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By Angie FunkConference Committee Chair

It’s almost that time again! The 2004CFCRB Conference is coming up Nov.5-7 in Owensboro and will offer manyopportunities to learn about topicsaffecting children in foster care.Volunteers can also earn the six hoursof continuing education creditsrequired each year. We are especially excited because ithas been two years since our laststatewide conference, and this year wewill be able to visit with our old friendsand meet new ones. Our theme for 2004 is “Kids—1st inKentucky” and will focus on the fourkey areas listed below. Each attendeecan choose two of these seminars toattend on Saturday.

���������������� �������������������� ����� �• “Attachment Disorder and Perman-ency/Sibling Bonding and Visitation”presented by Dr. Otto Kaak from theUniversity of Kentucky.• “Teens in Care” presented by GloriaBooth, a former foster child, and RonCampbell with the Cabinet for Healthand Family Services.• “TPR Has Been Granted! NowWhat?” Ann Blanford with the Cabinetfor Health and Family Services willpresent a session on the Cabinet’sinternal policy for post-termination ofparental rights.• “Fetal Alcohol and Drugs” presentedby Peggy Arvin and Jeanmarie Piacsekwith the Cabinet for Health and FamilyServices. General sessions will be open to allvolunteers and will include a review of

statutory guidelines and chair/vicechair training. There also will be aJudges’ Panel, Committee Fair andRegional Meetings. And finally, theevent not to miss is the VolunteerRecognition Banquet on Fridayevening. Everyone is invited to theHospitality Room afterward. The Host Committee is asking eachlocal board to provide a basket filledwith items made in its home county.The baskets will be used as conferencedoor prizes and should not exceed $50.For more information, contact thecentral office or your field coordinator. Registration forms were mailed inmid-September. Registration will closeOct. 15, so get your form in early. The$10 registration fee will go to thevolunteer bank account to fund theawards and hospitality room refresh-ments. Bring your fellow board mem-bers and come to Owensboro for anexceptional weekend. See you there!

Conference Special Event

Country Music Star Jimmy Wayne

The ExecutiveInn Rivermontin Owensboro isthe site of the2004 CFCRBC o n f e r e n c eon Nov. 5-7.

Jimmy Wayne’s lifereads like one of thefiles we review.

He and his sisterwere in and out offoster care duringhis early child-hood. When in his

mother’s custody, they moved con-stantly. Often the only meals they hadwere the free lunches at school. Jimmynever really knew his father and whenhe was 9, his mother married a manwho made his life even worse. Hisstepfather would use the food stampsto buy drugs. Jimmy had to steal food,

even from his neighbors. By the time he was 12, his motherwas in prison and he was living withhis grandfather. He was arrested at 15and placed in detention and later agroup home. He started writing poetryas a means of dealing with the tragediesin his life. Writing poetry, combinedwith his love of music, led him to hiscurrent career in country music.

Ticket Information: Jimmy Wayne willbe appearing in the Executive InnShowroom on Saturday evening of theconference. Tickets are $15 and are avail-able for CFCRB volunteers on a first-come,first-serve basis. Tickets can be reserved onthe registration form.

Message Fromthe State Chair

CFCRB Executive CommitteeAnita Williams, Chair

Angie Funk, Vice ChairElizabeth Lucas, Past ChairMartha Garland, Region 1Charlene Greer, Region 2Curtis Williams, Region 2Martha Blevins, Region 3

Gwenn Reome-Lansing, Region 4Lea Fischbach, Region 4Darlene Snyder, Region 5

Mike Hodge, Region 6Wendy Birchfield, Region 7

Vacant, Region 8

State Committee ChairsWilliam “Bill” Goetz, Legislative Committee

Elizabeth Lucas, Nominating CommitteeCrystal Bohlander, Training Committee

Christy Reaves, Public Relations CommitteeMartha Garland, Recognition Committee

Angie Funk, Conference Committee

Editorial StaffChristy Reaves, Editor

Mae Philbeck, CFCRB LiaisonJennifer Sharp, Graphic Designer

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Department of Juvenile ServicesDivision of Dependent Children’s Services

Administrative Office of the Courts100 Millcreek Park • Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

