Vol. 7, No. 2• May 2003

News from the President of the N.C. Foster Parents Association

by Sheryl Ewing

I am in the second year of my term as your President of North Carolina Foster Parents Association (NCFPA). I am married to Mark Murphy and I am starting my fifth year as a foster parent with Methodist Homes for Children in Wilmington, North Carolina. We have two birth children still at home. We have fostered seven children ranging in age from three to 13 in our five years of foster parenting.

I am also the Executive Director for Family Support Network of Southeastern North Carolina, where we help all families who have children with special needs. I spend much of my time helping parents and professionals connect with resources so they can better understand children with special needs and navigate the system of services.

NCFPA’s Accomplishments in 2002

2002 was a fabulous year for the NCFPA. Our November statewide conference was a huge success thanks to the hard work of the planning committee and co-chairs, Becky Burmester and Kay Gillis. Thanks also to the individuals and corporations who contributed to the successful silent auction.

I am happy to report that, due to increased memberships, our finances are stable. More importantly, our association accomplished a great deal last year. For instance, we:

  • Contributed to court improvement projects in three court districts across the State

  • Continued to participate in the Covenant with North Carolina’s Children

  • Participated in the NC Kids adoption event in Winston-Salem in November

  • Conducted our first annual Walk-a-thon in Fayetteville

  • Organized a better conference, with many more participants than ever before

  • Increased our communication with members by publishing two newsletters of our own, in addition to the articles that appear in Fostering Perspectives

  • Created new conference forms, brochures, and packets

The NCFPA also added ex-officio positions to our board to strengthen collaboration with other related agencies. These new members include Karen LeClair from Family Support Network, Jeanne Preisler from NC Kids, Joanne Scaturro from the N.C. Division of Social Services, a SaySo representative, and Dr. Dana Leinenweber from Duke University.

The Association’s Focus in 2003

Education and Outreach. This year we will have a part in conducting three foster parent conferences: one in June and two in the fall. For more information about these events, see the box on this page and the Family Support Network article in this issue.
We will also improve our web site (ncfpa.org) and offer training through the site, thanks to a mini-grant from the National Foster Parent Association and FosterNet. The grant will enable us to provide the training, “How To Start Local Support Associations.” We would love to see a local foster parent association available for every foster parent in North Carolina!

Finance. As external support decreases and training costs increase, we will continue to seek to expand our budget. We welcome donations of any kind, from personal gifts to corporate contributions of $1,000 or more. We would also gladly accept donations of paper, office supplies, printing, etc. Finances will also be helped if we can continue to build our membership.

Advocacy. The NCFPA works to advocate for foster parents and foster children. We act in this area through membership on the Pitt County Adoption Enhancement Project Task Force, and through our involvement with local and state collaborations.

Speaking of advocacy, I also wanted to share with you that the N.C. Association of County Directors of Social Services has convened a task force to assess the current foster care board rate payments. Most people don’t realize that board rate payments are less than what is legally mandated for child support payments! Information gathered in this assessment might, in the future, be used to advocate for a board rate increase.

We Invite You to Be Involved

You don’t have to be on the board to work with us—we would welcome your participation on any of our committees, which include the Communication, Training, Finance, and Advocacy committees. Visit <http://ssw.unc.edu/fcrp/fp/fp_vol7no2/vol7no2.htm> for more information about what these committees do, what they need, and how you can contribute.

We couldn’t do any of this without our members. We appreciate your support! If you are a member but are not sure how to be involved please call, write, or e-mail one of us. We are eager to answer your questions and to hear what you have to say. Our mission is to provide you with support and training to help you be the best foster, adoptive, or kinship parent you can be.

If you are not already a member, I hope you will consider joining our association. With your help, we can do even more this year to improve the lives of children in foster care.

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Take Note!

  • New Web Site. The N.C. Foster Parents Association web site has moved! Its new web address is <http://www.ncfpa.org>.

  • “Light the Spark, Ignite the Spirit,”is a conference open to foster, adoptive, and guardianship parents that will be held June 6, 7, and 8 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. You should receive information in the mail about this event. If you have questions, contact NC Kids (1-877-NCKIDS-4).

  • Fall Conferences. Instead of having one big conference in the fall as it has in the past, the NCFPA will hold a pair of day-long regional conferences: one in the east (Region 4) and one in the west (Region 1). Be on the lookout for more information as fall approaches.

Copyright � 2003 Jordan Institute for Families