Resource Families Thrive

Research shows us that when a child or teen stays in their community, with people they already know, the impacts of entry into the foster care system are reduced. This is called Kinship Care, and is increasing in priority through legislation and policy changes. This month we're joined by Risha from our Family & Youth Partnership program, sharing her lived experience as a kinship caregiver. To learn more about our kinship supports including the approval process, call (916) 344-0199 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG.

This time of year is a great time to think back on what we have done in the Foster Care realm, and what we are looking forward to doing. Who better to explore with than our Program Director, Danielle Paminto? In this episode we discuss some of the driving factors behind our program and operations, and some of the upcoming changes to the foster care system as a whole. To learn more contact us at (916) 344-0199 or visit our website at SSYAF.org.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by guests and the host are their own and do not always reflect the positions or policies of the organization as a whole.

In the past we have talked about terms like “generational foster care,” and the ways cycles happen in our systems. Cycles of abuse, neglect, hurt feelings, loss, or grief. How do we break those cycles and replace them with something new- healing, love, family, or permanency? It is our great pleasure to be joined by Will Gabri, one of our Board Members, who shares his experiences from being a former foster youth to a resource parent and, eventually, adoptive parent. To learn more call us at (916) 344-0199 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG.

When a child or teen enters foster care they may feel a loss of voice or autonomy. A lot of decisions are made for them- where they live, maybe where they go to school, timelines for major events like reunification, adoption, or emancipation. To ensure youth always have a seat at the table and a voice, we have Youth Advocates who help them to advocate for themselves. To learn more about being a resource parent for older youth or teens in care, call (916) 344-0199 or visit or website at SSYAF.ORG.

In previous episodes we have discussed systemic disparities across systems of care. We know that young people of color, those from the lgbtq+ population, those with visible and invisible disabilities, and any other marginalized group may be overlooked, not receive the supports they really need, or have a harder time finding permanency with a supportive family. This month we are focusing on the steps our organization takes to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. For more information contact us at (916) 344-0199 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG

Our previous program director used to say that social workers are Masters of Seeding and Watering (MSW). When a family is with us for a while and adding children to their families, what are we doing but helping a beautiful garden to grow? This foster care awareness month we are joined by Irik Edens, whose family has fostered and adopted children from the system and made sure each child's family of origin remains connected to them, creating a rich and healing environment for everyone. For more information call us at (916) 368-5114 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG.

We receive many questions about what a home should look like or how to get it ready as someone goes through the Approval process. I think there is some nervousness- the question lingers "will my home make the cut?" That answer is Yes. Join us this month to learn a little bit more about what a home walkthrough can look like and some of the reasons why we have to do the things we do in pursuit of approving new resource families. To learn more visit our website at www.ssyaf.org, or give us a call at (916) 344-0199.

It is not uncommon for a family to ask about behavior of children in care, or say they'd like to find a child with "low or no behaviors." The question always arises: What does that actually mean? It is our hope that if we share with you what "behavior" looks like, and more importantly how a family can help a child to manage and learn through their behaviors, that they will feel more empowered to solve challenges together. Note: We are aware of any audio issues that happened during recording but hope you find this episode enjoyable and informative. For more information on how to become a resource parent, call us at (916) 344-0199 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG

A program like Pathways to Permanency needs a strong director to steer the ship. When we are supporting youth and families in their journeys to permanency, it's important to have someone able to look at the big picture as well as the individual impacts. We are lucky enough to have such a leader in our Program Director, Yuri Kimura. Today we get to hear her perspective on foster care and our program. For more information please call us at (916) 368-5114, or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG.

We talk about it a lot: foster care is a lot more than just caring for young children. There are older children in need of permanent homes, too. We support the process of finding permanency for older youth through our Destination Family program. The goal is to match youth who have at least one barrier to permanency (often age) with loving families who will nurture them. Hear from one of our resource parents who is on the path to permanency through Destination Family. For more information call (916) 368-5114 or visit our website at SSYAF.ORG.