 |
|||
Volume 10, No. 8 |
NEWSLETTER |
September 2007 | |
Sunday, September 9th is National Grandparents Day!!! AFFM would like to recognize all the grandparents who are enhancing the lives of their grandchildren! Thank you for all you do!
Grand Parenting the Adopted Child
Grandchildren are one of life’s joys, whether they come by birth or via adoption. All grandchildren are loved equally and are equally lovable. When a new family member is adopted, share your excitement! Share snapshots. Exclaim about the traits that make this child a prodigy! And know that adoption brings some unique challenges. Following are a few suggestions for navigating once you find you are a member of an adoptive family.
story. It is private, and one should consult with the adopted person before sharing the details.
Suggested Reading:
|
|||
College assistance for adopted youth
In an effort to remove one more barrier to adoption of youth in foster care, the U.S. Senate recently passed the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act (FAFSA) as an amendment to a broader higher education bill. It would allow youth who were adopted at age 10 or older to be eligible for financial aid for college, irrespective of their adoptive parents' income. The higher education bill passed by the House of Representatives does NOT include FAFSA, but there are efforts underway to include it in the final bill the Senate and House need to agree on. See press release below for further information about FAFSA:
COLEMAN, LANDRIEU COMMEND SENATE FOR PASSING CRITICAL HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENT July 20th, 2007 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) commended the Senate for passing the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act as part of the Higher Education Access Act of 2007. This amendment is aimed at encouraging teenage adoptions by not forcing a teenager to choose between a loving family and financial aid for college. The provision corrects current law, which allows youth who "age out" of the foster care system to qualify for virtually all loans and grants, while essentially penalizing those who are adopted. Specifically, the Coleman-Landrieu measure would amend the definition of "independent student" as defined in current law to include foster care youth who are adopted after their tenth birthday. This will allow for a student's financial aid eligibility to be determined solely by the student's ability to pay, regardless of his or her adoptive family's income level. This recognizes that families who adopt teenagers and pre-teens may have not been able to plan a college savings account for them. "Education and a loving family are two key components of a child's mental and emotional development. No child should have to choose between the two," Sen. Coleman said. "Under current law, adopted teenagers lose out on some or all college financial aid for which they would otherwise have been eligible, depending on his or her adopted parents' financial situation. I applaud the Senate for passing our amendment to alleviate this discrepancy and encourage teen and pre-teen adoption." Only 54% had earned their high school diploma: Conversely, statistics consistently show that students who are adopted out of the foster system are more likely to attend college, have stable lives and have a permanent family. For more information, contact: Leroy Coleman, (202) 224-5641
|
|||
The Four Square Foundation, a partner in the Maine Youth Transition Collaborative, has an on-going need for furniture and household items. In our efforts to support youth in transition to adulthood, we are contacted regularly by both youth and service providers looking for apartment furnishings, bedding, kitchen supplies, etc. We are happy to pick up items in the greater Bangor area.
|
|||
Attention Foster Parents: DHHS Issues Mileage Increase!!! The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that effective July 1st, 2007, mileage reimbursement has increased to |
|||
Saturday Workshops RAISING BOYS AND YOUNG MEN
WHERE’S A GIRL TO TURN?
REGISTRATION: NAME_______________________________________________________________________ NAME_______________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________ PHONE_______________________ AGENCY______________________________ AMOUNT ENCLOSED_____________________ Which Sat. workshop will you attend: Andrew______ Madden______
MAIL THIS FORM BY OCTOBER 1, 2007, FOR MORE INFO:
|
|||
Dennis and Bridgette Harvey Matthew Allen Phillips Meet Abbie... Abbie is an energetic, active young lady who enjoys sports, school and having fun. Born in October 1993, Abbie is a young lady who is eager for a family she can love who will love her unconditionally. She wants a family to share her success with. Abbie is an active teen that has a wide variety of interests. It would be easier to list the sports that Abbie does not enjoy…she likes tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and she likes to swim. It is safe to say that Abbie likes to try new things and is open to new experiences. Abbie likes to go horseback riding when she gets the chance. Indoors, Abbie enjoys shopping, watching TV and movies and spending time with her friends. Abbie loves the ocean and likes to go there whenever she can. She also likes the country and would like to learn how to plant and garden. Abbie is making good progress in her current placement. She is proud of her accomplishments. Abbie is learning to talk about her feelings and those around her feel she is getting better at that skill. Abbie is a good communicator and is a strong advocate for herself. She knows what she needs and wants and can articulate those things to others in a confident and mature manner.
