Vol. 6, No. 2• May 2002
New from the North Carolina Foster Parent Association's Executive Director
By Sheryl Ewing, New President of the North Carolina Foster Parent Association
I am pleased to be the new President of the N.C. Foster Parent Association (NCFPA). My husband, Mark Murphy, and I have been foster parents for four years now through Methodist Homes for Children. I have also had three relatives in short term kinship care.
I have several children. I have two birth children: Robb is 21 and a junior at UNC-Wilmington and Elizabeth is 13 and in the eighth grade. I have three adult stepchildren, and we currently have two sisters (ages 6 and 8) in foster care with us who have been here for a year.
Most of my working career (15+ years) has been spent working with adults who have developmental disabilities and directing habilitation services. I also taught children with special needs, such as learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, for seven years.
I am currently the Director of Family Support Network (FSN) of Southeastern North Carolina. In this position I help families who have children with special needs connect with families in similar situations. I also help them obtain information, training, and resources to empower them to secure the best services for their child. FSN also provides these same services to foster parents.
Conference Connects Parents
The NCFPA really helps foster parents connect with one another. One of the biggest ways we do this is through our annual fall conference. Every year the atmosphere at this event is incredible—it leaves parents with a renewed sense of commitment to help children in foster care. I have learned so much from those who have helped many children and been foster parents for a long time.
The conference helps foster families reach their annual training requirements and gain competence and confidence. More importantly though, we know that foster parent-to-foster parent support increases parents’ acceptance of their situations and their sense of being able to cope. We know that this basic connection with another parent helps break down our sense of isolation and confusion, especially for those of us just beginning this remarkable journey. To keep the connections created at our conferences going we will begin a regular NCFPA newsletter.
We understand the importance of finding other families who share our circumstances. Our conference helps foster parents to stay foster parents longer. Our next annual conference will be held on November 16 and 17, 2002 in Durham, NC. I hope to see you there!
NCFPA’s Financial Outlook
I want you to know that the NCFPA’s financial situation is bleak. We are struggling to find other agencies to support what we are doing. We appreciate the assistance that the N.C. Division of Social Services has provided to us in the past. In 2000, they provided a $46,958 contract with Independent Living Resources, Inc. (ILR) and $15,000 from the Kellogg Foundation. ILR did a great job of reviving the association and helping us become independent.
This year, however, our finances took an unexpected downturn. Just after we hired an Executive Director Laura Johnson and ILR’s contract ended, our contract with DSS was reduced to $6,000. This was a surprise.
Luckily we have had some money in the bank to sustain us in 2001. We now hear that, due to another round of funding cuts for DSS, our conference support will drop to $2,700. Our conference usually is attended by 400 people even though fewer than 400 foster parents (out of the 5,000 in North Carolina) belong to our association.
We will continue to work hard to stabilize our financial situation. While DSS has incurred 7% to 10% cuts, we have incurred nearly 100% cuts from them.
NCFPA Board of Directors
Our Board is elected at our annual membership meeting at the fall conference. We have a great group of people this year: they generously volunteer their time and spend their own money to meet. Since we are from all over North Carolina I travel two and a half hours to board meetings; others have an even longer drive. In between quarterly meetings we have committee meetings.
This Year’s Focus
Our goals this year are to increase our memberships and increase attendance at our conference. We are looking for “friends of foster parents” to help sponsor our conference. We seek everything from personal donations from individuals to corporate donations of $1,000 or more. We will also hold a Walk-a-Thon on June 15, 2002 in Fayetteville.
We would appreciate any letters or e-mails to give us ideas and suggestions as to how to create a solid financial base so that we can continue to support foster parents. I can be phoned (910/792-6133, work), e-mailed ([email protected]), or faxed (910/792-6132). Check our web site (www.ncfosterparents.org) for more information.
Importance of Advocacy
As an organization, we also seek to enhance the role of foster parents in the child welfare system. A good example of this is the “Foster Parents Bill of Rights” we have proposed to the legislature.
Stay involved. Keep in touch with your legislators and advocate for foster parents and foster children. A good way to participate would be to sit on your local DSS Board. You can get application forms from your local county commissioners office.
It is also imperative that we stay informed. For example, look closely at the new state foster parent licensing rules. If you have questions about these rule changes and how they will affect you, contact your agency or DSS licensing worker.
We are all dedicated foster parents trying to do the best job we can to improve the lives of children. We can do this better with each other’s support and through collaboration with others.
If you are not already a member of the North Carolina Foster Parent Association, please join today.
Copyright � 2002 Jordan Institute for Families
