Rhode Island Foster Parents Association | What's New

2008 New England Foster Care Association Waves of Hope Conference!

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:10:24 +0000

It is with great pleasure that the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association invites you to Waves of Hope: Charting the Course in Foster/Adoptive Care, this year’s New England Foster Care Association Conference. Inside you will find the conference schedule, registration form, and biographies of our two keynote speakers. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy our lineup of dynamic speakers, informative institutes and educational workshops. You’ll listen. You’ll learn. You’ll Laugh.

Click HERE for more details.

Share Your Heart - Donate to the Rhode Island Foster Parents Associations 2008 Annual Appeal

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:48:32 +0000

Please show your support for foster parents and children in care by donating to the RI Foster Parents Association’s 2008 Annual Appeal. Your financial contribution, no matter how small, is critical. Your support enables us to continue to provide and expand our free services to foster families including training; one-on-one mentor support; a 24-hour help line; fun events and activities like Holiday parties, the annual PawSox game for foster parents and the Foster Parents Appreciation Dinner. It also helps us to strengthen our direct supports to children and teens in care through the Cribs, Beds, and Clothes donation exchange program; Youth Enrichment Fund; and special programming that connects older youth in care to mentors, life skills training, support in finding jobs and applying to college and much, much more. And last but not least it supports our advocacy efforts on behalf of foster parents and foster children at the state house, at DCYF and in the community.

To donate online click here.

Checks can be mailed to: Rhode Island Foster Parents Association, 55 South Brow Street, East Providence, RI 02914

To contact us to let us know how we can better serve you call 401-438-3900.

Real Connections

natasha — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:15:29 +0000

If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a teen in foster care click on the Program tab above and then choose “Real Connections” to learn more.

Real Connections is open to community adults who would like to be connected to a youth in need as well as to adults who already know a particular youth in care for whom they would like to provide stronger support. Real Connections mentors commit to helping youth with education, employment and other adult transition goals.

Thank you

Federal Tax Benefits for Foster, Adoptive Parents and Kinship Caregivers

natasha — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:48:30 +0000

The National Foster Parent Association is pleased to present the 2007 Tax Benefits for Foster, Adoptive Parents and Kinship Caregivers. This resource guide provides you with valuable information worth several thousand dollars or more in tax benefits.

The guide is filled with links to reference material and explains basic rules and offers tips on ways that foster and adoptive parents and kinship caregivers can claim deductions and credit available to them. Neither the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nor commercial tax manuals offer information on unique tax rules that affect these families. As a result, obscure and complicated tax rules cause some families, and even some commercial tax preparers, to overlook or miss deductions and tax credits.

Thank you to Casey Family Programs for their collaboration on the production of the Federal Tax Benefits guide. It’s Here! Visit www.NFPAonline.org and view the wonderful resource for foster parents.

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative

natasha — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:07:37 +0000

referral-form.doc

~ The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is a national effort to help youth in foster care make successful transition to adulthood. To participate in the JCYOI program you must be between the ages of 14 and 23 and currently or formerly in foster care.

~ After you complete a series of Financial Literacy Trainings, you are then offered the Opportunity Passport Program. This program is the centerpiece of RI JCYOI’s work. The goals of the Opportunity Passport are to help youth leaving foster care become more financially literate, gain experience with the banking system, and accumulate assets for housing, transportation, education/vocation and a few other specific assets.

~ The Opportunity Passport has three key components:

* IDA Account - A matched savings account to be used for asset building- RI JCYOI will match dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 for a specific asset.

* Debit Account - A bank account to be used for short term expenses, such as utility payments, groceries and other daily living expenses.

* “Door Openers” - Opportunities created for young people on the local level within their communities that provide access to education, housing, health care, asset building and transportation.

(IDA is an Individual Development Account)

(held at Casey Family Services) Check it out !

February Trainings: (during school break)

Thursday 2/21 (10am-3pm)

Friday 2/22 (10am-3pm)

held @ Casey Family Services

March Trainings:

Tuesdays/Thursdays

4-6:30pm

3/4, 3/6 3/11, 3/14 3/18, 3/20

1268 Eddy St. Providence, RI

Please print, fill out, and fax back the attached referral form to get started…

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Natasha Leavitt, 401-438-3900 x 105, natasha.leavitt@rifpa.org

TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY !

natasha — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:10:30 +0000

5th Annual Cheeseburgers in Paradise

lisa — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:00:09 +0000

All proceeds to benefit the Association’s Youth Enrichment Fund for children in state care.

