Meet This Month’s Shining Stars: Tony and Jessica

1 Arizona N e w s f o r F o s t e r, K i n s h i p a n d A d o p t i v e F a m i l i e s A c r o s s A r i z o n a Meet This Month's Shining Stars: tony and Jessica tony is a talkative boy with a is also being bright smile! He loves to tell stories educated in and is learning to play with others. the home tony likes to play basketball, hike through and participate in family activities the district especially if Legos are involved. home-bound tony also enjoys listening to schooling program. music and pretending to be the lead singer. He is currently educated in the tony and home through the district home-bound Jessica need a two-parent schooling program. home that tony 's sister, Jessica , is a friendly can offer a child who has a beautiful smile! She consistent, is eager to learn and is very observant structured of her surroundings. Jessica loves to environment. draw and play with baby dolls, but her It is also favorite toys are ponies. She also likes important for to play catch.

2 Their forever It is also important that Jessica 's family to have some knowledge of forever family is comfortable with sign language in order to communicate managing medical needs and able with Jessica . to provide a consistent, structured tony was born 2004. Jessica was environment. Like her brother, Jessica born in 2006. Shining Stars . Summer 2014. Meet This Month's Shining star : Douglas Douglas is a very gracious, respectful and well-mannered young who loves school and gets good grades. In This man. He is quite mature and perceptive When Douglas learned that his Shining Stars: tony , Jessica for his age. Douglas is an avid reader grandfather fought in World War II, and Douglas n 1. this sparked his interest Department of Child Safety Formed n 2. in World War II history, Obituary: Flora Sotomayor n 2. battles and different kinds of planes. Douglas likes Foster Parent Satisfaction Survey Initial to read books on history Results n 2. and hopes to earn a history Looking Back, Looking Forward.

3 Degree in college. After Raymundo Cruz n 3. college, Douglas would like Self Care and the Single Parent n 3. to join the Marines. Besides history, Ask Dr. Sue About Head Start n 3. Douglas' other passion is OLCR Changes n 4. baseball. Douglas plays Grandparent Stipend n 4. catcher on his baseball team and hopes to play on the A Bright Future: Communicating About high school baseball team Your Child's Case Plan n 4. next year. Shining star : Eve n 5. Douglas is a laid-back Navajo Nation Agreement with and easy-going young man DHHS n 5. and a joy to be around. Like most teens, Douglas loves DCS Media Campaign n 5. pizza and ice cream. Shining Stars: Mina and Camron n 6. Douglas was born in The Arizona Statewide is published 1999. quarterly by the Arizona Department of Child Safety Department of Child Safety Formed In late May, the Governor called a reverse a long-standing crisis and implement special session of the Arizona Legislature, long-lasting change.

4 Through necessary which statutorily created and funded the resources, safeguards, checks and balances new Department of Child Safety (DCS) and oversight as well as a clearly-defined a permanent, stand-alone agency with the core mission of child safety there will be no express mission of safeguarding Arizona's room for excuses, secrets or faceless decision A Fruit and abused and neglected children and mandated Veggie Tale transparency and accountability. Charles Certainly, a system that has been September is Fruits and Flanagan is the director of the new agency. broken for decades will take time to repair. Veggies More Matters It is a momentous day for Arizona, as Implementing true and lasting reform in any Month and is the perfect we take the boldest and most meaningful agency especially one with such a vital time to pledge to do step in state history to reform and replace our mission and vulnerable population will take something healthy! More problem-plagued child welfare system, said time.

5 But for the first time in state history, we than 90 percent of both adults and children do Governor Janice K. Brewer upon signing the are on a clear path to a successful child safety not eat the amount of legislation into law. This new agency, under system that will not fail in its fruits and vegetables the devoted, tireless and passionate leadership This is only the beginning, and it will recommended by the of Charles Flanagan, is a critical step forward be incumbent upon future governors and latest Dietary Guidelines in creating a child safety system that lives up to legislators to continue our remarkable progress. for Americans and the its name and mission. But today, we can take pride in knowing that MyPlate nutrition guide. With this historic legislation, we begin to we made history and we made a difference.. But just remember two things: Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at every eating occasion Obituary: Flora Sotomayor (including snacks) AND Flora Sotomayor, Assistant Director for the Having come from the case management all , frozen, Division of Child Safety and Family Services, ranks, Flora had a deep understanding of canned, dried and 100% passed away on May 28, 2014.

