IT’S REALLY THAT BAD — SECRET OF THE HIDDEN CHILDREN

So, you’ve heard it before, on the news, Facebook, or conversations with friends.

It seems bad, or, at least, it should seem bad. The numbers are enormous; it’s talked about with such urgency and you can’t deny it’s a problem. And yet… it’s just not convincing.

You glance at the image again and the phrases run through your mind.

“There’s such a need for foster parents.”

“Our county is in a crisis.”

“Children are being placed 4 hours away because there aren’t enough foster homes to take them.”

So why doesn’t it feel real? Urgent? As desperate as they make it out to be?

Read more HERE.

Surviving Foster Care: 2 Brothers, 2 Different Paths

For the brothers Terrick and Joseph Bakhit, childhood in Southern California was a precarious and often brutal experience: a mother addicted to crack and often in jail, a grandmother who beat them. In 2007, when Terrick was 12 and Joseph was 11, they ran away to an older sister’s home but eventually landed in foster care, where a good outcome was anything but certain.

Although child-care officials had promised to keep them together, they were separated and ended up in a series of foster families or group homes. At 17, Terrick, demoralized and unruly, “made the stupid decision of stealing a group home car,” was arrested and sentenced to juvenile detention for 11 months. Adrift upon release and without financial or personal support, he ended up homeless and addicted to crystal meth.

Read More HERE.

TO THE HEROES ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN

Dear Child Advocate,

I remember him as if we met yesterday. Johnny, not even six months old, sat on my lap and giggled as I finished getting together my court documents. I was a young attorney for Florida’s Department of Children and Families, learning how to navigate the complexities of child welfare. Johnny had bruises on his body, his runny nose had crusted over, and he was filthy. I wanted to drop everything and scrub away his despair.

Read More HERE.

Wings For Life - Career Success Skills

Wings for L.I.F.E.

(Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education)

Career Success Skills

Identifying top five skills Employers are looking for; Identifying top five benefits Employees are looking for; Where to look for career & job related information; What makes a successful Cover Letter & Resume; How to prepare to win the Dream Job

Presented by
Jim Engelhard- Activity Director, Title V Grant Programs, ENMU-Roswell

505 N. Pennsylvania Avenue

Andy’s Hall

SUNDAY, March 19^th,  2017

6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:45)

ENMUR Students will be hosting a Field Day
 (Games & Fun Activities for Children & Teens)
while the program is being held.

For Questions call:  Shelly Currier @ 317-2042

Are Certain Disabilities Greater Risk Factors for Sexual Abuse?

This is heartbreaking, but true.

Please help us to keep these precious children safe.

According to a 2012 study by the Center on Victimization and Safety of the Vera Institute of Justice and the Ms. Foundation for Women, “children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than children without disabilities to be sexually abused. Children with intellectual and mental health disabilities appear to be the most at risk, with 4.6 times the risk of sexual abuse as their peers without disabilities.” Sexual Abuse of Children With Disabilities: A National Snapshot

Improving the Response to Victims of Child Pornography

The National Center for Victims of Crime and our partners, the National Children’s Alliance and the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center, are pleased to release the Final Report from our examination of the response to victims of child pornography.

Read more HERE.

It's Okay To Say That Foster Parenting Is Hard

It’s okay to say it’s hard.

It’s okay to say that sometimes you just feel like no one understands what you are going through.

Guess what. It’s even okay to say that sometimes, you simply want to stop, that you can’t do it any more, that you are just don’t want to be hurt again.

Yes, foster parenting can be difficult.

Read more HERE