision
that somebody could ever make for me.”
To learn more, consult Chapter 9 of Abuse, Neglect, Depndency, and Termination
of Parental Rights Proceedings in North Carolina by Hatcher, Mason, and Rubin
(2011) online at http://sogpubs.unc.edu/electronicversions/pdfs/andtpr.pdf.
<1 1-5 6-11 12-17 18-23 24-29 30-35 3-4 5+
Months
Years
4.4%
34.2%
32.2%
13.0%
7.7%
2.9% 2.0% 2.4% 1.2%
Time between TPR and Adoption Finalization for the
1,615 North Carolina Children Adopted in FY 2010
Source: USDHHS, 2012
“I could not take
care of my family,
but I always loved
you,” I said.
“Please never make
the mistakes I did.”
9
Second Parent Adoption:
Why It Matters
by Mark Maxwell
If you are an unmarried couple and you adopt a child
in the State of North Carolina only one parent may have
legal protections. In June 2012 the Americans Civil Lib-erties
Union (ACLU) fi led a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina on
behalf of children denied the legal protections that their unmarried parents
want to provide them.
A second-parent adoption occurs when an unmarried partner adopts
the biological or adoptive child of their partner. The ACLU said the ban
hurts all families, because it denies children legal protections and leaves
the second non-biological or non-adoptive parent vulnerable. “They may
not be covered by their non-legal parent’s health insurance plan; or if the
child is sick or injured, hospital staff may prevent the non-legal parent from
visiting the child in the hospital or from consenting to needed medical
care. In some cases, a child may be ripped from the only home he or she
has ever known if one legal parent dies.”
In North Carolina an unmarried couple can jointly foster a child, but the
state will only allow one of the parties to become the legal adoptive parent.
The policy denies children the opportunity to grow up in secure homes that
protect their interest in the event that one parent dies or the relationship
dissolves. The non-adoptive parent is left with no rights under the current
law. If a child becomes sick in the care of the non-adoptive parent, a hos-pital
is not required to recognize decisions made by the individual without
consent of the legal parent or an instrument like a health care power of at-torney.
Preparing legal documents is an expense to the families and could
be challenged by non-supportive family members of the legal parent.
Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia allow second parent
adoptions. Five states ban them. Until late 2010, family court judges is-sued
second parent adoptions in North Carolina on a case-by-case basis.
A decision in the federal lawsuit will impact North Carolina families and
millions of children across the United States.
Mark Maxwell serves as an executive board member of the NC Foster and Adoptive
Parent Association. He is a foster and adoptive father and the proud parent of four
boys.
Membership is open to anyone interested in strengthening foster and adoptive services in North Carolina.
Send this form, with payment (do not send cash), to: NCFAPA, 2609 ATLANTIC AVE., SUITE 105, RALEIGH, NC
27604. Make checks payable to the NC FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE PARENT ASSOCIATION.
Regular Membership is open to any foster or adoptive parent and is $50 for an individual and $75 for a
couple. Associate Membership ($100 for an individual and $300 for an organization) is available to those
who do not qualify for Regular Membership.
First name #1: ______________________________ First name #2: __________________________________
Last name: ________________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________
City:______________________________________________ State: _______ Zip: _______________________
County: ____________________________________ Licensing Agency: ______________________________
Home phone: ( ) _______________________ E-mail: ________________________________________
Membership Amt. included: __________________ Donation Amt.: _________________________________
• Does your child have special needs?
• Do you need help fi nding information,
resources, and services?
• Do you want to know more about a
special need, disability, or diagnosis?
The Family Support NetworkTM of North
Carolina is made up of local Family
Support NetworkTM affi liates and the
Family Support NetworkTM University
Offi ce providing:
• Information & Referral
• Education & Outreach
• Parent-to-Parent Support
• Research & Evaluation
800.852.0042, www.fsnnc.org
Hablamos Español
Family Support Network of North Carolina
Serving families since 1985 through a network of affi liated local programs
NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association
Visit the Association’s website at www.ncfapa.org
Join the Association!
NCFAPA Supports “Raise the Age”
Today, children in North Carolina 16 years of age or older who break the law are
automatically waived to adult court and subject to the same penalties as adults.
Only in North Carolina and New York are 16- and 17-year-olds hindered by an adult
record for the rest of their lives—even for low-level offenses. Should stealing a bag of
Doritos from a lunch line or Gatorade from a snack stand limit our youth’s potential for
the rest of their lives and increase their chances of becoming career criminals?
This outdated system leads to exactly what we don’t want—North Carolina’s kids’
lives damaged by a permanent adult record. About 30,000 North Carolina kids are
harmed because of our money-wasting, counter-productive system.
That’s why the NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association supports efforts to “Raise
the Age” of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18, so we can turn our kids into productive
adults while holding them accountable and saving money for everyone.
Bipartisan bills to raise the age were fi led in both the House and Senate during
2011. Thanks to legislative leadership, the raise the age bill was heard in the 2012
short session. Although proposed legislation to raise the age was approved by a state
House Judiciary committee, it languished in the House Appropriations Committee and
is now in the hands of an “implementation commission.” This means that for now
North Carolina’s 16- and 17-year-olds—no matter the circumstances of the offense—
continue to be prosecuted in adult criminal court.
Help the NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association and its partners right this wrong.
Tell your legislator to Raise the Age! To learn more about the Raise the Age effort, visit
http://www.ncchild.org/issue/safety/main-area-of-work/raise-age-keep-children-out-adult-
system.
