the national foster parent association’s advocate · 2013. 4. 17. · are dynamic and are...

www.NFPAonline.org www.facebook.com/nationalfosterparentassociation twitter@NFPAonline

The National Foster Parent Association

National Foster Parent Association’s

Advocate

The

•2013ConferenceNews

•RaisingHealthyFamilies

•NationalFosterCareMonth


Mission: To support foster parents in achieving safety, permanence and wellbeing for the children and youth in their care

NFPABoardofDirectors

President ---------------Irene Clements

Vice-President ---------Sue Dondiego

Secretary ---------------Heather Hosmer

Treasurer --------------Aubrey Manuel

Council of State Affiliates Chairman

---------------Pat Llewellyn

Member At-Large----- Lana Freeman

Regional Officers

Region 1 - Connecticut/Maine/Massachusetts/ New

Hampshire/Rhode Island/Vermont

Regional Vice President---Doris Marshall

Regional Advisor ---------- Jean Fiorito

Region 2 - New Jersey/New York/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands

Regional Vice President -- Antoinette Cotman

Regional Advisor ---------- Sarah Gerstenzang

Region 3 - District of Columbia/Delaware/ Maryland/

Pennsylvania/Virginia/West Virginia

Regional Vice President -- Michele Burnette

Regional Advisor ---------- John Bertulis

Region 4 - Alabama/Florida/Georgia/Kentucky/

Mississippi/N. Carolina/S. Carolina/ Tennessee

Regional Vice President -- Terry Gray

Regional Advisor ---------- David Sharp

Region 5 - Illinois/Indiana/Michigan/Minnesota/Ohio/

Wisconsin

Regional Vice President -- Randy Ruth

Regional Advisor --------- Josh Kroll

Region 6 - Arkansas/Louisiana/Oklahoma/New Mexico /Texas

Regional Vice President -- Lana Freeman

Regional Advisor ---------- Karen Poteet

Region 7 - Iowa/Kansas/Missouri/Nebraska

Regional Vice President -- Pam Allen

Regional Advisor ---------- Cory Rathbun

Region 8 - Colorado/ N. Dakota/S. Dakota/Montana/Utah/

Wyoming

Regional Vice President -- Corrie Lynne Player

Regional Advisor --------- Bonnie McNulty

Region 9 - Arizona/California/Nevada/Hawaii/Guam/Samoa

/Wake Island

Regional Vice President -- Ron Clanton

Regional Advisor ---------- Bobbie Rufus

Region 10 -Alaska/Idaho/Oregon/Washington

Regional Vice President -- Julianne Rinard

Regional Advisor - -------- Melody Curtis

TableOfContentsNFPA News• Sponsor NFPA............................................. Page 5, 11, 24• Advertise In The NationalAdvocate.......... Page 5• face2facewith Irene..................................... Page 8• NFPA Friend Supporters............................ Page 8• NFPA 2013 Conference Information........ Pages 9-23 -Join the Wave ....................................... Page 10 -Registration Online............................. Page 10 -How About Training Hours............... Page 11 -Attendees - who can attend................ Page 11 -Can I bring my children?.................... Page 11 -Sponsors Information......................... Page 11 -Opening Session Speaker................... Page 12 -General Session Speaker..................... Page 12 -Scavenger Hunt.................................... Page 13 -Surfer Dude/Dudette Information.... Page 13 -Good Food, Guest, Fun & Awards.... Page 13 -Advocacy............................................... Page 13 -Conference At A Glance..................... Page 14 -Just The Facts ....................................... Page 15 -Session Details..................................... Pages 16-21 -Awards Information............................ Page 18 -Basic Information................................ Page 22 -Final Steps............................................. Page 23 -Sponsorship Opportunities................ Page 24• Join NFPA..................................................... Page 25• Board of Directors ....................................... Page 26-27• National Foster Care Month....................... Page 28

Articles Of Interest• Raising Healthy Families............................ Pages 3-4• Easing Transitions For Young Children... Pages 6-7• The System Needs To Be Changed............ Page 7



RaisingHealthyFamilies

“We all come from families...A family can be as temporary as a few weeks, as permanent as forever. We become part of a family by birth, adoption, marriage, or from a desire for mutual support.

