May 2019 Newsletter
LEARNING TO CARE—UPCOMING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
INSIDE THE MIND OF A CHILD WITH TRAUMA AND DISRUPTED ATTACHMENT
On Monday, July 15th, Angela Mains, MA, LPC, and Registered Play Therapist will join us for our next Learning to Care Workshop. Angela currently leads the counseling program at Lifeline Children’s Services. Angela has worked solely with families who have adopted or are fostering for several years. She has received training in Theraplay, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), Filial Therapy, Prepare/Enrich, and Corrective Attachment Therapy with Dr. Terry Levy of the Evergreen Psychotherapy Center. In addition to providing counseling to children and families, she has spoken about various topics to a variety of audiences, including parents and professionals both domestically and internationally. Angela is passionate about attachment and is excited to work with families who have welcomed adopted and foster children into their homes with the hope that God will use her as a vessel of healing in their lives.
When encountering a child who has been traumatized and has experienced compromised attachment, parents and professionals are often baffled by the seemingly bizarre behavior that follows movement to a new home. Children who have been neglected and abused find ways to sabotage placements in good families, creating dynamics similar to what they left. They may stay distant and not engage with their new families. These children may rage, be violent, steal, lie, and so much more. What is going through their minds? What motivates their behavior? How do they see themselves in relationship to the world? Come to gain understanding.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Monday, July 15, from 6 to 8 pm at Faith Presbyterian Church (Free childcare is available, but limited. Register soon!)
ADDITIONAL ADOPTION SUPPORT
At CFLM, we have always believed that supporting adoptive families extends well beyond writing a check and helping a family bring a son or daughter home. The real journey is just beginning. We have a big vision for how we can stay connected to grant recipients and support local adoptive families, but we want to make sure we are meeting the needs of the families in the best way possible. To ensure this, we are setting up Adoptive Parent Roundtable opportunities. These small gatherings of adoptive parents offer a space for adoptive parents to share, find community, and help us refine our goals and vision for our Adoption Support Program.
On Tuesday, May 14, eight adoptive mamas gathered together to share their hearts. We learned so much from listening to their stories and we are so thankful for their willingness to share. We are excited about the future of our Adoption Support Program. If you are an adoptive parent, we invite you to join us at our next Adoptive Parent Roundtable on Tuesday, June 18. You can register here. To stay up-to-date on all things Adoption Support, sign up to join our Adoptive Parent Listserv.
FOSTER CARE MONTH
May is National Foster Care Month throughout the US, and has been acknowledged as such since 1988. We would like to share some brief insights to highlight both the need and the ways that CFLM is working to meet the need.
There are 443,000 children in care in the US. There are 13,873 children in care in the state of Georgia. The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) divides the state into regions. Chosen for Life Ministries serves in DFCS Region 5: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Green, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Rockdale, and Walton. Within these 12 counties, 1,148 children are in care. There are only 447 foster homes in Region 5.
There is a phrase in the foster care community of “one and done,” meaning that a family completes the training, becomes an approved foster family, takes one placement, and then never fosters again. Data tells us that when a foster family is unsupported, 80% of foster families fall into this one and done category. At Chosen for Life Ministries, we believe that we can change those numbers and see more families foster better and longer with support. With that in mind, we help churches to create Care Teams to surround a foster family with the physical, emotional, and spiritual support they need.
Our goal at Chosen for Life Ministries is to equip and educate churches and the community to step into the crisis in our region and to care for these vulnerable children. We believe that everyone can do something, and our question will always be: What role can you play?
To learn more about ways that you can get involved or join a Care Team, complete the brief form on our Care Team Volunteer page. To find out more about becoming a foster parent, contact our Foster Care Initiative Director, Jessi Williams.