REACHOUT NEWS
SFA School of
Social Work
Child Welfare Professional Development Project
Spring 2013
Inside this issue:
Enhancing Safety
1-2
Social Networking
3
Children Online
4-5
Regional News
6
CWIC
7
REACHOUT NEWS
Published by
Child Welfare Professional
Development Project
School of Social Work
Stephen F. Austin
State University
P.O. Box 6165, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, Texas 75962
Tel: (936)468-1846
Fax: (936)468-7699
email: bmayo@sfasu.edu
Funding is provided by contract with
the Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services.
All rights reserved. This newsletter
may not be reproduced in whole or in
part without written permission from
the publisher. The contents of this
publication are solely the
responsibility of the Child Welfare
Professional Development Project
and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the funders.
Enhancing Safety for Kids in Care
Reprinted permission from Dr. John DeGarmo, Fostering Hope:
A Foster Care Column
While it may be almost impossible to
fully protect foster children from the dangers online, there are a number of strategies that foster parents can implement
in order to better protect their foster children from these threats. As many foster
children have access to computer technology at a young age, it is important to
set up rules and expectations early.
Foster parents of elementary children
need to set clear rules for the young
users. It is important that these foster
parents limit time on the computer for
their young foster children. It is especially important for foster parents to ensure
that any personal information of
their foster children is not posted online.
With this in mind, it is recommended
that children in elementary school do not
have a social network address, as they
are simply too young.
(Continued on page 2)
From the Director…Becky Price-Mayo, MSW, LBSW-IPR
April and May are very busy months for all of us with lots of ball games
and end-of-the-year activities! We hope that you find the training opportunities offered through the SFA School of Social Work convenient for
your hectic schedules.
There are three training articles in this issue of the REACHOUT Newsletter. The first article, "Enhancing Safety for Kids in Care", is by Dr. DeGarmo, who
will be presenting two workshops for our upcoming conference. You can read all about
him on page 2. The second and third articles from the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry provide even greater detail about minimizing risks and keeping
children in your care safe when they are using the Internet and enjoying the benefits of
social networking sites. In addition on page 5, MSW graduate student, Linda Gonzalez, has featured two of the many online videos that are specifically available to help
parents stay informed on these very important topics. We encourage you to check
them out! Remember to complete the learning activities and evaluation and give to
your caseworker for ONE HOUR OF TRAINING!
To get an even bigger jump on your annual training requirement, plan to attend the
16th Annual Foster & Adoptive Training Conference on April 20 held on the SFA cam(Continued on Page 10)
Page 2
REACHOUT NEWS
Enhancing Safety for Kids in Care
(Continued from page 1)
Foster parents must insist that their foster children
keep all personal information safe and not post
online. As birth parents and family members can easily locate and track their children through a social network site, foster parents can aid their foster children
by creating a false name and identity, or pseudonym,
for him/her to use on sites such as Facebook,
MySpace, and other social networking sites. Furthermore, foster parents should have access to the child's
social network page password, as well as the password for any email addresses, thus giving them access to all information and messages posted and received.
As many foster children long to be accepted and are
simply looking for a place to "fit in," they can easily be
susceptible to online hoaxes, as well as cyber predators. Sadly, many foster children fall victim to online
sexual predators. Therefore, it is imperative that foster parents teach their foster children not to be gullible
while "surfing the net." Foster parents need to warn
their child never to meet a person they have met
online in any face-to-face encounter, and that they
should report to their foster parents anyone who has
made such a request. Along with this, foster parents
need to oversee the information their foster children
are accessing online.
As mentioned previously, birth parents are finding
their children and gaining unsupervised contact. Reports of this occurring is growing at a fast rate. With
today's technology, people can be tracked from photos posted online by using easily accessible technology. With very little effort, a person's location can be
determined, and the person can be tracked down using other forms of technology. Therefore, it is vital that
foster children do not post a picture online, in any
avenue, as each picture posted will become part of a
digitalized global village, for all to see, and for all to
use to determine the child's location. This includes
warning the child about "tagging" him/herself in a
photo that someone else may have posted online.
Foster parents must make certain that locations such
as where the foster child goes to school, church, or
any other location are not posted. If a child belongs to
a sports team or social group, these also should not
be identified online. Birthdates, phone numbers, ad-
dresses, or any other information that can be used to
identify the location of the foster child also should not
be posted online.
Dr. John DeGarmo has been a foster parent for 11 years.
He and his wife have had more than 30 children come
through their home. DeGarmo wrote his dissertation on
fostering, titled "Responding to the Needs of Foster Children in Rural Schools." He is a speaker and trainer on
many topics about the foster care system, and he travels
around the nation delivering passionate, dynamic, energetic, and informative presentations.
DeGarmo is the author of the highly inspirational and
bestselling book, "Fostering Love: One Foster Parent's
Story." He also writes for a number of publications and
newsletters, both in the United States and overseas.
Dr. DeGarmo can be contacted at
drjohndegarmo@gmail,
through his Facebook page, Dr. John DeGarmo,
or at his website, www.drejohndegarmo.com.
Page 3
REACHOUT NEWS
Children and Social Networking
Reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry Facts for Families No. 100
Social Networking Sites play an important role in the
lives of many young people. More than 60 percent of
13-17 year olds have at least one profile on a social
networking site, many spending more than two hours
daily on social networking sites.
safely and appropriately. Freely discuss with your
child and guide them in their usage of social networking sites by suggesting they:




Keep control of their information by restricting
access to their page
Keep their full name, address, telephone number,
social security number and bank or credit card
numbers to themselves
Post only information they are comfortable with
everyone seeing
Talk to their parents before considering meeting
anyone face to face they have met online and
review the risks involved.
Young people need support and education to develop
the skills needed to understand the risks and opportunities of social networking sites; so talk to your child
before they sign up for an account about:
Social networking sites can present opportunities to
youth who participate with them, but like any activity
there also are associated risks, and it is important for
parents to help their children use these sites wisely.
Some potential benefits are:




Staying connected with friends
Developing new social contacts with peers who
share similar interests
Sharing content of self-expression such as art
work, music and political views
Developing and expressing one's individual identity
Online social networking can involve new risks such
as:







Bullying online "cyber bullying"
Sharing too much information
Vulnerability to predatory adults
Sharing photos or video that one may later regret
Exposure to large amounts of commercial advertisements that may not be age appropriate
Risk of identity theft
Reduced amount of time for physical activity
If your child is thinking about using social networking
sites there are many ways to help him/her use them



Household rules on social networking sites
The monitoring you will do on their Internet usage
Time limits allowed on these sites that may occur
if their usage interferes with family time or external social activities.
Social networking sites are a widely accepted part of
many teenagers' lives and proactive parenting can
help them be a fun part of their teenager's social life.
However, if you feel your adolescent is spending too
much time on social networking sites or is involved in
inappropriate behaviors while using these sites,
please seek the help of a professional who can help
you and your child find balance and appropriateness
in the usage of this medium.
Page 4
REACHOUT NEWS
Children Online
Reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry Facts for Families No. 59
Computers have traditionally been trusted by both
children and adults as reliable and accurate sources
of information. The rapid growth of online services
and Internet access have added a new dimension to
modern computing. Through the Internet, children
now have access to an almost endless supply of information and opportunity for interaction. However,
there can be real risks and dangers for an unsupervised child.
Most online services give children resources such as
encyclopedias, current events coverage, and access
to libraries and other valuable material. They also can
play games and communicate with friends on social
media platforms like Facebook. The ability to "click"
from one area to another appeals to a child's natural
impulsivity and curiosity and needs for immediate
gratification or feedback.
Most parents teach their children not to talk with
strangers, not to open the door if they are home
alone, and not to give out information on the telephone to unknown callers. Most parents also monitor
where their children go, who they play with, and what
TV shows, books, or magazines they are exposed to.
However, many parents don't realize that the same
level of guidance and supervision must be provided
for a child's online experience.
Parents should not assume that their child is protected by supervision or regulation from online services.
On the contrary, most chat rooms and social media
sites are completely unsupervised. Because of the
anonymous nature of the screen name, children who
communicate with others in these areas will not know
if they are talking with another child or a child predator
pretending to be a child or teen. Unlike the mail and
visitors that a parent sees, or a child receives at home,
email or chat room activity is not seen by parents. Unfortunately, there can be serious consequences for children who have been persuaded to give personal information, ( e.g. name, passwords, phone number, email
or home address ) or have agreed to meet someone in
person.
Some of the other risks or problems may include:

accessing areas that are inappropriate or overwhelming

being exposed to online information that promotes hate, violence and pornography

being misled and bombarded with intense advertising

being invited to register for prizes or to join a
club when they are providing personal or household information to an unknown source

losing time from developing real social skills and
from physical activity and exercise

revealing too much personal information on social media sites

being bullied on social media sites
(Continued on page 5)
Page 5
REACHOUT NEWS
Children Online
(Continued from page 4)
Parents should remember that communicating online
does not prepare children for real interpersonal relationships. Spending time with a child initially exploring an
online service and periodically participating with a child
in the online experience gives parents an opportunity to
monitor and supervise the activity. It also is an opportunity to learn together.
In order to make a child's online experience more
safe and educational, parents should:











limit the amount of time a child spends online
and surfing the web
teach a child that talking to screen names in a
chat room is the same as talking with strangers
teach a child to never give out any personal
identifying information to another individual or
website online
teach a child never to agree to meet in person
someone they have met online
never give a child credit card numbers or passwords that will enable online purchases or access to inappropriate services or sites
remind a child that not everything they see or
read online is true
make use of the parental control features offered
with your online service, or obtain commercially
available software programs to help restrict access to chat lines, news groups and inappropriate websites
provide for an individual email address only if a
child is mature enough to manage it, and plan to
periodically monitor the child's email and online
activity
monitor the content of a child's personal
Webpage and screen name profile information
teach a child to use the same courtesy in communicating with others online as they would if
speaking in person -- i.e. no vulgar or profane
language, no name calling, etc.
insist that a child follow the same guidelines at
other computers that they might have access to,
such as those at school, libraries, or friends'
homes.
Internet Safety Basics
Today, children know the ins and outs of using the
Internet. To catch up with what they already know, this
video shows what children are doing online and the
steps you can take to help keep them safe.
http://www.netsmartz.org/StreamingPresentations/
InternetSafetyBasics
Amy's Choice
This video portrays a 15-year old girl's experience with
meeting an online male predator; watch with your child.
http://www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStories/AmysChoice
For more information and online videos on
Internet safety, visit the NetSmartz Workshop,
a program of the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children website at:
www.netsmartz.org
Page 6
REACHOUT NEWS
Region 5 News
East Texas Foster Parent Association
East Texas Foster Parent Association is being revived! We would love for you to join us!
Contact Christina Hardaway at ( 936 ) 569-5427 or
christina.hardaway@dfps.state.tx.us for more information.
You will be Missed!
After more than 20 years with Child Protective Services, foster and adoptive home developer Stella
Blakely will retire in June. She will be missed!
Welcome New FAD Workers!
Join us in welcoming our newest foster and adoptive
home developers! Carolina Reyna and Elyssa Moore
are housed in the Lufkin CPS office. Stacy Hancock is
housed in the Jasper CPS office, and Leslie Rodgers is
housed in the Orange CPS office.
Congratulations New FAD Program Director!
Ginny Judson has accepted the
position of foster and adoptive
home development program director for Regions 4 and 5! She
comes with a wealth of experience in the program and is very
excited to be back in FAD! Welcome back, Ginny!
TB SKIN TEST REMINDER!!
Please remember that children placed in your home are
required to have a TB skin test. Some doctors and clinics will have you fill out a questionnaire and may reply
that the child does not need the skin test. If this occurs,
please tell the doctor or clinician that your agency requires the skin test. If the provider declines to administer the test, contact your FAD worker for assistance