“As family members, we nurture, protect, and influence each other. Families are dynamic and are cultures unto themselves, with different values and unique ways of realizing dreams. Together, our families become the source of our rich cultural heritage and spiritual diversity.

“Each family has strengths and qualities that flow from individual members, and from the family as a unit. Our families create neighborhoods, communities, states, and nations.”

(Developed and adopted by the Young Children’s Continuum of the New Mexico State Legislature, June 20, 1990)

This description of the family, originally penned by Family Voices’ first Executive Director, Polly Arango, describes the diversity and strength of today’s families. Raising healthy families today can be a challenge. There are many places to find resources--but where to start?

IntroducingTheBrightFuturesFamilyNetworks!

Last fall Family Voices and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) again brought together the Bright Futures Family Network (BFFN), at the AAP Headquarters in Elk

Grove, Illinois. These family organizations have different focusses and purposes, but all share the mission of providing support and encouragement to families. Improving health and wellness is a common goal across the organizations.

The BFFN is advancing health and wellness for families from the perspective of diversity and a holistic approach to health, connecting actions to the 10 Health Promotion Themes of the AAP’s Bright Futures Guidelines for the Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (3rd ed.):

• Family Support

• Child Development

• Mental Health

• Healthy Weight

• Healthy Nutrition

• Physical Activity

• Oral Health

• Healthy Sexual Development

• Safety and Injury Prevention

• Community Relationships and Resources

TheBrightFuturesFamilyNetworkIncludes:

• Community Cafe www.thecommunitycafe.com

• La Leche League International

www.LLLI.org

• Migrant Health Promotion www.migranthealth.org

• MOST [Mothers of Supertwins]

www.MOSTonline.org

• National Center for Farmworker Health

www.ncfh.org

• NFPA www.NFPAonline.org

• National Healthy Start Association

www.nationalhealthystart.org

• NICWA [National Indian Child Welfare Association]

www.nicwa.org

• National Military Family Association

www.militaryfamily.org

• Today’s Child Communications

www.todays-child.com

• Key Partner: The American Academy of Pediatrics

www.aap.org

“Morethaneverbefore,thereisa

globalunderstandingthatlong-term

social,economic,andenvironmentaldevelopmentwouldbeimpossiblewithout

healthyfamilies,communities,and

countries.”--Gro Brundtland,

Norwegian physician



IdentifyingNeedsOfFamilies

The Bright Futures Family Network would like to see health promotion occur in all arenas (sectors) of life, not just the doctor’s office: for instance, the workplace, the community, and schools. At the November meeting, the group discussed how the hot topics and themes could be integrated in these arenas in positive ways.

As a result of this discussion, the group identified ways to strengthen health and wellness promotion and improve health equity.

• Weallneedaccess!This includes access to quality health care, resources, and health- promoting communities and neighborhoods.

• Usepeer-to-peersupportandcommunityhealthworkerstoreachacrossthesectors.

• Weneedaholisticapproach! Promoting health and wellness involves the mind, body, and spirit, and is more than just addressing specific diseases.

• Improvinghealthandwellnessfortoday’sfamiliesmustinvolvemorethanjustthehealthcaresetting.Important as medical advances and care are, the family setting is where most health happens Workplaces, schools, faith-based organizations, etc., are all important in promoting health and wellness.

• Familiesneedtofeelculturallycomfortable.Health and wellness promotion must respect the culture and community of individual families.

• Weneedfamily-centeredworkplacesthatencouragefamilyhealthandwellbeing!Work settings must allow flexibility as families take care of many responsibilities.

• Weneedeverybodyatthetabletobesuccessful! Missing from the BFFN organizations and conversations are youth, fathers, work place, and faith-based representatives.

MovingForward:NextStepsfortheBFFN

I n 2013, Family Voices will be facilitating this group’s continuing efforts to keep the Network connected, and increase its capacity to promote health and wellness nationally. The group discussed potential next steps:

• ContinuetobuildBFFNmembershipby inviting other family-centered organizations, especially those who can fill in the gaps identified (fathers, workplace, faith-based, etc)

• Combineforcesandresourcesto provide health and wellness webinars on such topics as breast-feeding promotion, mental health, and engaging and supporting Community Health Workers in their health promotion efforts within communities.

