2018 Spring Community Newsletter

The

Home

Page

What’s inside?

Page 2 & 3 A Word from the Executive Director Page 4 & 5 Thank You to Our Friends and Donors Page 6 43rd Annual Garage & Estate Sale Page 7 Sponsor Spotlight Page 8 & 9 Home Happenings Page 10 The 2018 Shining Star Gala Page 11 Foster & Adoption Program Update Page 12 Ways to Get Involved

Our mission is to promote healing and growth in children, young adults and families by providing a continuum of care, support and resources.

We serve individuals who have experienced severe emotional trauma, abuse and neglect.

The Settlement Home for Children

A Century of Caring Tour Did you know that you can enjoy lunch and a tour of The Settlement Home? Our Century of Caring Tours, hosted by Executive Director Darcie DeShazo, are a “lunch-and-learn” opportunity for community members and friends to get to know The Home. We take participants on a campus tour, serve lunch and provide a time for questions. Tour attendees come from a diverse range of interests. Over the course of the past year, we have given tours to interested foster and adoptive families that have begun the licensing process, community members who have become volunteers and mentors to our kiddos and even people who were interested in employment at The Home. We have received great feedback about the tours and the conversations that they start and hope you will join us for one of our upcoming tours!

Upcoming Tour Dates and Times: May 25, 2018: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

July 20, 2018: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

September 21, 2018: 12:30 p.m to 1:30 p.m

Please RSVP at: www.settlementhome.org/tour

“Thanks so much for a really great tour last Friday and for all the good work you’re doing! I was a fan before I walked in, but I am even more super impressed after visiting.”

-Joel Coffman Executive Director of Recognize Good 1

Getting Back to the Norm Being a teenager is difficult.

Being a teenager with a significant trauma history is even more difficult. Add to that — living away from home with new peers, new parental figures and an entirely new environment — and you can imagine how incredibly challenging this experience would be. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” takes on a whole new meaning in a residential treatment setting like the one we provide. As a provider of residential treatment for children in foster care, we are charged by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with providing “normalcy” to our teens. This means that we are expected to provide as normal a life as possible for the children and young adults in our care, including developmentally-appropriate social and extracurricular activities.

“At The Settlement Home for Children, we strive every day to give the kids that live here opportunities to experience life as normally as possible given their circumstances.”

In today’s world being a teenager means learning to safely navigate social media, technology and all that the Internet opens up for a curious young mind. If you think back to your teens, you’ll likely remember getting your first part-time job, or spending Friday nights at a friend’s house or attending prom. In seeking to provide this “normalcy” for our residents, we walk a tightrope of balancing compliance with state regulations for minors in the custody of Child Protective Services and allowing a reasonable amount of freedom and normalcy like many teenagers have at home.

At The Settlement Home for Children, we strive every day to give the kids that live here opportunities to experience life as normally as possible given their circumstances. I’ve had the privilege in my 17 years here at The Settlement Home of seeing kids learn to swim, play an instrument for the first time and hone life skills like problem solving or cooking. One of the most powerful motivations I have for coming to work every day is the opportunity to see the sense of accomplishment on the faces of our kids when they

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learn to drive a car, land a part-time job, cross the finish line at their first 5K race or attend summer camp for the first time. I get to live amongst this inspiration regularly.

Each of these first-time experiences help set The Settlement Home apart from other providers of residential care. We go far beyond meeting basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, and we are committed to providing a whole host of additional supports that promote residents’ well-being and development. (See diagram on next page).

We are able to achieve this exceptional quality of care with the support of The Settlement Club and the extraordinary devotion of its members to volunteering and fundraising to make this goal achievable. I’ve shared before that we receive a daily reimbursement rate from the state for the cost of care for each of the children and young adults that we serve. That being said, the daily reimbursement rate does not cover the cost of our level of care that we provide our kids. Because providing normalizing experiences and high-quality care are so important to Settlement Club members, they work tirelessly to raise money to bridge the funding gap between the reimbursement rates and the true cost of care.

