Fall 2018

C O M M U N I Q U É HAPPY AUTUMN The Board of Directors and staff at the Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy fall season!

Support newly licensed families! Are you interested in being a BE A BUDDY Foster Parent? Training and stipend provided An Adoptive Parent? Want to know how you could Are you an experienced become a Kinship Family? Foster Parent? Call 1.888.KID-HERO Are you an experienced Relative Foster Parent?

When you were newly In this Edition… Licensed, do you remember all the

questions you had when your first foster child Executive Director’s Note…………….2 came into your home?

Do you remember wondering what Orchards to visit this Fall……………...3 resources were available to you? Fall Halloween Fun…………………..4

Do you remember thinking, “If only I had Halloween Safety Checklist…………..5 another foster parent to talk to who has shared the same October Symposiums………………..6-7 experience?” Avenue of Dreams…………………..8 If you remember all of these times, then you might enjoy being a buddy! CAFAF Donations………………….9

Call Wendy Sander, Resources…………………………..10-12 Peer Network Coordinator at 1-800-861-8838 Legislative Update………………...13 Or email [email protected]

Communiqué Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc.

From the Desk of the Executive Director

Board of Directors

Welcome to autumn from CAFAF: Amy Kennedy Hopefully all enjoyed the President

summer and fall will be calm and Cathy Gentile-Doyle colorful! Vice President CAFAF is proud to announce that over the summer we completed and Geralyn (Geri) Kogut compiled our first annual Post Secretary Licensing Training Preference survey. Please take a moment to review the results Garrett (Gary) Gizowski on our web site, link here. Treasurer

Not surprising, the number one preferred topic for training is “How to Mike Burns Handle Difficult Behaviors in Children” followed by “Legal Issues Director with Foster Care” and followed closely by “Expectations of Working with DCF” and “Mental and Rocio Chang-Angulo Emotional Health.” CAFAF is committed to bringing these top four Director preferences for training. We have two upcoming Saturday symposiums October 13 and October 31. “Dealing with Communiqué is published in Difficult Behaviors in Children” and “ACEs: Adverse Childhood both English and Spanish Experiences.” language four times a year by the Connecticut Alliance of Also over the summer we compiled our Annual Foster and Adoptive Families, Satisfaction Survey and the results are also on our web site and linked Inc. CAFAF is a non-profit here. organization devoted to the strengthening of foster, adoptive and relative care Thank you to all of you that participated! families through support, training, and advocacy with the Please look inside for fun fall activities! aim of nurturing child safety, well being and stability in partnership with child Margaret Doherty welfare professionals and the community. Executive Director

The Alliance would like to thank the Connecticut Department of Children and Families for the funding we receive.

Communique Fall 2018 A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 2 TOP ORCHARDS TO VISIT THIS FALL 1) Lyman Orchards: Lyman Orchards, located in Middlefield, CT. You can visit the Barrel store where they have and gift baskets, jams, food, and award winning apple pies. During the fall, you can visit the corn maze. Depending on what’s in season, you can pick from strawberries, jostaberries, blueberries, raspberries, , , pears and pumpkins. 2) Bishops Orchards: Depending on the season, that runs from June to October, you have the opportunity to pick from among peaches, pears, apples, raspberries and more. The orchard also has a bakery and kitchen, and offers a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Bishops Orchards is located in Guilford, CT. 3) Belltown Hill Orchards: Belltown Hill Orchards has a farmer’s market with fresh farm products and a bakery. You can pick your own apples, blueberries, pumpkins, and sweet cherries. And around the holidays, Christmas trees are available. Belltown Hill is located in Glastonbury, CT. 4) Rogers Orchards: Rogers Orchards in Southington offers PYO apples and has its own bakery with a wide range of pies from Apple to to Pumpkin, to Strawberry-Rhubarb and more. 5) Dondero Orchards: Dondero Orchards in Glastonbury, CT has a farmers market, CSA program and a pick your own. 6) Drazen Orchards: Drazen Orchards in Cheshire offers PYO and you can select from a variety of apples, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, quince and plums. 7) Holmberg Orchards: This orchard is in Gales Ferry. They offer a farmers market with a variety of and , a bakery, and local and specialty foods. They also offer pick your own. 8) Blue Jay Orchards: Located in Bethel offers pick your own pumpkins and apples. Additionally, they offer a range of tours. 9) Lapsley Orchard: Located in Pomfret, Lapsley Orchards offers flowers, blueberries, apples and pumpkin picking. Free wagon rides are offered in September and October. They offer fresh apple donuts and a CSA program. During Columbus Day weekend, the orchard offers three full days of fun, PYO apples, PYO pumpkins, free wagon rides, live music, hot cider donuts and cider making demonstrations. 10) Buell’s Orchard: Buell’s Orchard in Eastford offers strawberry picking, blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins. 11) Easy Pickin’ Orchards: Easy Pickin Orchards in Enfield offers a variety of vegetables and fruits and also offers a CSA program. 12) Wright’s Orchard and Fresh Farm Stand: Located in Tolland, they offer pick your own apples, peaches and pumpkins.

