Tagged With "Building Resilience in Children"
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Notes from 9.26.18 meeting re aligning with 4CA policy efforts
At the September 26, 2018 Sonoma County ACEs Connection meeting, there was discussion about firming up the SCAC policy subcommittee and aligning efforts with 4CA . For those seeking more information regarding 4CA, click this link: www.4cakids.org See attached for the 4CA Action Plan Link to resent post by Gail Yen at 4CA: ACEs Connection Updates on the (4CA)'s Endorsed Bills Copied from the 4CA website: The C alifornia C ampaign to C ounter C hildhood A dversity is guided by the 4CA Action...
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Notes from our 1-23-19 meeting - Check these out!
ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting NOTES! Date: January 23, 2019 About this community: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. Embedded GREEN text= hyper link just click for more information New Year - New Focus! With start of new year, Sonoma County ACEs Connection will re-start fresh with a community focus, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Welcome & Gather - thanks to Nancy for bringing (lots of!)...
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Notes from our 3.27.19 meeting
ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting Notes March 27, 2019 from 3:30 to 5:00 Location: Child Parent Institute About this community: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. New Year - New Focus! Sonoma County ACEs Connection is starting fresh in 2019 with an emphasis on community, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Welcome & Gather Mindful moment - volunteer to lead? Welcomed several new folks, representing...
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Notes from our 9/23/15 meeting
Twenty of us attended the meeting. We were warmly greeted by Allen Nishikawa with a warms towel ceremony that allowed us to truly arrive and be present. The topics we discussed were the Paper Tigers viewings, Dr. Anda’s presentation at Hanna...
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Notes from the 10/1/2014 meeting
We have a new name - Sonoma County ACES Connection ! If you were unable to attend today’s meeting, you missed a lot ! Please mark your calendar for our next meeting Wed Oct 29 th , from 12:30 to 2:00 in the DHS Public Health...
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Nothing About Them Would Stand Out in a Crowd
photo credit: chuttersnap/unsplash.com By Alice M. Kenny (pseudonym) (The article below is an excerpt from my new book, Crazy Was All I Ever Knew: The Impact of Maternal Mental Illness on Kids . I have used a pseudonym to protect the privacy of family members.) The emotions adult children of parents with mental illness experience are a mixed bag. Sometimes a jumble. Guilt, loss, grief, and resentment are among the emotions that persist or bubble to the surface in adulthood. Some feel...
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Oakland, CA, trying out model used in Baltimore to reduce trauma, increase resilience
Oakland BSC activity: Photo/ Courtesy of Trauma Transformed/East Bay Agency for Children When a group of community organizations in Baltimore came together in 2015, they already knew trauma figured large in many lives. There was violence in the community, in schools, and in community members’ homes. Police brutality occurred. Many suffered the loss of loved ones to incarceration or death. There were house fires and homelessness. Much of the dysfunction was systemic and rooted in racism,...
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Oakland, CA, youth organization takes next step in systems change to heal trauma
In a room in East Oakland, Calif., photos of children are projected on a screen. “Who is that?” asks Briana Moore, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice and a master trainer for the East Bay Agency for Children’s Trauma Transformed program. “Bill Clinton,” responds one of the 20 employees of the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC).
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Oakland Promise Brilliant Baby is giving families a Resilient Start
Program Provider Sadie Williams works with financial coach Judit Trinidad as they practice family engagement for Oakland Promise Brilliant Baby Program enrollees.
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OCAP needs you! Apply now to become a member of their 2019 Citizen Review Panels
Make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in California. Use your voice to change the child welfare system in California! Convened by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP), they are seeking citizen (YOUR) input at their quarterly meetings. Now is your chance to make recommendations to the State! Apply now t o become a member of the California Child-welfare Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). Meetings are held 4 times a year. Participation can be by phone, computer, or in-person.