Raise the Age North Carolina
Because of the minor crimes they commit, most 16- and 17-year-olds in the adult
system receive probation. Yet, all will receive a lifelong criminal record which dimin-ishes
future opportunities and traps them in a revolving door to more serious crime.
100%
86%
Youth in the adult
system who receive
probation
Youth in the adult
system who receive a
criminal record
10
Child and family team meetings can contribute to
the success of court-ordered plans by Claudia Kearney
When there is a signed court order in place
that says what the plan for a family is going
to be, people sometimes question whether it
is necessary to hold a child and family team
meeting (CFT).
As the following case example illustrates,
CFTs can actually contribute quite a lot to
the success of court-ordered plans.
The Family’s Situation
Corrine and her 14-year-old daughter Amy
were involved with child protective services
due to Corrine’s lack of supervision (neglect)
and Amy’s shoplifting and failure to attend
school. Then Corrine herself was arrested for
theft, convicted, and sentenced to 9 months
in prison. Corrine tried to place Amy with kin
but DSS found these relatives unsuitable.
The Court Order Includes . . .
• Amy is to be placed in foster care while
her mom serves time in jail.
• Amy is to attend school.
• Amy is not to get in trouble.
• The judge would like Amy to come to
court next time so he can speak to her.
The CFT
Corrine asked for a CFT before she began
serving her time in the prison. At the meet-ing,
she shared information that helped the
team understand the family’s situation. Cor-rine
reported Amy’s clothes were not what
the other kids were wearing. To avoid being
picked on her peers, Amy would cut school
and steal clothes and school supplies. Cor-rine,
who did not have the money for new
clothes or even basic school supplies, sup-ported
this behavior.
School Attendance. At the meeting Amy’s
social worker secured resources for the fos-ter
family to take her shopping for clothes
and school supplies. She asked Amy if she
would go to school if she had these things.
Amy said she would. This addressed the
judge’s order for her to go to school.
Avoiding Trouble. A community sup-port
provider at the meeting invited Amy to
be a mentor/helper at his organization after
school. This addressed the “hanging out”
which normally led to her getting into trou-bling
activities. It also gave her a way to help
others and promoted her own healing.
Appearing in Court. When asked about
participating in court, Amy would say only
“I have nothing to say.” To address this, an-other
CFT was held to build her comfort lev-el.
At this meeting Amy asked questions and
made comments about the court process and
learned how to prepare and how to dress for
court. Amy attended the next court hearing.
She was still very nervous, but she was able
to articulate her feelings and gave the judge
insights into her family’s situation.
Conclusion
In this example, CFTs not only addressed the
judge’s requests, but created a safe environ-ment
for the foster parents to learn about the
biological family. They addressed not just
the needs of the child but the foster parents’
and mother’s needs as well. CFTs also gave
the foster parent a circle of supports for the
child.
So the next time you are asked “What good
is a CFT if a judge has already given you court
orders?” your response should be……A LOT
OF GOOD!
Claudia Kearney is a trainer for the Center for Family
and Community at NC State University.
CFTs Can Be Platforms for . . .
Figuring out how to achieve the judge’s plan.
They’re perfect places for families and those in-vested
in their success to discuss what resources
are needed to carry out the court order, who will
bring those needed resources to the table, and
who will be part of the support system that will
help the family achieve what the judge requires.
Helping kids fi nd their voices in court. Many
young people are intimidated by the court setting
or feel they have nothing to say. It can be very
helpful to hold a CFT meeting with the goal of
building children’s comfort level for court.
Books on the nightstand by Becky Burmester
Yes, there are books on the nightstand. But
I’ve added my laptop to the stack as well!
Getting the Support You Need
Support is key to being able to “keep on keeping on.” Sup-port
can be found in a variety of forms, but it is seldom
found in relationships with people who are not and never
have been foster parents. Foster parent support groups, conferences
on foster care, training specifically for foster and adoptive parents,
and books and online resources are what give us tools we need to do
our jobs and maintain our sanity.
The Toolbox
One such resource I highly recommend is The Foster
Parenting Toolbox (EMK Press, 2012). Edited by Kim
Phagan-Hansel, the price of this book is a not insignifi-cant
$29.95, but it is well worth it.
The Toolbox should be in the library of every licens-ing
social worker and every foster parent support group. The articles
it contains are grouped into 16 categories ranging from “Why Fos-ter?”
to “Reunification, Adoption, & Beyond” with ”Family Impact”
and “Trauma & Abuse” in between. The book itself is nearly 450
pages, but each article is brief (usually less than two pages).
At the back of the Toolbox are continuing education quizzes your
licensing agency may let you to use toward training hours.
You may not agree with every bit of advice in every ar-ticle
in the Toolbox, but as you read these articles you will
feel understood. The information is by people who have
walked in our shoes and know our struggles firsthand.
There is comfort and strength in being certain that you
are not the only one with a problem.
Volunteer Advocate Academy
Now to the laptop perched precariously atop my stack of books and
the Volunteer Advocate Academy (http://www.volunteeradvocateacad-emy.
com). In a word, this online curriculum is amazing.
Picture yourself participating in a really well done training session
with great examples and immediate measurement of how well you are
“getting” the information. Picture being in your PJ’s with a hot cup
of tea and this becomes almost perfect learning material. For $24.95
you can log in, listen, watch, read, and take challenging quizzes.
