FCAB
Regional Foster Care Advisory Board
Children’s Division (Division of Family Services) has developed a foster care advisory board to support foster and adoptive parents. Both foster and adoptive parents serve on this board. Also in attendance at the meetings are staff employees from Children’s Division. The foster/adoptive parents and staff all work together as a team. There are six Regional Advisory Boards in our state:
- Area 1 Northwest Region
- Area 2 Northeast Region
- Area 3 Southeast Region
- Area 4 Southwest Region
- Area 5 Kansas City
- Area 6 St. Louis
St. Charles County is located in Area 2 the Northeast Region. Our county is referred to in the meetings as the 11th Circuit. Also in attendance at the meetings are members from the 1st, 2nd, 10th, 12th, 13th 14th, 19th, 20th, 23rd, 41st, and 45th Circuits. Listed below are the circuits and their respective counties:
- 1st – Clark, Schulyer and Scotland
- 2nd – Adair, Knox and Lewis
- 10th – Marion, Monroe and Ralls
- 11th – St. Charles
- 12th – Audrain, Montgomery, and Warren
- 13th – Boone, and Callaway
- 14th – Randolph and Howard
- 19th – Cole
- 20th – Franklin, Gasconade, and Osage
- 23rd – Jefferson
- 41st – Macon and Shelby
- 45th – Lincoln and Pike
Each area/region elects two regional reps to attend the Advisory Statewide Committee meetings.
Each area/region of the state hold local meetings (just like our St. Charles County MFCAA meetings) headed by foster/adoptive parents. The local meetings help with training and also help foster/adoptive parents resolve issues at hand ie: practice issues, and resource development. Any issues that cannot be resolved at local meetings or through our area/regional representatives can be brought to the Regional Advisory Board meetings held four times a year in Columbia, Missouri.
Our Regional Advisory Board adoptive representative is Dorothy Coleman and our foster representative is Roberta Grannemann. You can contact Roberta at (636) 978-3063 or rsgrannemann@earthlink.net Any issues you wish to share will be kept confidential and anonymous. A form for submitting your concerns can be downloaded from the tab marked forms. A completed form can be submitted in the following ways:
- A phone call to Roberta
- An e-mail
- You can bring the form to our monthly meeting.
When we (Carrie and Chris) attend the meetings in Columbia we report on what St. Charles County support groups are doing. We share our group’s ideas and accomplishments with other Circuits and gain knowledge of things other counties/circuits are doing that we could incorporate into our group.
Issues that cannot be resolved at our Regional Advisory Board Meetings are then taken to the State Foster Parent Advisory Committee. This committee also meets four times a year in Jefferson City at the Central Office.
The State Advisory Committee has been responsible for many improvements for foster parents. Some of their past accomplishments are: direct deposit, foster parent ID cards, diaper allowance, the Resource Handbook, and respite care policy changes.
We want to be your voice, please share your issues and concerns so we have the opportunity to work together as a team to address them on your behalf.
Minutes:
Northeast Foster Care and Adoption Advisory Board
Minutes from February 17, 2009 Meeting
Meeting Held At Fairview Methodist Church, Columbia, MO
Introductions of all present
Motion to approve minutes by Bill Troder
Training segment was done by Jackie Ellis and Pat Burns, from Ellis and Associates. The topic was Reactive Attachment Disorder.
Suzie Forbis introduced the Northeast Foster Care Advisory Board pamphlet that will be used for this region. All participants were given a copy.
It was decided that due to time constraints and the best use of the quarterly time, questions would be discussed first. If time permits then circuits would report out their current events. In the future, circuits will be emailing Suzie Forbis, two weeks prior to the meeting and she will compile the information and send it out prior to the meeting.
Questions:
Q-Why is there an adoptive profile going out to people that you are not going to consider?
A-Seek local first, if there are concerns they have 60 days to correct it, if that does not occur then they can go outside their region. For the Heart Gallery, you have 30 days to respond to the inquiry, Marta Halter plans to help with policy on this matter.
Q-Reimbursement for foster care is messed up. When families use direct deposit they think it’s there, but at times when it isn't, it affects their checkbook with overdraft charges. It takes three weeks for the check/situation to get straightened out, how can this be changed?
A-Marta Halter stated it is state board issue; local people do not have control over it.
Q-Can there be some kind of protocol for emergency situations on the state level.
A-Marta Halter suggested that this issue be taken up through the State Board Advisory as field staff have no real control on how the financials are handled.
Q-Adoptive children that have to go to residential and the new policy that you can't have new placements is a concern.
A-Have to have an FST and the team has to make that decision and then approval from Circuit Manager – each case is on an individual basis.
