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November is National Adoption Awareness Month

The first major effort to promote awareness for the need of adoptive families in the foster care system occurred in Massachusetts. In 1976, then Governor Mike Dukakis proclaimed Adoption Week, and the idea grew in popularity and spread throughout the nation. Later that same year, President Gerald Ford made the first National
Adoption Week Proclamation, and in 1990, the week was expanded to a month due to the number of states participating and the number of events occurring.

Across the nation, activities and observances such as recognition dinners and recruitment campaigns spotlight the needs of the 118,000 kids in foster care nationwide who need permanent families.

November also includes National Adoption Day, which this year is Saturday, November 18th. On this date, hundreds of adoptions are finalized simultaneously across the nation.

National Adoption Day 2005 saw the largest number of coast-to-coast celebrations, and more than 3,300 children's adoptions were finalized from foster care in 227 events, occurring in 45 States and the District of Columbia.

Here in Maine, Governor John Baldacci has issued a Proclamation, declaring November "Adoption Awareness Month" in the State. In the proclamation, he urges all citizens to "celebrate adoption, honor
families that grow through adoption, and focus attention on those children who live in the shadow of uncertain futures while they wait for a permanent family."

Various activities will be occurring in Maine during the month of November. One such activity will take place at the University of Maine in Orono. Through the collaborative efforts of AFFM, A Family for Me, Maine Youth Opportunities Initiative, OCFS and other
community contributors, the Black Bears vs. Northeastern University game scheduled for Nov. 4th will be "Adoption Awareness". The event will include pre-game recognition, refreshments, an opportunity to meet players, as well as a chance to win a team autographed item.

AFFM and Governor John Baldacci will be hosting an Adoption
Recognition Tea at the Blaine house on November 16th, 2006. This event will serve as a way of publicly honoring those families who have enhanced their lives, and the lives of others, by adopting a child from Maine.

November 13th, the Children's Museum in Portland , in conjunction with A Family for Me, Casey Family Services, AFFM, DHHS, and other community contributors, will be hosting an Adoption Celebration entitled "We are Maine Families. At this at time, 20 children from Maine will be adopted into families, with a ceremony officiated by Judge Mazziotti. The public is invited to a reception at the museum from 5-7 pm that evening.

District 6 (Bangor area) will be hosting their 4th annual Foster Parent Appreciation Banquet on Wednesday, November 15th, from 5-8pm at the Ramada Inn in Bangor. The banquet provides an opportunity for families to socialize, meet unit members, and enjoy a nice meal. Guests who have received an invitation are asked to RSVP to Lisa Bullard at 561-4259 or Stacy Boss at 561-4231 if you plan on attending. Child care is limited, so call soon for more information.

Be sure to find our "Adoption Awareness Month" calendar of activities inside this months newsletter, and feel free to email any stories or photos of your family celebrations.

Have a great month, and as always, thank you.

Is Avian Flu an Issue Of Concern?

In the minds of civic leaders and the medical community, Avian Flu certainly is something for all to be aware of and prepared for.

What is Avian Flu?

Avian influenza is more popularly known as "bird flu". It is a viral infection found in birds and can also cause people to become ill as well. A strain of Avian flu has become well known in Asia and has recently spread to birds in Europe as well. So far, so good for Maine! It has not been found in birds in Maine. Does that mean we are home free?

Experts expect that birds in North America will be affected by the end of 2006. There have been very few cases of the avian flu that have affected people. But experts believe that avian flu has the capacity to mutate into strains that could eventually infect many humans. No one knows for certain that it will happen. What the scientists do know that if it does mutate it could easily spread to epidemic proportions thus becoming what is known as pandemic, or a flu that reaches world-wide proportions. Pandemic outbreaks are rare but have been recorded about every 10-50 years throughout history. In 1918, approximately 40 million people died from a pandemic flu.

Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine has joined with Maine Medical Association, as well as county and local governments, to help Maine families prepare for the worst case event in hopes of avoiding a catastrophe similar to the one that devastated so many families in 1918.

Could this be another Y-2-K hysteria with much to do about nothing? Possibly. However, the preparation to avoid a possible epidemic (though not fool proof) for the most part simply requires common sense and some careful planning. A practical solution for what could be a big problem. Any preparations will be useful in protecting from all viruses and bacterial infections. Prevention is the best practice regardless of the illness! The obvious signs of flu are fever, headache, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and a general feelings of malaise.

Using the precautions we all know and paying attention to the signs and symptoms of illness may avoid an outbreak that spreads and the resultant consequences such as loss of work, pay, school, and worse case scenario, life!