Although the focus is on dealing with teens, I think I could have
used this material to become a better foster parent to children in the
upper elementary grades and perhaps even younger children. I did
get frustrated at times, because my computer slowed way down and
sometimes would not advance through the curriculum smoothly.
However, this is some really valuable information. This is a re-source
you will refer back to again and again.
What’s on your nightstand? Share your ideas with me at becky.bur-mester@
mindspring.com or 919-870-9968 and keep learning.
I want to share
resources that will
help you continue
your journey as
foster and adoptive
parents.
11
We’re celebrating our Quinceañera (15th birthday)!
by Lauren Zingraff, SaySo Program Coordinator
SaySo Update
Exciting things are happening with SaySo, Inc. (Strong Able Youth
Speaking Out). As you can tell from the update below, we continue our
motto of “Speaking Out Today, While Making Changes for Tomorrow.”
Legislative Page Week 2012
SaySo hosted its 9th Annual Legislative Page Week at the North Caro-lina
General Assembly in Raleigh, June 25-29, 2012. Three SaySo
youth served as Pages in the House (Mary L., Ashley H., and Derrick
M.) and two (Damonique L. and David R.) served in the Senate.
For the third consecutive year, a SaySo member also served as a
summer intern with the NC Division of Social Services. Titianna G.,
who served on the SaySo Board of Directors, was selected for this
exciting opportunity.
Our Foster Club All-Star
Marcella M., another of our Board Members, received the prestigious
honor of being both nominated and chosen as a Foster Club All-Star.
FosterClub is the National Network for Youth in Foster Care and each
summer they host their All-Star internship at their headquarters in
Oregon. All-Star Interns receive training in public speaking, advo-cacy,
and professional development.
National Independent Living Conference
SaySo attended the 25th Annual National Independent Living Con-ference
in Atlanta on September 4-7, 2012. This was a big gather-ing
of more than 600 people from across the country. A delegation
of almost 40 SaySo representatives attended. We chartered a bus
from Durham and picked up more SaySo members in Gastonia on
the way to Atlanta. SaySo members presented two workshops at
the conference, one on social networking and another focused on
the importance of strong support networks for youth transitioning
from foster care to independence. Fifty people attended each of these
workshops. Special thanks to our Assistant Program Coordinator,
Chaney Stokes, as well as Marcella M., Roman R., and Chris W., for
facilitating our workshops and representing North Carolina so well
on the national level.
Welcome Chantelle!
We have had an addition to SaySo headquarters—Ms. Chantelle
Craig, our new Communications Coordinator! An alumna of the fos-ter
care system, Chantelle is doing a wonderful job overseeing our
social media, including our SaySo website, Facebook Page, and Twit-ter
account.
Come Celebrate Our Quinceañera
SaySo will be celebrating its 15th Birthday (you read that right—
we really are turning 15 years old!) at our annual “SaySo Saturday”
event on March 2, 2013. This serves as both our family reunion and
birthday party. If you know any SaySo alumni, please spread the
word that they are invited to come and celebrate with us! We hope to
have our biggest and best turn-out ever at the Medlin Center on the
Guilford Technical Community College campus in Jamestown, NC.
Please mark your calendars and check for additional updates on our
website (http://www.saysoinc.org/).
Remembering Makeisha
SaySo would like to remember Ms. Makeisha A.
Williams, who passed away on August 3, 2012.
Makeisha served on the SaySo Board of Directors
from 2003-2006 and was elected twice to the
NILA Board of Directors as a youth representa-tive.
She was also awarded National Youth of the
Year in 2005.
Makeisha lives on through SaySo as she encouraged foster youths to
complete their education and provided the inspiration for our annual
Make a Difference Day “Give a Child a Smile” suitcase collection event
since 2004. Our October 2012 Make a Difference Day event was held in
her honor.
Thank you for touching our lives so sweetly, Makeisha.
You will be missed.
Youth in foster care and psychotropic medications
Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic
Medications for Youth in Foster Care looks like a
graphic novel, but its photo-heavy format and car-toon
speech balloons carry a serious message. De-signed
to appeal to youth, the booklet walks the
reader through the decisions that have to be made
when mental health problems—short- or long-term—
need to be addressed.
Often, the quick solution to dealing with behavior
issues of youth in foster care has been to prescribe
psychotropic medications. Recent publicity about
the high numbers of medicated children and youth
in foster care has caused policymakers and agen-cies
to revisit this issue and to consider alternative
ways of helping children and youth—many of whom
have experienced trauma because of abuse or ne-glect
and removal from their parents.
Making Healthy Choices was developed by a col-laborative
committee of individuals from the Chil-dren’s
Bureau and other federal and state agencies
and private organizations. Youth in foster care were
part of the committee and contributed to the con-tent
and review of the final publication.
The booklet discusses medication, but it also
discusses alternatives to medication, and it in-cludes
vignettes that describe teens’ mental health
dilemmas. It includes worksheets and lists of ques-tions
that youth or their caregivers can ask doctors
or other health-care professionals.
The booklet is posted on the website of the Na-tional
Resource Center on Youth Development,
which offers a number of resources for youth in
foster care:
http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/psych-med-youth-guide
The booklet is currently available in English, and
a Spanish version is in development.
Reprinted from the CB Express, v. 13, n. 8 (Sept. 2012) • https://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/
12
CPS: Implications for foster parents
Some people dream of visiting Vegas or the
casinos in Cherokee and striking it rich. Fos-ter
parents are gamblers of a different kind.
