Safe Families Training Day

You are invited to the following event:

SAFE FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN

 

Live Host Family Training Day 

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:

Saturday, June 22, 2013 from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CDT) The Moody Church 1635 North LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60610 View Map

 

Safe Families for Children and The Moody Church Present:                                     The Greater Chicago Host Family Training Prospective Safe Families, you're invited to a live, accelerated Comprehensive Training Session.  Offered as an alternative to online training, this event is designed to equip you to welcome a child into your home and move you through the training process... This Comprehensive Training includes everything you need to become an authorized Safe Family—all in one place. Start or submit your application Schedule a Home Study Complete your training hours Meet like-minded families who will support you REGISTER HERE

Kaleidoscope Culture Camp for Adoptees

Kaleidoscope
Culture Camp 2013
(Formerly Hands Around the World)


Monday – Friday, July 22nd – 26th
 Trinity Lutheran School/Church in Roselle, IL

Kaleidoscope Culture Camp is a weeklong DAY camp designed for adoptive & foster families to celebrate our children’s cultures, embrace their identities, make new friends, and have FUN!

 CAMP EXPERIENCES ARE OFFERED FOR YOUNG CHILDREN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL:


DAY CARE CAMP: for 3 and 4 year olds.
(available when parent/guardian is onsite as a volunteer)
 This multi-cultural group plays together and learns about the camp’s cultures.

HOME CULTURE CAMPS: for grades K-12.

 Culture Camps are offered simultaneously in one facility for the following cultures:

                  African & African-American, Eastern European
                          Chinese, Latin American, Korean, Indian, and Southeast Asian
 Each culture’s camp has its own Camp Coordinator & unique programming.
Cultural groups interact at various times during the week, all sharing the common bond of being part of an adoptive or foster family.

 

ALL CAMPERS & PARENT VOLUNTEERS spend the week:

•Learning about your child’s culture, history, & people

•Creating unique crafts

•Experience the culture’s food, dance, and/or singing

•Enjoying the fellowship with other families formed by adoption or fostering.


All children of the adoptive/foster family are welcome to participate,
whether joining their family through adoption, foster care, or biological birth. 

Parents are encouraged to participate as volunteers, so please consider sharing this remarkable experience with your child.

 If you would like more information or would like to receive this summer’s registration forms,
please contact us at culturecamp@caffa.org or call (630) 384-9433 with questions.

Show Hope Celebration Concert

This Weekend, Show Hope will be celebrating 10 years of ministry!  In honor of this, they are hosting a wonderful celebration in Nashville, TN.  If you are not able to join them there, you can still join in on the celebration via a special webcast THIS Sunday night, May 26th, at 7:00 p.m.!

Sunday evening, the concert, featuring Steven Curtis Chapman and many special guests, will be available via a webcast for FREE!  Just pre-register at this link to watch the concert event LIVE:  http://stagehop.com/event/20130526-showhope/.


Visit www.showhope.org for more information on their ministry to orphans and adoptive families.

Girls Group at Sunny Ridge

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Summer Girls Groups at Sunny Ridge Does your daughter struggle with peer issues? Or seem to have a difficult time talking about adoption? Does she shut down when you try to talk to her? Sunny Ridge Family Center continues our Girl Groups this summer. We still have room for your daughter to join Sunny Ridge for a summer session of Expressions (Girls ages 13-17) beginning June 4. Sessions combine fun and a therapeutic component to assist your daughter in gaining more confidence, managing her feelings in a healthy and appropriate way, developing her social skills, and processing adoption-related issues with others who are experiencing similar circumstances. Group includes team-building exercises, adoptee guest speaker, crafts, and movie clips / discussion time. We offer your daughter a fun, safe, and nurturing group with other girls her age. All group sessions are led by an Pam Shepard, LCSW, Supervisor of Parent Training and Adoption Counseling Services. Groups are for girls who were adopted domestically, internationally, or through foster care. Hurry! Groups limited to 10 girls maximum. A concurrent parent support group will take place each evening as well.  Expressions (Girls ages 13-17): Tuesdays, June 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2013, from 6:30-8:00pm For questions and more information, please call Pam Shepard at (630) 754-4522.

