FSSBA staff and families were extremely moved by the gesture of kindness from the seven young Girl Scouts and their committed troop leader. What they didn’t realize was that this was only the beginning.

“This group of young women is amazing! The original group of Girl Scouts began assembling these wonderful baskets when they were in middle school,” notes Executive Director Lou Fox. ”All of them went away to college, but for several years continued to get together annually to make their Mother’s Day baskets.”

This is the twelfth year that FSSBA has received gift baskets for the Piedmont Girl Scouts.  A new generation of eighth grade girls, Piedmont Girl Scout Troop #32067, led by Fernanda Meagher, has taken on the project, and the tradition is still going strong. 

“We never know how many baskets we will receive.  Sometimes there are 40 or 50 baskets, sometime more.  This year we were stunned to see that there are 78 baskets waiting for us, and all of them were beautifully put together, with hand-tied bows.”

On behalf of the women who have received beautiful gift baskets for the past twelve years, FSSBA would like to thank the young women of Piedmont Girl Scouts.

Read more about the history of National Child Abuse Prevention Month here.

What Can YOU Do to Prevent Child Abuse?

At Family Support Services of the Bay Area, we are in the business of helping to build healthy, thriving families, and preventing child abuse.

But you don’t have to work for FSSBA to take an active role in preventing child abuse.This April, remember that child abuse is everyone’s business. Here are six ways that you can take an active role in making the world a safer place for children:

1. Offer to babysit for a single mom:  Respite support has been proven to reduce stress, allowing caregivers to recharge and renew their positive energy for the ongoing job of nurturing their children.  Giving a single mom the luxury of a night off can have a bigger impact than you know.
2. Compliment a tired caregiver at the grocery store:  We’ve all seen the exhausted mom or grandmother, standing in line at the grocery store, trying to be patient while their energetic child wants to play.  Tell that caregiver what a great job they are doing! Positive feedback can give them the boost they need to get through the end of a long day.
3. Get to know the youth in your neighborhood: When you are friendly with your neighborhood youth, they will know there is someone nearby that they can trust, and you will be building a more healthy community.  
4. Become a Mentor: Your time and commitment can not only improve the life or a child, but will help to relieve tension in a burdened family. FSSBA’s next mentor training is coming soon.  Sign up today!
5. Don’t be afraid to speak up: If you suspect that a child is being abused, yours might be the call that ends the violence.  Call 1-800-4-A-CHILD for The Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline. You can call any time day or night, and an expert will be able to help you.
6. Support local organizations, like FSSBA, that offer direct service care to families in high-stress situations.  Your donation allows us to reach more families, provide much-needed care, and turn families around.

In December 2011, one of FSSBA’s very talented respite care providers, Tony Foss, passed away.  Shortly thereafter, we received a letter from a family with whom he worked, whose lives he touched with his enthusiasm and the loving care he brought to his work.  The following is an excerpt:

“We want to share with you that Tony was the best respite care worker we ever had for our son, Caleb.  He was kind, loving, positive and responsible.  He always walked in the door with a big smile and said, “What’s up, Bud?”

During the past two years, Tony has taken Caleb to Special Olympics practices and other community outings.  With Tony’s support, Caleb made history as a high school student with special needs on two very special occasions.

It was Tony who accompanied Caleb to participate in a Regional Jujitsu Tournament.  Caleb’s instructor and the Regional judges were very impressed as it was the first time in the regional schools that an individual with a developmental disability participated in this type of tournament. 

It was Tony who took Caleb to an audition for a school-wide talent show.  As a result, Caleb was selected to perform a solo dance in the high-school-wide talent show in January of last year.  It was a rare occasion that a student with a significant disability appeared on stage to perform for the entire school!

Our boys loved to go out with Tony.  We miss him so much! “

Tony Foss understood the importance of respite care in the lives of the families we support, and took to heart his role in making life more fulfilling for the people with whom he worked.