Rather than betting money on the slots, fos-ter
parents risk their time, resources, and
love in the hope of winning a better life for
foster children.
Clearly, it’s a risk worth taking. Under their
attentive care, foster children often stabilize,
grow, and blossom. By opening their homes
foster parents give families time to heal and
reunite, and they make it possible for new
families to form through adoption. Every
day, foster parents put themselves and their
families on the line, and our society benefits.
Yet some foster parents are unaware of all
the risks they take. Although no one goes into
fostering blind—to become a licensed foster
parent in North Carolina one must have 30
hours of preparatory training—many foster
parents never realize how vulnerable they are
until someone alleges they have abused or ne-glected
their foster children. To be prepared
to face this challenge, they must understand
the implications child protective services
(CPS) investigations have for foster parents.
Always a Possibility
Being investigated by CPS is a real possibility
for every foster parent. According to the NC
Division of Social Services (2012) foster par-ents
are more than twice as likely as other
people to be the subject of a CPS investiga-tion.
Most of these investigations do not re-sult
in a finding of abuse or neglect. Indeed,
allegations of abuse and neglect by foster par-ents
are found to be unsubstantiated (that is,
untrue) at least as often as are allegations
against other parents and caretakers.
Yet some children are maltreated while in
foster care. During 2009-10 a total of 14,056
children spent some time in foster care in our
state. Of these, 21 (0.15%) were maltreated
by “substitute care providers,” a category
that includes foster parents, residential care
providers, and child care providers (Duncan,
et al., 2012). Though it accounts for only a
small portion of child maltreatment, this fig-ure
is alarming simply because foster care is
a place where children should be safe.
Why do some foster parents abuse and ne-glect
foster children? There can be many rea-sons.
For example, the exceptional stresses
involved in fostering may be too much for
some individuals or families, especially in
cases where foster parents are overburdened
by several children with serious difficulties.
Insufficient training and support from DSS
can contribute to these situations. In other
instances, children who want to provoke an
abusive reaction from their foster parents
may succeed in causing a foster parent to
lose self-control. Another factor can be DSS’s
lack of information about a child at the time
of placement, which can cause foster parents
to accept responsibility for a child when, had
they known all the facts, they would have
known they could not handle the child.
Most Investigations Unsubstantiated
For every abusive foster parent there are
many more who are reported to have mal-treated
their foster children even though they
have not done so.
Foster parents may be at greater risk than
others of being reported to CPS without good
cause. The NC Division of Social Services
(2012) explains some of the reasons for this.
For example, children who have experienced
abuse and neglect, as well as the uncertain-ties
and insecurities of years in foster care—
often with many moves—may be wounded
in ways that influence their behavior. These
children may use an allegation to get out of
a placement, as an act of revenge, as a way
of distancing themselves from caretakers
because they fear intimacy or are unable to
trust, or because they believe an investiga-tion
of foster parents will enable them to re-turn
to their biological parents.
Reports of abuse may also stem from a
general misunderstanding of foster parents
and their role. Many people outside the child
welfare system do not understand why some-one
would choose to be a foster parent, es-pecially
for children with difficult behaviors
or disabilities. Some community members,
well-intentioned but uninformed and suspi-cious
of foster parents’ motives, may make
baseless reports to DSS.
Birth parents are another possible source
of maltreatment allegations. They may report
their child’s foster parents out of jealousy,
resentment, or as a way to justify their own
past behavior.
CPS Procedures
All North Carolina foster parents should un-derstand
CPS policies and procedures. Be-low
is a brief overview, but we encourage you
to learn more by following the links we give
and by talking to your licensing worker.
Steps/Issues in a CPS Investigation
• The report must meet the state’s legal def-initions
of abuse, neglect, or dependency.
If it does not, no investigation occurs.
• For reports of abuse, an investigative as-sessment
must be initiated by the county
receiving the report within
In many ways, foster parent Carol Nixon’s
experience of being investigated for child
abuse is classic. It began with misinfor-mation:
when a brother and sister were
placed in her home she asked that agen-cy
if the children had a history of sexual
abuse, and she was told they did not. She
later learned they had been severely sex-ually
abused.
After the boy moved from her home
to a pre-adoptive placement he claimed,
possibly as an attempt to sabotage the
adoption, that he had raped Nixon’s
3-year-old foster son while staying at her home.
When the boy’s therapist called to tell her about this
allegation, Nixon knew it was impossible based on
the details in the boy’s story. Despite this, she had
the 3-year-old examined by a doctor, who found
no evidence of abuse. To keep them fully informed,
Nixon told DSS about the allegations.
Soon after, she received a letter informing her
that because she and her husband may have al-lowed
this sexual assault to happen they would be
investigated for child neglect. When she called her
DSS to fi nd out what was going on, her licensing
worker, the person she was closest to at the agency,
told her she could not speak with her about the
case. The worker explained later that, based on its
interpretation of NC policy, her county DSS prohib-ited
licensing workers from having contact with fos-ter
parents undergoing CPS investigation.
Nixon and her husband felt powerless, confused,
and uninformed about the investigative process.
“Worst of all,” she says, “the people at my county
DSS didn’t tell me they were going to abandon me.
False Allegations: One Foster Parent’s Story
I was left with no support.”
