Welcome
Welcome to New Foundations' first quarterly newsletter. Our objective
is to keep our staff, foster parents, children and other social
service professionals informed as to what is happening in each of
our offices. Since our newsletter will be available to view on our
website, we will use first names only in conjunction with the children
placed in our care. We are developing web pages to display our children's
drawings and paintings, so please submit any artwork you would like
to have posted to your case manager, supervisor or recruiter. We
would also like to hear from our foster families and our teenagers
about your experiences with New Foundations and the foster care
system, so we also encourage you to submit your accounts or stories
to your case manager, supervisor or recruiter as well. By sharing
your accounts on our website, we would like to provide a better
understanding of the rewards and challenges of foster parenting
to prospective foster parents and other interested parties.
About New Foundations
New Foundations is a private, non-profit child
welfare agency that is licensed by the Department of Public Welfare
to provide service to children and families in Philadelphia and
the surrounding counties. We currently serve 187 children and their
foster and biological families in the following ways:
- Foster Care Services
- Kinship Care Services
- Aftercare Services
- Adoption Services
- SCOH Services
Program Office News
New Foundations has consolidated the Center City and Oak Lane offices.
This consolidation occurred in December, 2004 and both offices have
completed a successful transition. The consolidation has resulted
in New Foundations serving the community from two locations, Center
City and Chester. The address for the Center City office is 1341
N. Delaware Avenue, Suite 502, Philadelphia, Pa. 19125. The telephone
number is (215) 203-8733 and the fax number is (215) 203-8184. The
address for the Chester office is One East Ninth Street, Chester,
Pa. 19013. The telephone number is (610)876-4474 and the fax number
is (610) 8761944.
Recently, some long time employees were promoted to supervisory
positions within our organization. Charles Mensah and Deatrice Fields
were promoted to Center City Unit Supervisors. Sherron Samuels was
promoted to the Chester Office Supervisor. Please join us in welcoming
them to our management team.
Center City Office
In addition to her promotion to Center City office supervisor, Deatrice
Fields is also attending graduate school at Lincoln University to
obtain a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. The
Center City office welcomes Kareemah Johnson and Sayjelah Lundy
to their case management staff. Although we are sad to see Ayesha
Davenport leave, best wishes from all will accompany her on her
move to Argosy University in Arizona to pursue her Master’s
degree in Clinical Psychology.
While our staff pursue their educational goals, our children have
been achieving honors in their educational endeavors as well. Sharday
made Honor Roll in Kindergarten and Takirah made Honor Roll in first
grade. Special congratulations to Amy, who has maintained Honor
Roll every year.
Amy is in the 11th grade. Best wishes go out to Samantha and Tracey,
who have completed all of their required classes through Achievement
Independent Center (AIC) and will be moving on their own into their
apartment in the Supervised Independent Living (SIL) program. Congratulations
to foster parent, Gail Best, who has completed all the necessary
training to start her own private daycare and parenting service
to assist young mothers. As soon as she gets her license and inspection
completed, her business will be called Best Family Daycare.
Congratulations to Charles Mensah, office supervisor, on completion
of his MBA. Case managers are also continuing their education. Jo’Von
Pressley is currently working on her second BS degree, in Nursing.
Sabrina Bell is pursuing a Master’s degree in Business.
Oak Lane welcomes Alicia Louis and Jamar Snell to their case management
staff. Charles reports that he is very happy with the progress they
have made in learning the work, adjusting to the job and the willingness
with which they accept tasks. Oak Lane currently has over sixty
children in care. Of that number, we have three students in college
and all are doing well in their studies. Many of our high school
students have expressed their intentions of continuing their education
as well. Congratulations to all of our high school and elementary
school students who have attained Honor Roll.
Oak Lane has discharged twelve children since January. These children
either reunified with their biological parents or attained permanency
through adoption or legal custodianship.
Many thanks to foster parent Sylvia Atchison., principal at one
of Philadelphia’s elementary schools, for providing an excellent
training titled: “Special Education – To Be or Not To
Be” for our foster parents and staff in March.
Chester Office
Sherron Samuels has transferred to the Chester office and was promoted
to Office Supervisor in March. Sherron is also working toward a
Master’s Degree in Community Counseling at Wilmington College.
New Foundations welcomed Debra Gibson to the case management staff
in April and welcomed case manager Naomi Muse back from leave.
New Foundations would like to congratulate Ebony on her high school
graduation and acceptance at Lincoln University. Ebony plans to
study Criminal Justice. Best wishes to Genera, who is up for a promotion
to manager at Burger King and Maria, who continues to do an excellent
job as a volunteer with the children at her YMCA.
Congratulations also to foster parent Maribel Blythe on her graduation
from Nursing School and best wishes in her new position at Lankenau
Hospital.