with an alternate location to have the test completed.
TB TEST REQUIREMENTS
Newly removed child
age 12 months or older
Within 30 days of
placement
New placement that has
not had a TB test since
entering foster care age
12 months or older
Within 30 days of
placement
Child residing in your
home who turns one
year old
Within 30 days of the 1st
birthday
Save the Date!
16th Annual Region 5
APRIL 20, 2013
Training Conference
Foster & Adoptive
Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, Texas
Conference Partners:
SFA School of Social Work
Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services
Region 5 FPA Council
Angelina College, Community Services
Page 7
REACHOUT NEWS
Child Welfare Information Center
LaTisha Nobles
MSW graduate assistant
Stephen F. Austin State University
Many families have high expectations when it comes to
fostering and adopting, but this experience can sometimes be an emotional roller coaster for both the parent
and the child. Children often re-experience past traumas
at each new developmental stage in their lives.
The Child Welfare Information Center provides resources
that will help foster/adoptive parents in helping their children cope with traumatizing events. CWIC also has other
exciting resources that can enhance fostering children.
We look forward to hearing from you!
problems. This course offers insights and practical steps
to looking after a child's health, safety, security and best
interest.
"Foster Parent College: Grief and Loss in the Care
System"
This DVD examines the stages of
grief, complex grief, and the manifestation of grief and loss in children,
birth parents and foster parents. Also
covered are strategies for helping
children, birth parents, and foster
families handle and appropriately
express their feelings of grief and
loss, as well as when to seek professional help.
"Foster Parent College: Anger Outbursts"
Earn
Foster Parent
Training Credit
“ H ow Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster
Families: Wounded Children Healing Homes ”
This book addresses unmet expectations and offers validation and solutions for the challenges that may arise
when parenting deeply traumatized or emotionally disturbed children. It also opens and closes with a story from
a family that are new adoptive parents.
"The Foster Parenting Toolbox"
This book offers a foster /adoptive parent the help they
need whether their just starting out on the fostering journey or they have already welcomed hundreds of children
into their home. Words of wisdom, connections to others
who have walked in the same shoes and advice for the
most difficult situations they might encounter also are
provided.
Additional Resources
"Foster Parent College: Safe Parenting"
The DVD illustrates the challenges of foster parenting
and how it can be overwhelming, and provides information concerning how a highly stressed parent may lose
sight of the safest way to proceed in solving behavior
This DVD features four types of anger in children: temper tantrums, anger toward other children, anger toward the mother, and erratic anger
and strategies for addressing each
behavior.
For a complete list of DVDs, visit :
http://www.sfasu.edu/socialwork/documents/
CWIC _ DVD _ Master _ List_ A ug _ 2012-PDF.pdf
A special toll free number . . .
(877) 886-6707
. . . is provided for CPS staff and foster
and adoptive parents. CWIC books, DVDs
and videos are mailed to your home or
office, along with a stamped envelope for
easy return.
Please specify if you are interested in receiving foster parent training hours, and a test and evaluation
will be included with the book or video. Once completed and returned, foster parents will receive a
letter of verification of training hours earned.
Your calls are important to us.
We look forward to hearing from you!
FOSTER PARENT TRAINING - REACHOUT Newsletter Spring 2013
Complete for one hour of training credit and return to your caseworker.
Learning Objectives

The participant will identify strategies to help protect their children from online dangers.

The participant will identify the new risks for children using social networking sites.

The participant will learn how to discuss using social network sites safely with their children.

The participant will determine the risks and problems for children using the Internet.

