In a courtroom last week, a judge asked the State of Florida and myself if we had any problems with the reunification of a mother and her son, and I was lucky enough to be able to say no. It was a great case to get my feet wet with, I know that they will not all go that well. Nearly 31,000 children in Florida are abused neglected and more than 6,300 of those children do not have a Guardian ad Litem. If you are interested in becoming a Guardian ad Litem volunteer please contact 1-866-341-1425 or visit the Guardian ad Litem website at GuardianadLitem.org.

Qualifications of a Guardian Ad Litem

• You must be objective and non-judgmental and be able to interact with people of various educational, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
• A sincere concern for the well-being of children.
• You must be able to complete 30 hours of training to ensure that you are ready to carry out your role as an informed and knowledgeable child advocate.
• You must be able to pass a criminal background check.
• You should be able to commit about 8-10 hours a month to working on your assigned case. My experience has been way less, I am sure that there will be a case that requires more.

What exactly does a Guardian ad Litem do?

• A Guardian ad Litem investigates, writes reports, speaks to the judge, and testifies in court.
• The Guardian ad Litem has a great responsibility to protect a child from further victimization by spending his or childhood in multiple, unfamiliar, and temporary placements.
• The child needs someone to advocate quickly for a safe and permanent home.  There is an undeniable personal fulfillment of ensuring that a child is not forgotten.

At one time school safety was a minor focus for schools. Unfortunately, weapons are an issue on high school and even middle school campuses. The National Education Association provides the following statistics:

Every school day:

• at least 100,000 students bring guns to school.
• 160,000 students skip classes because they fear physical harm.
• 40 students are hurt or killed by firearms.

Random searches can be thought to be an infringement on the student’s civil liberties. If implemented,  it would be essential to ensure that the searches are random and fair. I also realize that the searches may feel somewhat like a circus and be disruptive to the learning environment, but if it were for the safety of the students I would support an unobtrusive effort.

What are your thoughts?

What are your thoughts about being randomly searched at the airport without cause?

The One Million Pillowcase Challenge

American Patchwork & Quilting is challenging you to join efforts to Make a Pillowcase and Make a Difference. A pillowcase can provide comfort for a cancer patient, hope for a foster child, encouragement for a battered woman, or beauty for a nursing home resident…and make a difference in your community.

To participate, find a shop hosting One Million Pillowcase Challenge events in your area. If there is not a participating shop in your area, you can mail them to a nearby participating retailer or donate them locally.

Here is a link to free pillowcase patterns. Once your pillowcase project is complete and donated locally, you can log on to enter how many pillowcases you made. Above is the pillowcase I made this evening, the dark purple is a hard to see ruffle that I love! I’m going to try and make a few more to help them reach their goal of ONE MILLION Pillowcases!

I’ve recently completed my internship with the Guardian Ad Litem program seeing how a case works and was assigned my first case on Friday. I immediately went for my stash of fabric (thanks Mom!) and picked out the colors for this quilt. It is a gift for my child that I will meet this week and see through their case plan for the next year. I’m excited to meet them and get started.

My mom recently introduced me to the log cabin quilt pattern and I love it. If you haven’t made a quilt before this is a fun and easy pattern to get you started. I find sewing log cabin blocks very addictive. I’ve also recently become addicted to stripes. The strips are so much fun to work with.  I made larger quilt blocks this time because of time constraints but you can downsize the strip width and make a smaller log cabin. I think the smaller blocks with even more contrast look even better. To make a log cabin block you need strips, lots of strips! Contrast is important to making the design. By adding strips and trimming the excess off you don’t have to actually cut out or measure all of the pieces you can simply cut and sew as you go. Here is a link that shows you how to assemble your strips.

30 hours of training later I’ve graduated and start my first case/internship next week. I am staying home with Jason to take advantage of this time with him but and eager to develop a career in child advocacy. Having a hand, and making an impact on the lives of children means so much to me. This is an amazing opportunity to be a powerful voice in a child’s life.

A child in the welfare system has been removed from so much more than their parents…their siblings, their home, their pets, their friends, and their school. Through no fault of their own, their entire life is turned upside down. Everything familiar is gone. When this happens, it is imperative that the child has a voice. That voice is the Guardian ad Litem Program. The Program is uniquely independent. Even as the volunteer learns the child’s wishes, and we express these wishes to the court, the Program is not bound by these wishes. Our only obligation, our sole mission, is to advocate for the child’s best interest.

The program’s volunteer base has grown to approximately 6,700 people over the last two years, and it currently represents more than 25,000 children. There are still thousands of dependent children who have no voice in court.  If you are interested in helping children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned by their parents and family members, check out the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program. If you are unable to volunteer, check out the non-profit organization tied to your local circuit program. The time and money contributed by these local organizations are essential to successfully meeting the needs of its children and volunteers.

