FSFAPA Board Meeting
Sunday, Jan. 31, 8:30 p.m.
Monthly Conference Call
Submitted for approval by FSFAPA Secretary Curtis Byrd.
Meeting started at 8:30 p.m.
Following were in attendance: Harriett Wynn (President), Chris Johnson (Exec VP), Curtis Byrd (Secretary), Kara Elliot-Jordan (RVP), Trudy Petkovich (Exc. Director), Lynda Thompson (Bylaws), Melissa Schol (RVP), Victoria Herrin (Band Manager), Thomas Croom(RVP), Maria Bond (Treasurer), Melanie Stimmell (RVP), Harry Dubia (Membership), Dorothy Alvarez (RVP), and Coleen Lacosta (FAST).
The minutes from 11/14/2015 Board Meeting were accepted with changes. Motion made by Chris and seconded by Kara; motion passed with no opposition. December meeting was cancelled.
President Harriett Wynn:
Welcomed everyone to our first call of the 2016 year; I want to thank Curtis for stepping back in as the secretary. We are going to table our by-laws discussion until we can meet face-to-face meeting in March.
Executive Vice President Chris Johnson:
We had our first RVP call of the year week before last, and everybody gave a report on what’s going on around the state. A lot of people shared about the different Christmas activities. Several of the associations have new leadership and some have completely new Boards. Many of our team has been around the state visiting the different associations, and things are going. There’s nothing really major as December was focused on Christmas.
Legislative Update – Thomas Croom:
The Adoption Intervention Bill is on its third reading in the Senate. The House version is currently in its last committee. At this time the two bills are identical. Our expectation is that they the House and Senate will vote on it and it will go to the Governor to be signed.
The Foster Parent Appreciation bills are in both the House and Senate and they are doing exactly the same thing. If the bill passes it calls for the second week in February, starting in 2016 to be Foster Parent Appreciation Week.
Alan Abramowitz expects there to be a signing event for both these bills at which we would like all supports, foster parents, stakeholders, parents every to come out.
Senate Bill 7018 is moving through the Senate. This bill is related to child welfare and includes things about group homes. We have not taken a position on this bill.
Treasurer’s Report Maria Bond:
We currently have $80,513.30 in the account. The year-end for last fiscal year almost complete; Income: $189,869.04, Expenses: $227,750.43. Harriett asked that Maria send the Financial report out to everyone with a review of all events in the report. Maria will send that report in the morning. If there are any questions please email Maria.
Membership Report Harry Dubia:
At this time we have approximately 152 paid members. There are Board members who still have not paid their dues which are due by the end of January.
Laurallyn and Harry worked on the membership letter to the CBC’s. It is now ready to go out via certified mail. He asked for each RVP to follow up and make an appointment with the CEO/President of the CBC to discuss their membership and encourage their membership.
FAST Report – Coleen LaCosta:
Reports were calm for a month and now they have increased and it has been crazy. Many areas of the state are looking into different and creative ways of helping support the foster parents. There are some issues in central Florida with retention and the allegations. The licensing people in Jacksonville were not giving the families the information to reach out to FAST so the numbers went down and yet really didn’t.
There is no real trend at the moment. Some of the problem around the state is finding the right person to talk with. With the many workforce changes families are frustrated at not being able to reach support in a timely manner, or at all. Then trying to help the relative caregivers and who to call for that support.
Trudy is collecting licensing updates around the state, then we are going to reach out and provide up dated information on FAST to them and their families.
Annual Education Conference – Melanie Stimmell & Chris Johnson:
Melanie reported that Chris is heading up getting presenters and keynote speakers. One idea is to start off the conference with a comedian as the keynote. Melanie is looking for suggestions of exhibitors as she is in the process of sending out letters to the list we have.
Chris is working on a letter to the CBC’s that will include the many different scholarships and the registration process. It will include registering for the hotel as well as childcare. Childcare will need more sponsors to help cover the child care costs. This will be out the first week in February. Bridget Brown and Melanie will hand the registration.
If anybody wants to help with the brochure I have that to be done one month out before conference. We changed the logo and made it bigger and added 20th Anniversary Celebration to it. I will send that to everyone this week. Committees, Melanie will send out for sign up next month.
We are working with Nathaniel’s Hope to provide child care for medical children and their parents to be able to attend the conference this year. We are set for Friday and Saturday but still need Volunteers for Sunday. Their program called Buddy Break has been offered at Melanie’s church and they have a doctor and nurse on site.
NexGen Leadership Conference – Amanda Williams:
Melanie and I are working with Urban Surf (who worked with our teens at our Daytona Beach conference several years ago) to do an off site event with the teens 13 to 21. It is a secure site in a warehouse district. There has been discussion about the meeting the needs of our teens including those that don’t swim. Urban Surf would take up the entire day on Saturday. The other days would be filled with activities, leadership training and speakers.
Executive Director – Trudy Petkovich:
The Quarterly Meeting and Mini Conference will be in Daytona Beach. The hotel contract is signed and we have a meeting space at the college. We are still working on childcare. The QPI Florida State Conference will be on Thursday and Friday. We hope some people will stay and attend our meeting on Saturday.
Chris gave us a report on the FCC Provider meeting. It was an organizational meeting, there is a CBC Council and now we will have a Provider Council at FCC. It will simply represent the provider members of FCC and their issues will be discussed. They were pleased to have us at the table to provider foster and adoptive parent points of view regarding the entire system of care. Chris will be FSFAPA representative on this Council.
Trudy reported on the Dependency Court Improvement Panel that met in Tampa. Judge Bristol from Broward is heading it up this term. It is a two year commitment. Some of the items they want to take up is child care and their accreditation as well as how the foster parents access child care and the cost to the foster parents. Also discussed was the Zero to Three project that Carrie Toy is heading around the state and that led into the new Baby Courts. We were able to report the Adoption Intervention bill that they heard about but were not up to date on the progress.
Duffels4Kids – Harriett Wynn:
Harriett spoke with LaShaun because she was concerned that we were being not recognized as being part of the Duffels4Kids. LaShaun said that Florida State is still part of the Duffels4Kids. She reassured Harriett that the only thing that she was going to do is try to support us and to get more bags for us to give out to the children. Secretary Carroll is going to be in attendance at the Walk May 2016 at the Jacksonville Zoo.
QPI Advisor Gay:
The QPI meeting is Thursday and Friday, March 10th and 11th, in Daytona. Two main purposes; are working on policy problems and refining the normalcy, transition, information sharing, general partnership, and then recruitment documents. Carole met with Secretary Carroll and all of the regional managing directors with DCF. She’s written to all that each CBC send at least one staff person and one foster parent, so that the policy work, the practice work can be about what the real problems are that foster parents are facing, that kids are facing.
CBC Advisor Laurallyn:
I would like to see the RVP’s meet with each CEO of the CBC’s to discuss the membership letter that they are receiving. They should be encouraged to partner with FSFAPA. She feels it will be harder for them to say no if someone is sitting in front of them. Gay was in total agreement with Laurallyn; face to face is very important. A copy of the membership letter will be sent to the Board.
Harriett reported that she has some ideas moving forward that she will discuss at our March meeting.
Harry moved that we adjourn, it was seconded all in favor Aye, no one opposed. Meeting adjourned at 9:18 pm