800-928-2350 • www.kycourts.net

By Anita C. Williams

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W hat a privilege to be a child advocate! To know that we affect the future of fosterchildren and make a difference in the world shouldmake us feel very proud. It doesn’t matter what ourgender is, how old we are, what career or professionwe chose or what socioeconomic status we hold.What is important is that we chose this admirablecalling in a country where all children deserve to beloved. When I hold my 3-year-old granddaughter in myarms and tell her how much I love her, my heart

aches for those little ones who never hear thosewords. Love is a powerful word and a passionindividuals must have to be a happy and satisfiedperson. Many children who pass through our courtsystem never experience love from their parents orcaretakers. I recently read an account of a preschool teacherin Paducah who asked her little ones what lovemeant to them. Two of the comments that reallystruck me are: “Love makes you happy” and “Mymommy loves me more than anybody. You don’tsee anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” I hope you feel good about your choice of advo-cating for children. Because you are needed andappreciated, we hope that you will join us this yearat the conference in Owensboro. The banquet willtake place Friday evening, Nov. 5. Workshopsand meetings will continue on Saturday and theconference will end on Sunday. It will be a time oftraining and renewing our friendships with othervolunteers throughout the state. Because we didn’thave a conference last year, this one should bespecial for all. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Positive Momentum for the Child Welfare SystemBy Kevin SmalleyManager ofDependentChildren’sServices

G reetings! We have reached the end of a busy summer after a year full

of activity and I believe we are seeing alot of positive momentum. I speak ofthe momentum taking place in theCFCRB program as well as in the childwelfare system. Planning for the statewide con-ference in Owensboro is in full swing.I met with the Conference Planning andHost committees and am excited to seea great conference coming together.Volunteers and staff are doing awonderful job finalizing the details andmaking sure all the particulars are justright. I had the opportunity to hear one ofour scheduled speakers, Dr. Otto Kaak,at a recent Court of Justice AppellateConference attended by the judges andstaff of the Court of Appeals and theSupreme Court. This was exciting fortwo reasons. First, it was great to learnthat Dr. Kaak, a professor of psychiatryand pediatrics at the University ofKentucky, is a dynamic speaker whocan educate us on attachment disorders

common to children in foster care. Itwas also gratifying that the theme ofthe 2004 Appellate Conference was“Child Protection.” The 2004 Appellate Conference wasan important accomplishment becauseit resulted from several judicial andcourt staff trainings on child protectionissues. Over the past year and a half,the Education Services Department ofthe Administrative Office of the Courtshas provided training on childprotection to the district and circuitjudges, circuit court clerks, AOCmanagers, and now the Court of

Appeals and Supreme Court. This issignificant because we are alreadyseeing benefits. Many judges have beeninspired by the goals and objectives offederal initiatives such as the Adoptionand Safe Families Act (ASFA), and areworking diligently to go beyond thefederal mandates to achievepermanency more quickly for fosterchildren. To avoid delays, the Court ofAppeals is speeding up the appealprocess where possible in terminationof parental right cases and other casesinvolving children. There are otherexamples, but the point is that

education is leading to better under-standing, which is leading to betteroutcomes. The Cabinet for Health and FamilyServices is also diligently educating itsworkforce and other professionals withthe expectation that it will improve thechild protection system. As a result ofASFA and the Child and FamilyService Reviews, the Cabinet hasdeveloped a program improvementplan that addresses all facets of itsdealings with parents and children.This initiative includes enhancing therelationship between the Cabinet and

the courts. We are definitely improvingthe entire system for the benefit ofKentucky families and children. I speak of positive momentum in theCFCRB, the Cabinet and the courts. Weall make a difference. The CFRCBvolunteers are indispensable to thesuccess of this entire system. Thankyou for all you do. I hope you will join us at the stateconference in Owensboro so wecan celebrate our accomplishments,continue our education and dedicateourselves to improving each and everyday!

“Education is leading to better understanding, which isleading to better outcomes.”

— Kevin Smalley, Manager of Dependent Children’s Services

Y oung people aging out of the foster care system face a myriad of personal problems. They have less educa-tion and higher rates of unemployment and homelessness.This book presents the knowledge shared at the Indepen-dent Living Forum, which was created to address the con-cerns of emancipated foster care youth. Many issues are addressed, such as where we are goingwith public policy to help these kids. Independent livingresearch and practice are examined. How do we prepareyouth for employment and raise competent adults who areself-sufficient? One chapter explains how Boysville ofMichigan evaluates its supervised independent living

Book Review

Preparing Youth for Independence, Long-Term SuccessProceedings from the Casey Family Program National Independent Living Forum, edited byKimberly A. Nollan and A. Chris Downs, Child Welfare League of America, © 2001, 150 pages