• Worktowardsaculturalshift.The Network wants people to view health differently, and not wait to take care of themselves until they are sick.

• Identifyayear’sworthofBrightFutureshealthpromotionthemes,coordinating with existing national health observances where possible.

-Identify resources, both within the Network and elsewhere, to share.

-Create sharable resources to fill in missing gaps.

-Use social media to help spread family-centered health messages

• Intertwineandnotionofculturalcompetencein everything the Network does: “This is what it might look like in the population; and this is what it might look like in another.”

• Buildcapacityforadvocacyoffamily-centeredhealthandwellnesspromotion.

• WorktoconnectfamilieswithBrightFuturesorientedMedicalHomesthat advocate for



WELCOME to our new Sponsor, “Centene Corporation”. Centene is a leading healthcare management organization that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured individuals. As an extension of this effort, The Centene Foundation strives to support strategies that improve healthcare for low-income individuals and families. This is accomplished through an inspired philanthropic giving plan that seeks to improve the quality

and access to healthcare in the communities we serve.”

WELCOME to NFPA’s newest partner,‘FosterFocusMagazine’. Foster Focus was created by a former foster youth, Chris Chmielewski, and his readers experience all that foster care has to offer, every perspective is represented: foster child, former foster child, foster families, social workers, educators, those who provide services to the industry, public, private, etc. To learn more, click HERE.

NFPA’sNationalAdvocateAdvertisingPolicy:

The National Foster Parent Association’s publication, the NationalAdvocate, is published quarterly (March, June, September, and December) and posted on the NFPA website. The NFPA’s NationalAdvocate is now also available on the digital issue of the Fostering Families Today magazine. This publication is then available to the over 125,000 foster families, kinship families, and adoptive families and other resource families across the U.S. and to others interested in the foster care system. Ad’s are accepted by the issue or on an annual basis.AdRequirements:Ad must be camera ready and sent as an attachment, in PDF format, in an email to [email protected] or [email protected], the NFPA Editor. Ads must be family friendly and will be published at the discretion of the Editor and the NFPA Communication Committee.• Deadline for Ad/article/information submission

is the 10th of February, May, August, and November.

Payments are to be mailed to NFPA [2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 320 / Minneapolis, MN 55413] and are expected within one week of submitting the Ad.

Rates: Non-Member of NFPA$300 for a single issue full-page Ad (8.5x11) $175 for a single issue half-page Ad (8.5x5.5) OR$900 for an Annual full-page Ad (all issues)$500 for an Annual half-page Ad (all issues)

Member of NFPA$150 for a single issue full-page Ad (8.5x11)$100 for a single issue half-page Ad (8.5x5.5) OR$450 for an Annual full-page Ad (all issues)$325 for an Annual half-page Ad (all issues)Annual rates may include a link on the NFPA website to the Advertiser’s website upon request of the Advertiser and approved by the Communication Committee Chair.

Visit the NFPA website at www.NFPAonline.org for Membership.