6 Sotomayor the challenges case workers face on a daily toward your worked tirelessly for more than 30 years in basis and always had that in mind when she daily intake. child welfare with DES. was planning how to improve the system or She achieved her dream job when she was responding to questions from others. named the Assistant Director for what was Memorial services were held in Tucson then DCYF. Prior to that she served as the and Phoenix. Her family has asked that in lieu Acting Program Manager in Pima Region. Her of flowers, those who wish to honor Flora's AFFCF Supports dedication to the children we serve was clearly memory may donate to Arizona Friends of Children in Care evident. Foster Care Foundation, among others. In April and May, the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation Foster Parent Satisfaction Survey Initial Results (AFFCF) helped children Over the past several months, licensed parents) either completely agree or mostly in foster care by funding foster parents were invited to participate in a agree with the statement, Children placed in bicycles, prom dresses, satisfaction survey.

7 The survey was conducted my home are receiving regular visits from the camp registrations, music on behalf of the Department by the Arizona DCYF CPS Specialists.. lessons, theme park admissions and sports State University Center for Applied and n The numbers are a bit lower when participation fees. Learn Behavioral Health Policy. More than 1,000 it comes to DCS staff returning phone calls. how to apply for a grant specifically 1,095 licensed foster parents Fifty-seven percent (575 parents) either on behalf of the children in responded to the survey. Data from the survey completely agree or mostly agree with the your care at will take time to fully analyze, but here are statement, I receive return calls in a timely some of the initial findings. manner from DCYF CPS Specialists and/or n While most of the parents responding CPS Unit Supervisors.. (878 parents, or 81 percent) have been licensed n With regard to pre-service training, for five years or less, 20 foster parents reported 76 percent (717 parents) either completely being licensed foster parent for 20 years or agree or mostly agree with the statement, The more.

8 Pre-service training (PS-MAPP or Deciding n Each of Arizona's 15 counties were Together) I received adequately prepared me to CMDP Website represented in the responses, but as one might be a foster parent.. The Comprehensive expect, the majority of the respondents were n Eighty-five percent (798 parents) either Medical and Dental from Maricopa County (583 parents, or 54 completely agree or mostly agree with the Program (CMDP) website percent). statement, If training were available on-line has a wealth of health n Respondents also represented every it would be easier for me to find topics that care information. The site foster care licensing agency in the state. are more relevant to me and the children I am has past editions of CMDP. newsletters for members n When families were asked to think caring for.. and health care providers. back to when they first became licensed, 32 n Ninety-nine percent of parents said It also has a list of health percent (337 parents) said they went into foster they have access to the Internet; 90 percent care providers and a list parenting with the intention of providing care through a computer in their home.

9 Of preferred medications. to children for 10 years or more. n With regards to this newsletter, Check it out at n Eighty-six percent (896 parents) the Arizona Statewide, 40 percent (371. responded that the children placed in their parents) prefer receiving it in the mail; 22. home were consistent with their placement percent (205 parents) would like to have the preferences. newsletter posted online and receive an email n Ninety-one percent (928 parents) announcement; 21 percent (197 parents) said either completely agree or mostly agree with they would like to receive the newsletter as an the statement, I receive calls in a timely e-newsletter. Fifty-one percent (471 parents). manner from my licensing agency. said they would like to receive the newsletter Regarding CPS visits, 76 percent (758 monthly, while 47 percent (433 parents) like receiving it quarterly. 2. Looking Back, Looking Forward Raymundo Cruz When Ray Cruz was 10 years old, he and his siblings were removed from their parents.)

10 Ray was scared and worried; but not for long: My foster family really helped me, he says, adding, They took me to school and helped me with my homework. I like to call it a boys and girls club home because we got to meet new people and have fun. They took really good care of me and treated me as one of their own, not a rent-a-kid.' . Ray says that his favorite part about being with his foster family was the genuine love I felt. I didn't feel like a stranger I felt like part of their family. It was that love that really helped me overcome everything. It was an awesome feeling.. Ray had his younger brother with him. We grew really close, but it was really hard being separated from my other siblings, he explains. Being separated from my other siblings made me realize how much I love them and had previously taken them for granted. It made me reach out to my siblings, to try and work things out and to figure out how we can get through things together.