The participant will learn approaches that help children have a safe and educational experience online.
Learning Activities
Activity One
List three ways parents can help protect their child from online dangers:
1.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fill in the blank: As birth parents and family members can easily locate and track their child through a social network site,
foster parents can aid their child by creating a __________________ and __________________ , or __________________ , for
the child as he/she is using sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
Birthdates, phone numbers, addresses, or any other information that can be used to identify the location of the child in
care should not be posted online.
(Choose the best answer)
True
False
Activity Two
Describe three topics for parents to discuss with their child in using social networking sites.
1.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
List four new risks for children using social networking sites.
1.________________________________________
2.___________________________________________
3.________________________________________
4.___________________________________________
If you feel your adolescent is spending too much time on social networking sites or is involved in inappropriate behaviors
while using these sites, wait to determine if it is serious enough to seek help.
(Choose the best answer)
True
False
Activity Three
Describe two risks and problems for children using the Internet:
1.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How can parents guide their children in experiencing the Internet safely?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fill in the blank: Spending time with a child initially exploring an online service and periodically participating with a
child in the online experience give parents an opportunity to _______________ and _______________ the activity.
Evaluation
Trainer Child Welfare Professional Development Project, School of Social Work, SFA
Date ____________
Name (optional)___________________________________________________________
Newsletter presentation and materials:
1.
This newsletter content satisfied my expectations.
___Strongly agree
2.
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
The examples and activities within this newsletter helped me learn.
___Strongly agree
3.
___ Agree
___ Agree
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
This newsletter provides a good opportunity to receive information and training.
___Strongly agree
___ Agree
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
Course Content Application:
4.
The topics presented in this newsletter will help me do my job.
___Strongly agree
5.
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
Reading this newsletter improved my skills and knowledge.
___Strongly agree
6.
___ Agree
___ Agree
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
What were two of the most useful concepts you learned?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
7.
Overall, I was satisfied with this newsletter.
___Strongly agree
___ Agree
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
Comments:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 10
REACHOUT NEWS
Child Welfare Professional Development Project
(Continued
from page 1)
pus! There will be many new presenters and more than
15 workshops with topics such as "What Works: How to
Raise Amazing Kids," "Five Love Languages of Children," "Strategies & activities for Building Trust," and
"Responding to Youth Needs in Public Schools." Also,
while the parents are attending the conference, Region
5 CPS staff and Foster Parent Associations have a super fun day planned for the kids at the Youth Extravaganza, which is held at the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church
in Nacogdoches. It's not too late to register; forms can
be downloaded on the SFA School of Social Work
EVENTS Web page. Please contact Christina Hardaway ( 936 ) 569-5427 or Melissa Castillo ( 936 ) 3276705 to register children for the youth event and child
care.
In addition, foster parents have an opportunity to earn
hours by checking out books and DVDs through the
Child Welfare Information Center located in the SFA
School of Social Work. Be sure to check out the new
resources featured in this newsletter. See page 9 for
the toll free number and details on obtaining hours.
Our graduate assistants, LaTisha Nobles and Linda
Gonzalez, are ready to take your calls and send training materials to you at no cost!
Did you miss an issue of the
REACHOUT Newsletter ?
Each newsletter offers ONE HOUR of
Foster Parent Training
IT'S SIMPLE
Just download a newsletter from the
REACHOUT Newsletter Archives
http://www.sfasu.edu/socialwork/251.asp
Complete the
Learning Activities page
and Evaluation
Your caring commitment
to children in foster care is
very much appreciated,
and we look forward to
supporting you in your
ongoing efforts.
Thank You!
Becky Price-Mayo
Then give to your
CPS caseworker for credit!
Child Welfare Professional Development Project
LaTisha Nobles
Becky Price-Mayo, MSW, LBSW-IPR
Linda Gonzalez
Graduate Assistant
(936)468-1846
Director
(936)468-1808
bmayo@sfasu.edu
Graduate Assistant
(936)468-2705
Stephen F. Austin State University
School of Social Work
Child Welfare Professional Development Project
P.O. Box 6165, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6165
REACHOUT NEWS
Spring 2013
Mark Your Calendars!
16th Annual Region 5
Foster & Adoptive Training
Conference
April 20, 2013
Earn One Hour of
Foster Parent Training
Child Welfare Professional Development Project
School of Social Work, Stephen F. Austin State University