At a fundraiser for Florida’s largest gay and lesbian rights organization, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and leading Democratic candidate for Governor, Alex Sink said that the primary concern should be the child’s best interest, rather than the sexual orientation of the adoptive parent. “We need a system in which all of our children are assured that they live in a healthy, loving home…a home that’s determined not by any law,” Sink told the room filled with gay activists who packed a gallery of modern artwork at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. “The decision has to be made by the judge, in consultation with the experts, to determine what is the best for that individual child.” Sink said she looked forward to working with Democratic state Sen. Nan Rich of Weston, who has unsuccessfully pushed legislation to repeal the state’s gay adoption ban.

Permanency is a primary goal of Florida’s dependency system, and we are the only state that specifically bans “homosexual” individuals from adopting, although the state does allow them to be foster parents. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman overturned the law and allowed a North Miami gay couple to proceed with their adoption. Frank Martin Gill took in two young boys on a temporary basis five years ago. The case is currently on appeal, with the State’s Attorney General, and leading Republican candidate for Governor Bill McCollum, defending the state law before the appeals courts.

A total of 4,642 children are available for adoption and families have been identified for more than 2,727 of them. The remaining 1,915 desperately need adoptive families. With these numbers, Florida should be searching high and low for qualified adoptive parents. Instead, the state bans all gay and lesbian individuals from becoming adoptive parents. This may seem like legislation preventing gay adults from the right to raise a child, but the ones that are most affected by the legislation are the orphaned children. I think its time for the State of Florida to acknowledge that sexual orientation has nothing to do with parental performance.

In recognition of National Adoption Month, Gov. Charlie Crist encouraged renewed focus on adopting teenagers from state foster care. Teenagers are one of the hardest-to-place groups of children in foster care. Last December, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) created the “Longest Waiting Teens” initiative to encourage the adoption of teenagers. The goal is to find families for the 103 children – including teenagers and their siblings. The initiative helps community-based care organizations focus on finding adoptive families for the youth, and caseworkers develop new strategies to meet this goal. Many of the teens currently in foster care have been there for more than five years, and a disproportionate number of them are African American males. Since the initiative began, 26 have been adopted. The governor commended DCF for receiving $9.75 million in federal bonus funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal adoption incentive rewards states for adoptions of older children in foster care or those with special needs. Under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, a total of $35 million in adoption incentive bonuses is going to 38 states and Puerto Rico, with the next highest award going to Texas, which received nearly $5 million.

Last week Governor Crist applauded Florida’s successes in transforming state foster care while addressing child advocates, legislators and state child welfare system leaders from 18 states in Tampa. Florida was chosen as the host state for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices policy institute, Changing the Outcome: Achieving and Sustaining a Safe Reduction in Foster Care, because of its success in safely reducing the number of children in foster care, including the Governor’s statewide Explore Adoption initiative. Explore Adoption highlights some of the incentives available to families who adopt children from state care. In addition to free health care through the Medicaid program and free college tuition to one of Florida’s state universities, colleges or vocational schools, many children adopted from state care are eligible for a monthly stipend to help defray some of the costs related to adding a child to your family.

• Adoption Assistance – In Florida, adopted children with special needs are eligible for monthly adoption assistance. The monthly stipend may be negotiated up to the full amount of the child’s foster care rate at the time of adoption, depending on the child’s needs. Adoption assistance is funded with federal or state funds, depending on the child’s eligibility, and continues even when the family moves to another state.
• Adoption Tax Credit – Every family’s tax situation is different, but if your family’s income is below $204,410, the adoption tax credit is worth looking into. The tax credit is applied to your total tax liability and could increase your refund. The form number is 8893. The form and instructions are available at www.irs.gov.
• Employer Adoption Benefits – The National Adoption Center provides a listing of employers who provide adoption benefits. To request a copy, contact the National Adoption Center at 1-800-TO-ADOPT.

In addition, state and public school employees who adopt a child are eligible for a one-time adoption benefit of $5,000 or $10,000. The benefit is also available to employees of community colleges, universities and water management districts. The greater benefit is for families adopting older children, sibling groups or children with medical challenges. To learn more, check out the Governor’s Explore Adoption web site.

NATIONAL COLLECTION WEEK

NOVEMBER 16-23

Last night I was searching for child advocacy efforts that tied in with the holidays and came across the Samaritan’s Purse, International Relief website. They help provide emergency relief and desperately needed assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. They offer food, water, and temporary shelter, meeting critical needs and giving people a chance to rebuild their lives. One of their projects is Operation Christmas Child, it is a one-week collection of shoeboxes filled with gifts for a boy or girl between ages 2 and 14. The boxes are then given to children in need around the world. Gift suggestions include small toys such as cars, balls, stuffed animals or dolls; hygiene items, such as a toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap or a comb; school supplies; hard candy or gum; a flashlight with batteries; socks and T-shirts; a watch; and a letter of encouragement.

