NOTABLE NEWS Meghan Tarantino – Editor Mahoning County CSB September 2015 FOSTER PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWS From the Desk of the President Hope everyone had a great August. First if you had not guessed we had to cancel the August meeting due to scheduling conflicts. September is here and the FPA meeting will take place on Monday, September 21 st . I know it is not the second Monday, but I am moving it to when there is already training going on in the building. It is important that you attend this meeting. I will look to have a speaker and we will discuss activities for the kids, fundraisers and the Christmas party. Your input is always appreciated. The Princess Gala event also happened in August. 85 girls received a day at the spa, dress, limo ride, photo shoot, and a party with a DJ. Thanks to all who helped to make this event a success. Canfield Fair is coming September 2 nd through the 9 th . If you go out be sure to stop by the Mahoning County Children Services booth in the Medical Building. As always please feel free to call/text me with any questions or comments you have. Thanks. Jason WELCOME I’d like to welcome newly licensed foster parent Angela Kingsley. Angela is from Austintown and is open to foster children 0-12 years old. Welcome and best of luck on this endeavor! FPA Officers: President: Jason Pavone (330) 518-1953 Vice-President: Marguerite Felice- LaFontaine (330) 623-3779 Secretary: DeaAnna Dille (330) 651-2847 Treasurer: Taffy Pavone (330) 559-8351
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NOTABLE NEWS Meghan Tarantino – Editor
Mahoning County CSB
September 2015
FOSTER PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWS
From the Desk of the President
Hope everyone had a great August. First if you had not guessed we had to cancel the August
meeting due to scheduling conflicts. September is here and the FPA meeting will take place
on Monday, September 21st. I know it is not the second Monday, but I am moving it to when
there is already training going on in the building. It is important that you attend this
meeting. I will look to have a speaker and we will discuss activities for the kids, fundraisers
and the Christmas party. Your input is always appreciated.
The Princess Gala event also happened in August. 85 girls received a day at the spa, dress,
limo ride, photo shoot, and a party with a DJ. Thanks to all who helped to make this event a
success.
Canfield Fair is coming September 2nd through the 9th. If you go out be sure to stop by the
Mahoning County Children Services booth in the Medical Building.
As always please feel free to call/text me with any questions or comments you have. Thanks.
Jason
WELCOME
I’d like to welcome newly licensed foster parent Angela Kingsley. Angela is from Austintown and is
open to foster children 0-12 years old. Welcome and best of luck on this endeavor!
FPA Officers:
President: Jason Pavone
(330) 518-1953
Vice-President: Marguerite Felice-
LaFontaine (330) 623-3779
Secretary: DeaAnna Dille
(330) 651-2847
Treasurer: Taffy Pavone
(330) 559-8351
SHOUT OUTS
I would like to give a shout out to foster caregiver Pam Bowers for being move than
accommodating for a placement and calling to check on me the next day! Kelly Rader
EMERGENCY HOMES NEEDED
If you are willing to take after hour/weekend placements, please consider being an Emergency Placement Home.
These placements receive $35 a day for the first 10 days, and are a short-duration placement, lasting no longer
than 30 days. If you’re interested in hearing more information, please contact Meghan Tarantino at 330-941-
8859.
PLEASE BE AWARE
PLEASE BE AWARE: There is an unauthorized Facebook Page created by an unknown
individual. Please do not post anything to this page as it is not created, supported, or
managed by Mahoning County Children Services.
HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE
The agency has renewed its Health and Safety Committee. This group is to look at and address
any current and ongoing health and safety issues related to the work place. At this time we are
looking at various ways to improve safety of the CSB building and for CSB staff. In the month of
August, one of the ways we looked at improving safety was to lower the garage doors in order to limit access to the
building. This was a trial basis for the month of August. It will then be decided if this is an effort that will
improve safety and will either continue or the doors will be reopened. If, due to the closed doors, you have any
issues that surround pick up or drop off of foster children, please talk with your worker ahead of time in order to
plan your transportation.
MEGHAN’S RULE UPDATE
Please refer to your Foster Parent Manual Chapter 5, pages 6 & 7 for the entire policy.
3. Daycare Contract Guidelines
a) Payment will not exceed the state rates for daycare billing. Rates will remain the same
from January 1 to December 31 each year.
b) Payment will only be for actual days and hours the children attend.
c) Billing cycle ends on the last day of the month. Bills must be submitted on a monthly basis
by the 7th day of the following month.
d) Documentation in either signature or electronic form will be required with foster parent’s
signature for each day the child attends daycare. This sign-in, sign-out sheet is required
to be attached to the Day Care Invoice Form. (Appendix 5-J)
e) Invoices must include daycare address, the child’s specific age and rate, and shall be
itemized daily with a total amount due. Invoices without this information will be returned
delaying payment.
f) Failure to submit accurate and verifiable billing information may result in the termination
of the contract.
g) Mahoning County Children Services will only pay up to 8.5 hours per day, five days per
week. The foster parent is responsible for payments over 8.5 hours.
h) Because of high volume/turnover Mahoning County Children Services does not pay any
additional fees such as registration, activity or associated fees.
YOGA AND FOSTER CARE
“We are familiar with the therapeutic benefits of Yoga. Here’s another look at its benefits.”
Anthony’s Story: Yoga and Foster Care
Anthony, from the latest episode of Urban Yogis on The Chopra Well, is an exception to the
trend. He grew up in and out of foster care, back and forth between his mother and various temporary homes. As
he explains in the episode, his mother never fed him or provided him with basic life needs. Let alone the more
intangible necessities of love comfort, and security. He was never with her long before being sent to another
foster home, making for a fairly unstable childhood.
With the help of his final foster family, as well his own drive and will to survive, Anthony emerged from his youth
with a clear vision for the future. He’s proud of the life he has created for himself – living independently in a
supportive housing unit, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, and aspiring to get a PhD in
Mathematics. Anthony didn’t just survive his childhood; and he isn’t just “getting by” now. He has discovered his
passion and ambition. He has embarked on a difficult and rewarding path, made all the more remarkable by his
challenging childhood. Through his weekly yoga practice, Anthony further refines this path by learning to pay
attention to his moods, focus his mind, and discover strength in every subtle movement and breath.
How does a young person emerge from such a difficult childhood and thrive in adulthood? What facilities this
resilience and ambition? It could be that some experience along the way provided just enough of a glimmer of
home – a supportive social worker, a beautiful song, a loving foster family, an inspiring lesson from history. In
Anthony’s case, a large part of his success comes from the opportunity to live alone and get acquainted with his own
strength and competence. Yoga has played a large role, as well. As his instructor, Eddie Stern, says, yoga allows us
to slow down and focus on our movement and breath. Through this, we come to see that we are individuals with
minds and bodies and souls of our own. We aren’t just witnesses of a world going on around us, but rather
conscious agents of our own life story. Past, present and future aside, Anthony is his own man. And there is a