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 3 FALL HALLOWEEN FUN

1) Visit Nightmare on Wolcott Street This indoor haunted attraction features chainsaws, creepy sounds, live characters and much more. 2) Visit Fright Haven Fright Haven is Connecticut’s largest and scariest indoor haunted attraction and has 20,000 square feet of chills and thrills. Features include the “Dark Manor” Victorian haunted house. There will be encounters with snakes, insects, rats, crazed clowns, floating masks and more. 3) Visit Legends of Fear The Legends of Fear attractions include: a haunted hayride and the Hallow. Within the Hallow, you can visit 4 attractions, the Melon Head Revenge Trail, the Haunted Hemlock Manor, Pine Hills Parish and the Dark Harvest. 4) The Haunted Graveyard Lake Compounce The 2018 Haunted Graveyard opens September 28 at dusk and takes scare goers through a graveyard, witch’s lair and ancient temple to name a few of the attractions. 5) Visit the Trail of Terror in Wallingford. 6) Visit the Ghosts Tours of New Haven. Go inside Grove St. Cemetery, find out about the phantom of Geronimo. Ghosts, antique sites, scandalous tales and strange things. 7) Go on the Spirits of Milford tour. A 90 minute tour where you’ll be entertained with stories about the three deadly curses cast on Charles Island, why almost 300 year old Captain Stephen Stow has never left his house on high street and the accused colonial witch buried in Milford Cemetery. 8) Attend the Great Pumpkin Festival on October 20 from 10:00 until 4:00 in Putnam. Visit craft and art vendors, enjoy live music, activities for the kids and pumpkin themed menus. 9) Go on a Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour at the Mark Twain House. The tours are filled with haunted history and dark tales. 10) Visit Creeperum. 11) Visit the SCREAM Haunted Attraction. Visit here for the ultimate thrill. 12) Attend the Haunted Isle at the Shoreline Trolley Museum. 13) Attend the Dark Manor Haunted House in Norwich. You can visit the manor, the graveyard and the catacombs.

14) Attend a Haunting at Mill Hill in Norwalk.

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 4 HALLOWEEN SAFETY CHECKLIST

Tips Courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 5 October Symposiums

Tips Courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 6 October Symposiums

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 7 2019 AVENUE OF DREAMS

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 8 CAFAF DONATIONS

Special thanks to Citizens Bank in Rocky Hill for their generous donation of Back to School supplies. Thank you Hope Fund for helping with Sports costs! These boys LOVE playing ball and are ALL Stars every year .

Special Thanks to the Community Health Network for their generous donation of backpacks to CAFAF.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY DONATED TO OUR 2019 AVENUE OF DREAMS!! HELEN AINSON ATIANA’S BOUTIQUE LOVE BIRD BRIDAL SHOP MARIELLA CREATIONS PROM GIRL

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 9 RESOURCES

For more helpful tips and information, visit NetSmartz.org

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 10 RESOURCES

NetSmartz.org

For more helpful tips and information, visit Fortips more visit helpful and information,

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 11 Helpful Websites

Netsmartz NetSmartz is a fun and interactive site that provides information on internet safety, smart phone use, cyberbullying, and more. They offer tips, and free multimedia internet safety presentations that can be tailored to specific audiences-parents, communities, teens and younger children. Facebook Family Safety Center Facebook family safety center provides tools and resources for parents, teachers and teens to better use social media and websites and aids in teaching the importance of internet safety online. Family Online Safety Institute This institute is working to make the online world safer for kids and their families through enlightened public policy, industry best practice and good digital parenting. ConnectSafely Connect Safely is designed to educate users about safety, privacy and security online. WebWise Kids The WebWise kids mission is to teach kids, parents and the community the value of making safe and wise choices in a technologically evolving world.

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 12 2018 Legislative Update

Communique Fall 2018: A quarterly publication of the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. Page 13