What can we as a community do to help? The obvious, washing our hands and using the age-old and some of the newer techniques (like hand sanitizer) covering our mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing are both necessary and useful. When feeling ill, as much as possible avoid contact with others, thus helping to stymie the spread of an infection. Drink lots of fluids, get enough rest and when necessary seek medical attention.

As more information becomes available AFFM will share it both on the website and in the newsletter. AFFM will also have a link to www.maineflu.gov, where much more information is listed and which will provide updated information as soon as it is available.

On Friday, November 3rd, all are invited to come meet author and entrepreneur Sue Pollard as she tells her amazing story of being the alternate on the reality show "Survivor".

Sue will be at the Abundant Life Church, 1440 Broadway, Bangor, at 7:00pm.

Admission is free, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book, "The Alternate Survivor" goes directly to AFFM.

Sue believes that our children are the "Ultimate Survivors!"

FAMILY FOCUS....

Meet Robert and Melissa Shaffer

I moved to Maine from Ohio five years ago and re-started the adoption application/homestudy process. At the age of 52, I looked around and saw that I had accomplished an exciting career experience, but had no immediate family of my own. Most of my family have died, leaving my 90 year old father and myself as the only Shaffers to remain. I ached to be a mother, I ached to be the kind of mother my mom was to me. I wanted to give my father his first and only grandchild. I didn't want to be alone, I wanted a family that was not full of fur and four legs. I have volunteered with border collie rescue and deaf dog rescue for many years, fostering and aiding in finding suitable homes for unwanted dogs. Professionally, I have worked in four different states as a teacher of the deaf, sign language interpreter, theatre of the deaf, and now I'm thrilled to be teaching American Sign Language as a foreign language credit at Hampden Academy. But, still...no family. I originally expressed a desire to adopt a child, boy or girl, over the age of 5. Period. I didn't want to narrow my options. I spent the next year reading files, meeting children, attending the adoption Meet and Greets, talking to many social workers...etc. Eventually, I reconsidered and thought perhaps I better not adopt a teenager...desiring to adopt a child with the fewest challenges. As a single parent, I knew what I was capable of handling, I knew my limitations. So, I had just called my caseworker to request the age range be changed to 5 years-10 year-olds….leaning toward a girl. Girls I understood...I am one.

On a Friday evening I received a call from a caseworker in Lewiston asking if I would be interested in coming down to the next day's Meet and Greet and meet one of the boys on her caseload. She had read my profile/home study and felt strongly that I would be a good match for this boy. I told her I was no longer considering an age above 10 and was not sure I wanted a boy. But my heart told me that the call was important and meant to be, so I dropped everything I had planned and drove to the Lewiston area to see Bobby. I liked what I saw. I sat down next to him during lunch when his caseworker introduced him to me as Bobby. He puffed up his shoulders and told us he prefers to be called Robert. The caseworker was quite surprised and asked when did he decide that? Robert's reply was, "Just now". I talked with the caseworker, read his file and decided to dive in and seriously consider him for my son.

He moved into my house August 27, 2005, and we went to court for the final legalization on June 27, 2006.

Robert McClaren Shaffer, my son. Melissa Ann Shaffer, his Mom.. Earl Allen Shaffer, the patriarch Grand Dad….and three border collies named Buzz, Sami, and Skye.

We had an adoption celebration at our church where he read his poem to me, sang and played his guitar and I sign interpreted a song for him.

I credit my adoptive parent caseworker, Lisa Bullard, Robert's caseworker, Jane Fawcett, and Robert's biological Grandmother for saving him from a life of neglect… and timing, for bringing us all together. It's a match!

Melissa Shaffer

Family Focus is a monthly section of the AFFM newsletter. If you would like your family to be focused (or know one who should be) please send a brief write-up to Barbara@affm.net. Unfortunately, not all submissions will be published.

A Friendly Reminder:

The AFFM library serves as training information for many. If you've borrowed a book, DVD, VCR tape or audio cassette from our library and it's overdue, please return it or call us to extend the due date. Thank you for your cooperation!

The library is growing! To take advantage of this great resource, please call the AFFM office at 1-800-833-9786,
or 827-2331.

AFFM wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the following business's who have enrolled as participants in our "discount card " program.

COMFORT SUITES OF FREEPORT
500 US ROUTE 1
FREEPORT, MAINE
207-865-9300
www.freeportcomfortsuites.com

BEST WESTERN FREEPORT INN
FREEPORT, MAINE
31 US ROUTE 1
207-865-3106
www.freeportinn.com

Discount of 50% off regular rates from 10/29/06-05/15/07 and 25% of regular rates from 05/16/07-10/28/07. Families are asked to present their AFFM discount card or a Maine Care card of a foster/adoptive/kinship child living with them at the time of check in. This offer is good for Foster/Adoptive/Kinship families as well as Respite providers.

