Support Team Blog - PROJECT 1.27

Together, we can change Not Enough to More Than Enough...

10/27/2020

...Even during a pandemic!

In November, churches across the U.S. have typically focused on caring for the vulnerable children in foster care. 2020 isn’t a typical year, but there are ways churches can engage the congregation using resources for Stand Sunday (Nov. 8) and National Adoption month (all November).

During this pandemic, the stress on already fragile families is intense. History shows that when just unemployment increases, there’s an increase of children coming into foster care. Add in a limited access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and isolation at home and it becomes clear that Not every child has been safer at home.

In 2020, there are-
Not enough adoptive families for waiting children!
Not enough foster families, especially for siblings and older children in foster care
Not enough support for at-risk, foster and adoptive families

Use these virtual (or in-person) resources to engage your congregation in ministry to vulnerable children and families in your community.

PROJECT 1.27 VIDEOS & RESOURCES:

Foster Care on Display

9/29/2020

What do you do when you pray, plan and prepare for a Foster Care Awareness Night at your church
and nobody comes?

Pray.

Schedule monthly Foster Care Awareness Nights. Keep foster care on display. Watch God at work-

Calling new foster families.
Calling others to support foster families.
Launching a foster care closet.
Providing more opportunities to put foster care on display.

That’s not the kind of thing you’d expect to see at church during a pandemic. And then there’s God!
Julie and Jon Stephens were interested in hosting a Foster Care Awareness Night at their church because they were spurred on to consider foster care after watching another Project 1.27 family, the Wolgemuths. As Julie describes it, “Seeing foster care on display in actual people’s lives helped me think that maybe we could do that.” After talking to husband, Jonathan, the couple attended a Project 1.27 Info Night in 2017. They walked away wishing they hadn’t heard any of the information because it meant they couldn’t turn away.

“We just took one class at a time, one step at a time. It took us a year, but we trusted God knew what he was doing. We were set up to bring in a kid, help a family in need.” Since becoming certified, Jon and Julie have adopted their first placement and supported their second placement’s move to live with her aunt in another state.

Celebrating Kinship Care Month

9/9/2020

September is a month to recognize all kinship providers who stepped into an important gap to care for children experiencing abuse and neglect. In circumstances where a child is not able to safely remain with their parent, kinship providers are the first choice for placement to minimize the trauma of removal. Kinship care is defined as a relative or non-relative adult with an existing bond to the child, who agrees to provide care to the child during a dependency and neglect case. This allows children to preserve family and community connections, making kinship providers an invaluable resource. While kinship care is a gift to helping children cope with the challenges of removal and maintain a sense of familiarity, it also can be a difficult situation for families to be in. Kinship providers often find themselves in the middle, torn between a system working to protect the child who has been harmed, and preserving their relationship with the family member responsible for the abuse. Kinship families may also find their own life plans, safety, or privacy interrupted; or be financially strained in providing for another child. In honor of celebrating the hard work of kinship parents with consideration to the many complexities it presents, below are some ways to show your family love and support this month and always.

1,371 Days

8/25/2020

Adam, Katie & Baby Girl, Nov. 2016

November 2016, when two-day-old Baby Girl arrived, Adam and Katie became first-time foster parents and first-time parents. They describe the day Baby Girl arrived as “exciting chaos”. Eight months later, when asked how we could pray for them and other foster parents, Adam and Katie quickly responded with one word – Peace! (Excerpt from August 2017 Newsletter)

Peace. When Adam and Katie shared their story in 2017, they didn’t know just how much they would need your prayers for peace. This month, after 1,371 days in foster care – their care – Adam and Katie adopted Baby Girl, better known as Harvest Lynn. They also adopted her little brother, Wynn Robert!

Helping Children with Transitions

8/20/2020

Many children who have experienced trauma are triggered by transitions. This can be difficult to help a child manage because transitions are a part of everyday life in ways big and small. In responding to transition triggers, a child may show behaviors that range from mild protesting to a severe meltdown. Fortunately, there are many ways that caregivers can help predict and prepare for these circumstances to help a child have an easier time moving from one task to the next. Over time, children may come to learn the mechanisms that work for them, ultimately decreasing the length and severity of behavioral responses and increasing their ability to make positive behavioral changes. Feeling successful in this way is a powerful tool to helping kids heal from trauma and build positive relationships. During a time when transitions are more constant than ever, this is an invaluable gift to give to your child. Below are some suggestions on how to help a child build confidence in addressing their transition triggers.

Create a routine: Think about the main components that make up the child’s day and have a predictable structure in place. Organized activities, such as bedtime, are great to have in place for all ages. As your child progresses to be reassured by this structure, understand that maintaining consistency is key. For example, children who have experienced trauma may not be able to developmentally understand why one night they got a later bedtime and the next they did not.