In the field of child welfare, there are certain criteria for children exiting foster care which have proven to be indicators of long-term success. These indicators include having a positive role model or mentor, graduation from high school, getting a driver’s license and the ability to obtain and maintain a job. It is our hope that we set each of the youth in our care up for success according to these indicators. We partner with a variety of businesses and organizations in our community to make these things available to our residents so that they can go on to lead healthy, productive lives and ultimately end the cycle of child abuse. While the children in the custody of Child Protective Services have health insurance through a Medicaid program, things like dermatology, orthodontia or the option of contact lenses rather than glasses are not covered. In an attempt to provide a normal experience in relation to health care, we do our best to advocate for pro bono services. We procure this care through our relationships with doctors, and we raise funds to cover the additional expenses.

Because we are invested in the health and fitness of the kids we serve, we partner with the YMCA, CrossFit Renew and Black Swan Yoga. Thanks to the dedication of the Junior League of Austin, we have a Run Club and enter kids in 5K races in the community

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throughout the year. We work with groups like Fresh Chefs Society and The University of Texas at Austin Department of Nutritional Sciences to teach our kids the culinary skills they need to know how to cook and eat healthily going forward.

“We go far beyond meeting the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, and we are committed to providing a whole host of additional supports to promote residents’ well-being and development.”

We work with families to provide stability when kids return home by providing family therapy sessions.

Settlement Club members graciously open their homes to residents to host holiday parties to give the girls practice in social settings. Kids in a New Groove sends a music mentor to our campus to help build confidence in residents as they learn to creatively express themselves with music. Members of the Austin Police

family therapy

and

Groups like the Texas Orange Jackets; The Austin Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; Austin Junior Forum and the Texas Pearls spend time with residents playing games, hosting spa events, career mapping and playing sports. These groups not only provide positive adult role model experiences for residents but also give them the chance to be kids, to have fun and to set goals.

At The Settlement Home, our priority is overcoming the barriers that come with a lack of funding to provide the important “normalcy” that children in foster care need. We’re able to do so with the help of The Settlement Club and community supporters like you. If you would like to find out more about how you can continue to support these programs and see this source of inspiration for yourself, please join us for our upcoming Century of Caring Tour, taking place on May 25th on our campus. Let’s do what we can to help these kids get back to the norm.

trust building activities

individual therapy

Tuesday incentive

Clothes Closet

Run Club

cultural activities

Sunday hiking

sports leagues PHYSICAL

EMOTIONAL/ MENTAL

Tools for Well-Being

multi-family group therapy

poetry jam

on-campus UT charter school

nutrition workshops

Honor Roll celebrations

ntal s

o-

group therapy

Department volunteer their time to play games and answer questions, putting residents at ease with police presence when they may have previously experienced police presence in a negative way.

field trips

education surrogate parent

fine arts classes

certified special education teachers

CrossFit

yoga after care services

transitions coping skills

Police Activities League

EDUCATIONAL tutoring

LIFE SKILLS

Horseback riding

Preparation for Adult Living classes

YES Program individual mentors

chores

shared meal time

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Thanks to our generous friends and donors!

The following list reflects gifts made to The Home between August 22, 2017 and March 1, 2018.

Under $50 Jamie Akenhead Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Aupperle Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Ballard Lois Bayer Ms. Betsy Hall Bender BFR Charles Schwab Louise Brown Martha Casper Susan Cockburn Mr. and Mrs. William Daniel Mr. and Mrs. Steve Davol Mr. and Mrs. James Disorbo Cortney Ferris Freytag’s Florist F. Dudley and Connie W. Fulton Ms. Sheri Perry Gallo Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Gentry Mrs. John R. Goddard II Gary Goodfriend Mr. and Mrs. Gary Hanson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Hill Mrs. Cathy Small Horn Lana R. Horne Mr. & Mrs. Michael Horvit Lauren N. Ibarra Kathleen Jackson Harlan Jasper Lola and Coleman Jennings Alice Levy Mr. Lloyd Lochridge Arline Lockshire Moojo Inc. Sharon Mosley Helen Nibouar Robin Penz Dennis B. Robson Richard Salinas

