In Michigan, there are approximately 13,000 children in foster care and 300 children who still need an adoptive family. We need your help to provide a safe, nurturing home for these children until they can be returned to their families. When children cannot be returned to their homes, foster parents are often asked to provide a permanent home.
There are many ways to make sure mom knows how much you care. Yes, she’d love flowers or candy and will miss the brunch or dinner. But what she really wants, is to hear from you – and be appreciated for all she’s done.
Visit with her remotely through video conferencing like Zoom, Facetime, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms.
Or Just call! What she really wants is to hear from you.
Send her a work of art – if it’s homemade, she’ll treasure it always.
Even the youngest can make an original picture to send. Downloadable coloring sheets www.crayola.com.
Help Our Families During COVID-19
Many of our families are out of work. Some have family members who are sick and need additional care. And kids at home are requiring more supervision and oversight. And for many of our families, the regular support services they count on are interrupted.
But at Spaulding, we have not forgotten our families. We have just modified how we support them.Please click here to help us.
What We are Doing to Help Our Families
Moved our support groups and trainings to virtual meetings.
Weekly check-in calls with families to assess well-being and to determine needs.
Made face masks available for families and continue to source more. In addition to allowing parents to go out when needed, masks allow for in-person parent and child visits.
Have set up deliveries ranging from food to gift cards and laptop computers to some of our most needy families.
Hosting activities for youngsters including virtual dance classes, as well as Monday night book readings, daily 30-minute yoga sessions on Facebook Live.
Launching a virtual tutoring program for our families.
How You Can Help
Donations of any dollar amount will help us continue to supply families with additional resources and necessary support (supplies).
In-Kind donations of gift cards (Kroger’s, Meijer’s, Target, Walmart, etc.).
Cloth face masks for children and adults.
Spread the word to friends and family who might want to help.
Donate by Mail: 16250 Northland Dr., Ste. 120, Southfield, MI 48075.
Brasscraft Gift to Help with Child Care
Brasscraft Manufacturing Company has made a generous gift to Spaulding to help with immediate needs our families have during this COVID-19 crisis – specifically child care expenses. This financial support will help stabilize foster care placements and promote children’s well-being, while supporting parents’ ability to continue to work.
With kids out of school, day care and summer programs may not be available, and families will need financial resources to ensure adequate childcare when they resume working out of home. While some foster families may have other adults who can help, some families need to pay sitters to ensure the children in their homes have proper supervision.
The gift was shared by SFC Board Vice President, Kristi D. Plain, Vice President Global Talent & Sales Support.
“We are pleased to support Spaulding in a meaningful way during this difficult time. The grant comes through our parent company, Masco Corp., as part of the Masco Million Differences program,” Ms. Plain said. “This program is aimed at supporting underrepresented men and women in finding and retaining work, contributing to the overall well-being of our communities.”
How Our Families Are Dealing
with COVID-19 Challenges
The beautiful work above was created by 10th grader Jerriane C. for Spaulding for Children in Fall 2019.
We asked our families:'How are you doing?'
Here are a some of their stories about challenges and resilience during the national emergency wrought by coronavirus/COVID-19. Mary Harvey, with school aged kids, took in a child who needed replacement during this time. Jolika Welbourne is waiting patiently to finalize an adoption as courts remain closed. Julie McKelvey is helping a 4-year-old understand why everything has changed.
See if the Minority Professional Leadership Development (MPLD) program is a good fit for you or a staff member.
Join us on May 13th at 3:00 p.m. EST for a 30-minute webinar about the MPLD program at AdoptUSKids.The webinar will provide an overview of the program, who qualifies, and how to apply. The program is accepting applications from candidates now through June 8.
To learn more about the MPLD program and to get an application, visit adoptuskids.org/mpld.
New QIC-AG Podcast Released: Episode #3 Responding Expediently to
Families’ Unique Service Needs
Today there is an urgent need for child welfare and related systems to respond expediently to the need for support and assistance among adoptive and guardianship families and to offer an array of evidence-based services to meet the unique needs of these families. This is big work and requires collective commitment to setting a strong foundation and then taking action to offer services to families in need throughout their lifelong journey of adoption and guardianship.
Tune in for a conversation with QIC-AG Project Director, Leslie Cohen and host April Dinwoodie for a deeper understanding of how the work of the QIC-AG can be useful for members of the child welfare community as well as allied professionals, and parents.
Please keep us posted about news you'd like to share with our colleagues. We'd also like to know your thoughts about our newsletter. Email our Editor, Cheryl Gist: cgist@spaulding.org. Thank you!