CIRCUIT NEWS:
1st Circuit:
Finished COA site visit. Have focused on a lot of training like module training, CPR and soon Ready, Set, Fly. They are trying to get a support group started in a couple months.
2nd Circuit:
Just went through COA. Have a new resource worker who is really motivated and doing well with foster parents. Did a kick-off 2009 and had a good turnout. The Truman State University did a community service activity for foster parents with a catered meal and training called "Get Organized in 2009". Sandy Gryting appreciated that they had books for kids.
10th Circuit:
Doing Ready, Set, Fly in March. Will be hosting the Heart Gallery in July.
11th Circuit:
300 people at their Christmas party, kids had pictures with Santa. The food pantries seem to have a large increase in usage. Foster parents have participated in CQI with other stakeholders. Have a new foster parent support group that will umbrella under Lori Ross's group. There is a situation arising that when a foster child is going into care after midnight, then next day their moved, the family that is taking that child in the middle of the night is not being reimbursed. How do we get them to take if parents are being reimbursed? Marta Halter spoke to the issue stating that she knows this issue has went to the State CQI and thought it was resolved. Glenda Coons indicated that in a memo is said you should override the 61 so that they will get paid. This issue has since been resolved.
Another question is that they have received several phone calls about career homes. The policy says only licensed career homes can do respite for career children. Foster parents are upset because they are not going to get their respite if no one is going to be trained to be career respite providers. Lori Ross indicated that there was a career respite training three weeks ago, a policy did come out recently. Marta Halter stated she would look into it. Lori Ross will look for the policy memo and will ask that someone send the email to her. This issue has since been resolved.
Court report form has spacing issues. Marta Halter stated she had followed up with this an emailed Andrea Cleaton, the person who developed the form. She is aware of the issue. This issue remains unresolved.
Respite – It is now paid for according to the child. If the child moves and the foster parent prior used it all up does the new foster parent not get any respite? Will get clarification on this issue, Suzie will email what we find out regarding the question. Awaiting clarification.
12th Circuit:
No report
13th Circuit:
They are in accreditation mode. They recently invited three foster parents to attend CQI; one attended. They met with foster parents at their support group and addressed their concerns. One concern was about contractors taking on alternative care cases, they are concerned about this happening. Suzie and Shelly plan to meet regularly and address issues as they arise.
Suzie Forbis gave out books from Chad Foster who had donated them to Hope Chest for Kids.
14th Circuit:
Ready, Set, Fly training has occurred since the last meeting, foster parents are currently attending STARS training. They have performance based contracts and are in the process of seeing how that works best for foster parents.
19th Circuit:
Having CPR and 1st Aid this week. In March they will begin Module 5, in April they will begin Spaulding. Foster parent support group is working on clothing closet, working on a fund raiser. Big Surf is July 24, weather permitting ( see attached flyer). Children are $8.00 and adults are $10.00. They have training at every meeting. They have moved to Missouri Alliance but are trying to go back to church and get more room.
20th Circuit:
There isn't a whole lot going on as for the support group. The Christmas party was very successful. It is very difficult getting people to show up for the standard meetings. They are thinking about doing some training and have upcoming training on the modules and Ready, Set, Fly. They are developing an agenda for trainings and will send dates and times.
23rd Circuit:
Christmas party had a good turn-out. They had hot chocolate, cookies and Santa there. They are planning a foster parent appreciation dinner in May. They didn't have one last year. They just finished Module 5. Working on developing a support group, contacting local churches currently.
41st Circuit:
Preparing for COA. They offer a Module training two times a month. Two weeks ago they began a PRIDE class.
45th Circuit:
Just got through COA – Success!! They had a good turnout for Christmas party. They are beginning STARS February 20th with 6 to 10 families. They have been doing a lot of CPR training; have been struggling with relative homes going through. Lincoln is doing very well, they have a webpage. Sending out a survey to see what they are looking for and what it will take to have them come to the meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled for May 12th, Boone County Library, 10:00 a.m.
5/13/09 posted by Chris Grissom
The minutes from this meeting will be posted as soon as they become available.
An overview: We had a great guest speaker at our meeting yesterday:
Steve Morrow
Office of the Child Advocate 573-522-8686
Steve.Morrow@oca.mo.gov
The Office of the Child Advocate is staffed by three state employees, Steve Morrow and two assistants; Liz and Courtney.
They are a resource for all parents: biological, grandparents, foster parents, adoptive parents etc.
Their office can be contacted when the initial steps have been followed through with no avail. Example: case worker, case worker's supervisor, FST team, Circuit Manager etc.
Steve shared with us the following statistic: Approximately 25-30% of the issues (or complaints) handled within his office have had a recommendation agreeing with the family, meaning in 70-75% of the time their office is in agreement with the authorities.
Their office is able to make recommendations, however they do not have governing power.