7 Proven Ideas for Supporting Adoption & Foster Care

We all know that if just 1 in 3 churches across the country had just 1 family adopt a child, we would take care of the 100,000+ children in foster care that are in need of a loving family right now. BUT, you asked... what can we do to support the cause outside of actually adopting a child?   We recognize that not everyone is called to adopt, but we are all called to care for orphans. So here are SEVEN proven ideas for taking the first step to supporting adoption and orphan care in your church community.  You can still make a HUGE difference in the life of a child by exploring one or many of these ideas below:   Sponsoring a child: View profiles of children in need of support Supporting the Caring Connection Fund that awards grants to qualified families adopting children with special needs.  Praying for children with special needs --Sign up for Making an Impact e-newsletter.  Ordering free materials about China’s children waiting for adoption to share with your church community. Getting involved: Contact your local Bethany branch to volunteer. Hosting an Orphan Sunday at your church And lastly -- spread the word.  Couples considering adoption are more prevalent than you think in your community.  By sharing the opportunities, we can make a difference for children who need a loving home.  Bethany has been exclusively commissioned to find loving homes for 30 Chinese children. These children are currently on a long list of waiting children with special placement needs. We have been asked to use all of our resources to identify potential adoptive families for these 30 children – in the next 180 days. You are their greatest hope!  Would you forward information about the China Special Needs page (http://bethany.org/180) to any couples ministry lists you might have at your church?  Or tweet the link to the 180 in 180 page:  (http://bethany.org/180)  Thank you for continuing to evaluate how your ministry might embrace orphan care.  Your community can be the difference. Let us know if any you resonate with any of these example suggestions for your church community.  We'd love to hear from you! Kenny Jahng AdoptionJourney.org Team www.adoptionjourney.org @adoptjourney

Cycling for Safe Families

 

 Consider becoming involved and joining together on  Saturday, June 8^th in Union, Illinois to make a difference in the lives of children and families!  This is a family-friendly bike ride to benefit the Safe Families for Children community outreach program.
Five Ways to make a difference:

†         Participating as an individual cyclist, or riding with your family, and/or as part of a church/agency team; riding any preferred distances between 5 km (3.2 mi) to 100 km (64 mi)

†         Raising donations (optional) as a participating cyclist or as a individual/church/agency sponsoring a cyclist or participating team.

†         Assisting with the Cycling for Safe Families event planning and preparation.

†         Volunteering on the day of the ride (rest stops, first aid, post-ride meal, childcare, parking, registration, etc.)

†         Praying and supporting the Safe Families for Children movement.

Details about the event & registration information on LYDIA site: www.lydiahome.org/CFSF2013

Questions?  Contact Robb Rennix, CfSF/2013 Event Coordinator, by e-mail (rrennix@lydiahome.org ) or call 815-978-8151.

 

“Defend the poor & fatherless;  Do justice to the afflicted & needy.”

                                                 Psalm 82:3  

 



Safe Families PLUS

Safe Families for Children will be launching a new program called Safe Families PLUS, Providing Lasting Unconditional Support.  This unique program will provide foster care alumni with family support so they can thrive on their journey to independence. 

Currently, Safe Families is looking for people who may be interested in hosting or mentoring these vulnerable young adults.  Please watch the short video below to learn more about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VFf0OdehM&feature=player_detailpage

If you are interested in hosting, mentoring or learning more, contact Rachel Pruess at 773-653-2200 or safefamiliesplus@safefamilies.net. 

Foster Care Prayer Vigil

Some kids in foster care feel that they don’t have a prayer…..Let’s change that.

Join us as we pray for:

·         Children in Foster Care, Safe Families & Group Homes

·         Agency workers

·         Foster and Placing Families

·         The Church

May 19, 2013/ 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Willow Creek Community Church

67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL

Room B100 (underneath the Chapel)

 

Live worship with the “Forty Days Band”

 

• A catered meal will be provided starting at 5:00 pm 
• Programming/Prayer portion begins at 5:45 pm
• Childcare is available if you r.s.v.p. with the number of children and their ages.

Admission is free. 

R.S.V.P.’s to vcministry127@gmail.com are helpful for planning purposes.

Hosted by the Vulnerable Children’s Ministry

http://avoiceforhischildren.blogspot.com

 

Can’t attend?  Download your free prayer guide at www.fostercareprayervigil.org

China Special Needs Adoption

Can you provide a home?

 

Bethany Christian Services has been exclusively commissioned to find loving homes for 30 Chinese children. These children are currently on a long list of waiting children with special placement needs. They have been asked to use all of their resources to identify potential adoptive families for these 30 children – in the next 180 days. You are their greatest hope! Could you welcome a waiting child into your home?   For more information visit http://www.bethany.org/main/china-special-needs-campaign

CAFO Summit: We're Back!

Alison, Teri & Dina at the CAFO Summit


 

Thanks for your prayers for us and the 2,500 people who attended the CAFO Summit in Nashville, TN last week.  We spent two very rich, full days, learning from and connecting with people passionate about serving orphans and vulnerable children. 

We worshiped together, heard world-class keynote speakers, gathered information from nearly 100 exhibitors,  and gained wisdom from about 100 break-out sessions.  Some people watched documentaries or prayed for orphans by country.  Others connected with other pastors, government officials or ministry leaders.   There were 49 states represented (someone from Vermont needs to attend next year!) and approx. 23 countries.

DVD and audio recordings from the Summit will be available to purchase on the CAFO web site.  www.christianalliancefororphans.org

Please continue to pray that God would use all that we experienced at the summit.  I also encourage you to consider being a part of this amazing event next year.  You'll be glad you did!