Board of Directors Meeting Conference Call
Monday, November 28, 2016
Meeting opened at 8:35 pm by President Harriett Wynn
Roll call see attendance chart attached – Curtis Byrd
Minutes of the previous meeting were distributed. A motion was made by Anne Whiteside and seconded by Amanda Williams. The minutes were passed with corrections as needed.
Treasurers Report – Maria Bond
Maria sent a vendors list to Trudy for change of address notification
Maria reported: Income $195,493.32
Expense $174,167.73
Net $21,325.59
Bank Account Balance $116,853
Transition of the Treasurer – Maria & Denise have spoken and some equipment needs to be purchased, Maria will discuss with the Executive Board. They have one more call before meeting in person for the transition of the accounts.
Chris Johnson reported on the RVP – Trudy has the names of several in the Southern Region who are interested in the position and we hope to make a decision in the next week or so.
For those who do not know Melissa has moved from the Suncoast Region, but she is still covering the RVP position. Chris spoke with someone from Duncoast and he will connect again after Thanksgiving. Hopefully, we will fill that position soon.
No trending problems with the RVP’s, as a reminder please have your reports in on time. Please send on a separate document. Do not send as part of an email. Make sure you put the date and your name on it. If they are not on time we can’t get our report to DCF on time which will create a concern. So please try to get you report in by the last day of the month.
Year End Report, we have some that we can use from the monthly reports but they are not consistent. I will send everyone a template to put together a Year End Report. This should relay your partnership with DCF, CBC and the local FAPA’s. And how that is improving communication etc. for our families. This will show the things we are doing to encourage families and partners around the state through FSFAPA.
Orlando has had some computer issues and does not have the RVP reports for the Regions assigned to him. Please remember to send him your reports, those who he is responsible for. Chris will remind everyone who they are to send their reports to, himself or Chris, in an email next week.
Reminder, please let Curtis and Trudy know who needs the FSFAPA address change in your Regions.
Standardize your Board signature on all email concerning FSFAPA, please. This should include FSFAPA, your title and FSFAPA mailing address. Curtis will check the email address change for Anne Whiteside.
Election questions – Membership is looking at revamping paypal as well as looking at other programs. Curtis an email to Thomas about his Go Foster! program. The election results were attached to the Board minutes. Recap” 128 ballots sent out 88 returned which was 69%, of the ballots. Harriett received 57%, Chris received 44%, Denise received 67%, Paul received 33%. Thomas did not receive the email from Curtis, so please resend. Thomas brought up that he received questions from around the state about the election process and the confusion due to changing the date of the mini conference and hence the election. He would like to make a motion that the next time we meet face to face, appoint an election committee as there were several questions he was unable to answer. Thomas so moved, seconded by Orlando, discussion: clarification that would be an ad hoc committee, the motion passed unanimously.
Events Updates – Trudy Petkovich
Rally in Tally – reservations need to be made this coming week, please let Trudy know by Friday . If you are going to Children’s week for the dinner, we need to know this week as the price does go up $25.
If your CBC is sending you just let us know that you will be attending. Kurt Kelly said on the call this morning that they are looking for as many families as possible to attend. We will set up appointments to meet with key legislators to let them know who we are as a statewide organization representing foster and adoptive parents.
Update from Advisors:
Gay update the biggest thing happening with QPI is an effort to provide training options to get quality training out to the families. There are several webcasts dealing with sexual abuse and Lora Diaz has been diligently making these opportunities available to the parents. Please when you get this information pass it on to your local FAPA and any other foster parents you know. On the front page of the QPI website are the Myth Busters! They are out there to cover policy changes and clarification for our families. The next Florida Quarterly QPI meeting is January 17th sponsored by Heartland. Melanie asked to be put on the call list for the QPI calls and Gay will check on this.
Xiomara updated us that DCF is working with QPI on foster parent investigations. There is a workgroup that is in the process of discussing how the investigations are conducted and we are coming up with an assessment tool. Feedback coming from foster parents and people in the field has been great!