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October Meeting Cancelled - Meet Again on November 29
Dear Friends, Let’s join hands during this difficult time, and offer each other strength as we strive to process these events. We all need help to cope and to begin to recover. We’ll strive to post resources on Sonoma County ACEs Connection that will help us: Find housing, income, food, and other resources Find the words to talk to our children about how to cope Find ideas for how to calm our minds and bodies Our Steering Committee plans meeting next week to come up with other concrete...
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Oprah Winfrey and Healing from the Inside Out
Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO, National Council for Behavioral Health, brings news from the field to the National Council membership and joins the chorus of voices responding to the 60 minutes segment with Oprah Winfrey on childhood trauma in her post "Oprah Winfrey and Healing from the Inside Out" If you don’t fix the hole in the soul… you’re working at the wrong thing. – Oprah Winfrey Far too many children are growing up with a “hole in their soul.” Nearly half the nation’s children...
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Paper Tigers Inspires Action
Just moments into watching "Paper Tigers" last August, Angie Dillon Shore and Socorro Shiels found themselves wiping away tears. By the film's conclusion, Angie, a former youth counselor and current Upstream Investments Program Manager, and Socorro, then the Superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools both felt compelled to take immediate action. What if together, these two women could bring the film to local educators and parents? Could the film change the conversation...
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PARENTING GUIDES: Please share to support parents
During this challenging time, parents need more resources than ever. Please let parents know about the following guides from the Yolo County Children's Alliance and the Yolo Child Abuse Prevention Council. All guides are available at www.yolokids.org/forfamilies , and I have attached a summary of the guides if you would prefer to share that. Please note that we will be releasing our positive discipline guide on 4/1/20 ( Handling Your Child's Challenging Behaviors at Every Age ). The guides...
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Peer Voices Now! Spring 2018 Newsletter
Kalia Mussetter of Living Bridges " Bringing people together for transformative community service," invites you to read the attached Peer Voices Now! newsletter. Kalia writes: "Please enjoy this beautiful newsletter. It is rich with fine, heartfelt writing by many local mental health Peer Providers; talented individuals who serve our mental health stakeholder community every day. There is a focus on experience of both loss and healing from the recent fires, as well as moving accounts of peer...
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Petaluma Health Care District trains local care providers on trauma response [North Bay Business Journal]
The Petaluma Health Care District (PHCD) is playing a critical role in helping those impacted by the fires self-heal by serving as a catalyst for collective community action. “The fires caused anxiety and stress throughout the region, elevating the need for education and access to trauma-informed care,” said Ramona Faith, CEO. “To respond to this need, PHCD offered special trauma-focused training sessions for health providers and those in other disciplines.” A renowned bicultural and...
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Petaluma Health Center leads effort to link women to services
Sonoma County was one of six sites selected nationally to participate in a CityMatCH practice collaborative to prevent substance exposed pregnancies. In 2012 Rebecca Munger CNM, PHN the Sonoma County Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health Coordinator lead a broad coalition of reproductive health champions who worked across sectors and settings to develop a trio of strategies to reduce substance exposed pregnancies. The first strategy developed with CDC and WHO technical support was a bundled...
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Please join us for a Strengthening Families and Protective Factors training! 10/28/15
Register now on Eventbrite here . This afternoon is especially designed for program managers and supervisors that directly support families with children. The training will include: An overview of the the...
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Policy Committee Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes: June 8, 2018 It was suggested that we try posting a more informal blog of our meeting, rather than the usual minutes. Please let us know if this is a better way to capture the free-flowing discussion and flavor of our meetings. Note: Sonoma County ACEs Connection is referred to as “SCAC” to save typing. Members attending were Alison Lobb, Lena Hoffman and Allen Nishikawa. Karen Clemmer was unable to attend but had forwarded some helpful links and information to members. Our...
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Policymaker Education Day Registration STILL OPEN!
