2011 Christmas Party

We had out Christmas Party last night and we had a wonderful time! I was so excited about the number of people we had - there were 21 adults and about that many children-quite a turnout and a fantastic increase over last year. What a difference a year makes!

The food was delicious - especially the THREE brocolli casseroles :) -and the fellowship was good, too. After eating we played a game then the adults swapped gifts. I found out that foster parents are way too nice.

The object of the gift exchange was to either select a gift from the gift table or "steal" one from someone else. We only had three "stealers" in the whole bunch! Everyone else was content to go the table and accept the gift they opened.

As we were finishing up the adults gift exchange SANTA and MRS. CLAUSE came in! The excitement on the kids' faces was priceless. As they went to the chairs next to the Christmas tree the kids inched forward closing the gap between them. My youngest was almost beside herself with excitement, a feeling shared by the other little ones, I'm sure.

We helped Santa give out gifts to the children and as he spoke to each child the look on the face was really something to see. I am so glad we had a photographer there! We were able to capture that magic!

We would like to give a big thank you to the ladies of the church that halped us out by decorating, providing dessert, arranging for the donation of gifts to the children, setting up and did all the clean up. You are truly a blessing to us! Thank you, as well, to Julie Lawson, Resource Developer, for making arrangements for Santa and Mrs. Claus. I would also like to give a special thank you to Alyssa Filkins, our photographer for the evening, who donated her services to us. God bless all of you!

Christmas Party

Instead of our regular meeting, this month we will be having a CHRISTMAS PARTY for all of our foster families! This will be on THURSDAY December 15, 2011 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Santa will be there to give gifts to all the children and the adults will have a White Elephant gift exchange. Please bring a wrapped gift ($5 max value).

We will also have a photographer there to take photos of the children with Santa as well as gifts for them.

Please bring a side dish to share and drinks for your family.

Please R.S.V.P. to Bonita Eberhart at 706-296-9566 or haleysgrammy@gmail.com.

Hope to see everyone there!!

September 2011 Newsletter

Isn’t Fall WONDERFUL?! With the change in the weaterh, it finally feels like Fall is here to stay. I’m sure that you, like me, are more than happy to put those scorching 90+ degree days behind us!
Along with the cooler air comes the activities of Fall; football games, marching band, color guard, etc,. as well as the anticipation of the holidays just around the corner (only 100 days ‘til Christmas!). It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of Fall. It’s just as easy to sail through these months putting off getting your training hours completed as other things take priority.
As foster parents, our “job” is taking care of the children entrusted to us by the courts. Part of the “job” involves getting ten hours of training per year. One of the easiest ways to do that is to come to our monthly Foster Parent Association meetings.
You are not required to be a member of the Association to attend the meetings. However, your dues do help support the group and pay for supplies, child care, etc. When you do come to the meetings you will find yourself in good company. We are a group of foster parents who care very deeply about what our children need.
Our meetings start out with a potluck meal and fellowship shared by everyone present. Following the meal, the children are dismissed. The business of the association is briefly reviewed and then the training gets underway. Great care has been taken to provide training that is both informative and interesting. If you have not yet had the opportunity to come to a meeting, why not try us out this month? You have nothing to lose and may even make a friend or two.
The training takes place at the Winterville First Baptist Church, 305 N. Main St, Winterville. This month’s training is on Helping Children Learn Right From Wrong. Supper begins at 6:30 with the potluck meal. If you need directions or have questions, please do not hesitate to call me - 706-296-9566.

August Newsletter Article

Our daughters are in band/color guard at the high school and we took the night off tp go watch their first performance of this year’s halftime show. The band director at the high school has done a phenomenal job with the kids this year and the show is simply wonderful. It’s called Heroes Fallen, But Not Forgotten and is a tribute to all those who have given their lives in the name of freedom. It’s very moving to watch.
For me, the show is very emotional. My son, Chayce, just left home for his second deployment overseas. He came home last November from a year of service in Afghanistan and has now left for Kuwait. He will be driving a truck hauling supplies from Kuwait to Iraq. It’s so hard to watch your child leave-to know he has left the safety of your arms, your home, can be heart-wrenching. It made me consider what the birth parents of the children we foster may be going through.
I am sure many of the birth parents feel the same way. When their children are removed from their care they face the same uncertainty. They have no idea where their child(ren) are going or how they will be treated. Regardless of what the allegation is against them, these are still their children and I am certain they love them. When you look at it from that perspective it kind of changes your opinion of them. They are not horrible people, most of them anyway. They want what is best for their child, they simply lack the skills and/or resources to provide what their child(ren) need. This is where we, the foster parents, come in.
As we take these children into our homes we need to consider what they, and their parents, are giving up. Encourage their visits with each other to foster the relationship they already have. Talk with the children about their parent(s) in a positive way. Help them write notes to them (but, don’t force them) letting them know they are thinking of them. In this way, children can stay in touch. Include the parents in the child’s lifebooks.
It only takes a little effort on our part to keep the lines of communication open between the birth parent and the child, but what a difference this can make in the life of that child.


Bonita

January Meeting

January's meeting started out with a potluck meal (yummy) and fellowship among the foster parents attending. The training was "Play: A Child's Work", a session focusing on the importance of play in a child's life. There was a lot of discussion during the session and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, February, 24th from 6:30 - 8:30 and the training topic will be "Discipline".

Don't forget to pay your 2011 Membership Dues!

Our First Annual Christmas Party

We had a great time at our first Christmas party! Through the genorosity of the members of Winterville First Baptist Church we were treated to a beautifully decorated area to have our party and each family received a gift to take home. The adults participated in a gift swap game - Mary Jane Perkins was determined to get the Christmas bowl, but it ended up with Donna Hunsinger and stayed there...:).

The kids all received a gift and had lots of fun opening them. The food was great (as it ALWAYS is at our meetings) and the fellowship was wonderful. I am already looking forward to next year's party.

Here are some pictures I took.....

The Madison-Oglethorpe County Foster Parent Association was created in February 2010 by a core group of Foster Parents in order to support the educational needs of Foster Parents and to create a forum for Foster Parents to advocate for the rights of foster children and parents.