Xiomara has been working on 65 C-13 & 14 she will be training on these two rules around the state – Home Licensing and Child Placing licensing. Xiomara asked Melanie to give her a call to discuss her participation.
Lauralyn update – we don’t have a second date at this time for the meeting on investigations so Melanie you are more than welcome. Membership in FSFAPA by the CBC’s needs to be discussed. Who sent the money last year, and thanking them for last year. The CBC’s who didn’t join FSFAPA send a letter asking them to join this year. Discussion followed about what came in this year. Including there is a sponsorship for the foster parent conference.
Lauralyn will be working with Lillie on the Silent Auction this year. Laurallyn wants to send to additional donors letters this year, so she needs the letter head before January.
Foster Parent Appreciation Week – Mini conference we hope will be the kick off for foster parent appreciate week. DCF will hope could co sponsor an event and will get back to me in two weeks with thoughts. Discussion followed on a gift from FSFAPA to the foster parents regarding Foster Parent Appreciation Week. The bookmarks along with two pins, stickers on the car were discussed also. Cost on the Bookmarks is approximately $.22 a piece. Maria does not remember. The clings for the cars were also suggested. Most in agreement with the book marks. We also talked about a poem, window cling, discussion about broadcasting foster parent or not. $1.50 each for the two pins and the book mark. A book mark within the newsletter and cut it out, was suggested this is doable.
Discussion on the mailing list, and/or RVPs handing them out at the FAPA meetings. The mailing list we get from DCF is only foster parents from FSFN, which is inputted by the agencies. Kara would like to have some at the mini conference. As a kick off, absolutely. Melanie likes to take items to FAPA meeting. She gives out 50 duffels a month every month at the FAPA meetings. May is Foster Care Month. This week in February is Foster Parent Appreciation. We need to use this as a branding tool of FSFAPA. We are the ones thanking them for what they do, not the agency or the CBC. Suggestion is that we also thank the legislators for voting this into law. The mailing list for last month was 4939 of foster parents. Anne said nothing is sent out in mailing from CBC it is all email. As far as handing out something, most of the 128 foster homes she will maybe see 10 to 12 foster parents total of the 128 at meetings. Then Lee County doesn’t even have a FAPA meeting. Discussion followed as to why do that if we already have bulk mailing. If it comes from the CBC it looks like it is from them, not from FSFAPA. A motion that we put together a letter from the Board and a copy of the starfish poem and the bookmark moved and seconded, vote all in favor, motion carried.
Kara reported the mini conference is February 11th, the location is set, speakers are schedule, the hotel is arranged. Financial support from two CBC’s has been approved, Save the Date has gone out. Tackling the child care Kara will do this week or next. Emanuel Baptist Church in Crestview is the site of the Mini Conference.
Chris gave an update on the partnership between DCF, All Pro Dads and FCC. They have joined forces to help with recruitment of foster parents around the state. Tony Dungee is spearheading this organization. The first event was in Orlando, November in Tampa, 2017 in Miami and Gainesville. Please look up the website to see what a great organization this is. Tony Dungee and his wife have adopted and are currently foster parents. Joint press conference with Secretary Carroll , All Pro Dads, Chris representing FSFAPA went very well.
Chris reported that both Trudy represents FSFAPA on FCC Monday morning calls for the membership and the legislative committee and the Provider Council which Chris is on the workgroup representing FSFAPA.
Also, DCF is inviting us to the local Circuit meetings. RVP’s if you will please connect with your local DCF Regional Managing Director to be part of those discussions/meetings. If you cannot attend, let the Executive Board know and we will be sure to be there in your place, so FSFAPA can be represented. We are making sure our voice is being heard and are partners in these discussions.
Motion for the meeting to adjourn made by Chris Johnson and seconded by Melanie Stimmell, motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 9:42 pm.
Secretary Curtis Byrd
