Message From Coordinator Amber Dollar to Volunteers

Hello,


• I hope everyone had a great weekend! There will be a Brown Bag at the CASA office at noon on Tuesday January 29th. We will be talking about "CASA CONNECT" it is a new way for CASA volunteers to login to a website and get different information on your case, and sooooo much more neat things you will be able to do. Please make sure and come to this Brown Bag if you can. :) It is a great opportunity for CASA's to have. CASA will provide lunch so those of you who work just stop on by for your lunch break.

• CYFD has started having monthly gatherings for foster children, foster parents, and biological parents. This month they will be getting together at the Roswell Public Library for "Reading Night". If you talk to your foster parents ask and see if they take the children to these, if they do, feel free to check it out. It will be from 6:30-8:00 on Monday evening, January 28th.

• Please remember to reply to the Brown Bag learning email I sent out at the first of the month, you will get credit for responding to it. It will close January 29th.

• Those of you who have court on February 5th, your reports are due February 1st, by noon. So check your notes and see if that's you. :) Everyone is doing amazing on report writing and getting them in on time. CASA STAFF IS VERY IMPRESSED!!!!

• Mark your Calenders for Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon April 11th, 11:30-1:00

THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!


Amber Dollar LMSW
Chaves County CASA
Volunteer Coordinator

Wings For Life - Opioid Addiction

Wings for L.I.F.E.

(Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education
THE NEW FACES OF ‘OPIOID’ ADDICTION – A NEW MEXICO CRISIS
Presented By
Rebecca Trujillo, RN, MSN, School Health Advocate

SPECIAL DOOR PRIZE DRAWING
MORE FREE WINTER COATS

Doors open at 5:45 PM. Meeting starts at 6:00
Roswell Boys & Girls Club
201 S. Garden

SUNDAY, January 27th, 2013
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

For Questions call: Shelly @ 317-2042

Dinner provided & crafts for children in a family friendly environment
Sitter available

Adoption Tax Credit Included in Budget Deal

The budget deal passed yesterday, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8), includes the permanent extension of the adoption tax credit, unfortunately without refundability. The credit was extended without a sunset provision. Had Congress not acted the credit would have expired. The bill retained the provision that allows the adoption tax credit to be “flat” for special needs, meaning special needs adoptions are excluded from needing to document qualified adoption expenses, and it includes a permanent cost of living adjustment so that it will be indexed for inflation. While it is good news that the adoption tax credit is permanent and that it includes these provisions, not including the refundability provision means that many families will not benefit. It is our hope that in the future Congress will revisit this policy and include refundability.

Go here for more.

Children's Exposure to Violence

The Attorney General's Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence has released its final recommendations for a national response to address children’s exposure to violence. The Report emphasizes prevention and intervention and underscores the importance of trauma-informed care and victim-tailored services.  You can access the Report at http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/cev-rpt-full.pdf

Child Abuse on the Decrease Nationwide

The latest annual report released last week from the Department of Health and Human Services found that reports of child abuse and neglect have dropped nationwide for the fifth consecutive year. This is an important report that can be accessed at


http://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2012/12/fewer-child-abuse-and-neglect-incidents-for-fifth-straight-year

Congratulations to our New CASA Volunteers!

HELPING YOUR COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE

HELPING YOUR COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE


The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC), in collaboration with the School Safety Resource Center, is disseminating this resource bulletin based on the recent elementary school massacre in Newton, Connecticut.

Helping Children Feel Safe

Home and school environments provide important normalizing experiences for children and adolescents. The magnitude of death and destruction in traumatic events require special attention and communication with children. The following suggestions may help children feel safe:

 Limit exposure to television and other sources of information about the disaster and its victims, especially for children.

 Understand that every child has a different way of responding to traumatic events. Listen to their stories and be tolerant.

 Be alert to changes in a child’s usual behavior - drop in grades, loss of interest, not doing homework, increased sleepiness or distraction, isolating themselves and weight changes.

 Maintain daily routines to the extent possible. Familiar schedules can be reassuring.

 Remind students that they are safe at school and at home.

 Increase students’ sense of control and mastery at school. Let students plan a special activity.

 An adult’s response to a disaster will affect the student’s response; it is helpful to discuss reactions with other adults and teachers before talking with children.

 Provide structured time to discuss the event.

 Encourage school faculty and staff to discuss and plan classroom interventions together and review emergency procedures.

 Be available to meet individually with children.

 Discuss the event in an open honest manner with students.

 Children, like adults, often want to help in times of crises. Finding a way to support the victims and their families through the appropriate agencies can be beneficial to children’s healing.

Law Enforcement can help their communities to feel safer by providing extra patrol and visibility in and around educational institutions. Officers can make their presence known in and around the schools where they patrol. Officers can stop by the schools and introduce themselves to the administrative staff and choose a school parking lot to write reports to help maintain a safe environment.

Resources

Colorado School Safety Resource Center: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPS-SafeSchools/CBON/1251621089752

Colorado School Safety Resource Center (Recovery):

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPS-SafeSchools/CBON/1251622852906