Author Archives: John Majane, CFRE, Special Projects Coordinator
Increased Awareness Of Challenges Faced By Homeless College Students Leads To ActionWhen many of us think of college, we may envision a Saturday football game, grueling examinations, a sunny day on the green or perhaps graduation. Have you ever thought about attending college and being homeless? Unfortunately, today this problem is more prevalent than you may have ever imagined. Continue reading
Across the United States, a number of states have enacted a Foster Parent Bill of Rights: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington.
Other states have various codes or policies that are somewhat similar in nature. Here are some general provisions gleaned from reviewing several states’ regulations pertaining to foster parents:
Children in foster care face so many challenges. One of the most recurring is maintaining quality education. Many of you are aware that New Jersey passed the Education Stability Law in 2010 to assist children in foster care.
Photo by Anissa Thompson
The law recognizes how chaotic a foster child’s life can be. School should be a foundation for the child’s socialization skills, providing balance against tragic experiences such as neglect or abuse.
New Jersey seeks to assure that there is little if any disruption in the education of the child. Children in foster care should be able to participate in school related activities. Location and transportation are addressed in the New Jersey statute. Continue reading
From Miriam Webster’s Dictionary: the word training is defined as the process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession or job. Foster parent training and requirements vary among the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Fifteen states require between four and nine hours of annual training. The majority of states (thirty-one) have requirements that range from ten to twenty hours per year.
Some states allow for training over a multiyear timeframe, such as Illinois’ regulation of sixteen hours over a four-year period and New Jersey’s requirement of 7 hours annually or 21 hours over a 3 year licensing cycle for Primary Providers. Continue reading
Ten years, one decade, 3,650 days of service is a great reason for celebration. Recently, Foster and Adoptive Family Services (FAFS), The Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) and the New Jersey Foster Care (NJFC) Scholars Program held a celebration at The Professional Center in New Brunswick, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the NJFC Scholars Program. Over that period, hundreds of young men and women in foster, adoptive and kinship care were able to attend colleges, universities and trade schools with the assistance of this special program.
In attendance were Allison Blake, PhD, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF); Mary Jane Awrachow, CEO of FAFS; Tara Rizzolo, FAFS Director of Scholarship Programs; Kara Wood, Director of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency; Fran Gervasi, FAFS Director of Education and Training; graduates, current scholars and various guests. The event theme was “Red Carpet – Starring the Scholars.” Continue reading