Recruitment
The recruitment staff has been busy meeting and approving new foster
and kinship families. There are 178 approved foster families working
with New Foundations and we continue to conduct orientation/training
sessions in each office monthly. Recruiters Taren Daniels and Kirsten
Hontz have attended cultural and community events in Delaware County
and Chester and took part in the Caring for Caregivers Event at
Temple University and the Educating the Whole Child Conference in
Philadelphia. Kirsten has been working hard developing our website
and we are all thrilled that it is now up and running. We have been
getting responses from prospective foster parents and hope to provide
a better understanding of foster care to all who visit our website.
The recruitment staff has done and continues to do an excellent
job of recruiting and training prospective foster parents. Supervisor
Sandie Caulder has been actively involved in developing the New
Foundations Newsletter and continues to work at ensuring the Recruitment
Unit provides quality services to families.
Services to Children in Their Own Homes
(SCOH) Supervisor Danielle Williams and her staff have been busy
working with 15 new families during the last quarter. They have
assisted with parents starting work programs, children achieving
Honor Roll and one child that has done so well in their Behavioral
Alternative School that they are recommending transfer to an area
Charter School. The SCOH staff have successfully closed two cases
and Danielle reports that the families have been very appreciative
of their services, and have even in one case sent a thank you card.
Adoption
We are pleased to share that New Foundations adoption staff has
successfully finalized eight adoptions up and through May, 5, 2005.
We would like to extend our congratulations and appreciation to
the families who finalized their adoptions to date.
Our Adoption Coordinator,Amy Morris, attended the Statewide Adoption
Network (SWAN)Winter Statewide meeting in State College, Pa. from
January 24 to January 26, 2005. The theme for the event was “Family
Preparation and Family Profiles”. She also attended the SWAN
Spring Quarterly Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. on April 27,2005.
The theme fo rthe event was “Post Permanency”.
We anticipate finalizing an additional four adoptions by June 1,
2005. We also continue to complete Performance Based Contracting
(PBC) adoptions through Philadelphia county and SWAN adoptions through
Delaware and the surrounding counties. If you, or anyone you are
connected with is interested in learning more about adopting a child,
please contact our adoption coordinator at (215) 203-8733.
Agency Events
- First Annual Cultural Day was held at our Center City office
on Friday, April 29, 2005. Dishes from various countries and cultures
were brought in for staff to share and exchange recipes.
- The Philadelphia DHS and provider event entitled, “Educating
the Whole Child: Partnering for Success” was held on Thursday,
May 26, 2005. New Foundations case management and recruitment
staff attended to present information about New Foundations to
existing and prospective foster parents, and well as other child
welfare professionals.
- The Foster/Kinship care parent training entitled, “Caring
for the Caregiver” was held on June 4, 2005 at Temple University.
New Foundations staff and foster parents were invited to the event
and planned to attend.
DON’T FORGET…
Don’t forget that we are always looking for new foster parents
so we are better able to match the children coming into our care
with qualified and caring foster families. If you, or anyone you
are connected with is interested in learning more about foster parenting,
please contact our recruitment or case management staff at (215)
203-8733 or (610) 876-4474 or visit our website at www.nfi4kids.org.
May is National Foster Care Month
Many children in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas are in some
way involved in the foster care system. Foster children can be children
who have been abused and neglected or children who have had serious
losses. Foster children are much like other children, but because
of their losses, they may need the help of additional support services
in the community. The goal of the team at New Foundations Inc. is
to help these children cope with the circumstances surrounding the
separation from their families and to give them a safe and nurturing
home until they can be reunified. This is done through the recruitment
of quality foster homes throughout the city. Our foster parents
embrace our foster children and nurture them while they are with
them. They feed, clothe, love and support the children. With the
help of our foster families, case managers and therapists, our children
can heal over time, and go on to be productive and successful members
of the community.
When one becomes a foster parent, training is provided in a variety
of areas including: discipline, child development and basic first
aid. To become an approved foster parent, child abuse and state
police clearances are completed along with a “home study”,
which is an information sharing process as well as a home safety
inspection.
After a foster parent is approved, they will be called upon for
the placement of a child. Each child has a case manager, who is
a support for the child, their biological family and the foster
parent. The case manager will visit the child and foster parent
in the home. If a child requires additional support services, they
are referred to an outside community resource.
Children are in foster homes for a period of time that varies
from case to case. During that time, the biological family must
do what is court ordered of them, in addition to achieving their
individual and family service plan goals. In the event the family
is unable to complete their goals and reunify with the children,
New Foundations Inc. will look for an adoptive home for the child
within our agency. Our goal is to keep the child safe and to give
the child every opportunity to be a part of a permanent family.
Foster care can be both challenging and rewarding as the foster
child becomes a part of your family. New Foundations, Inc. and our
foster families work together to give the child the love and support
they need to be successful. If there is room in your home and heart
for a foster child, please call New Foundations Inc. at 215-203-8733
or 610 876-4474 or visit our website at www.nfi4kids.org.
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