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Our Mission:
The mission of the Kentucky Foster & Adoptive Parent Training
Support Network is to work hand-in-hand with the Kentucky
Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) and community
partners to recruit, retain, strengthen and support foster and
adoptive families in becoming stable, secure and permanent homes
for abused and neglected children.
The Network’s mission is based on three goals: Support,
Training and Recruitment.
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We offer free
and confidential peer support to resource parents by
resource parents across the state.
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Each team is
required to provide at least 12 hours of training per fiscal
year to resource parents in their region from a parent’s
perspective.
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Network teams
work with DCBS and Cabinet staff to recruit new foster and
adoptive homes for the children in their regions.
Our Composition:
The Network is made up of 16 resource parent-led teams across
the state. The teams range from three to seven members and
include a leader, members, a community resource specialist and
alternates (volunteers).
All Network members are experienced resource parents or
professionals from the mental health, law enforcement or another
related area and are trained and certified in Peer
Support/Psychological First Aid by the Kentucky Community Crisis
Response Board.
Each team also has a staff representative from the Cabinet for
Health and Family Services Department for Community Based
Services. These representatives link the team with community
partners, attend team meetings and assist in publicizing Network
activities and training among other duties.
Our History:
The Network was founded by the Kentucky Foster/Adoptive Care
Association in 1999 as a pilot project. The pilot project began
in January 2000 in the Jefferson, Purchase, Pennyrile and
Cumberland Valley regions. Later in 2000, Murray State
University’s Training Resource Center began providing assistance
with the administrative aspect of the Network, including a
coordinator supporting and facilitating the teams. Since that
time the position has expanded to two coordinators, who divide
the responsibility of working with the teams.
Our Tools & Resources:
Network teams have developed many helpful tools in regards to
support, training and recruitment.
These include:
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The
Handling Allegations Against Your Home booklet
(developed by the Cumberland/Somerset team)
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All
About Me DVDs highlighting children available for
adoption. (developed by the Cumberland/Somerset team and now
being used by five other Network teams)
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Team web sites
(links coming soon!)
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Creating
respite lists
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An all-day
training known as the Super Saturday or Mini-conference
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Community
Resource Directories
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Providing
respite for resource parents (Northern Bluegrass teams,
Cumberland teams, Salt River Trail/Shelbyville team,
Lakes/Hopkinsville team)
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Team
newsletters (Two Rivers/Bowling Green and Salt River Trail
teams)
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And coming in
2008…Diligent Recruitment Services provided through
partnership with the Cabinet.
The Network News
began August 2007 and is produced and distributed via email
every month. The most recent issue can be accessed via a
link on the homepage.
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