Registration is still OPEN for another week to the second annual Policymaker Education Day hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) in Sacramento on May 22nd! Don't miss this opportunity to be able to share your thoughts and expertise with your Assemblymember or Senator on how to address childhood adversity in your communities. Guest speakers include Assemblymember Dr. Arambula of Fresno County, Ted Lempert of Children Now and Sarah Pauter of Phenomenal...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...
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Post-wildfire report on nonprofit services: mental health a critical need, services to most vulnerable citizens impacted
At the end of 2017, Community Foundation of Sonoma County and Napa Valley Community Foundation enlisted the Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a survey of local nonprofit organizations about the impacts of the wildfires on the people they serve and on their organizational capacity to provide services in response. While reading CEP Advisory Services " 2018 Wildfire Response Survey " report through an ACEs and trauma-informed lens, the following findings jumped out at me: 1. Mental...
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Preparing People for Climate Change in California: Sonoma County Listens and Shares
Last summer Bob Doppelt asked me to join a planning committee for a conference on climate change . I was surprised to be asked as my recent professional expertise is tied to addressing childhood adversity. Bob changed my perspective on the relevance by saying, "Adversity and trauma are the social side effects of climate-related disasters. Imagine the social-emotional impacts on Katrina survivors." The connection was a glimmer in my mind, but I agreed to support a California conference .
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Prevent Child Abuse - Sonoma County annual report 2014-2015
In case you missed picking up a copy of the 2014-2015 annual report from Prevent Child Abuse-Sonoma County, here it is. This year, it provides a snapshot of child abuse and neglect data, a two-page overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study,...
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Proactively preparing teens and children for 13 Reasons Why, season 2 (Netflix)
By Tracie Dahl, LCPC, Middle School Therapist with Intermountain School-based Services (Helena, MT) 13 Reasons Why is about to drop its second season in just a matter of days. Since Season 2 is no longer adapting Jay Asher's 2007 YA novel and telling a completely new story, as service providers who work with young adults, we would like to know what we can expect from the upcoming string of episodes. We were more reactive than proactive when Season 1 came out and it’s easier to be more...
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Program promotes the importance of positive parenting [UkiahDailyJournal.com]
There was a sense of urgency at the workshop given by Dr. Matt Sanders at the Ukiah Conference Center on March 12. The workshop focused on “Triple P,” the Positive Parenting Program pioneered by Sanders and his fellow researchers at...
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Prop. 64 Stakeholder Group: Prioritize Trauma-Informed Approach to Youth Substance Use Education, Prevention and Treatment
In November 2016, California voters legalized adult use and sales of cannabis, and authorized state excise taxes that are estimated to generate up to $1 billion in revenue for regulation, research, public safety, prevention and treatment. A group of stakeholders representing youth-serving organizations and agencies across the state has issued recommendations for use of the tax revenue allocated to youth substance use education, prevention and treatment that emphasize a trauma-informed approach.
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Proposed Changes to Sonoma County ACEs Connection Working Guidelines
Holly asked me to review the SCAC Working Guidelines we developed at the retreat and prepare a document for approval at the October meeting. I invite all members to send me any comments or suggestions regarding the current document. For the purposes of this vote, I am limiting proposed changes to only those issues where there is a discrepancy, disagreement or lack of clarity concerning an existing guideline. Any brand new guidelines should be proposed and adopted later. The current version...
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Public Health Policy Nerds, Unite!
Public Health Policy might seem kind of boring to most people, but I love it! Yesterday was especially exciting! I was at the California Endowment in Sacramento with an incredible group of public health nerds who did their best to...
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Raise Money for Schoolbox - The Trauma Informed International Group Helping Sonoma County Schools
Local youth are fundraising for the Schoolbox Project, which provides mobile, trauma-informed education, art and play to children displaced by crisis. (Read our article on ACEs Connection here .) A music event is being planned and executed with help from students at Artquest, Credo, Orchard View, and SunRidge schools. Lineup: Garden Shed Kaya Weber Lilac PFP (Phat Frosh Pit, formerly Pennies for Punks) Radar Washington Hill Vatos These bands have members from Analy High School, Credo, Maria...