Easing Transitions for Young ChildrenBy Amanda Oneofthemoredifficulttimesofthedayforyoungchildren(andtheirparents)aretransitiontimes.Youknowthetimes.Likewhenyoutellthemthatit’stimetoleavetheparkorstopplayingtomoveontoanotheractivity,likedinnerordiaperchanges.Oftenthesetimescanleadtobigtempertantrumsandcompletebreakdownsforlittleones. I’vecompiledafewtipstohelpduringthesetoughtimes.Thesetipshaveworkedformeforyearswithmanydifferentagedchildren.Theyaren’tfullproofandtherewillstillbetimesachildhasdifficultytransitioning,buttheysuredomakethingseasiermostofthetime. 1.Givelotsofchoicesthroughouttheday:Givingchoicesreallyhelpsachildfeelincontroloftheirlifeandmoreconnectedwiththeircaregivers.Ifachildisgivenachoiceandacaregivercomplieswiththatchoicethanthechildfeelsheardandrespected.Youwillfindthatwhenachildfeelsheardandsecure,theyaremorelikelytocomplywithdirectionsfromtheircaregiver. 2.Letyourtoddlerchoosewhenit’stimetoleave:Ok,ok,Iknowthissoundsweird,buthearmeout.Let’slookatanexampleofwhatImean:We’replayingattheparkandIknowweneedtoleavein15minutes.ItsnowthatIgiveachoice.Ioftensay“HeyJ,doyouwanttoleavetheparkin15minutesorrightnow?”Thishelpshimfeellikehehasachoiceinwhenplaytimeisoveranditprepareshimfortransition.Morethanlikelyhewillsaythathewants15moreminutes.That’sfinewithmebecausewedon’thavetoleaveforanother15minutes. 3.Setatimer:Mytimerisnowmynewbestfriend.Isetatimeratonthroughouttheyday,becauseitworks!AfterIgivehimthechoice,Isetthetimeronmyphone(Ihaveasimplekitchentimerapp,aneggtimerworksgreattoo).Whenthetimergoesoff,Jknowsit’stimetogo.Thegreatthingisthatit’snotmetellinghimwhenit’stimetogo…it’sthetimer!Plus,ithelpsmekeeptrackoftimetoo. 4.Givereminders:Inthe15minutesthathe’schosentoplayI’llgiveJatleast2remindersthatwhenthetimergoesoffitwillbetimetogo.Again,Iampreparinghimforthetransition. 5.Easethetransition:Idon’teverabruptlyendJ’splay,orIknowatempertantrumislikely.Ialwayssaysomethinglike“OK,Jyouhad15minutesandthetimerhasgoneoff…it’stimetogo”.Sometimesthisworksthefirsttime…notoften.Imayhavetosaythisacoupleoftimesbeforehe’sready,butIalwaystrytogethimtogoonhisown.Ifhe’shavingareallyhardtimetransitioning,I’llgiveachoice.“OK,Jdoyouwanttorunhomefromthepark,orholdmyhand”.Ifhestillrefuses.I’llsay,“sinceyouchosenottomakeachoice,you’llhavetoholdmyhandonthewayhome”.Mostofthetimeitdoesn’tgettothispoint,buteveryonceinawhileIdohavetoleadhimaway.Otherthingstoconsider: 1.Isyourfamilyoverscheduledandtherearetoomanytransitionsinyourchild’sday?Childrenneedtimetoplayandcangetfrustratediftheydon’tgetit.Thiscanleadtomorefrustrationduringtransitiontimes.ThispostmyLittleMomentsexplainsitbeautifully. 2.Useatransitionalobject.Allowyourchildtotaketoythattheywereplayingwithinthecarortothechangingtable.Thisletsthechildknowthatyouseetheimportanceinwhattheyweredoingandtheplaycancontinueduringthetransition.IoftengiveJachoiceonifthewantstobringatoyandwhattoyhechooses. 3.Havearoutinesinyourday.Themoreroutines,theeasierthetransition.Asanexample:Jknowsthathegetstowatch2TVshoesbeforebreakfast.Heisalreadypreppedandreadytogoeatbreakfastwhenthatsecondshowisover.Thereisn’tmuchofafightbecauseit’sthesamethingeverymorning….it’spredictable.

Easing Transitions For Young Children



4.Payattentiontotheirbasicneeds.Ahungryandtiredchildwillnottransitionaswellasarested,fedchild. 5.Staycalm.Thecalmeryouare,thecalmeryourchildwillbe.Thisissotrueduringtransitions.Insteadofyellingandpushingyourchildtomove.Trystayingcalmandeasingthemintothetransition.Iknowthatthiscanbeeasiersaidthandone,especiallywhenyou’reinahurry,butyouwillgetoutofthehousesoonerandwithacalmerchildifyoucanstaycalmtoo. 6.I’llsayitagain….choices,choices,choices!Themorechoicesachildgets,themorecomplianttheywillbe!Trustme.Enjoymoreofthisblogathttp://www.dirtandboogers.com/2012/10/easing-transitions-for-young-children.html