WAX ON, WAX OFF AUTO DETAILING
c/o LISA SNELL
22 IRISH CIRCLE
WEST GARDINER, MAINE
207-724-7341
10% off all services

MOOSEHILL HERB AND SPICE CO.
c/o JOSEPH YOUNG
159 MOOSEHILL ROAD
FAYETTE, MAINE
207-897-3093.
10% off total purchase

CREATIVE MEMORIES
CUMBERLAND AND OXFORD COUNTIES
VANESSA JONES
207-647-2317
207-432-8409 (CELL)
15% off purchases

Please be sure to visit the businesses who are participating in our discount card program, and again, thank you to all these establishments for their support!
For a complete list of discount card participants.

The Phoenix Scholastic Society and some of Portland's best performing artists invite you to join them in taking the frosty edge off of a Fall Friday evening. Ronda Dale and Kevin Attra (along with a few talented friends) will perform poetic originals, music, humor and jazz, to benefit the University of Southern Maine's Phoenix Society scholarship fund.

This event will be held at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 425 Congress Street, Portland, on Friday, November 17th from 7:00-9:15pm.

The Phoenix Society is a group of friends who support current and former foster youths, immigrants, refugees and Youth Center veterans in their quest for higher education.

For more information or to get involved, contact Bill Dickinson at 899-1602, or send an email to wcdpeaks@aol.com

Upcoming trainings:

An on-line training, "Administrative Hearings in Maine's Foster Care Program" is available through the Child Welfare Training Institute (CWTI) website, www.cwti.org, The on-line training is the result of collaborative efforts of the DHHS Office of
Administrative Hearings, the DHHS Office of Child and Family Services, and the USM Muskie School.

Foster parents have the right to Administrative Hearings as an avenue in which to resolve disagreements with DHHS in some Foster Home Licensing and Levels of Care situations. It is hoped that the on-line information will assist foster parents in understanding the process, roles of parties, terms and definitions, and resources. Collaborators hope that foster parents will find the site helpful in preparing for an Administrative Hearing and in presenting their case in the most effective manner.

Kinship Corner

Just a reminder: The AFFM office is taking Holiday Gift requests for Kinship families. If you are a kinship provider and have not already called the AFFM office at 1-800-833-9786 or 827-2331, please do so ASAP. When calling, please have the child's age, sizes, and a couple of items from their "wish list" handy.

The AFFM Kinship Holiday party in Bangor will be held Sunday, November 26th at the Ramada Inn ( 357 Odlin Road )from 1pm-4pm.This will be a pot luck luncheon, and children are encouraged to bring their bathing suits! Please RSVP to AFFM by November 17th.

The Portland area Holiday party will be Sunday, December 3rd from 11:00 am-1:00pm, at the Greater Portland YMCA. Pizza will be provided, and children should bring swim suits. Please RSVP by November 27th.

TRANSITION PLANNING FOR YOUTH

As a foster parent or agency case manager, you may not be sure if the child in your care may someday qualify for adult mental health case managed services, adult mental retardation case managed services, or adult protective case managed services. The following information will hopefully provide some guidance to determine if a child in your care might benefit from a referral made for one of these services.

According to a protocol developed between the former Department of Behavioral and Development Services, Department of Human Services, and Bureau of Elder and Adult Services in late 2002, referrals of any youth under DHHS care who may qualify for adult mental health case managed services, adult mental retardation case managed services, or adult protective case managed services should be made at least by the youth's 16th birthday or no later than age 16 and a half. (A copy of the protocol can be viewed by going to www.affm.net, and clicking on "protocol" link). The protocol spells out the referral process and the eligibility determination process. Even though the two former Departments are now merged, the protocol is still in place as a guide to be followed.

If you are concerned that a youth in your care will require services as an adult, have the conversation about making a referral with your youth's DHHS caseworker and Guardian ad Litem, in your agency service planning meeting, or at a DHHS family team meeting. If you know that your youth has ongoing significant mental health concerns and behavior, or that they have significant cognitive functioning impairment that is likely to continue into young adulthood, a referral to determine eligibility for adult services should definitely be made. The sooner you know prior to the youth's 18th birthday whether or not they will be deemed eligible for services, the easier it will be to work on a back up plan if they don't qualify for adult service system support.

As a foster parent, or agency case manager, it's OK for you to ask the caseworker about what they think about making a referral for a youth who might be eligible for adult services. Ask questions about the eligibility determination criteria as well. The better informed you are about the adult transition services systems, the more effective you will be as an advocate for your youth.

Thank you so much for your fine work with our teens and young adults.

Hugh Sipowicz, Chafee Foster Care Independent Living Manager DHHS, Office of Child & Family Services

Click her for Kinship and Support Group Listing