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Raising of America evening screening and Parental leave Panel on August 28, 2017 at the CA State Capitol
We wanted to share information with you about an important event taking place next week sponsored by some of our California Essentials for Childhood Initiative partners on Monday, August 28, 2017 from 4:45 pm - 7:00 pm at the California State Capitol, Eureka Room (1315 10th Street, Sacramento - basement). The event - “Equal Rights to Parental Leave: A Strong Start for all Children” - includes a special screening of “The Raising of America,” as well as an interactive forum on the benefits of...
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REFB Establishes School Pantry Program at Roseland Elementary
Children and families that attend Roseland Elementary school will have access to an incredible array of foods through the new on-site food pantry. Each week over 100 families will be able to pick up 25lbs of food, including produce, meat and staples. It is staggering how many families must choose between paying rent or purchasing food. David Goodman, REFB Executive Director noted that "whatever happens to children at this point in their lives will affect them the rest of their lives". Read...
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Register now: Free ACEs Connection Webinar on the Human Impact of Climate Change
A year after 85 people died in the wildfire that swept through Paradise, CA, and nearby towns, one of the town’s survivors will talk about how she and others are using resilience practices in their recovery from the trauma. On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Paradise resident Kelly Doty will have a conversation with Elaine Miller-Karas, who developed the Community Resiliency Model (CRM). Doty, who lost her home in the fire, and Miller-Karas will discuss resilience education skills designed to help...
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Early childhood educators learn new ways to spot trauma triggers, build resilience in preschoolers
A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe.
That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.
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Register Today!
Sign up NOW for an amazing conference! Registration is open - the fee includes parking, breakfast, lunch, materials, and CEUs! Space is limited, reserve your seat today! Learn more! Contact Carla Denner: 707-565-6626
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Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development
Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child shared a provocative report: Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development . "New scientific research shows that environmental influences can actually affect whether and how genes are expressed. Thus, the old ideas that genes are “set in stone” or that they alone determine development have been disproven. In fact, scientists have discovered that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off...
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Eleven state-specific profiles feature ACEs-related data and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives
One of the resources shared with participants in the Sept. 13-14 convening of First Spouses in Milwaukee to address trauma was a series of state information sheets that featured data on ACEs prevalence and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives. These one-pagers provided a succinct summary of state highlights on trauma that in some instances were well known to the First Spouses but for others, provided new information. In partnership with state trauma leaders, ACEs Connection...
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Epigenetics? What does that REALLY mean?
As a health care professional with a passion for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) I was having difficulty wrapping my mind around the emerging ACEs related science. Take epigenetics for example, what does epigenetics really mean? And, how did my grandmother's health influence my health today? As a parent, have my lived experiences influence the wellbeing of my children? These questions and more were laying dormant in my mind, sort of like an itch I wanted to scratch, but could not reach.
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EQUITY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE & OVERCOMING ADVERSITY - Breakfast Event Sept 14 w/ USDC Judge Troy L. Nunley, Hanna Institute, Sonoma
Judge Nunley is a staunch advocate for children, especially the most vulnerable. He brings rich personal experience to his judicial role; he grew up in the Hunter’s Point neighborhood of San Francisco with a single mother, ultimately rising to one of the highest positions an American lawyer can occupy. SCHEDULE 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Breakfast and Socialize 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Presentation, Discussion, Q&A EVENT DETAILS Thursday, Sept 14th, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Hanna Boys Center...
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Evaluations for three Paper Tiger screenings
Thanks to Karen Clemmer for putting this together.... Tuesday 8-25-15 9-11:00am at Family Youth & Children 17 participants 13 evaluations submitted (Social Workers = 9, Clerical = 2, Nurse = 1, Administrative = 1) Questions: Responses: Before 2 out of 13 rated their understanding of ACES as GOOD or EXCELLENT After 5 out of 13 rated their understanding of ACES as GOOD or EXCELLENT After 9 out of 13 rated their confidence for using trauma informed...