To honor Tony Foss’ memory, FSSBA has established The “Tony” Award to honor, each year, a respite care provider demonstrating the kind of excellence that Tony brought to his work every day. 

On January, 26, 2013, The “Tony” Award was dedicated to Tony Foss, and received by his mother, during a daylong celebration and training event hosted by FSSBA’s Respite Program.

Special thanks to Esther Chow, and the entire Chow family, for proposing the establishment of The “Tony” Award, and for the generous contribution that helped to make it possible. 

At FSSBA, we measure success in many ways.  Here is a quick glance at the number of children and families we served in fiscal year 2011-2012:

Respite / Child Care Program: Over 800 children from more than 400 families received over 68,000 hours of care.

Family Preservation Program: 227 families with 387 children received  approximately 11,800 hours of service.

Kinship Support Services Program: Over 500 families recieved over 10,000 hours of services, including: information, referrals, case management, crisis intervention, support groups, and educational workshops.

Kinship Youth Program: More than 260 youth actvities were provided to over 100 youth.

OreMi Mentoring Program: 84 mentor/mentee matches met a minimum of four hours per month and 66 hours of training were provided to mentors.

The children may have a developmental disability, experienced abuse, neglect, pre-natal drug exposure, or are HIV-affected. 

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have experience working with children and families.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a motor vehicle in good working order.
• Be able to obtain a criminal record clearance.
• Be eligible to work in the U.S.

$9.25 – 10.00 hour (depending upon the number of children in your care). This is a part-time (no guarantee of hours) position. Respite is generally needed after-school, evenings, and weekends.

Interested? Call Francesca at (510) 834-2443 x 3027.

*Although FSSBA is in need of bilingual respite providers, please note that all English speakers are welcome to apply.

 FSSBA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Aunt Mary was 78 years old and had mobility challenges. She was loving and supportive, and Joseph knew that without her, he would have been placed in foster care and separated from his siblings.  She was never going to play football or ride on roller coasters with him.  She sometimes had a hard time helping him with his homework, and she didn’t seem to understand how hard it was to adjust to a new school.

Aunt Mary actually understood more than Joseph thought.  She knew that he was an active, curious young man, and that he needed help adjusting to his new life.  She began bringing Joseph to the Kinship Youth Program (KYP) at FSSBA so that he would receive help with his homework and be around other children and youth. 

Joseph began taking part in monthly community service outings that helped him feel more like he belonged in this new city.  He went to his first professional baseball game with a group of youth from KYP.  Joseph felt more connected within this community of peers and youth leaders.

After a year with KYP, Joseph says he feels more stable.  He knows he is safe and loved at home by his Great Aunt Mary, and he has a strong support system at KYP, where he is encouraged to use his energy in positive ways develop leadership skills.  When he is feeling frustrated with school, he receives help from the KYP staff, who help him to work out a study plan to get back on track.  Most importantly, Joseph knows that the people in his life are working together to help him make the best decisions he can as he grows up.

Knowing that ongoing medical treatment was critical for this boy, the doctor called child protective services. This was Christy’s first interaction with the child welfare system.

The Department of Children and Family Services did not remove her son from her care; instead they referred the family to FSSBA’s Paths to Success program (P2S), a Family Preservation program that works with intact families living in the Alameda County zip codes where entries to foster care are highest. Because they were now part of the child welfare system, Christy’s son became eligible for MediCAL insurance, and by receiving services from P2S, Christy and her family were able to receive immediate support and services.

Over the course of six months, the family’s P2S advocate visited the home weekly, sometimes more.  Together, they focused on Christy’s son, who had some developmental problems in addition to his medical needs.  He was overweight, reluctant to go outside and play, and had few friends. They enrolled him in therapy and in an after-school program where he had to climb stairs and went swimming every day.  He lost weight and gained confidence. 

Christy’s advocate also helped to balance some of the other challenging aspects of Christy’s life. She referred Christy to individual and family therapy for both her and her son, encouraged her to take parenting classes, and helped her write a resume and look for a job.