In keeping with NC policy, the CPS
unit from another county DSS conducted
the investigation. “It was pure hell, what
we went through,” Nixon says. “I was cry-ing
all the time for months. We knew we
had done nothing wrong, but we felt like
bad parents.”
It was some comfort, Nixon says, that
the CPS worker was gracious and kind.
When the investigator left she told Nixon,
“You have nothing to worry about.” It also
seemed a positive sign that, during the in-vestigation,
her agency did not remove the foster
children from her home.
Though the investigation, which took months to
complete, cleared Nixon and her husband of child
neglect, she was still very angry with her county
DSS. “I was so angry I couldn’t even look at them—
it was eating me alive. I seriously considered not
fostering anymore.” She was upset that she was
denied access to the fi nal report that cleared her
name. The thing she was most angry about, though,
“was the fact that I was completely abandoned by
the agency when I needed support the most, and
that I had not been told this would happen if an
investigation occurred.”
In the end Nixon decided to continue fostering
on the condition that all future MAPP training in her
county strongly emphasized the risks of false allega-tions
foster parents face and the procedure agencies
must follow when a report against a foster home is
accepted. Her agency continued to place children
in her home.
“We knew we’d
done nothing
wrong, but we
felt like bad
parents.”
continued page 13
13
24 hours; for cases of neglect or
dependency, the county must ini-tiate
an investigation within 72
hours. Initiation includes face-to-face
contact with all children living
in the home.
• CPS must interview people
thought to know about the alleged
maltreatment.
• After information-gathering, CPS decides
whether the foster family harmed the
child through their action or inaction.
This is where a case decision is made
whether to substantiate the allegation.
• CPS reports the outcome of the investi-gation
to the Central Registry and, in the
case of a substantiation, other parties.
• If the decision is made to substantiate,
the licensing worker and CPS worker visit
the foster parent to explain the decision.
For greater detail about this process, consult
pages 14-16 and 19-25 of the jurisdiction
chapter in NC’s Children’s Services Manual
<http://bit.ly/Tc1aSb>. See also chapter 8
of the Supplemental Guide to Foster Home
Licensing <http://bit.ly/QPpOLA>
If You Are Investigated by CPS
If your county DSS is your supervising
agency, another DSS will conduct the inves-tigation.
It is a conflict of interest for your su-pervising
agency to conduct the investigation.
Cooperate with both your supervising
agency and the investigating agency to com-plete
the investigation and resolve issues of
concern.
• Ask about the allegations and the process
of the investigation until you understand
to your satisfaction. It may help to write
down answers to your questions.
• Ensure you and all children
living in your home are inter-viewed
by CPS. These inter-views
are required, since all
children living in a residence
are considered alleged vic-tim
children. This includes
your own children. Inter-views
may be held in private.
• Allow CPS to visit your home. Law, policy,
and administrative code require this.
• Make any records or documentation you
have kept concerning the child available
to social workers.
• Do not attempt to have the child exam-ined
by a doctor or other professional
without the agency’s authorization.
• Do not “investigate” the allegations on
your own by questioning the child.
• Provide a list of collateral contacts and
witnesses the social worker may inter-view
to gather all relevant information
about your situation or the alleged inci-dent
of maltreatment.
Know and exert your rights as you deem
necessary.
• Consult an attorney.
• Document or record interviews and con-versations
with CPS workers.
• Have a witness present during every con-tact
with the investigating social worker.
It may be helpful if this witness is well-respected
in your community.
• Request copies of safety, risk, and
strengths and needs assessments com-pleted
by the social worker.
Take care of yourself and your family.
• Call for support from your local, state, or
national foster parent association.
• Join a support group or seek the emo-tional
support of others (including pro-fessional
counselors) as needed.
• Use your licensing social worker as a
source of support and information.
Remember this is not a “win-lose” situation
and DSS is not your adversary. Together you
can partner to maintain foster children in a
safe, nurturing, permanent home.
CPS: Implications for foster parents from page 12
When Investigated,
Don’t Assume...
“I’ll automatically lose my license.”
Only after a case decision has been made is it
possible to determine whether the foster home
will remain licensed and available to receive
children.
“If I give all the children back to the agency it
will close the investigation.”
All aspects of the investigative assessment must
be completed once a CPS report is accepted for
investigative assessment. Once initiated, both
law and NC administrative code require that
investigative assessments be thorough. It is not
possible to meet this requirement if components
of an investigative assessments are omitted.
“All the children will be removed from my
home, including my biological children.”
Removal of a child from the foster home is not an
automatic step. Removal of the child should oc-cur
only when risk of harm to the child is greater
than the positive strengths of that child’s relation-ship
to the placement providers.
“The agency that licensed me will investigate.”
To avoid confl icts of interest, CPS investigations
of foster families may not be conducted by the
county department of social services that super-vises
the foster family.
Source: NCDSS, 2012
• Before a child is placed in your home, write the
placing agency and specifi cally ask that any his-tory
of physical or sexual abuse of the child be
documented in writing. If the child has had sev-eral
foster care placements, ask whether the child
has ever made an unsubstantiated report against
a caretaker. Insist on a written response. Keep this
response for your records.
• Insist on written placement agreements. Do not
accept a child into your home without a place-ment
agreement stipulating the agency’s expecta-tions,
roles, goals, plans, and information on the
child.