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Factors Associated with Whether Pediatricians Inquire About Parent's ACEs
Families trust and look to their pediatricians for guidance about parenting and help with managing behavioral, mental health and developmental problems. Pediatricians have since realized that how parents raise their children is heavily rooted in the parent’s own childhood experiences. As you may know cumulative adverse childhood experiences, especially in the first three years of life, have a profound negative effect on a child’s physical health, brain development and mental health. This...
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Families Affected by Parental Substance Use in Pediatrics Journal July 2016
Karen Clemmer shared this article noting it is very relevant to Maternal Child Adolescent Health-focused work, including preventing perinatal substance use, supporting the perinatal mental health system of care, and raising awareness about ACES. The article also highlights how field nursing can be a protective factor for children impacted by these issues. Pediatrics July 2016 From the American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report Families Affected by Parental Substance Use Vincent C. Smith...
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Father Engagement Training
Join us to learn the six stages of becoming a father friendly agency! With the support of the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership, CPI is hosting a FREE training on father engagement for community service providers. This training is limited to about 20 participants so we encourage you to select someone from your agency to attend. Our speaker, Tom Grayson has been speaking passionately about his subject for over 14 years both regionally and internationally. The training will take place...
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Find out about events to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires at SonomaCountyRecovers.org
You may have heard about a number of events that are planned around the county to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires. A listing of these events can be found at SonomaCountyRecovers.org . The anniversary of our October 2017 fires is not just a typical day, it is a day where many may feel disillusioned and realize they are still working their grief. It is a day where while we might have to go to work, we have to remember to take care of ourselves and remember it is...
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First 5 CA 2018 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit - Call for Presentations Now Open!
Share Your Knowledge, Ideas, and Experience! SUBMIT PROPOSAL HERE First 5 California is now accepting proposals for its 2018 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit on April 10-12, 2018, at the Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale. Participants are eager to attend unique sessions that are innovative, interactive, and engaging . We are seeking sessions that delve into the Summit focus areas and goals with specific learning objectives. We hope you will consider submitting a proposal. Summit...
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First 5 Shares Resources for Local Families on New Webpage
If you found yourself searching for resources to help families of young children cope during disasters and traumatic events, please allow us to point you to a new comprehensive page curated by First 5 Sonoma County. http://first5sonomacounty.org/Resources-for-Parents/Coping-Resources/
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First health-related cost of ACEs study shows $113 billion price tag for California; just one ACE costs $28 billion
Researchers who have been looking for a way to quantify the health toll of ACEs in dollar terms, now have an example in a newly-released study of California. ACEs exacted a toll costing an estimated $113 billion annually, according to the study in the journal PLOS One. ACEs-associated cardiovascular disease was the condition that lead author Ted Miller dubbed “the giant in the room.” It accounted for $29.6 billion in spending, more than three times higher than the next ACEs associated...
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For the January Meeting: This is Who We Are
Over the last several months, Sonoma County ACEs Connections (SCAC) has been struggling to develop organizational guidelines and committees. We have attempted to adopt them on several occasions but have not been able to agree on a plan. This has been especially frustrating for some of us, because back in November of 2015, SCAC voted to adopt a group of committees. For a variety of reasons however, folks keep wanting to reinvent that wheel. I am proposing one more attempt to discuss our...
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Foster families needed in Sonoma [Sonoma Index-Tribune]
Staff Report, July 28, 2019, Sonoma Index-Tribune Every day, 50 to 75 Sonoma County children and teens need a safe place to live. There is currently an urgent need for foster parents and adoptive families to open their homes to local foster children, according to the county’s Sonoma Foster Care agency. Local families can learn more about foster parenting at Explore Foster Parenting, a one-hour discussion held monthly, 6 to 7 p.m., at 2255 Challenger Way, Suite 100, Santa Rosa. The dates for...