By Shelly MeyerCFCRB Volunteer, Fayette County

program. Another describes the Job Development Initia-tive, an intensive jobs-based approach to youth self-sufficiency. The strategy of the Casey Family Program isexplained and tables are included to support the findings. There is a method to help kids become aware of andaccess their gifts and strengths. Youth can be positivelyinfluenced to capitalize on what they bring to the world.Studies from around the country are provided as examplesof successful transition to emancipation. This book presents solutions to help foster care youthbecome self-confident and independent adults. It can beread as a general topic outline or with the study guide tablesfor more specific and in-depth understanding.

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By Christy ReavesEditor and Public Relations Committee Chair

A s a CFCRB reviewer for a small town, I had the opportunity in July to visit Jefferson County Chair

Lea Fishbach. I wanted to understand the big city review.In retrospect, the dichotomies were of “anonymity v.familiarity” and of “systematic procedure v. steps.”However, the reviewers, the issues and the children couldnot be differentiated from anywhere in the state. Reviewers in both counties can expect to review for aboutthree hours, with some review sessions lasting longer ifthere is a spike in the number of children or absence ofreviewers. Even though Jefferson County has the mostchildren in care, the ability to break the work into separateboards allows for the process to remain the same.Remarkably, only one of the 10 Jefferson County boardshas a higher caseload than Boyd County, where I live; therest are much lower. There are some obvious differences when comparing thereview process of the two areas. The social services officein Jefferson County is huge. The building the office is inwould take up an entire city block of my little town ofAshland. For the small town reviewer, imagine having aquestion that requires a walk from the corner of 15th Streetto the corner of 14th Street to locate an answer. Often theanswer is inaccessible because the worker is across town,in another building.

Big city reviewer: Imagine knowing by first name everysocial worker, supervisor and office support worker whocomes into contact with every child you review. Big cityreviewer: Imagine having to hardly ever submit the

Question for SocialServices Form. In-stead, ask the ques-tion of the workeror supervisor in thenext room, andreport the answeron that day’sreview. I have to admit that there is quite a bit more organizationinvolved in the Jefferson County process. I could feel thepaperwork machine hum as the reviews pass fromdedicated file cabinets to table to stack to mail to clerk andso on, and then back again in two to three months foranother review. In Ashland, it feels like a hand off fromreviewer to worker to secretary. Most remarkably, I can say that in the end the review isthe same. I looked for the same information, felt the sameconnection to the child and conducted the exact samereview as I would have for a child in Boyd County. It wasa relief to see that my concerns about major differenceswere unnecessary, as the needs of the children, conditionsof care and concerns of treatment are the same whereverwe are. I was surprised to find that I did not have to be concernedwith facilities being bogged down by the number ofchildren they serve. Did I expect to see children standingoutside an office with no foster home to enter? Did I expectto see reviewers who could not remember a child’s name,needs and issues? Well, I guess I did. Thank goodness forenlightenment. Now I feel a greater connection with everyreviewer from every corner of the state. We are doing thesame work, learning the same information, asking the samequestions and caring for the same children. We should callourselves a brotherhood instead of an organization. Thank you for the opportunity, Lea!

Foster Care Review

Big City vs. Small Town

Jefferson

County/

Louisville

98% Urban

2% Rural

Area Description Population BoardsCurrent Children

in CareReviewers

Ratio Children:

Reviewer

694,000 77% Caucasian

19% African American

2% Hispanic

2% Asian

2% Two or more races

or other

10 841 35 25:1

40:13117195% Caucasian

2% African American

2% Hispanic

1% Asian or

two or more races

50,00074% Urban

26% Rural

Boyd

County/

Ashland

“Thank goodness for enlightenment.Now I feel a greater connection to everyreviewer from every corner of the state.”

