Service Groups and Faith Alliance
February 15, 2022
Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Nicole Bernard, Niki Miller, Ofc Kenneth Ragland, Jim Ahler, Steve Purucker,
Britney Williams, Kim Adcock, Robert Stevenson, Danica, Nancy Hagan, Ginger Espino, Elliot Brooks, Cheryl Stallings, Michael Merker, Deb Vinci
Introduction
Officer Raglan provided overview of how these meetings began and the purpose. Round robin to introduce attendees.
Niki – Rotary International has redefined their mission to include combating Human Trafficking.
Update: Representatives of the Service Groups and Faith Alliance began discussions with Town leaders to develop a way to formalize a system that would connect our group to community member’s requests for help, to assure that no needs of the community fall through the cracks.
Notes
Kim Adcock Presented:
She asked us to close our eyes and think about what ‘home’ means to us. She then took us on an imaginary journey of being removed from our home and placed in the home of a new family. She had us imagine what being uprooted and moved might feel like. It was a great exercise to better understand what a child goes through when they are moved into a foster home.
Kim asked for feedback from this exercise from the group: The group felt this was valuable to help set the stage.
Any type of support is needed and helpful at any level.
Wake County Child Welfare Foster Parent Program presentation:
Who’s in care: 477 children
Where:
126 in Wake Co. Foster Homes
169 in NC but outside Wake
125 outside of Wake or NC (requires changing schools, church, recreational activities, siblings disconnection)
One Church One Family Model
This model keeps children in their community and minimizes the adjustment needed
There are 17,000 churches in NC and 2000 in Wake County.
If every church has one foster family, all children would stay in their home community
What Can We Do:
- Talk about need for more foster parents in Wake
- Encourage member of org to attend Wake County Informational Meeting
- Host an informational meeting
- Collect new items to support children in care (suitcases, toiletries, etc)
- Join us for May activities as it is National Foster Care month
Q&A
Robert from Rotary volunteered to round up suitcases to donate. They also have capacity to transport items and deliver them where needed.
Kenneth said they could drop off at the Apex PD and then Kim has a place in main building to store items
Jim Ahler – personal hygiene, suits, and clothing for children for interviews, how to shop for these clothes (gift cards), suitcases
How to support a family that choses to foster:
- Tutoring once a week
- Babysitting and willing to have a background check
- When the kids visit their birth parents, they are often emotionally overwhelmed – meal delivery for family that day would be helpful
- Someone to call and vent and listen (emotional support)
- Community playdates for the kids
- Prayer
Kim described how churches can bring interested congregation members together to support a family when the family decides to foster.
Birth family:
Social Worker must meet with them twice a month
Any needs are directed by the Social Worker
Birth parents can visit once a week with their children and have phone calls; foster parents assist with how to communicate and/ or help with homework, etc
Emergency removal in crisis situations- Placements are needed for short term
- These short term families are required to go through licensing process
Cheryl: staffing on Kim’s end. Social Worker assigned to child also works with birth family
Ginger: Aces 101 workshop would be helpful for working with foster children
Action Steps:
Talking with any organization or friends/family about the needs; how or who you can connect with
Collect supplies
Perhaps post on social media
Don’t wait but act while its fresh
Other updates
Jordan Lutheran – to collect items in May
Info session May
Hope Chapel, Peak, The Point are in conversation