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Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sheehan Kitty Sinclair Kay & William Smith Alice Snead Kristy Sorensen Inka Stroud Mr. and Mrs. Dan Summers Lieutenant Colonel Richard T. Suttle, USA, Ret. & Mrs. Suttle Mr. and Mrs. Bill Trafton Patricia Van Slyke Mr. and Mrs. Jim Vier Mr. and Mrs. C. Grant Willson The Rev. and Mrs. Mike Wyckoff $50-$99 Cynthia Bowen Judy Bray Mary Ann Brennan Mr. and Mrs. Lou Bush Mr. and Mrs. David Cline Marci Dell Mrs. V. L. Doughtie Mr. and Mrs. Lester Ducote Gordon W. Dykes Sharon P. Eisenberg Fleet Reserve Association Mr. and Mrs. Charley Gallia Carolyn Goldston Glenda Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. John Harmon Bettie & Doyle High Mrs. Ed Howard In Memory of Wanda O’Leary Lelia A. Irby From Jeremy Johnson in recognition of Lynette John Staurulakis Inc

Mr. James Kincl Dr. and Mrs. Howard P. Klein Mr. and Mrs. Wade Lombard Tracey Mills CMSGT, RET. John J. Mowery Margie Petru Mr. and Mrs. Kraege Polan Mrs. George Anne Perry Rogers Patricia Cabrera Schieck Mila Wilson Smith Sara Jo & Gregory Snodgrass Dr. and Mrs. Fred Stidman Janet Strahan Judy C. Talbot Casey Ray Trevino Stephen & Kay White Blythe & Christopher Wilson $100-$249 Amazon Smile Charlotte H. Andrezik Ms. Marcia Bailey Susan M. Balagia Mr. and Mrs. John Barclay Elaine R. Benton Mrs. Harry M. Berry Bethany United Methodist Church Susan Boyett Barbara E. Bula Ann S. Callaway Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Chapman Mr. and Mrs. Jack Crier Anne Clemons Coastal Community Foundation Susan Dorsey Mr. and Mrs. Ken Firestone

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Gerrie Mr. Robert Godwin Mrs. John Gully Troy Gully Catherine Hanrahan Karon & Richard Harris Frances Henry Bernard Hermesmeyer Tori Hill Tina Holldobler Richard Janson Mr. and Mrs. Jonny Jones Mrs. Nancy Stallcup Kenley Ann L. Koby Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kuharski Penny Kusterer Ms. Nancy LeNoir Kelley Martin Dr. Charlotte May Ms. Ann B. McIver Mr. and Mrs. Dan McNamara James Mercier, P.E. Maxine & Bill Montgomery Ms. Judy Morris Mr. Elliott Naishtat Katherine Barlow Nelson Jodi Ondrusek Sherry Payne The Pazera & McCullough Family Dorothy Penn Sheila Peters Ari Pettigrew Sara & Dick Rathgeber Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Rich Sallie Richards Maxine Roberts Mrs. Harold K. Robertson Mrs. Lily Saad Michelle V. Schumann Mrs. John Scurlock Mary P. Shyamala

Ms. Sandra Smith Thomas Simmons Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Larry Simons JoAnn Gray Smith Laura Ann Smith R. Smith Lisa Swarny Mr. and Mrs. Tim Timmerman Shirley T. Tolleson Rita O. Uzomba Louise Waddill Mr. and Mrs. David Wheelock Paulette White Mr. and Mrs. John Wilson Emma Zion $250-$499 William Bova Jan M. Burnight Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Byron Carrabba Conservation, Inc. Walter J. Crawford Jeffrey Denton Mr. and Mrs. Brett Dula