A Look at Two Review Boards: Jefferson County and Boyd County

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By Shelly MeyerCFCRB Volunteer, Fayette County

� � am pleased to announce that a Resource Center is being built for

CFCRB volunteers. The TrainingCommittee formed a subcommitteecharged with creating a multimediacenter to serve as a source for fostercare information. This means that aftera volunteer completes the six initialtraining hours, he or she can earn theminimum six hours of continuingeducation requirement by using theResource Center. The Resource Center will be locatedin Frankfort initially and will even-tually be available in all field offices.Bruce Jones, CFCRB field coordinator,is our Frankfort partner on this project.He has established space to house theResource Center at the AdministrativeOffice of the Court, and his advice andexpertise are proving essential. Here’s what you need to know aboutthe process: Lending and feedbackforms must be drafted so members canshare opinions about materials theyhave used. The materials must beexamined for relevancy and subjectcontent. Each piece has to be assigneda recommended weight, by hours. Afiling system and a catalog of materialsis required. And we must find outletsfor media resources, especially thoseavailable at a reduced cost or free. Think about concerns and issues thatyou have when reviewing cases. Whatkinds of information would you like tosee in your Resource Center? Yourinput is valuable and we want to hearfrom you. Give Bruce Jones a call at800-928-2350 with your ideas. The morewe know about foster kids, the betterequipped we are to make informeddecisions about their care. Crystal Bohlander has gatheredInternet information about subjectspertinent to board members. She hasalso secured books, videos, CDs andpamphlets from various sources andprovided attractive bookplates torecognize the contributors.

Right now, the entire ResourceCenter can fit into a computer box!We’re looking forward to seeing itgrow. We welcome donations fromyou, your board or anyone interestedin high-quality care for foster kids. The Resource Center Committeecurrently consists of Bill FerzaccaCharlene Greer and Shelly Meyer.There is much to do. We need to submita mission statement to the TrainingCommittee and establish subject areasand parameters for acceptable media.If you would like to join this team ofenthusiastic volunteers, call BruceJones at 800-928-2350.

Thank You to Contributors

Warren B CFCRB: Love and Dianevideo

Daviess CFCRB: The MisunderstoodChild, Living Through the Meantime,The Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderWorkbook and Emotional Intelligence

Bob Danzig: Every Child Deserves aChampion, Vitamins for the Spirit,Angel Threads, There Is Only One You,The Leader Within You and a recordingof Conversations on Leadership

Dick Meyer: Every Child Deserves aChampion and Preparing Youth forLong-Term Success

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Ballard/ Carlisle CountiesBy Dolores SmithField Supervisor

Foster children in Ballard/Carlisle countiesbenefit from successful suitcase drive

This is a very dedicated, diligent group of volunteers whoenjoy an excellent working relationship with theDepartment for Community Based Services (DCBS). This board recently organized a suitcase drive for fostercare children in their counties. The drive was based on theneed expressed by the DCBS supervisor, who was hopingto get five suitcases for children in foster care. Thanks to

the Ballard/CarlisleCFCRB, they ended upwith 16 suitcases! Notonly did board membersdonate suitcases, butBoard Chair Pat Gevedenenlisted the aid of theBallard County Home-makers, which also dona-

ted suitcases. That pretty much sums up the personalityexuded by this board: If they see a need for children, theydo their best to meet that need. That is exactly how theyapproach the review process as well. Earlier, I mentioned that this board is very dedicated.There are 52 years of experience represented by the memberson the board! That alone underscores the strong level ofinvolvement these board members demonstrate. Muchappreciation goes out to all board members of the Ballard/Carlisle CFCRB for their consistent commitment to thisprogram and the children of Kentucky.

Greenup CountyBy Christy ReavesEditor

Greenup County reviewer helps create firstFoster and Adoption Resource Center in the state

It truly is a happy place. As you walk through the ForJamie’s Sake Foster and Adoption Resource Center, you canfeel the hope and promise that the first foster and adoptionresource center in the state brings to the adoption processand to the fosterchildren of our area.Greenup CountyBoard Chair BeckyBrown, along withtwo other founders,Mary Clarke and LeaAnn Gollihue, havecreated a positiveenvironment that willserve as a resource tothe community and tofoster and adoptiveparents and children. The center is an“adoption informa-tion hub” for all adoption agencies in good standing. Beckysaid the hub can be the starting point for people consideringadoption. They want to save people time by locating allinformation in one place. In the future, For Jamie’s Sake will recruit resourcefamilies, provide a meeting place for the Cabinet for Healthand Family Services’ Foster Parent Training and create aResource Library for foster families. When video equipmentis installed, the agency will provide space for social workersto monitor visitation for birth and adoptive families. Becky also has a connection to Adopt Kids USA, whichwill begin an advertising campaign to change the stereotypeof the foster child. In a small way she has already begun theprocess by completing a clothing closet. She hopes no fosterchild in our area can ever be identified by the appearanceof their clothes. Even though the doors have just opened, we know theresults of the hard work and dedication of these threewomen will affect the lives of many people in the future. Although Becky is at the forefront, the Greenup CountyCFCRB has worked endless hours to help open the doors ofthis facility. This close-knit group is dedicated to the welfareof children and all of the board members have contributedin one way or another.

