Page 18 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012
The Greek is back! Demands are high for foster care By Treena Mielke
John’s Place is open and ready for business. The grand opening was celebrated in style with Rick Wierzba and Blair Vold helping John Mallis open his place in style with a fancy ribbon cutting Nov. 26.
Stay informed with the 403-783-3311
CHRISTMAS FARMER’S MARKETS Join us at the Ponoka Legion Hall on the following Wednesdays: Dec. 5, 12, 19 11am – 3pm
And on Thursdays: Dec. 6, 13, 20 3pm – 7pm
with every purchase enter to win $75 gift certificate from IGA drawn every Thursday at 7 pm.
The demand for foster families in Alberta continues to be urgent, as children from dysfunctional families continue to slip through the cracks and find themselves with no safe place to go. Marty Klipper, a foster parent recruiter for Crossroads Family Services, said in today’s society many families lack a support system for the times when family difficulties are being settled. “All too often families are now living isolated from their extended family and support circle. If someone isn’t able to parent, their kids used to go to their grandparents, or to an aunt and uncle’s home. Now, families who are having trouble often don’t have family nearby to turn to so the kinship options are not always there.” Foster families help fill the void for these children, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a safe place to live. “We need to find homes within our extended community (and people) who are able to care for these children,” he said. Crossroads, a not-for-profit, accredited agency that works under contract with the provincial government recruits, trains and supports foster parents so that the best possible care is provided to children in need. The primary goal of the organization is to provide a child with the strength of a fully loving and caring family while allowing them to grow alongside their biological family. “Only by working together and maintaining the healthy bonds that a child has with their biological family can the best outcome for a child be achieved, said Janet Ryan Newell, executive director of Crossroads. “We want to honour biological families in our attitude and by maintaining the family bonds for the children in care,” she said. However, even though foster care is designed to be a short-term option, sometimes it is not viable for the children to return to their biological family. In such situations, some foster families go on to provide permanent care. Providing a foster home involves going through a screening process and a criminal record check. Home licensing requirements, character references and extensive training are also part of the process. While there is a taxfree per diem stipend provided to foster parents to support the child’s needs, the benefits cannot be measured in financial gain. “A foster parent needs to be a stable, reliable, caring
MSW FARMS 6th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Friday, Nov. 30 • 3 - 10 pm Saturday, Dec. 1 • 10am - 5pm
Fort Ostell Museum Presents:
6th Annual Cookie Walk Wednesday, December 5 from 10 am Choose A Selection Of Cookies For $6.00 A Box Let us help with your Christmas Baking. Hot beverages will be served
Enjoy snacks & refreshments, door prizes, shop from guest consignors including: caramel popcorn, homemade turtles, local honey, candles and jewelry, baking, spices, Christmas decorations ... and more!! Shop our many freezers of better than organic beef, bison, elk, chicken and eggs. OR just pick up a gift certificate for that hard to buy for person.
human being able to work with both professionals and in some cases the child’s birth family,” said Klipper. The foster parent recruiter noted that all too often “what is broken in the foster care system” has made headlines, but he said there are many unpublished positive stories about how the system has worked. During the last 15 years Crossroads has cared for more than 3,800 children from the Greater Edmonton, central and northern Alberta communities. Currently more than 200 children are in the care of over 100 families but more foster families are needed and calls for placements come in daily. Anyone interested in finding out more about fostering through Crossroads please contact Cathy or Sarah at 780-430-7715 or 1-877-430-7715 or visit their website at www.crossroadsfs.ca
Funds help prevent crime in Hobbema The Alberta government is marking five years of the Safe Communities Initiative by providing more supports to communities to help them take action against criminal gangs. “In the past five years, Alberta’s Safe Communities initiative has helped our province develop into a national leader in crime prevention efforts,” said Premier Alison Redford. “The benefits of local crime prevention and victim support programs are immeasurable to vulnerable Albertans. Today’s announcement is another example of the power of partnerships and the dedication of communities to make their neighborhoods safer.” Through Alberta’s Civil Forfeiture Fund, $1 million is going to support eight community gang prevention and reduction initiatives. Government committed the funding last year at the Gang Reduction Training Symposium. Hobbema’s Healing Life Program received $125,000. This program supports healing from a number of traumas to better enable youth and adults from the Samson Cree Nation to make healthy choices and lead productive lives. The program provides a range of cultural and traditional healing supports relating to grief recovery, trauma and abuse. The new gang reduction network will advance partnerships by bringing together community leaders engaged in gang prevention initiatives. Members can share their knowledge and resources to find local solutions and build on successes. Alberta’s network is one of only a few in North America that is focused on gang prevention. “I applaud the effort of these community leaders who are taking a stand against gangs in their communities,” said Jonathan Denis, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General. “They are strong allies in our crime prevention efforts and it’s important that we provide them with the support they need to help put an end to gang activity.” The Safe Communities initiative was established in 2008 to address the recommendations of the Keeping Communities Safe Task Force report.
MSW Farms “Growing healthy foods for our family and yours”
Dr. Leslie Gill & Dr. Jen Kobi
www.mswfarms.com
Complete Dental & Hygiene Services
Call Mark & Tina Stewart 403-783-0226 Open daily From Ponoka: 5 miles West on Hwy. 53, 5 miles North on Sec. Hwy. 795, 1.5 miles west on Twp 435
403-783-5844