What they have in common as they enter our nations child welfare system is the need for safe and stable homes. What too many will have in common as they make their way through our system is the stuff of nightmares. But many child welfare systems are underfunded, understaffed, beset by serious systemwide problems, and lacking the leadership necessary to fix them. They compound the trauma that abused and neglected children have already experienced by:1. Removing children without any of their personal belongings or clothes in tow, 2. Separating them from their siblings, 3. Placing them in different school districts when loving foster homes are available in their own communities,4. Not scheduling the treatment they so desperately need, 5. Moving them from foster home to foster home due to agency negligence or convenience, 6. Over medicating children to control their behavior 7. neglecting children’s educational needs. 8. Loosing important information pertinent to the children's permanency plan9. Withholding information from foster families causing a disconnect in the life of the child10. Failing to convene all parties in required planning meetings to discuss child's future. Perhaps the most devastating practice is bouncing children from home to home uprooting their lives repeatedly and without warning. This not only hurts children and their chance for permanency, but also alienates good foster families, driving them out of the system. The system must quickly find permanent homes for children, through either safe reunification with their birth families or adoption, when reunification is not possible. They must communicate with foster and birth families alike. They must provide adequate services to ensure children’s health and well-being to help them recover from the trauma they have experienced. Failure in any one of these areas effectively sentences our children to more devastation and hopelessness. Change has been left in the hands of the system for long enough. While much improvement can be seen with regard to child welfare over the past few decades, the lingering failures above can no longer be over looked. Giving foster parents a voice in this system has been advocated, legislated and yet continues to be ignored by the powers that be. For starters foster parents need to be heard in court per our state and federal laws. (See ASFA and the State FPBR's.) While some district court judges will not begin a hearing without the foster parents seated in the courtroom, others still hold foster parents out of this important day in the life of our dependent children.

David Sharp, Chair NFPA Public Policy

Hundreds of tHousands of abused and neglected cHildren will spend time in foster care tHis year



DearNFPAMembersandFriends,

AsIwritethisletterIampreparingfortheupcomingNFPA43rdannualeducationconferencetobeheldinLongBeach,California,thefirstweekofJune.Ihopetoseeyouthere!TheentireprogramisexcitingandIfeelconfidentthatourattendeeswillnotonlylearnadditionalinformationthatwillhelpthembebetterfosterparents,socialworkers,etc,buttheywillbesmilingbecauseofallthefuntheyexperienced.Theworkshopsofferedduringtheconferencearevariedandrelevant,toincludesomethingforeveryone.

Fostercaresystemsappeartobeundergoingchangesinmanyofourstates.Timesofchangecanbehardoneveryoneinthesystemandparticularlyhardonfosterparentssincetheymaybethelasttoknowthingsarechanging,whatthosechangesareandhowthosechangesmayaffectthemandthechildrenintheircare.Whenyoufeelyoumaynotbegettingtheinformationyouneed,speakupandask!Manyfosterparentsspendtheirtimeadvocatingforthechildrenintheircarebutoftenfailtorecognizethattheyneedtoadvocateforthemselves,too.

Advocacycomesinmanyforms–personal,localfosterparentassociations,statefosterparentassociationsand,ofcourse,theNationalFosterParentAssociation.Itisimportantforeveryfosterparenttobeamemberoftheirlocalassociationifoneisavailable,theirstateassociationandofcourse,NFPA.Eachworkstoadvocateonbehalfoffosterparentswithintheirlocalcommunities,theirstateandacrossthecountry.Yourmembershiphelpsprovideneededfundstosupporttheworkoftheseassociationswhilealsoprovideclout–numbersmakeadifferencewhentalkingtostateleadersandstateandfederallegislators.

Withthestartofsummer,Ihopeeveryonehasasafeandrelaxingsummer.Remember,youaremyheroes!

Sincerely,

IreneClements,President

face2facewithIreneClements,NFPAPresident

• Pamela Allen

• John Bertulis

• Dr. Jerry Brown

• Carl Christman

• Ronald Clanton

• Billy Clements

• Stacey Darbee

• Sue Dondiego

• Jean Fiorito

• Kaylani Gopal

• William ‘Buddy’ Hooper

• Peggy Kirby

• Josh Kroll

• Bonnie McNulty

• Kate Newbanks

• Michael Peterson

• Phyllis Pierce

• Aubrey Manuel

• Bonnie McNulty

• Cate Newbanks

• Michael Peterson

• Phyllis Pierce

• Corrie Lynne Player

• Karen Poteet

• Rob Rinard Jr.