Carl Fleece Margaret Hooper, Gone for Good Fund In Recognition of Margaret LaMore’s 15 years of service with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati John Cantwell & Co., P.C. Nancy Kennamer Lilly Pulitzer J. C. Neil Milner Mrs. Thomas C. Moody Heather and Whit Pharr Kay Planting & Ken Pfluger Albert Frank Seibert United Way for Greater Austin Dena Vandigriff Karen & Thomas Vaughn Vineyard Vines Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wade Kelly Wynne $500-$999 Albertsons Safeway Mike & Lisa Becker F J Becraft

Kimberly Bellamy Mrs. L. Scott Curtis AJ and Angela DelaCruz Mrs. Ruth Bloom Doss Eugenia Graham Mrs. Frank E. Hall HPW Perkins Foundation Karen & Paul Leeke Mr. James A. Lommori The Minnis Family Jim & Lillian Montgomery Andrea V. Prestridge Bill Prothro Mr. and Mrs. Greg Shields Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sillers St. Francis School Stantec Consulting Services Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Mike Walton $1,000-$4,999 Chris and Allie Arges Mr. James Babineau Chuck and Nancy Banks The Arnold Foundation The Benevity Community Impact Fund

Boller Thomas Foundation of Oregon Cindy Brown and Robert Bass Mrs. Jim Browne Capstar Lending LLC Hannah Delgado Kocurek Foundation Gluck Holdings, LLC Local Independent Charities Lone Star Transmission Morse Family Foundation Tom Nelson III Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Norwood One Judge Paperclip Promotions LLC Robert & Donna Ruiz TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB $10,000+ Ruth and Paul Connor Foundation

Thank you to the following people who generously gave a holiday gift:

Austin Modern Quilt Guild Austin Stone Church Baskett Family Bruce Bigelow Cookie Boyd Brad Boyett Jeremy Brooks Buttons, Bows & Yoyos, Delia Cly Joe Carr Roxanna Ching Shannon Cook Jacque Corbell Stephanie Coultas CrossFit Renew Carrie Crowe Margaret & Doug Danforth Marion Darlington Meredith Davidson Steve Davidson Susan and Ted Dietz Terri Dula Kaitlyn Farrell Kellie Farris Royce & Donna Faulkner

Mackenzie Finely Melissa Fong Girl Scout Troop 475 Lance Goss, Max Amiss, Nick Hagan, Tamara Carlisle Kay Gregory Debi Hart, Bright Horizons Jeff and Kim Hastings Kathie Hayes Head-Bishop Family, Lari Bishop Sarah Herman Hopefully Sow Callie Horne Lauren Ibarra and Veronica Camarillo Ronald Jackson John Staurulakis Inc. Ann Jones Hyojin Kim Suzanne Kitchel Lake Travis Homeschoolers, Tatiana Gilliam

James Letlow Kimberly Lombard Lonestar Chivers Lowe’s Store #590 Samantha McMahon M/I Homes of Austin, LLC| Austin Elizabeth McCormick Mom’s Best Friend Cerin Moore & Jack Gourley Sandra Moore Laurie & Bill Norris Robin Palmer, Senior Associate General Counsel Emerson Automation Solutions Sherry Payne Cheryl Penn Allie Perry Bonny and Andrew Preda Premiere Events, Delores Crum Queen of Angels Chapel, St. Vincent de Paul Society

Riverbend Church Rodeo Austin BBQ Cook Off Committee Nick Rodriguez Russell Korman Fine Jewelry, Diamonds & Watches Elaine Sedenberg Marty Sharik Shatalya Shield Cate Shipley Carmen Shockley Jo Lynn Smith Hayley Sorenson McKenzie Souther Jo Lynn Smith Lynn Smith Temple Beth Shalom Knitzvah Project Meredith Tibbetts VMware, Hannah Delgado John & Loretta Voss Patricia Webster

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THE SAL E Save the Date!