Fun Family Recipes from the P127 Team

7/17/2020

Janet’s Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Watch Janet make her casserole on her Cooking with Kids page!

2 cans mild red enchilada sauce
16 oz. sour cream
2 cups cooked chicken (can use canned chicken)
1 ½ cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
12 to 14 corn tortillas

Mix enchilada sauce, sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheese and chicken. Let kids cut or tear tortillas into bite-size pieces. (Not too small). Add tortillas into enchilada mixture and mix well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased casserole. Cover. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese melts.

Bill’s Homemade Ice Cream (Shelly’s dad’s recipe)

6 cups milk
9 beaten egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar
4 ½ tsp vanilla
⅜ tsp salt
3 cups half and half

Combine milk, egg yolks, salt and sugar. Cook slowly over double boiler until mixture thickens (about 30 mins). Cool and add remaining ingredients. Chill for 2 hours. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Makes 1 gallon.

"We loved it when my dad came back from the store with chocolate milk for this!" - Shelly

Mental Health Check-in

7/8/2020

The impact of COVID-19 continues to present new challenges for foster children and families experiencing the child welfare system. For children who have endured trauma, building and maintaining a structured environment they can count on is hard fought work by foster parents. The pandemic has resurfaced or exacerbated feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty with foster children already in an unfathomable situation. Now that we are several months into navigating a world turned upside down, take a moment to use the questions below to check in with yourself and the foster or adoptive family you support to encourage good mental, spiritual and emotional health.

What am I grateful for? The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool in finding joy even in the most difficult circumstances. Take a few minutes at the beginning of every day to list three things you are thankful for. This practice postures you to start the day with a glad heart.

Moving Past Grief to Love Children in Need

6/29/2020

Melinda, Sean, Phoenix & Adaira at Brec’s adoption

With French Onion Dip Sandwich fixings in the crockpot, Melinda Coburn took her two daughters to swimming lessons. After lessons, Melinda checked her phone and discovered 15 messages from her husband, Sean. “The county would like to place a baby boy with us tonight.” Arriving home, the girls, Phoenix and Adaira, picked out some favorite toys and blankets to share with the baby before stationing themselves at the front window, eagerly watching for the arrival of Baby Brec.

Baby Brec’s arrival was one of many “wild nesting stories” as Melinda describes the often-rushed process of preparing for a new foster child’s arrival. Placement prep pros, Melinda and Sean have fostered 14 children, supporting reunification, providing respite and adopting Adaira and Baby Brec.

Celebrating Fathers and Father Figures

6/15/2020

In the spirit of Father’s Day, let’s celebrate and encourage the fathers and father figures who serve their families, children and community. These men can be powerful examples of respect, kindness and love to children coming into care. Sadly, many of these children come from homes where neglect and violence was experienced on a regular basis. Instead of a foundation built on a father’s love, there was neglect, fear or harshness. As a result, foster dads, granddads and uncles may be the first positive male role model a child experiences. Below are some suggestions for recognizing the important role of these men in helping children normalize healthy patterns of love and stability in their lives.

Be a positive role model: Children will be watching you, looking to compare and contrast their new relationships with former ones. This provides an opportunity to help them learn how a loving and caring male lives and serves others. Setting positive examples in relationships, communication, managing work, implementing respectful discipline and following through on commitments are a few examples of useful life skills to model for children.

A Different Kind of Summer

5/20/2020

This time of year, families are usually registering for summer camps and checking community activity calendars with great excitement, looking forward to the Summer months ahead. This year, the impact of COVID-19 means Summer will look different. As families continue making the necessary adjustments there are still many opportunities to creatively engage kids in ways that bring joy and fun. Below are some suggestions that will keep kids busy, create happy memories and build strong connections, all of which are vital in developing healthy, resilient families.

Porch drop offs: Kids love surprise gifts! Porch drop offs can be a great way to bring the fun and a change of pace. Create a bag of items like coloring sheets or puzzle books, sensory objects, water toys, summer treats and an age-appropriate craft project. Consider porch swapping puzzles, games and toys between households as you feel comfortable.

Cupcake Wars: Have one or more families set up a place where kids can get messy and host a virtual baking party. Drop off vanilla frosting, decorating supplies and cupcake batter. Have each kid use two ingredients from the pantry to create personalized flavors. (For younger kids, pre-make different flavors of cupcakes and frosting.) Let kids be as creative as their hearts’ desire with fondant, candy toppings, melted chocolate, cookies, and piping bags full of fun colors. Designate a judge to determine the winner of the decorating competition, have kids share about their personalized flavors, and enjoy the yummy results together.