Purchase tickets

Join us for a Tent Party and Dancing by the water at the beautiful Botantical Center at Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI.

August 30, 2007
5pm - 9pm

Featuring guest host Margie O’Brien from News Channel 10, the “Rhode Island Dreams” auction, live music, raffles, down home barbeque and hamburgers by Fine Catering by Russell Morin, and more!

Advanced purchase is required, so reserve your tickets today!

Share Your Heart

lisa — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:12:33 +0000

Make a tax deductible contribution to our annual campaign and make a difference for Rhode Island children in foster care.

Make your donation online

With Your Help

Foster Parent Support:

Mentoring Program for new foster parents
24 hour helpline
Fostering Futures monthly newsletter providing parenting tips and resource information for foster parents and child welfare professionals
Cribs, Beds, and Clothes donation exchange program
Advocacy on behalf of foster parents and the children they serve, at the state house, at DYCF and in the community
Future Plans: improved foster parent recruitment & training to enhance foster parenting skills

Support for Children and Teens in Care:

Life Skills Program preparing teens for adult transition
Youth Enrichment and Teen Grant Funds enabling children and youth to participate in special interest activities that enhance their self esteem, skills or knowledge
New Program! Real Connections, identifying mentors and lifelong supports for teens in care
Future Plans, Improve youth connections to employment and education opportunities

For more information on donating contact Julie Dibari at 401-438-3900 x 101 or julie.dibari@rifpa.org

Make your donation online, or make out your check to RIFPA and send it to the address below:

Rhode Island Foster Parents Association
55 South Brow St, East
Providence, RI 02914
Phone: 401.438.3900

Thank you in advance for your generous tax deductible contribution

Rhode Island Foster Parents Association launches Real Connections: A Community Approach to Identifying Mentors and Lifelong Supports for Teens in Care

admin — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:50:18 +0000

The Rhode Island Foster Parents Association (RIFPA) and the Rhode Island Council of Resource Providers (RICORP) is launching a new program for teens through the Chaffee Life Skills Center. The goal of the Real Connections program is “to ensure that all youth leave state care with permanent, positive adult connections and options for a successful future.” The program will focus on teens that are vulnerable to “aging out” of state care without positive, consistent adults to rely on. Real Connections staff will support youth in identifying existing community connections and connections that may have been lost as a result of placement in care or transition from town to town or school to school. They will also help youth identify relatives previously unknown to them that may have the capacity to become consistent supports. The goal is to then help to nurture a relationship with those adults that have the most potential to develop into lifelong connections. The program will also connect youth to community mentors that are able to help them pursue secondary education or specific career goal. The Chaffee Life Skills Center is recruiting mentors from local businesses, community organizations and reaching out to community members who may have considered foster parenting or adoption but are looking for a “stepping stone” approach.

This program is an exciting community collaboration. Leading partners include the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association, the Rhode Island Council of Resource Providers, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Department of Children, Youth and Families. The O’Halloran Family Foundation has made a generous three-year commitment to ensure the sustainability of the program. Other funders include Ocean State Job Lot and Ocean State Charities Trust. Additional community partners include Communities for People, the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, Rhode Island Kids Count, Adoption Rhode Island, and Casey Family Services.

Real Connections will work with 25 youth in the pilot year of the program and intends to work with 100 youth per year by the year three. If you are interested in learning more about the program please contact Julie DiBari at 401-438-3900 x101.

O’Halloran Family Foundation Funding Provides Boost to Real Connections Program For Teens in Foster Care.

admin — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:49:48 +0000

In December the O’Halloran Family Foundation made a critical funding commitment of $60,000 over three years to the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association to fund the Real Connections Program. The family felt that the goal of the program to ensure that all youth leave state care with a permanent , positive adult connection and options for a successful future fit their goal of supporting programs that “make a vital difference in the lives of RI youth.” The commitment to fund for three-years puts the program on solid footing.