PREVIEW PARTY Thursday, November 1, 2018 from 7 - 10 p.m. *Private shopping hour from 6 - 7 p.m. for sponsors GENERAL SALE DAYS Friday, November 2, 2018 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. *Tickets will be available for purchase in October Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. *Free admission Sunday, November 4, 2018 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. *Free admission Sunday, November 4, 2018 from 3 - 5 p.m. *The Box Sale: purchase a box and take home whatever fits inside it

Downsizing?

How It Works:

Doesn’t fit?

Can’t store it?

Can’t stand it?

Donate it!

Bright idea Donate your new and gently used household items to The Settlement Home for Children Annual Garage & Estate Sale!

The Settlement Home for Children

Repurposed treasures With a little TLC, volunteers turn your unwanted items into treasures that others can purchase, repurpose/reuse and enjoy!

Your new and gently used items will make a difference in the life of a child.

It’s easy AND meaningful!

The Settlement Home for Children

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Donating is easy Go online or call to request a pickup and a friendly volunteer will contact you to schedule a time.

(512) 448-5302 settlementhome.org/request_pickup/ OR Drop your items off at the warehouse Mondays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The warehouse is located at 1600 Payton Gin Road in Austin. *The last day for donations will be October 8, 2018.

Changing lives Each item is cleaned, priced and stored until the Annual Garage & Estate Sale in November. Items will be sold to benefit the programs and services at The Settlement Home for Children, resulting in lives being changed.

Request a Pickup!

(512) 448-5302 settlementhome.org/request_pickup/

Sponsor Spotlight Thank you to Keller Williams Realty (KW) for being a Premier Sponsor at our 42nd Annual Garage & Estate Sale (The Sale)! Keller Williams is a company defined by a culture of agents who care deeply about each other and are committed to having a positive impact on their clients and their communities. They believe in changing lives. As a Garage & Estate Sale sponsor, Keller Williams not only made a financial gift to The Sale, but KW agents also donated their time to help make the event possible. They did so with smiles, cheerful attitudes and a willingness to help wherever they were needed.

It is this same generous spirit that fuels Keller Williams Cares (KW Cares), a public nonprofit that supports KW associates who are facing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances. KW Cares, which began in 2003, provides both short-term and long-term financial support to members of the KW team who are unable to work due to a family emergency or natural disaster. Almost all the funding that supports this financial assistance comes from donations made by Keller Williams agents. The KW community is a close and generous one. When a natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey strikes, real estate agents can find themselves not only without a place to live, but also temporarily out of work. Grants from KW Cares help agents financially while they reestablish their home and lives.

Last year saw many natural disasters, and Keller Williams agents donated $14 million to KW Cares to support their fellow agents across the country in need.

“We want to be a force that is really big out there so we can help a lot of people. That is why, in the future, we’re strategically placing ourselves across the country, so we can take our support to a whole new level,” says Kathy Neu, Executive Director of Keller Williams Cares.

In 2005, in response to Hurricane Katrina, 50,000 KW agents gave an impressive $5 million in three and a half months to the organization. KW Cares provides more than just disaster relief. The organization’s website, kwcares.org, is filled with stories of agents who have benefited from the emergency funding. From the diagnosis of an illness to the loss of a home to fire, KW Cares helps pay for food, living expenses and medical bills.

It is easy to see that Keller Williams Realty is a global company with agents who are philanthropic, communityminded and committed to one another.

The Settlement Home is proud to have a partnership with such a caring and giving company.

“I wouldn’t be here without my market center and KW Cares. KW Cares gave me hope and gives thousands of people hope every day. When you have support around you, miracles can happen.”