They do ask that you do not include any war toys or things that can melt or break, but something soft will mean a great deal to them, because most kids don’t have anything soft to hold close. The age groups are boys or girls, ages 2-4; 5-9 or 10-14. They ask that you wrap the shoeboxes’ top separately from the bottom. They are also asking for a seven-dollar donation with each box to help with shipping costs. The boxes will be sent to children in over 130 war-torn and desperate areas of the world. You can find your drop off location here.

Today, Jason and I went to the dollar store and spent $8 on the loot box below. I forgot to stick in the toothbrushes and toothpaste I had here to include before I snapped the shot, but it is going to cost $15 including shipping to brighten a small child’s day. Last year, there were more than 8 million children in 95 counties that received the shoeboxes. Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful way to reach children who are less fortunate.

Day two of my Guardian Ad Litem training covered cultural competency. It was very well put together and I walked away with a better attitude, and more awareness, knowledge and skills than before. The class was such a personal success, that I think Developing Cultural Competency classes should be required as part of a continuing education program to retain citizenship in the United States.

I knew that it was not legal for lesbian or gay adoption or marriage in Florida, but I did not realize that it was legal for them foster children.  I think this is a very interesting double standard.  Whatever rationale brought the State to the conclusion that it was safe and acceptable for Gay or Lesbian families to foster children, should be the same rational that allows them to adopt, and quite frankly I cant think of any rational reason to prevent two people from getting married.  I’m not sure that we should be taking any rights away from groups of people as a whole. While were at it, maybe we can make them take custody of all the Pitt Bulls as well.

The Florida law banning lesbians and gay men from adopting stifles efforts to find families for the approximately 3,500 foster children the State in need of homes…leaving some children without the option of having a “forever family”.

In a landmark ruling in 2008, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman ruled the state’s 1977 ban on gay adoption was unconstitutional. The decision allowed Miami resident Martin Gill and his partner to adopt two foster brothers whom he has raised since 2004. But the state’s appeal threatens the long-awaited adoption. Legal documents the American Civil Liberties Union challenge to the Gay Adoption ban were made public earlier this year.  Some of the documents including the State’s Appeal Brief can be found here. You can meet Frank Gill and his boys here: Fighting Florida’s Gay Adoption Ban

The most respected Florida and national children’s health, welfare and legal advocacy groups filed seven “friend-of-the-court” briefs before a Florida appeals court urging the court to strike down the Florida law barring lesbians and gay men from adopting. Here are the participating groups.

Children’s Health and Welfare Groups

• The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
• American Psychological Association
• North American Council on Adoptable Children
• Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
• Center for Adoption Policy
• Foster Care Alumni of America
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
• Florida Chapter of the NASW
• Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Legal Advocates for Children

• National Center for Adoption Law and Policy
• Juvenile Law Center
• Lawyers for Children America
• National Center for Youth Law
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• Family Law Section of the Florida Bar
• Foster Children’s Project of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
• University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law Center on Children and  Families Children & Youth Law Clinic of the University of Miami School of Law
• Florida State University College of Law Public Interest Law Center
• Florida International University Juvenile Justice Clinic
• The Barry University School of Law Children and Families Clinic
• The Nova Southeastern University Law Center Children and Families Clinic
• Child Advocacy Clinic at Hofstra School of Law
• Ohio State University School of Law
• Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center
• Loyola Chicago School of Law
• Children’s Law Center of Minnesota
• Justice for Children Project
• Support Center for Child Advocates
• Civitas Child Law Clinic

Today was my first day of training in becoming a Hillsborough County Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer. The program is based on a belief that every child has a right to a safe, permanent, loving home. Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home as a result of neglect, abandonment or abuse. A voice is given to a child who would otherwise not have one. Together, with a program supervisor and program attorney, I will become familiar with the assigned child(ren’s) case and make recommendations to the court to help ensure a safe, stable and permanent home for the child.

Tonight we got a thorough crash course into Florida’s child welfare process and dependency court. Along with a TON of reading about the program and its standards of operation. We are going to embark into cultural diversity and understanding families next session. I learned quite a bit about Florida’s Foster Care Program and was introduced to the Heart Gallery of America. The Heart Gallery is a traveling photographic and audio exhibit created to find permanent homes for children in foster care.It has over 120 Heart Galleries across the United States designed to increase the number of adoptive families for children needing homes. You can find the local galleries in your state here.

The Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program is an extension of the national CASA Program. Both websites can help you learn more about how you can change the life of an abused or neglected child by becoming involved in your local program. Hillsborough County currently has 2700 children currently misplaced in the child welfare system and 1900 Guardian Ad Litem Volunteers. The volunteers are given a great opportunity to make a significant impact in the life of a child and it means so much to me to be a part of it. I’m hoping that this post will encourage at least one reader to check out the program and possibly volunteer.