The benefits of P2S for Christy are obvious.  Their family dynamics have changed.  Christy pointed out that her children don’t argue as much as before. “They used to fight constantly, and that has totally stopped,” she said.  “Sometimes I think, ‘Am I in the wrong house?’”

Christy’s case is closed now, and she knows that she will not lose her children.  On her last court date, “I just started floating,” she said.  From her work with P2S, she knows more about handling stress, and all of her children are healthy and happy.  Christy believes now that she will never be in the child welfare system again.

Joan cared very much about her daughter, but she was having a hard time managing Mandy’s tantrums and episodes of physical violence.  Joan also needed support in meeting Mandy’s needs while addressing her own physical rehabilitation. She felt hopeless and out of control. She was convinced that her only real option was to give up custody of her daughter.

Joan and Mandy were referred to a social worker with Another Road to Safety (ARS), part of the Family Preservation Program at FSSBA.  The social worker began by helping this family to identify their strengths, and working with them to connect with needed resources.  Joan began receiving para-transportation services that allowed her greater mobility outside the home. 

Their ARS social worker helped establish regular individual and group therapy and appropriate medication to help manage Mandy’s behavioral issues.  She assessed the home environment and encouraged adjustments that would make both Joan and Mandy safer.  Mandy’s school environment was evaluated, and she was placed in a new school that is better able to meet her needs.

Joan and Mandy worked together with their ARS social worker to identify and address a number of issues. After months of work, Mandy has shown extensive improvement in managing her anger and interacting well with others.  Joan is physically stronger and more comfortable accessing resources that allow her to be more engaged in her daughter’s life, as well as her own. With so much improvement in their daily lives, Joan and Mandy have strengthened their relationship, and now cannot imagine being separated.

“We tried to handle everything alone for the first few months, and I’ve never felt so exhausted in my life!”

Josie felt lucky to be able to stay at home to care for Michael during the day, but after several weeks, the constant medical care Michael required was taking a toll on her health and was contributing to a strain on her relationship with her husband.

When a neighbor suggested that they call FSSBA for respite care, Josie and Syd were cautious about getting their hopes up.

 “We knew how hard it was to find a caregiver who could manage Michael’s many issues. When you have a medically fragile child, you can’t trust just anyone to take care of him.”

Their concerns faded quickly when they met Anna, their Respite Care Provider. In addition to her first aid and CPR certifications, Anna was experienced at working with medically fragile children, and was child-specific trained to feed Michael through a G-tube and administer his suctioning machine. 

“The first time Anna came, I was too nervous to leave, so she suggested that I just take a long nap while she cared for Michael. I slept for three hours, and woke up feeling more normal than I had in a year.  The difference in me was tremendous, and Syd could tell as soon as he came home from work that I was different.  Respite has changed my parenting experience completely.”

When Kate needs time away from her children, it’s not as simple as calling a babysitter or asking a friend to stay with them for a few hours.  As a foster parent, Kate is required to use caregivers who have been screened, and any care providers for her children must be trained to meet her children’s medical needs.

For Kate, the Respite/ Child Care program at FSSBA is the resource that allows her to find the time she needs to take care of herself, and then come back to her children, ready to take care of them.

Respite caregivers spend time in Kate’s home with her children each week, and it is usually the only free time she has. She often schedules appointments and errands in her respite hours.  Sometimes she takes a book, a pillow and a blanket, visits a friend’s home and takes a nap.  Catching up on sleep is a luxury for her, and makes all the difference when she returns home to her children.

Kate works hard at building a sense of community for her children. She wants them to be surrounded by people who cherish them, care for them, support them and understand them. She feels that respite has been an important part of this. Her respite providers from FSSBA have been working with her for years, and have become a strong part of their community.  The children love their respite provider, Morgan, and Kate hopes that the relationship will continue “forever”.