–Andy Kontz, KW agent and recipient of KW Cares generosity 7

HOME HAPPENINGS

THANKSGIVING DINNER & HOLIDAY PROGRAM

During the winter months, residents enjoyed two fun holiday traditions: Thanksgiving Dinner and our annual Holiday Program. The Thanksgiving Dinner is an opportunity to gather and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and delicious pie! A video is played sharing what staff members and residents are thankful for, as well as their favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

We are joined by residents from all of our programs, including the Group Home Program, Residential Treatment Center, Transitional Living Program and Foster & Adoption Program.

The Holiday Program was an opportunity for residents, staff members and foster families to share their musical talents as they sang, played music and danced to holiday songs. Santa Claus also stopped by to hand out candy canes and take pictures!

WEIGHTED BLANKETS

When a child is not provided consistent caregiving they miss opportunities to learn how to regulate their emotions and navigate their world. As a result, sensory processing disorders emerge. Many of our kids struggle to feel grounded and safe in their bodies. We help residents find comfort by providing them with a weighted blanket as a coping tool. Each blanket has pockets in it that are filled with plastic pellets, which provide extra weight and pressure that help residents to calm down and relax.

A weighted blanket provides a physical aid that helps our kids feel safe and secure. It can ease anxiety and increase a child’s ability to feel in control of their environment.

We have used weighted blankets as therapy tools for years. They range in price from $35 to $150, which can quickly add up. We realized that they can be handmade, so we put out a call to our volunteers who quickly signed up to help. Thank you to Settlement Club members Susan Summers, Sherry Morgan, Joyce Black and Sharon Flournoy who have been busy sewing these therapeutic tools to support our kiddos.

Left: Transitional Living Program staff members and residents smile after a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner.

Right: Settlement Club members Susan Summers, Sherry Morgan, Joyce Black and Sharon Flournoy put fabric pieces together to make a weighted blanket.

Left: Executive Director Darcie DeShazo smiles with Santa Claus after our Holiday Program.

Right: A beautiful completed weighted blanket is ready to provide comfort to one of our kiddos.

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GRADUATION In December, two of our residents earned their high school diplomas.

Often when residents come into our care, they are behind on school credits. Our team works to get them caught up academically and help them set goals for the future. It was a joy to see these young ladies graduate from our on-campus University of Texas Charter School.

SPRING BREAK Spring Break means no school, beautiful weather and lots of free time. Having teenagers on campus means keeping a very busy schedule while they are out of school. While several residents were able to go visit their families, many remained on campus. Our staff members did an excellent job planning for Spring Break and providing an awesome mix of fun and enriching activities.

Residents did some gardening while visiting Urban Roots and the Sustainable Food Center. They had a weekend visit from Divine Canines and a concert visit by the Westlake Choir. The Austin Junior Forum brought “craft night” to The Home. Residents also went to the movie theater and saw Black Panther. The experience increased their awareness of the influential impact related to a superhero of color, strong and smart female characters and themes of integrity, courage and teamwork. Cottages took picnics, went on hikes and explored the great outdoors. It was a great week that gave our kids a break from school but kept structure in place for safe fun!

Angel smiles after the December graduation ceremony from our oncampus UT Charter School.

Colony Creek Group Home residents at the zoo during spring break fun. We can’t show faces of residents, but we can tell you that they were all smiles when they visited the pigs and goats!

CLOTHES CLOSET UPDATES Members of The Settlement Club have been hard at work giving the Clothes Closet a makeover. The space was repainted and decorated, and volunteers increased the capacity for storing clothes. They made the space into a special boutique shopping experience. The Clothes Closet is a space filled with donated items where residents can “shop” free of charge for clothing items they need for school, play, special events and job interviews.

Thank you to Settlement Club members Sally Barber and Cookie Boyd for their hard work making the Clothes Closet an inviting place full of great clothing!

More hanging racks and new clothing donations now fill the Clothes Closet.

A resident washes fresh veggies at the Sustainable Food Center during Spring Break.

Members of Scarbrough cottage relax during a Spring Break spa day.