|
|||
Save these Dates: The following are all free workshops that are being presented through a collaboration of: Regional Maine Parent Federation, Downeast Committee on Transition and the Maine Department of Education Student Assistance Teams, with funding from the Maine Department of Education Student Assistance Team Unit. These workshops are open to all foster/adoptive and kinship families: October 3: October 10th: October 17th: November 8th: The presenter for the above workshops is Marjorie Withers. Ms. Withers has been a mental health counselor and consultant for over 25 years. Her company, Turnaround, Inc., is based in Washington County, where she focuses much of her work. Marjorie also conducts trainings and consultations on a variety of topics for professionals working with children and families nationally. Her major interest is helping to build systems of care that are culturally based and reflective of the strength of the community and of individuals. Her beliefs in family and youth driven services has lead her to work with professionals in designing new ways of serving children and families that are behaviorally oriented and strength based. |
|||
Bangor Christian School is announcing their “Family Fun Festival” on Sept. 29th from 11-3 pm on the campus of Bangor Christian School, 1476 Broadway Street, Bangor. The festival will consist of games, bounce house type rides, and lots of carnival-type food. Along with a barbecue lunch, there will also be community outreach displays from the police and fire departments, along with other exciting programs still being developed. This is a special festival because the games are created, planned, and staffed by the students and are created for families to share in the fair atmosphere, in a safe and fun environment. Live following weekend (Oct 6th). |
|||
Workshops for Parents
Date: Wednesday November 14, 2007 from 6:30-8:30PM |
|||
It’s that time of year (again)! It’s hard to believe, but we are getting ready for the Holiday Gift Giving Program again! Again this year, this program is open to KINSHIP families only. We ask that families who would like make a request call the AFFM office at 1-80-833-9786, or 827-2331. Please have the following information available when calling: Children’s names and ages, Clothing size (pants and shirts) special considerations ( ie: favorite characters, hobbies, taste in music, etc) and a few suggestions for gifts. Please keep gift values around $20.00 each. AFFM and the Spirit of Giving Committee would love to be able to provide every child with everything they would like, but that is not a reality. Requests will be handled on a first come, first served basis. |
|||
Making Maine Made Memories I love to listen to my now adult children talk about favorite memories from the past. As the seasons come and go and more and more of my children enter adulthood, I am surprised at how it is the little adventures that take root in their memories and flourish (perhaps become embellished!) over time.
Apple orchards, pumpkin fields, corn mazes, berry fields, and the favorite swimming and fishing spots are just a few examples of where Maine made memories can be achieved. Take time from your busy schedules to relax and enjoy the simple things of life, and help create a memory bank of fun for you and your children. If you have a favorite story to share, please email it to Barbara Roy at Barbara@affm.net, and she will include it in Family Ties.
|
|||
| “Memory making” suggestions: Thunder Road Farm in Corinna has generously offered a discounted admission price to our AFFM families. Admission will be $3.50 for adults, $2.00 for children, and $2.50 for seniors! (this is a 50% savings) for any and all day mazes! Families will need to present their AFFM discount card (with a 2007 sticker) to receive this reduced rate. If you are an adoptive/foster or kinship family and you need a discount card, please call the AFFM office at 1-800-833-9786. For more information on Thunder Road Farms, please visit their website at www.thunderroadfarm.com, or call 207-278-3708. A huge thanks to the good folks at Thunder Road Farm! Wishing you a successful season! |
|||
Excellence is the result of caring more then others think is wise, risking more then others think is safe, dreaming more then others think is practical, and expecting more then others think is possible ~Anonymous |
|||
FAMILY TIES the Newsletter of Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine, Inc. Published with support from
: the Maine Dept. of Human Services
|
|||
Abbie attends a full school day and says she likes school very much. Her favorite subject is English. She enjoys reading “literature” and learning new things. Abbie likes to read and uses books as a calming strategy. The hardest subject in school for Abbie is math. She currently is receiving extra help in math to help her gain new skills and feel more confident in the subject. Abbie is also involved in her school drama class. She is very interested in the arts…drama and music especially. Her favorite after school snack is fruits and vegetables. But Abbie also loves strawberry ice cream! 
radio broadcast w/ giveaways, along with Anah Shrine Clowns are shaping this event to be the best ever. This event helps every class K thru 12 raise funds for their classrooms, while creating a great atmosphere for families. A free varsity soccer game will follow the festival at 3pm. A rain date has been set for the 
This year, tiny apples have grown on trees my mother planted several years ago on land near my summer cottage. As each child has witnessed the tiny fruit, they have shared an apple story. The stories are always about the traditional family outing to pick apples at local orchards each fall. How many times have we piled in the van with kids, a picnic lunch, and empty bags, and headed to Corinth or Bucksport to pick apples? I have lost count. What I have not lost count of is the fun had by all. Pictures of happy children climbing trees, spitting out seeds, tossing apples to one another from one tree to another, skirmishing about under trees as an older sibling gently (or not so gently) drops the apples down to a younger child, who in turn, places the apple into the waiting bag. As the bags are filled to overflowing, each child scurries to see who has picked the biggest apple and/or filled the heaviest bag.