May 2020 Newsletter
Education News
CFLM STAFF BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
We know you’ve been stuck at home for far too long now. And even as Georgia slowly begins to reopen following the end of shelter-in-place, summer looms. With that in mind, we wanted to make a few recommendations of some of our favorite books that might serve you or your family in the coming months. Also, make sure that you follow us on Facebook, as we’ll continue sharing some of our favorite books in the weeks to come.
ADULT READS
Our Director of Foster Care, Jessi Williams, recommends A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble by Paul David Tripp. Jessi shares, “I'm not one to re-read books, but I find myself going back to this book at least once a year. It's a short, easy read, but holds challenging truth. Tripp walks the reader through Psalm 27 with a series of brief devotions, poems, and questions. Psalm 27 if often quoted, but this book calls us to really consider what the text means. For me, this book often puts into perspective my current circumstances and speaks truth about the character of God. The book doesn't discount or diminish our trouble, but calls our attention to the Lord who covers us and lifts us up. “
Amanda Greavu, our Director of Communications, suggests “Parenting is Your Highest Calling” and 8 Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt by Leslie Leyland Fields. She shares, “I don’t know about you, but sometimes my brain wants me to believe things that just aren’t true. Things like, ‘If it is this hard to parent my kids, I must not have been meant to be their mom.’ Ughhh. And social distancing is an incubator for wild ideas to find fertile ground. I found this book to be really refreshing as it called our the places in my mind where I was holding on to lies about my role as a mom, my abilities to parent, and my purpose in adopting.”
Our Executive Director, Anna Bearden shares her love for Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey. She states, “ I've given this book as a gift A LOT. It is just so beautiful. I've always loved collective prayer - praying together, in unison, and this collection gives such common and practical language to prayer.”
BOOKS FOR KIDS
Kelly Brooks, our Foster Care Coordinator recommends Foster Care: One Dogs Story of Change by Julia Cook. Kelly offers these thoughts, “I think it’s a great, simple book for kids to use as a tool when a new child is first placed in your home. It sets healthy boundaries and expectations and would easily facilitate a good conversation to be had between the foster parents and a new child in the home after reading this book together. It does a great job of showing the range of feelings and emotions that a child will likely experience when first coming into foster care and doing it through the safety of these friendly animals which makes it relatable to all children.”
Amanda shares a book for kids who experience big feelings with Grumpy Dinosaur by Michael Gordon. All kids can “flip their lids,” but kids who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences can really struggle with feelings, impulse control and expressing emotions in appropriate ways. This is a cute book for younger kiddos that helps to identify some of the not-so-good behaviors in a friendly dinosaurs. We enjoy this series at our house for the talking points. Teaching in the moment when a child is triggered and struggling to calm down is hard (and often ineffective), but bedtime snuggles can be a great time to share about big feelings like frustration, anger, disappointment, and sadness.
Anna recommends Run Wild by David Cowell. She shares, “This is a beautiful adventure of a book! It is less about complete sentences and more about the feeling of joy in its cadence. I also love children's books that recognize that life won't always be perfect (looking at you Oh! The Places You'll Go), and this book paints that in a lovely way.“
Adoption News
ADOPTION SUPPORT FACEBOOK GROUP
Many of you have been asking, so we are so excited to share that we are starting a Facebook Group for adoptive families! There’s no better time to seek the wisdom, comfort, and prayer of other adoptive parents than during this time of social distancing.
While we would love to meet in person for our second quarter Adoptive Parent Gathering, limitations on group size and safety concerns mean that we will be unable to hold a meeting in person. We hope you will join us in our new Facebook group: CFLM Adoptive Parents
Foster Care News
MAY: NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
May is National Foster Care Month. It's a time to recognize that we each can play a part in the lives of children and youth in foster care.
Here some things we know to be true:
Foster Care is necessary, but it is still a hard, messy, complicated solution to a heartbreaking problem.
Being in care is meant to keep children and youth safe, but remaining in care for too long without permanence is not what any of us want. When kids get stuck, the outcome is really tough. The best solution? Strong families so that children can be reunified with their biological families when possible or adopted when reunification is not an option.
The current health crisis caused by COVID-19 is creating new difficulties for all people connected to protecting children. You can read more about the ramifications of school and church closures here.
So what can we do? How can we help? Can any one person make a difference?
We believe that EVERYONE has a role to play in caring for foster and adopted children. Everyone includes you! Here are some ways that you can take steps, even in the midst of social distancing to support children in care:
Considering becoming a foster parent? The best way to get your questions answered (and a required first step by the state) is to attend an Information Session. View this calendar to see the next meeting. You can also email our Foster Care Director, Jessi Williams for more information on the basics of becoming a foster parent.
Interested in serving on a Care Team? In the midst of current recommendations from government and healthcare leaders, we are offering virtual Volunteer Orientations. These one hour opportunities will answer all of your questions about serving on a Care Team and help you take some next steps. Select the best day and time for you, register, and you will receive some next steps to join the meeting virtually:
May (5/13 @ 7:00PM) - Register at: https://fam.care/r1457
June (6/4/2020 at 8:15PM) - Register at: https://fam.care/r1842
Send a foster family a gift card for a local restaurant or grocery store.
Pick up a pack of diapers and drop them off on their front porch.
Offer to play a game or read a book virtually with the kids.
Help with yard care.
Support local case workers at DFCS and CPAs.
Donate to our COVID-19 fund. This fund allows us to serve the foster care community with the unexpected needs that arise due to the spread of Coronavirus.