• Develop a pre-placement “questionnaire” to be
answered before you accept a child into your
home. Information you should collect includes:
the reason the child is in foster care, a descrip-tion
of the environment in the child’s home at
the time of removal, whether the child has been
sexually abused, the child’s previous history and
experiences in foster care, the status of the child’s
siblings, words or behaviors to which the foster
family should be sensitive, etc.
• Keep written records. Take notes on the child’s
progress and daily events in your home in a spi-ral
notebook. Entries should consist of descriptive
observations, not opinion (“His temperature was
102.5,” not, “He was very hot”). Use a new page
for each entry, put a date at the top, and mark
through the rest of the page at the end of the entry.
Always keep a copy of materials you share with
your agency.
• Build a relationship with birth parents. Develop-ing
a positive, respectful relationship may reduce
the chances that they will make baseless allega-tions
against you. A good way to demonstrate re-spect
is to ask for birth parents’ advice as a means
of giving them back some control—for example,
ask them about the child’s food preferences, or
how they prepare the child’s favorite meals.
• Be part of the team serving the child. Get to
know the names and contact information of oth-er
team members. Let DSS know when you have
had diffi culty with a child or the child is sick or
injured in any way—this is especially important
prior to family visits, when birth parents are most
likely to raise allegations.
• If a child is sexually reactive, acts out sexually,
or has provocative behavior, adults and older
children in the household should always be sure
to have another adult nearby or in the same room
for the protection of the parent and the child.
• Children who have been sexually abused can be
more likely to become victims again. Even if a
child has a history of making unsubstantiated re-ports,
always take new allegations seriously. The
child may be a victim of sexual abuse again.
Tips for Foster Parents on Protecting Themselves from Allegations of Child Maltreatment
Ask your agency
about its policies
related to the
contact and
support it provides
to foster parents
during CPS
investigations.
14
There may be challenges along the way, but adopt-ing
a teenager can be a very rewarding experience for
both the teenager and their adoptive family. There
are many teens here in North Carolina waiting for
someone to give them a chance.
Won’t you consider opening your home and your
heart to a teenager? Be a hero to a child in need!
Response by the NC Division of Social Services. If you have a question
about foster care or adoption in North Carolina, send it to us using the
contact information in the box above.
(Nov. 2012)
Sponsors. NC Division of Social Services, the NC Foster and
Adoptive Parent Association, SaySo, and the Family and Children’s
Resource Program, part of the UNC–Chapel Hill School of Social
Work’s Jordan Institute for Families.
Contact Us. Fostering Perspectives, c/o John McMahon, Jordan
Institute for Families, 1459 Sand Hill Road, No. 6 (DSS), Candler
NC 28715. Tel: 828/670-5051; Fax: 828/670-5053; E-mail: jdmc-maho@
unc.edu.
Advisory Board. Becky Burmester (foster and adoptive parent);
Nancy Carter (Independent Living Resources); Lana Dial; Tammy
Johnson (NC Kids/NC Division of Social Services); Trishana Jones
(NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence); Claudia Kearney (Cen-ter
for Family and Community Engagement); Jenny King (Center for
Family and Community Engagement); Karen LeClair (Family Sup-port
Program); Nicole Lyght (SaySo); Mark Maxwell (NC Foster &
Adoptive Parent Assoc.); Marie Montague (Durham County DSS);
Jeanne Preisler (NC Division of Social Services); Billy Poindexter
(Catawba DSS); Lauren Zingraff (Independent Living Resources).
Newsletter Staff. Kathy Dobbs (Editor-in-Chief); John McMahon
(Editor); Mellicent Blythe (Assistant Editor)
Mission. Fostering Perspectives exists to promote the professional
development of North Carolina’s child welfare professionals and
foster, kinship, and adoptive parents and to provide a forum where
the people involved in the child welfare system in our state can
exchange ideas.
Disclaimer. The opinions and beliefs expressed herein are not
necessarily those of the NC Division of Social Services or the
UNC–Chapel Hill School of Social Work.
Printing Information. The NC Department of Health and Hu-man
Services does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment
or the provision of services. 10,500 copies printed at a cost of
$1,050.28, or $0.10 per copy.
Frequency and Distribution. Issues appear every May and
November. Printed copies are sent directly to all NC county DSS
agencies and to all foster parents and child-placing agencies li-censed
through the NC Division of Social Services. If you think
you should be receiving a printed copy but are not, please contact
us at the address above.
Online. www.fosteringperspectives.org
Subscribe Online. To be notifi ed about online issues, e-mail
jdmcmaho@unc.edu with “FP subscribe” in the subject line.
References. See the online version of this issue for references
cited in this issue.
fostering perspectives
To adopt a
teen is to
truly make a
difference in
someone’s life.
A reader asks . . .
What should I know about
adopting teens?
Have you considered adopting
a teenager? Many families are
hesitant to adopt a child over
age 12 from foster care. Some
of the typical comments we
hear are:
• “I’m afraid I won’t be able
to bond with a teenager.”
• “I won’t be able to make a difference
in their life, because they’ll only be
with me for a few years.”
• “Teens are already set in their ways.
I want to be able to teach my child
my values.”
• “Teenagers are expensive!”
While adopting a teenager may not be
right for everyone, there are many great
reasons to adopt a teen.
