Caryl Anne Cares: Snowsuits, Sleepsacks, and a Spirit of Compassion

National CASA Podcast: "Project Family Connect: Working with Children and Youth Impacted by Parental Incarceration"

Dear Friends,
We are blessed with a wealth of holiday events, opportunities for our kids, and news. In order to keep the newsletter a manageable length while keeping you informed, we will be sending out extra newsletters and tips in December.

With two holiday parties for our kids and supplying holiday gifts to 800 foster youth, things are getting busier and busier at Kids Matter. As many of you volunteers come to the holiday parties with your youth, we end up inviting you to both youth and volunteer parties. You have given us feedback that a volunteer gathering in Spring would be a bit easier on your schedules. You spoke ... we listened.

Watch for your invitation to our new Spring event for volunteers. Enjoy the holidays with the kids, and watch for highlights about the wonderful donations, parties and learning opportunities.

With great thanks and appreciation for all that you do for our kids,

Sue

Susan Conwell
Executive Director 

Caryl Anne Cares: Snowsuits, Sleepsacks, and a Spirit of Compassion

Caryl Anne Halfwassen is a woman with a mission: to take care of Milwaukee's vulnerable and neglected children. Over the last year, Caryl Anne has donated hundreds of snowsuits, sleepsacks, onesies, baby outfits, and blankets so that more than 400 children and infants in the child welfare system can be safe and warm.

"I came from a much smaller community in central Illinois three years ago, and I was truly shocked at the depth of the issues confronting children, their families, caregivers and support agencies in Milwaukee. It is not just the children who are clothed that I think about, but I hope that these donations positively affect the perspective of the caregivers, caseworkers, medical staff, etc. They need to know that even when times are tough, someone cares to have kids well and appropriately dressed." Click here to continue reading.

Attention All CASA Volunteers

Spring Event to Replace Holiday Event

Holiday Stress
Holidays should be a time for friends, family, and relaxation. So how do our holiday "to do" lists get so long? Having too many commitments and places to go creates unnecessary stress. With an increasing number of opportunities for our foster youth, some volunteers asked that we consider moving our volunteer event to Spring.

You spoke, and we listened.

This year we will have our annual volunteer event in the spring. This will be an opportunity to meet and visit with your fellow volunteers. Please stay tuned for more information.  

National CASA Podcast: "Project Family Connect: Working with Children and Youth Impacted by Parental Incarceration"

Do you know a child who has an incarcerated parent? If so, a recent podcast by National CASA could be a great resource for you. National CASA releases podcasts every month that cover a wide variety of topics that are helpful for CASA volunteers.

To help volunteers who may be working with children of incarcerated parents, two members of Project Family Connect discuss the unique experiences and stressors of children who are impacted by parental incarceration. Project Family Connect is a program through New York City CASA that works to keep children in foster or kinship care connected with incarcerated parents.

Imagine what it might be like to be living with another family and have a parent in prison or another facility. Children sometimes do not know where a parent is or what that parent's future holds, and their imaginations can run wild. Project Family Connect encourages CASA volunteers to find out where parents are located, get help determining whether or not children would be safe visiting incarcerated parents, see what kinds of visitation services are available, and help children stay connected with parents.

Often, maintaining contact between children and incarcerated parents can be just as beneficial for the parents as for the children. By fostering this connection, parents can be involved in their children's permanency plans, know how their children are doing in school and

other activities, and work toward reunification. Although a stigma exists around incarceration, just because a parent has made a bad choice in the past does not necessarily mean that he or she cannot be a good parent.

To learn more about helping children with incarcerated parents, listen to this podcast on the National CASA website.

Dates to Remember

CASA Volunteer Training: Wednesday Evenings through November 17, 6-9 PM

Hope for the Holidays Party: Wgirls Fundraiser
Thursday, December 2, 7-10 PM 

National CASA Webinar: "Using Crayons to Communicate," November 17, 12-1 PM (see below)

Lunch & Learn: "How to Read Psychological Evaluations," December 10, 12-1:30 PM (see below)

Santa's Castle Holiday Event with the Junior League of Milwaukee: Saturday, December 18 (see below)

Wgirls Fundraising Event To Benefit Kids Matter Families: Please Come and Support Our Kids!

On Thursday, December 2, from 7-10 PM, the Wgirls will host their 2nd Annual Hope for the Holidays Party at MOCT (240 E. Pittsburgh Ave.). The proceeds from this fundraising event will go toward a holiday party and gifts for Kids Matter families!

Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. The evening will include music, appetizers, drinks, raffles, and a silent auction. See the event flier here.

The Wgirls organization provides underprivileged women and children with the support and resources necessary to achieve health, happiness, and the ability to lead productive and successful adult lives. Learn more about the Wgirls and their recent activities on their website. 

National CASA Webinar:

Using Crayons to Communicate

On Wednesday, November 17, from 12-1 PM, Lisa Barsky Firsker, PhD, will explain how the use of simple materials such as crayons, paper, colored pencils and markers can be a powerful way to communicate with a child. As she says: "Inside every quiet child there is a loud voice trying to get out."

This webinar is free, but you must register in advance. Click here to register now.

Lunch & Learn:

"How to Read Psychological Evaluations"

On Thursday, December 10, from 12-1:30 PM, Dr. Stephen Emiley will discuss how to better understand a psychological evaluation at the Children's Court Center, Room 1260. The center is located at 10201 West Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa, WI. This session is free and open to all who are interested.

Dr. Emiley is a clinical psychologist who has performed thousands of psychological evaluations, including for the Children's Court Center. Click here for more information about Dr. Emiley and this Lunch & Learn session.

Santa's Castle Holiday Event

Attention all CASA Volunteers: On Saturday, December 18, the Junior League of Milwaukee will host a holiday event called Santa's Castle, and we would like to invite you and your CASA kids to attend!

The event includes crafts and activities for children and a visit from Santa Claus! Please contact your CASA supervisor or Kristy Shew at (414) 344-1220 to sign up and receive more information.

Nick News Foster Youth Show Available as Free Download

A recent edition of the cable program Nick News with Linda Ellerbee focused on foster care by looking through the eyes of several youth.

Among those interviewed were Connie and Starr Barber, two youth with strong connections to the northern New Mexico CASA program, and Hon. Ernestine Gray, a juvenile court judge and National CASA board member.

The show is now available as a free download through the Apple iTunes store. This makes it extremely convenient to review the program, share it with volunteers or use it for trainings. Download the program through iTunes. (Note: if you do not have the free program iTunes, you can download it from the Apple website.)

Next CASA Training:

February 2011

Please contact Kids Matter at 414-344-1220 to find out more information and sign up for our next CASA training. Click here to learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer!