CSC Newsletter
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7800 ~ Tavares, FL 32778-7800 Physical Address: 1300 S. Duncan Drive ~ Building B, Suite 3 ~ Tavares, FL 32778 Phone: 352.742.6520 ~ Fax: 352.742.6505 Website: www.lakecountyfl.gov/csc TTHEHE LLAKEAKE CCOUNTYOUNTY CCHILDRENHILDREN’’SS VVOICEOICE Thanks to Children’s Services Council VOLUME 4 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 Volunteers Chuck Crane, NOVEMBER ISIS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH Marva Turner, ON NNATIONAL AADOP- Inside this issue: Sandra Stura and nine jurisdictions across the TION DDAY 20072007 – SSAT- Rebecca Foley- country. In just seven years NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY 2 URDAY,, NNOVEMBER 1717 Kearney National Adoption Day has CONTINUED – an unprecedented 2ND ANNIVERSARY truly grown into a national number of courts and communities across 2007-2008 FUNDED 2 CELEBRATION ON celebration, with 3,300 adop- AGENCIES SEPTEMBER 1, 2007 the nation will come together to finalize S 1, 2007 SEPTEMBER tions finalized in 2006 as part thousands of adoptions of children from fos- 2 of 250 events in 50 states and DID YOU KNOW... 29, 2007 ter care and to celebrate all families who the District of Columbia. Thanks to volunteers Lesha Coffield, Early Learning Coalition; Betsy adopt. The Day brings together hundreds SPOTLIGHT ON… 3 Harrington Central Healthy Start Coalition; B.E. Thompson and of judges, attorneys, adoption agencies, - EARLY LEARNING COALITION CHILDREN WWAITING FOR - CHUCK CRANE, CSC Rebecca Foley-Kearney, Children Services Council adoption professionals, and child advo- ADOPTION ININ THE U.S.U.S. cates who are dedicated to creating forever VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION 3 C O M M U N II T Y B U L L E T II N B O A R D families for waiting children. Today, in the United States, children enter the foster care ELC PVK ANNIVERSARY 4 Upcoming Holiday Parades: GOALS OF NNATIONAL AADOPTION DDAY 20072007 system as a result of abuse, ne- glect and abandonment. Thou- KIDS FEST 4 Umatilla Cracker Christmas Parade Finalize adoptions from foster care in all November 17, 2007 @ 9:30 a.m. sands are permanently re- 50 states COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 4 moved from their families and Tavares Christmas Parade Celebrate and honor all families who December 1, 2007 @ 6:00 p.m. wait in foster care for loving, adopt adoptive homes. Unfortunately, more children enter the Lady Lake Christmas in the Sun Raise awareness about the 114,000 chil- December 1, 2007 @ 10:00 a.m. foster care system than are adopted by families, and those dren in foster care waiting for adoption who are adopted can wait five years or more. Leesburg Now and Then Encourage others to adopt children December 1, 2007 @ 6:00 p.m. from foster care Five years is a lifetime to a child. Mt Dora An International Christmas Build collaboration among local adop- December 8, 2007 @ 1:00 p.m. tion agencies, courts, and advocacy or- According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Clermont ganizations Services, Administration for Children and Families, Chil- December 8, 2007 @ 1:00 p.m. Communicate availability and need for dren’s Bureau Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Re- Howey in the Hills post-adoptive services porting System (AFCARS): December 15, 2007 @ 3:00 p.m. 513,000 children are in foster care HISTORYISTORY OF NNATIONAL AADOPTION DDAY 114,000 of these foster care children, or 22 percent, National Adoption Day 2007 builds on in- are waiting to be adopted 2007 CSC MEETIINGS credible efforts over the last eight years by The average age of the child waiting to be adopted Wednesday, November 14 has been The Alliance for Children’s Rights through from foster care is nearly 9 CANCELED!!! the generous support of the Freddie Mac The average number of months a child waiting to be Next meeting: Wednesday, December 19 Foundation, the Dave Thomas Foundation adopted has been in foster care is 42 months for Adoption and others. In November 66,000 children were made available for adoption; Know someone who volunteers to Feedback: Ideas, suggestions, infor- 2000, National Adoption Day sponsors 51,000 were adopted help kids in your community? mation for future articles are worked with law firms, foster care depart- More than 24,000 children exit the foster care system Print off our form and nominate them for Volunteer of the Month. To find out what’s happening in Lake County, always welcome. ments, child advocates, and courts to com- at age 18 without an adoptive family You can find the form on our website access the website @ www.lakecountyfl.gov Call: 352.742.6520 plete hundreds of foster care adoptions in (Preliminary Fiscal Year estimates as of September 2006 10-30-05) @ www.lakecountyfl.gov/csc Email: [email protected] TTHEHE LLAKEAKE CCOUNTYOUNTY CCHILDRENHILDREN’’SS VVOICEOICE VOLUME 44 IISSUESSUE 44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBERECEMBER 20072007 NATIONAL AADOPTION DDAY (C(CONT’’D) NATIONAL AADOPTION DDAY SSPONSORS A coalition of national partners: SSPOTLIGHTPOTLIGHT OONN...... « The Alliance for Children’s Rights « Casey Family Services, « Children’s Action Network « Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute LAKE COUNTY CHILDREN’’S SERVICES EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF « Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption « Freddie Mac Foundation COUNCIL MEMBER CHUCK CRANE,, LAKE COUNTY DISTRICTISTRICT 2 LESHA COFFIELD,, EEXECUTIVE Sponsor National Adoption Day to draw special attention to foster children waiting for permanent families DIRECTORIRECTOR I was born and raised in Somerville, and to celebrate all loving families that adopt. NJ. Upon graduating high school, I The Lake County Children’s Ser- NATIONAL AADOPTION DDAY AND AADOPTION WWEBSITES joined the U.S. Navy. I am one of the vices Council has partnered with www.nationaladoptionday.org. youngest men to be classified as a the Coalition to provide innova- www.davethomasfoundation.org/materials.asp W.W.II veteran tive programs that normally would not be available to many www.davethomasfoundation.org/wendys_3tour_challenge.asp After service, I went to N.J. State Teachers College. There, I www.davethomasfoundation.org/Programs/adoption_friendly_workplace.asp parents and children in our area. met Grace Cordaro. I graduated in June,1953 and we were For the 2007-2008 Program Year (October 1, 2006- married in December, 1953. After forty years of teaching, I September 30, 2007), we were awarded a $25,000 had to take a medical retirement. Teaching was great 2007-2008 LAKE COUNTY CSC FUNDED AGENCIES AMOUNT CHILDREN SERVED grant from the CSC to assist in funding the Big Blue while it lasted. Bus Program. This program is specifically designed to 1. Boy & Girls Club of Lake-Sumter $ 25,000.00 300 Grace and I moved to Clermont in June, 1997. We left be- be used as a mobile resource for early childhood pro- 2. Early Learning Coalition $ 25,000.00 1,200 hind our children and five grandchildren. They are the only viders in Lake County. It is a portable classroom full of literacy activities, computers, curriculum and other 3. Florida’s Vision Quest $ 20,000.00 200 things we miss. Fortunately, for us, one of our daughters, JoAnna, followed us here. educational resources. The bus travels throughout 4. Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties $ 25,000.00 225 the community to reach children in family child care I have been on the CSC board for four years, and I volun- 5. Lake-Sumter Children’s Advocacy Center $ 25,000.00 140 homes, licensed and registered, as well as private, teer as a mediator for small claims court in Lake County. I public and faith-based child care facilities. The ser- 6. Lake-Sumter Community College $ 7,500.00 30 also spend time volunteering and working with the Knights vices of the Big Blue Bus are also available at various 7. Leesburg Center for the Arts $ 18,000.00 200 of Columbus. community events, local libraries and other public locations. Ms. Nelida Diop, ELCLC’s Early Education 8. LifeStream Behavioral Center $ 25,000.00 3,000 Specialist, engages the children by using educational 9. Spring Lake Elementary School $ 22,000.00 400 and age appropriate materials. She also offers train- 10. Youth Reach $ 25,000.00 100 ing and technical assistance on early childhood prac- tices to child care providers and parents. 2007-2008 Total Funds/# Children Served $217,500.00 5,795 As a result of the combined state funds and the CSC SEPTEMBER VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION grant, we were able to enhance the educational ex- DIDID YOU KNOW…. periences of 1,034 children, parents and providers during 254 visits to child care facilities and 26 com- On average, children missed 5 days in kindergarten, 4.5 days in first grade, and 3.7 days in both third and fifth munity events. grades. However, almost 14% of kindergartners, 12% of first graders, 11% of third graders, and 10% of fifth graders were at-risk absentees: they missed an average of 12 to 18 days during the school year. Over 11% of kindergart- ners, almost 9% of first graders, 6% of third graders, and 5% of fifth graders were chronic absentees: they missed at least 18 days or more of the school year. In total, one-quarter of all kindergarten children were ei- ther at-risk or chronic absentees. Happy Holidays! In all grades, the lower family income, the higher the absenteeism rates. Living in a poor family (one whose income is below the federal poverty level— FPL), or a low-income family (one whose income is up to 200% FPL) greatly increased the chances of Leesburg Center for the Arts being an at-risk or chronic absentee. Executive Director Amy Griffin, Volunteer Aida Papotto, County Commissioner Debbie Stivender, CSC Chair B.E. Thompson Page 2 Page 3 .