• Dee Robinson

• Dennis Seger

• LaShaun Wallace

NFPAAppreciatesOurFRIENDSupporters



www.nfpaonline.org



JUST THE FACTS!



2013 Sponsorship OpportunitiesNFPA Award Lunch: Approximately 400 attendees Purpose: To recognize foster/adoptive/kinship parents for their dedication and commitment to children and others, who have made a significant contribution to NFPA giving of their time and talents. Sponsorship amount: $10,000 Benefits: Full page ad in the On-site Guide distributed to all conference attendees. Four complimentary tickets to the Awards lunch Acknowledgement of contribution on the NFPA website and in publications Special Recognition at luncheon

NFPA Box Lunch: Approximately 400 attendees Sponsorship amount: $5000 Benefits: Full page color ad in the On-Site Guide distributed to all conference attendees. 2 complimentary tickets to the luncheon Acknowledgement of contribution on NFPA website and in publications Special recognition at luncheon

On-site Guide: A complete description of all conference activities, including workshops, special events, NFPA information and ads, provided to all attendees. Sponsorship amount: $3,000 Purpose: To cover printing costs Benefits: Full page colored ad in the On-site Guide distributed to all conference attendees. Acknowledgement on the NFPA website and in publications NFPA Meet and Greet: An opportunity for all conference attendees to meet NFPA Board members, and foster/adoptive/kinship parents and agency representatives from across the country. Sponsorship amount: $3,000 Benefits: Full page color ad in the On-site Guide distributed to all conference attendees Acknowledgement on the NFPA website and in publications

Morning Coffee Break Sponsorship amount: $1500 Purpose: Give attendees time and place to meet and possibly get to know other resource parents that are attending the conference before the daily workshops begin. Benefits: ½ page colored ad in the On-Site Guide Acknowledgement on the NFPA website and in publications

Ongoing Youth Scholarship Sponsorship Opportunities Purpose: To assist youth in foster/adoptive homes to pursue a higher education. Sponsorship Amount: $500 - $10,000 Benefits: Depending on sponsorship level selected, benefits would vary. All sponsorship levels would be acknowledged on the NFPA website and publications Sponsorships of $1,000 or more will receive a full page ad in the on-site Guide and an invitation to the event when scholarship recipients are announced.



OR you can show your support of NFPA by being a Friend of NFPA.

Join NFPA - Today!Thislevelofmembershipisavailabletoallfosterparents,childwelfarepersonnel,andindividualsconcernedwiththewelfareofchildren.Regularmembershavetherighttovoteonallmattersbroughttothemembersoftheassociation,andeachreceivesinformationaboutthenationalactivitiesoftheassociation.Cost:$35aYear!REALLY!What a bargain!

Joinnow!

Friends of NFPA has three areas of Support:

FriendsofNFPA:ADVOCATELEVELFee:$15perMonth

Your Name or Company Name listed on the NFPA WebsiteYour Name or Company Name listed in the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate

Automaticmembershiprenewaleveryyear.

FriendsofNFPA:HEROLEVELFee:$25perMonth

Your Name or Company Name listed on the NFPA WebsiteYour Name or Company Name listed in the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate10% Discount on NFPA Conference Registration Fee

FriendsofNFPA:CHAMPIONLEVELFee:$50perMonth

Your Name or Company Name listed on the NFPA WebsiteYour Name or Company Name listed in the NFPA publication, The NationalAdvocate15% Discount on NFPA Conference Registration Fee

FREESubscriptiontoFosteringFamiliesTodaymagazineInvitation to Champions Reception at the Annual NFPA Conference



The NFPA Board of Directors

President..................................IreneClements 512-775-9781 [email protected]

Vice-President..........................SueDondiego 908-307-5196 [email protected]

Secretary..................................HeatherHosmer 209-834-0599 [email protected]

Treasurer................................AubreyManuel 323-846-0007 [email protected]

CouncilofStateAffiliatesChairman........PatLlewellyn 406-297-9398 [email protected]