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2018 Shining Star Gala The Settlement Home for Children (The Home) recognized 49 high school juniors as the 2018 Community Youth Council, Marcella Cannatti as Outstanding Youth Participant and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation as the Community Leadership Award recipient on February 25th at this year’s Shining Star Gala.

The Shining Star Gala was held at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. This event highlights the achievements of Austin-area youth who have committed to donating their time and efforts as volunteers with The Settlement Home. Through this program, The Settlement Home hopes to instill a love for philanthropy and community in tomorrow’s leaders. Marcella Cannatti was a member of the 2017 Community Youth Council who chose to spend her summer volunteering at The Home. Marcella said that her volunteer experience allowed her to make a contribution to improving the lives of the young women her own age living at The Settlement Home.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation was selected as the 2018 Community Leadership Award recipient for its efforts to support education, family economic stability and childhood health. The Settlement Home has a long standing partnership of support from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. For many years, the foundation has invested in The Home as part of their work to address child welfare needs in the community by providing training opportunities for The Home’s staff members and funding projects. The impact of the foundation’s involvement with The Settlement Home is seen every day, allowing therapeutic work to take place with residents and improving their education through academic one-on-one tutoring.

Do you know outstanding high school sophomores who are interested in making a difference? Nominate them as they start their junior year to be a part of The Settlement Home’s Community Youth Council by emailing development@settlementhome.org!

2018 Community Youth Council Members: David Allen Denton Apple Charles Auler, Jr. William Barksdale Sophia Bednarz Saylor Cline Katherine Craig Christopher Crossan Taylor Cusack William Dure Bradford Elliott, Jr. Ryan Ellis Keelee Ford Griffin Foster Hailey Gove Hayden Harris Doak Henderson Edward Howard Sophia Jackson William Jessup Marcial Jones Jaxon Kronenberg Emily Krpec Guy Liljenwall Robert MacDougall

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Anna Mariotti Sarah May Maxwell McDaniel Natalie Minnis Sydney Moore Mary Oden Morgan Owens Andrew Paape Cole Perry John Luke Powell Barrett Purvis Annalise Rogers William Rose Michael Sams Ellen Schnoor Sallie Seiders Samantha Smith Rachel Stewart Mary Taaffe Jackson Tate Amanda Thompson Evelyn Voelter Tucker Wise Anney Woodard

We also recognized these community leaders:

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Community Leadership Award Marcella Cannatti Outstanding Youth Participant

Thank You to Our Gracious Sponsors!

Davy Crockett Sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Neal T. “Buddy” Jones Kimberly & Tatum Moore William B. Travis Texan Sponsors Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Apple Mr. and Mrs. L. Frederick Dure Betty Jo Harris Mr. and Mrs. Michael MacDougall The Steve Oden, Jr. Family Linda Perry Kathy Rider Kathy & Rick Smith

Foster & Adoption Program Update

Working in child welfare, we sometimes become hyper-focused on the individual issues we face.

For example, we need more foster homes that can parent teens. We need homes willing to take in sibling groups of three or four children. We need to work on placement stability because we know that children do best if they have minimal moves during their foster care experience. We sometimes direct our energy into tackling only one of these issues, often at the expense of the others. Last year, our Foster & Adoption Program decided to take a step back with the goal of getting a handle on the big picture. We knew we needed to address all the issues and do better in recruiting in all areas, so we grew internally.

We started with the addition of a second Family Developer, Chelsy Alexander, who has a background in adoption and home study writing and has a desire to engage Austin’s faith community. With several foster care initiatives already happening in our area, most congregations were already receiving the message that there is a need for foster parents and people who can support foster families in other ways. Chelsy hit the ground running, meeting with pastors at local churches and connecting with area MOPS groups (Moms of PreSchoolers). Our team scheduled a breakfast summit for faith-based leaders called The Power of Two. The Power of Two is based on the premise that if two families from every congregation in the state committed themselves to fostering children, every waiting child in foster care would have a place to call home. We followed that up with an event called Families Helping Families, a forum to share more information about foster care and adoption, which included information on how people can support foster families. It takes a village to raise children, and we have a need for people who are willing to go through the caregiver training process to babysit, help with transporting children to and from visits during the day, provide moral support for new foster families and donate time for projects in foster homes.