Members of the Ballard/Carlisle Citizen Foster Care Review Board are,front row, from left: Chair Pat Geveden, Nancy Piper, Vice Chair SuzanneAllen; back row: DCBS FSOS Rose Bryant, DCBS SRAA PeggyMeriedeth, Pat Knowles and Mary Pace.

The members of the Greenup CountyCFCRB are, front row, from left: DonnaBlackburn and Claudette Carnley; backrow: Amy Reed and Becky Brown.

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A Family Team Meeting (FTM) becamea requirement April 1, 2004, for all out-of-home care cases. FTM can refer to a varietyof conferences, such as a Case PlanningConference, Five-Day Conference, FamilyCase Planning Meeting, Family UnityMeeting, Family Group Decision Making,and Periodic Reviews. A FTM requiresthe participation of family members, thesocial services worker (and other Cabinetfor Health and Family Services staff asneeded), and at least one communitypartner. Community partners may includeFamily Support, Child Support, ChildCare, mental health counselors, medicalhealth professionals, legal representatives,court personnel, teachers or others in theschool community, Family Resource andYouth Services centers, care providers,friends, neighbors and people from thefamily’s faith community. Those partici-pating in the Family Team Meeting signconfidentiality agreements. FTMs are part of the approach used byComprehensive Family Services to helpfamilies achieve their case plan objectivesand desired outcomes. At the initial

Let me run awayTo a place where no one canfind meI’m not scared of the painI just want them to let me beThey say don’t fight itThey say just dealBut I’m not that strongThe pain’s so realConfused as everI want to go and hideNo one will hurt meIt feels as if I’ve diedThere’s no one to guide meNo one to hold my handIf I take myself awayWill they understand?Or will they chase me?With words of steel

O n M y O w nPoem By Jamie Slone,14

Adopted Child

They just don’t knowThe pain that I feelI’m holding it inBut I’m not getting strongerI can’t take this mess any longerWhy don’t they love me?What have I done?I’m just a childOut having funNeeding to screamBut my feelings are trappedIt stings, it burnsAs if I’ve been slappedEverything’s going wrongI can’t seem to find my wayI have one more choiceAnd that’s go and pray.

meeting, family and community partnersdevelop a case plan that includes a timelinefor the tasks and services necessary toachieve the family’s objectives. In subsequent meetings, the participantsreview and document progress towardobjectives, timeliness in accomplishingtasks and needed revisions to the plan.FTMs may continue throughout the lifeof a case. FTMs are required for all second refer-rals substantiated on children age 3 andyounger. They are also required at reunifi-cation, adoption finalization and relativeplacement; on all placement disruptions;prior to case closure on all out-of-homecare cases; at the five-day conference; andat the out-of-home care case review atthree, six or nine months. FTMs are encouraged at the opening ofall in-home Child Protective Services caseswhere the services of community partnersare needed and the family agrees to theirparticipation. The family can choose whothey want involved in the FTM except inout-of-home care cases. The service regionadministrator must approve exceptions torequired FTMs.

What is a Family Team Meeting? Submitted by Hazel Maupin, Chair, Livingston County CFCRB

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Do you have past copiesof The Caring Difference?

We very much need yourhelp in locating pastcopies of our newsletter,The Caring Difference, forour archives. These arethe issues we would liketo collect:

• 1994 or earlier, any issue• 1997 Winter• 1998 Spring• 1999 Spring and Fall• 2000 Fall and Winter• 2001 Winter• 2002 Winter, Summer and Fall

Please take a moment to check your files or pilesand mail any copies you find to Mae Philbeck,Education Specialist, Administrative Office ofthe Courts, 100 Millcreek Park, Frankfort, Ky.40601.

What makes your CFCRBspecial?How do you personalize your local board? Weknow many of you do more than review files.Whether you make cookies at Christmas, havelunch with your judge or decorate the visitationroom, you find ways to make the foster carereview processspecial in your area. Please send usyour ideas! We wantto share them withthe rest of the state.Send them toChristy Reaves atchristyreaves@iglou.com or MaePhilbeck at maep@mail.aoc.state.ky.us.