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Posts by Paul Blough:

Autism in Children Webinar
What to Expect:
Working with children with autism can be a complicated process. Join us for a webinar with the experts from the Marcus Autism Center to discuss the issue. Topics covered will include: an overview of autism signs and how to determine if a child needs an assessment, when neglecting educational assistance could/should it be raised to level of educational neglect, what should be requested in an IEP meeting with schools, and what resources are available in GA for children with autism and how can they be accessed. Date & Time August 14, 2017 Click below to register
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DHS Youth Empowerment Series for High School Students
The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Youth Empowerment Series (YES) is accepting applicants for the 2017-18 school year, and we would love to have high school students from your community be a part of our program!
YES offers students an opportunity to participate in several workshops centered on youth development and engagement, such as goal setting, public speaking, resume building and community service activities. The core values underlying the program seek to provide youth with a blueprint to implement change in their community. Students in the program will provide their input and insight on current issues, build workforce skills and develop as leaders. Through career panels, networking and participation, students in the program will also gain exposure to policy and understand how DHS serves Georgians.
During the sessions, we will introduce the services offered by DHS. Students will hear from representatives that work in our divisions of Aging Services, Child Support Services and Family and Children Services. Then, students will be given a chance to provide their input and insight on these services. For more information, the program details can be found at https://dhs.georgia.gov/youth-empowerment-series-yes.
Please feel free to post this information and share it with any students who may be interested.
The application for participation can be found at https://dhs.georgia.gov/apply-yes. The deadline to apply is June 14th.
Please note: Accepted students must commit to attending four Saturday sessions in their region of the state throughout the 2017-18 school year. Transportation is required. Please see the list of meeting locations in each region below.
South Georgia Region will meet in Tifton, GA.
· This includes: Tift, Turner, Irwin, Berrien, Cook, Colquitt, Worth, and more!
Middle Georgia Region will meet in Macon, GA.
· This includes : Bibb, Jones, Monroe, Crawford, Peach, Houston, Twiggs, and more!
Coastal Georgia Region will meet in Metter, GA.
· This includes: Candler, Toombs, Tattnall, Evans, Bulloch, and more!
North Georgia Region will meet in Canton, GA.
· This includes: Cherokee, Forsyth, Dawson, Pickens, Gordon, Bartow, and more!
Metro Atlanta Region will meet in Atlanta, GA.
· This includes: Fulton, Cobb, Henry, Clayton, Fayette, Dekalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale.
For a full map of all counties in each region, please click here.
USDA Food & Nutrition Services: Summer Food Service Program
Child Welfare Training Collaborative
The Child Welfare Training Collaborative (CWTC) is a partnership between the Georgia State University Professional Excellence Program and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. Our Goal is to promote collaboration and common understanding of issues affecting children and families through our professional development opportunities.
Click on the button below view locations, dates and to register
April, 2017 Newsletter
AFPAG Selected to Receive
NACAC Parent Group of the Year
We are honored to have received this award. This just shows what hard work and dedication can do!
A Letter from the President
Verdell Daniels
President of Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia
We are the Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia. We are made up of foster and adoptive parents, DFCS Staff and other concerned citizens who want to make a difference in the lives of children.
In 1973 we joined forces and formed a non-profit association. The association is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board consists of the executive officials, representatives in each region according to how the state is divided, a state office consultant, and standing committee chair persons. The regional vice presidents are vital connections between the local and state associations. Each year we hold four board meetings, many committee meetings, and one statewide business meeting/training conference. Goals are clearly defined and pursued.
WHY do we work so hard to make out association effective?
Because we are! We know that by working together, we will have a better foster care system. We are proud of what we have already accomplished to help improve the foster care system. We have some wants that we would like to make known:
- We need more respite days (more breaks)
- We want to improve the morale of the caseworkers. We want them to have more manageable caseloads and better pay.
- We want to be able to provide training to our foster parents.
- We want to make recommendations for procedure changes. We want to share ways that we have found most helpful.
- We want to encourage each other during the good and the bad times.
- We want to be team members. We want to be viewed by the DFCS and the community as valuable team members. We have joined together to make our wants a reality. Together we can and will accomplish this.
WHAT have we accomplished since our formation in 1973?
We are still a vital association. We have remained alive and growing. Progress has been slow but steady. We put together a very successful statewide annual conference, numerous regional conferences, and have earned respect for the Department of Family and Children Services. We have indicated many changes. We have improved the grievance procedure, and the training requirements. We have got state reimbursement for funeral expenses for foster children. We asked for all foster homes to have working smoke detectors. We have received more clothing allowance. We now have a clear policy regarding the removal of a child from a foster home, including notification. We initialed efforts to develop a support system for foster parents during CPS investigations and helped the policy. We have assisted in planning and recruitment efforts, and in helping foster parents understand the Foster Parent Bill of Rights. Form 439, which is the information sheet you receive when a child comes to you, was designed by us and required to be given to you. We have made sure foster parents are considered as adoptive parents for children who are bonded to them. We have an annual scholarship fund for children in foster care known as the Winnie Livingston Scholarship. We manage the selection of the Foster Parents of the Year, Association of the Year, and Caseworker of the Year. We solicit support from community groups and individuals and recognize their contribution. We have worked with our legislation to promote positive change in the foster care system. We have made a difference.
We operate based on the terms of our Constitution and Articles of Incorporation. When issues come to our attention, actions both formally and informally are taken. Our state is divided into 14 regions. Each region has a regional vice president. The AFPAG Board subsequently conceders all issues that are brought to our attention. We support one another.
WHERE are we going?
We will continue to work towards achieving our goals. Our goals are: funding for additional case managers, improving the usage of foster and adoptive parents, uniform and simplified expense verification, reasonable clothing allowance, and a board to commensurate foster parent skill and training. We want to form a real partnership with local and state DFCS staff. We want a more active role in preserving the birth family such as helping them learn to provide the best care for their children. We want to encourage earlier and stronger efforts to determine the ability and inability of birth families to care for their children. If the potential is low, then to expedite the process of terminating parental rights. We want earlier permanency for children. We want substandard foster homes closed. We want abuse in foster homes eliminated. We want the information and tools needed to help these children and birth parents succeed. We want the opportunity for advanced education for our foster children. We want to provide the therapeutic and nurturing homes needed to help foster children feel better about themselves and keep and develop coping skills to succeed.