Teens Need Families
Teens need parenting just as much as
younger children. They need someone
to help them navigate the sometimes
treacherous waters of middle and high
school, teach them to drive, and provide
direction regarding life skills, such as
maintaining positive relationships and
budgeting. They need guidance as they
decide what type of career to pursue, and
help selecting a college, technical school,
or job. Teens need a parent to cheer on
their successes and help them learn from
their mistakes. Adopting a teen gives a
person an opportunity to be a mentor
and a positive role model. Because adop-tion
is a life-long commitment, the role
of an adoptive parent doesn’t stop once a
child becomes an adult.
Adoption Has a Lifelong Impact
What would it feel like to go to college
without anyone to help you move into your
dorm or apartment, or a family to visit on
the weekends and holidays? What about
getting married without a parent there to
sit on the front row or walk you down the
aisle? What about having a baby without a
doting grandparent who can be there for
you during the birth process and those
first weeks of parenthood? How about
buying your first car or house?
Having a parent there in those special
moments is wonderful, but parents are
also important during the more “routine”
days of our lives. Having a mom or dad to
call for advice or encouragement, or just
to say “hi,” is something most of us take
for granted. Yet, many teenagers age out
of foster care without this spe-cial
relationship.
While all children need a for-ever
family, teenagers are much
less likely to be adopted than
younger children. As a result,
teens age out of foster care ev-ery
day. Many who age out become home-less
or incarcerated, or have problems
with drugs or alcohol. Young adults with
supportive families experience better out-comes.
If your goal is to make a difference in
the life of a child, adopting a teenager just
might be the option for you.
There are many opportunities for bond-ing
and connecting with a teen. Teenagers
enjoy a wide variety of activities with their
families, such as concerts, movies, read-ing
and talking about books, hiking, or
cooking a meal together. Teens blossom
when we take time to share experiences
with them.
Help Paying for College
Many potential adoptive parents wonder
how they’ll send their adoptive child to
college. To help them, North Carolina of-fers
NC Reach. Through this program
children in foster care who are adopted
after the age of 12 are eligible to receive
services for their entire college career.
They receive financial, academic and
personal support. They can attend any
North Carolina public community college
or university at no cost to them or their
family. For more information about NC
Reach, please visit http://www.ncreach.
org/ABOUT-NC-REACH.50.0.html.
An Adoptive Mom’s Perspective
Tracy Duncan, who adopted a teenager
(now a young adult), speaks from experi-ence
when she says, “Many teens in the
foster care system have had numerous
disruptions and rejections in their lives.
They may make it very challenging to sup-port
them while they ‘test the waters’ of
your commitment to them. However, they
all need that port in the storm, someone
they can turn to even as they venture out
(as all young adults do) to find their own
path. Adopting a teenager gives them that
place to go to for advice, reassurance,
and acceptance. If you can make a com-mitment
to a teenager, you WILL change
his or her future—and that helps all of
us.”
NC Teens Aging Out of Foster Care
In 2010-11, 554 teens aged out of foster care in our
state. About them we know:
• Almost half (40%) spent more than 4 years in care
• More than half (53%) were female
• A disproportionate number were African American.
48% of those aging out were black, though African
Americans made up just 37% of the foster care pop-ulation.
Source: Duncan, et al., 2012
15
Isaiah (age 16)
Isaiah loves basketball and enjoys time spent perfecting
his game. He has a gift for creative writing and is talented
with poetry and drawing. Those around Isaiah describe
him as charming, talented, quirky and expressive. He
would fit well in a home with or without children.
James (age 14)
James has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh.
Clever, animated, loving, and helpful are just some of
the adjectives to describe James’ personality. He loves to
be outdoors, enjoys watching Animal Planet, and likes
playing basketball and football. James is an endearing
child who needs the reassurance that he is lovable, ca-pable,
and worthwhile.
Robert (age 15)
Robert is a good kid—funny, innocent, outgoing yet oc-casionally
bashful. He likes to draw, listen to music,
watch movies, and go bowling. Robert wants to attend
college and, with proper guidance, he will be a success-ful
adult. Robert wants to be adopted and become a part
of a family that will teach him and spend time with him.
Zeke (age 12) and Maddy (age 14)
Siblings, Zeke and Maddy are good kids with many endearing qualities.
They both enjoy sports, electronics, and reading. Maddy and Zeke are lov-ing
children that get along well with friends, in family life, and in school.
Continued contact with some of their birth family will add to Zeke and
Maddy’s success.
Alexis (age 14)
Alexis is creative, sweet, and affectionate. Although she
gets along well with her peers, she can take a while to
warm up to new people. Once she gets to know some-one,
she likes to give hugs as a greeting. Alexis likes to
look nice and enjoys getting her hair and nails done. She
likes to sing, skate, and ride her bike. She enjoys playing
with her dolls, making clothes for them and pretending
she is teaching them. She also likes to play video and board games. She
enjoys listening to rap and gospel music and loves basketball.
Andrew (age 15)
Andrew is a loving boy who appreciates everything peo-ple
do for him. He loves flowers and walking in the park.
Andrew has excellent manners and shows appropriate
behavior most of the time. When he messes up, he tends
to call his social worker, confess, and get back on track.
Andrew needs a forever family that consist of a mother
and a father who are both available in the evening. An-drew
should be the only child or the youngest child in his adoptive family.
Brianna (age 14)
Brianna is a caring and affectionate young lady who likes
to be helpful. She is friendly, outgoing, engaging, and
very likable. Brianna loves to dance and lip synch to the
music. She is an excellent communicator and likes to
be around people. Brianna enjoys being in Girl Scouts,
playing sports, and playing with her stuffed animals and
dolls. Thinking about her future, Brianna say, “I want to
be a veterinarian or a doctor. I’d also like to be a police woman. I’d like to
work with kids who have problems like me. I dream of growing up to be a
good mom to my own children.”