MemberAt-Large.....................LanaFreeman 405-387-5052 [email protected]

RegionalOfficers Region 1: Connecticut / Maine / Massachusetts / New Hampshire / Rhode Island / Vermont

Regional Vice President: Doris Marshall 617-472-6325 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Patricia Marony Gahanom

Region 2: New Jersey /New York / Puerto Rico / Virgin Islands

Regional Vice President: Antoinette Cotman 917-387-0195 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Sarah Gerstenzang 718-369-7363 [email protected]

Region 3: District of Columbia /Delaware / Maryland / Pennsylvania / Virginia / West Virginia

Regional Vice President: Michele Burnette 240-298-5825 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: John Bertulis 410-767-7561 [email protected]

Region 4: Alabama /Florida /Georgia /Kentucky / Mississippi / N. Carolina /S. Carolina / Tennessee

Regional Vice President: Terry Gray 502-570-5897 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: David Sharp 205-369-4167 [email protected]

Region 5: Illinois / Indiana / Michigan / Minnesota /Ohio /Wisconsin

Regional Vice President: Randy Ruth 612-849-0246 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Josh Kroll 651-644-3036 [email protected]

Region 6: Arkansas / Louisiana / Oklahoma /New Mexico /Texas

Regional Vice President: Lana Freeman 405-387-5052 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Karen Poteet 405-522-2467 [email protected]

Region 7: Iowa /Kansas /Missouri /Nebraska

Regional Vice President: Pam Allen 308-631-5847 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Cory Rathbun 785-825-0541 x 308 [email protected]

Region 8: Colorado / N. Dakota / S. Dakota / Montana / Utah / Wyoming

Regional Vice President: Corrie Lynne Player 435-327-1096 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Bonnie McNulty 303-233-6216 [email protected]

Region 9: Arizona /California /Nevada /Hawaii /Guam / Samoa /Wake Island

Regional Vice President: Ron Clanton 602-867-9473 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Bobbie Rufus 661-588-2146 [email protected]

Region 10: Alaska /Idaho /Oregon /Washington

Regional Vice President: Julianne Rinard 208-659-5960 [email protected]

Regional Advisor: Melody Curtis [email protected]



Committees

Board Development............... Stacey Darbee 919-367-9301 [email protected]

Budget & Finance................... Jean Fiorito 860-258-3400 [email protected]

Bylaws..................................... Peggy Kirby 888-655-9564 [email protected]

Conference............................. Sue Dondiego 908-307-5196 [email protected]

Co-Chair .............................. Michele Burnett 240-298-5825 [email protected]

Diversity................................. Lana Freeman 405-387-5052 [email protected]

Implementation..................... Randy Ruth 612-849-0246 [email protected]

Member Services ................... LaShaun Wallace 954-699-0844 [email protected]

Nominations........................... Bonnie McNulty 303-233-6216 [email protected]

Public Policy........................... David Sharp 205-369-4167 [email protected]

Resource Development......... Jason Lavender 512-740-3322 [email protected]

Walk Me Home.......................William ‘Buddy’ Hooper 256-507-3273 [email protected]

Co-Chair .............................. Mike Canfield 360-377-1011 [email protected]

Sub-Committees

Presidential Adviser .................................Patrick [email protected]

Editor of the NationalAdvocate ...............Carolyn [email protected]

IT and Web Master ..................................Dennis [email protected]

The NEXT NFPA Board of Directors Meeting is scheduled for May 6, 2013 7:00 PM (CDT) • By Conference Call



May is National Foster Care Month

Hang a blue ribbon and help increase awareness of foster care!

Whether you live in a city or town, suburbs or the country, you can help the National Foster Parent Association

increase awareness of foster care by hanging blue ribbons on your front door, your mailbox, the tree in your front

yard or the post on your front porch, WHEREVER it can BE SEEN. Ask your friends and relatives to do the same.

Other IdeasRequest a proclamation from your governor or mayor

Ask your state legislator for a resolution

Host a National Foster Care Month event and use blue ribbons as decorations

Visit www.NFPAonline.org for more ideas!

the national foster parent association’s advocate · 2013. 4. 17. · are dynamic and are...

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