With the expansion of our team, we set a goal to grow our foster and adoptive family base by 50% by the end of this year. We recently completed our first round of Pre-Service training for the year with nine families (more than double the number of families we trained during the same time period last year)! Our goal is to train a total of 30-40 families this year, so that we can do our part in providing more safe and loving homes for children in foster care in Central Texas.

Our plan for growth also includes offering services to families parenting children who have special needs.

One of our foster families is parenting children who are deaf and just now learning American Sign Language (ASL). We are working with Communication by Hand, a woman-owned, Austin-based, ASL-interpreting company who is available 24 hours a day to translate for the children and our staff. We also have new families who have expressed a desire to parent children with diagnoses such as autism or children with a higher level of behavioral management needs, both of which require additional training for families. We are constantly looking at ways to grow our knowledge so that we can provide the best possible care for our children, including providing the necessary supports in place for our families.

If you’re wondering how you can help, here are some ideas: • Individuals who are part of a congregation can check with their church on what foster care initiatives are already in place. Don’t have one yet? Contact us, and we will provide more information!

• Couples or individuals interested in becoming involved in foster care and adoption, but aren’t quite ready to take the leap can get in touch and let us walk you through the volunteer process to support other families who are fostering or adopting.

• People with friends and neighbors who want to learn more about foster care can host an open house! We’ll come to you and share how communities can support foster children and families. ~Megan Avery Zellner, Foster & Adoption Program Director

May is National Foster Care Month. Our focus during this time is to find more prospective foster and adoptive families for sibling groups. When siblings are kept together, they feel safer and are able to spend more time “being kids” and less time worrying about the siblings that are separated.

We locate, screen, train and verify potential foster and adoptive parents. We provide continuing education and ongoing support for those chosen to serve our children; we are on-call to provide support, respite care and crisis intervention when needed. Monthly reimbursement and medical coverage is provided.

Our program offers adoptive parents pre-adoption training and assists them through the home study and matching process. Additionally, we provide on-going support, especially during the first months while a child adjusts to his or her new home.

We would love to help you determine whether your family is ready to open your home to foster a sibling group. Give us a call or visit our website today: (512) 836-2150 ext. 179 or settlementhome.org/foster-adoption/ 11

The Settlement Home 1600 Payton Gin Road Austin, TX 78758

Contact Web: www.settlementhome.org Blog: settlementhome.org/news-blog/ Facebook: fb.com/settlementhome Twitter: @settlementhome Instagram: SettlementHome Pinterest: @settlementhome YouTube: TheSettlementHome E-mail: info@settlementhome.org Phone: (512) 836-2150

Ways to Get Involved If you have an interest in the mission of The Home or a talent that you would like to share, contact The Settlement Home and we will find the best spot for you. Need some ideas? Here are a few things throughout the year you can do to support The Home: Donate: Your financial gift helps support and raise awareness of the programs and services offered to the children, young adults and families served by The Home.

Volunteer: Share your skills and hobbies by teaching a workshop or by mentoring a young person individually. Studies show that children with mentors are more likely to succeed in life.

Wish List: As you can imagine, having teenagers on campus 24 hours a day means that The Home goes through supplies very quickly. Purchase supplies off the wish list of items needed to help campus run smoothly and children cope with their past trauma.

View the wish list at http://bit.ly/SettlementHomeWishList Donate Items: All Garage & Estate Sale merchandise is donated by the community. To donate items to the 2018 Garage & Estate Sale, please visit settlementhome.org/garage-sale/ Support Foster & Adoption: There are many ways to support children in foster care: deliver meals to a new foster family, provide respite care (babysit) or become a foster parent.

Learn more at settlementhome.org/foster 12