Drexton (age 13)
Drexton is an animated young man with a great laugh
and a good imagination. He responds well to a struc-tured,
calm environment where he can feel safe. Drexton
enjoys football, basketball, watching TV, cars, and color-ing.
His favorite TV shows are Sponge Bob Squarepants
and “Smack Down.” He is not a picky eater and typically
likes to eat anything except squash. The type of music he
enjoys most is rap, especially Lil Wayne. He loves animals and would like a
family that will allow him to have a cat.
Ethan (age 14)
Handsome, intelligent, unique, quirky, and inquisitive,
Ethan gets along well with all people in his life and never
meets a stranger. Initially slow to trust, once Ethan feels
comfortable, he really opens up. His hobbies include
playing video games and reading. He enjoys playing
baseball and likes camping, hiking, picnics, and fish-ing.
Some of his favorite outings are going to the beach
and to the lake. His favorite movies are the Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the
Lord of the Rings series. He likes to listen to classic rock. His favorite foods
include pizza, cooked carrots, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Katie (age 17)
Katie is an awesome young lady who tries to hide her
true feelings until she builds a trusting relationship.
Friendly and likeable, Katie would like to be a photogra-pher,
writer, or both.
Help us fi nd families for these children
For more information on these children or adoption in general, call the NC Kids Adoption and Foster Care Network
at 1-877-NCKIDS-1 <www.adoptnckids.org>
Please don’t let our children grow up
without families. A simple act from
you could help one of these children
fi nd their forever home. With just a few
minutes of your time, you could make a
HUGE difference in their life. Take this
page of child profi les and:
1. Post on the bulletin board at church,
YMCA, or place of employment.
2. Share it with your book or rotary club
members.
3. Forward it electronically to family
and friends using the link http://www.
fosteringperspectives.org/fpv17n1/
waiting.htm
4. Share it during your next PTA or
support group meeting.
CALL 2
ACTION!
Act NOW
Our Children
Have Waited
Long Enough!
16
Jordan Institute for Families
UNC School of Social Work
Campus Box #3550
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550
Writing Contest
First Prize: $100 • Second Prize: $50 • Third Prize: $25
If you are under 18 and are
or have been in foster care,
please send us a letter or
short essay in response to the
following question:
How do you know when someone cares about
your well-being? What does it look like?
What does it feel like?
DEADLINE: February 11, 2013
E-mail submissions to jdmcmaho@unc.edu or mail them to: Fostering
Perspectives, NC Division of Social Services, 1459 Sand Hill Rd., No.
6 (DSS), Candler, NC 28715. Include your name, age, address, social
security number (used to process awards only, confidentiality will be
protected) and phone number. In addition to receiving the awards
specified above, winners will have their work published in the next
issue. Runners-up may also have their work published, for which they
will also receive a cash award.
Seeking Artwork and Other Writing Submissions
Submissions can be on any theme. There is no deadline for non-con-test
submissions: submit your work at any time. If sent via U.S. Mail,
artwork should be sent flat (unfolded) on white, unlined paper.
Get in-service training credit for
reading this newsletter!
Enjoy reading Fostering Perspectives and earn credit toward
your relicensure. Just write down the answers to the questions
below and present them to your licensing social worker. If your
answers are satisfactory, you’ll receive 30 minutes of training
credit. If you have questions about this method of gaining in-service
training credit, ask your worker.
In-Service Quiz, FP v17n1
1. Name the three types of court hearings about which foster
parents have a right to be notified.
2. Describe three things foster parents can do to help the chil-dren
in their care prepare for court.
3. What do GAL volunteers do?
4. Describe the TPR process in North Carolina.
5. What is “Raise the Age” and why does the NC Foster and Adop-tive
Parent Association support it?
6. How can child and family team meetings contribute to the
success of court ordered plans?
7. Describe what happens in North Carolina when CPS inves-tigates
an allegation of child maltreatment in a foster home.
8. Name five things foster parents should do (or not do) if they
are investigated by CPS.
9. What is ex parte communciation and why should you avoid
it?
10. Name three things you think should be in a bill of rights for
North Carolina foster youth. If you can, send your ideas to
sayso@ilrinc.com by November 22, 2012.
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 177
CHAPEL HILL, NC
fostering perspectives
Respond NOW!
What Should be in a Bill of Rights
for North Carolina Foster Youth?
SaySo, with support of the NC Division of Social Services, is drafting a Foster
Youth Bill of Rights and also a Sibling Bill of Rights. Ultimately, SaySo would
like to have these documents endorsed by the NC General Assembly. This
summer, Titianna Goings, NCDSS Summer Intern and former SaySo Board
member, combined relevant bills of rights from other states to create a draft
being reviewed by the current SaySo Board of Directors.
What do you think should be in either a “Foster Youth Bill of Rights” or a
“Sibling Bill of Rights?”
Let us know by
Thanksgiving
(Nov. 22, 2012)
The SaySo Board will have a document to pres-ent
to the NC Division of Social Services in
December 2012; we hope to have it endorsed
during the next legislative session. Email your
suggestions to sayso@ilrinc.com or go to www.
saysoinc.org and click our “Bill of Rights” page.