Update from Care Giver Subcommittee

The subcommittee has established meeting dates and posted them on the SB 64 blog. Interested community members are invited to attend. The subcommittee will be using this outline as a guide to accomplish their charge:

RECRUITMENT: Certification Issues.

1. How to find more foster/adoptive families
2. What are appropriate motivations for parents
3. How to determine parent motivation
4. “Types” of parents: those who only want to foster, those who desire to adopt
5. Review SAFE home study tool
6. Urban vs. rural recruitment
7. Paperwork standardization
8. Standards for foster parents – what are the current ones/what ones need to be there (e.g. IQ tests)

TRAINING: Are Care Takers prepared for the journey?

1. Standards/quality of training differs county-to-county
2. Standardization of training
3. Consider different types of parents in training
4. Reduce moves for children
5. Topics required for training
6. Expectations for parents
7. Getting medical/behavioral info on the children in care

RETENTION: How do we retain parents and support permanent placements?

1. Ongoing support
2. Ongoing training
3. Reduce moves for children
4. Counseling/therapy
5. Respite care
6. Subsidy issues
7. Community support services

For a copy of the complete minutes from the subcommittee please e-mail kippi.clausen@unitedwaydenver.org .

Subcommittee Members from the SB 64:
Adoree Blair: Foster Parent (Asso.)
Sheri Danz: Chief Justice Appt.
Sister Michael Deloros Allegri:Foster Parent (Asso.)
Honorable K. Jerry Frangas: General Assembly
Carol A. Lawson: Non-profit serving children
Paula K. McKey: County Dept. Rep.
Sarah Padbury: Adoptive Parent (no Asso.)