Abe Peters accepts his bursary from Steve Bailey, President of

Elgin Children’s Foundation.

Abe Peters can’t stop smiling. The seventeen-year-old from Rodney is a

habitual do-gooder, volunteering his time between the cadets and the FACS Youth In Care committee, in addition to spending a year as the treasurer at West Elgin Secondary School. But this year something else is putting a smile on his face – a bursary from the Elgin Children’s Foundation for his post-secondary aspirations.

The bursary, which totals $2,000 from the foundation and $2,000 from an anonymous donor, will amount to half of the tuition. Abe plans to study to become a heavy equipment mechanic at Fleming College in Lindsay.

Highly regarded by both his leaders and peers, Abe was also recognized with a civic award for his volunteerism two years ago. But the modest overachiever said it’s just his attitude toward helping others that drives him.

“I was always walking around smiling,” he said. “Just being nice and caring about school community and my community and not looking for recognition.”

Though Abe says it can be hard to manage everything on his plate, his foster parents Joyce and Glenn Szusz say his time-management skills are a superhuman feat.

“He goes into a phone booth and changes into a superhero,” said Glenn. But Abe attributes his success to the realization of how far he’s come from his life

before entering foster care seven years ago. School Officials contacted the children’s aid agency when they noticed Abe and his

siblings were coming into school wearing dirty clothes, often exhausted and unfocused. “We were struggling to keep up with our homework,” explained Abe. “We came to

school tired, hungry, bruised.” Living with eight siblings meant Abe had to work hard for his parents, spending little

time on education outside of school. Being in foster care showed him that the pursuit of success doesn’t have to end with being in the “system”.

“A lot of kids think that when they get into foster care, it’s over,” said Peters. “But it opened my eyes and made me realize there’s more to life than working for your parents,” he said. “It’s like getting a second chance.”

At the Annual General Meeting, held on June 25 at the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Theatre, Abe recounted his experience attending the OACAS Youth In Care Conference in Toronto. While he said it was “amazing” to see what children in foster care can do, the words of motivational speaker Josh Ship seemed to speak directly to his outlook on life.

“Don’t be average, be above average.”

Abe Peters Receives Elgin Children’s Foundation Bursary Inside Page

Agency/Foster Parent News 2

Child Abuse Prevention Month 3

Mitchell’s Medals 4,5

Testimonial 6

for the Children is published quarterly by Family & Children’s Services of St. Thomas & Elgin County.

We can be contacted at:410 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON N5R 3C7Tel.: 519-631-1492 • Fax: 519-631-0596

Comments and suggestions can be forwarded to the Editor:Tel.: 519-539-9762 • Fax: 519-539-7063E-mail: marsha@oxfordmediagroup.com

Autumn 2008The Newsletter of Family & Children’s Services of St. Thomas & Elgin, & Elgin Children’s Foundation

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The Foster Parent Association welcomes new president Nancy Moyes. Nancy is a longtime member of the association and has participated in many fundraising and community events. The Moyes’ will be awarded their 10-year pin this year at the annual Foster Parent/Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on October 22nd.

The silent auction will also be held at the banquet. In the past, the auction has included items such as toys, hockey sticks, photo frames and quilts. Please contact Nancy Moyes at 519-637-1375 to make a donation or for more information. Funds raised from the auction go towards the summer picnic, the annual Christmas party and bursaries.

The upcoming Christmas party, to be held at the Port Stanley arena on December 6, will include crafts, activities and an appearance by Santa. This event is a wonderful opportunity for new families to meet people, and those who do not have children in care are also welcome. If you plan to attend, please contact Nancy Moyes.

A bursary for foster and biological children has recently become available through the FPA. High-school aged children are invited to send a letter detailing the college or university they hope to attend and their chosen course of study. Application letters should be sent to the Foster Parent Association in care of the Agency.

Summer Fun

Agency news

Foster Parent News

Summer Fun

Agency news

Foster Parent News

Family & Children’s Services of St.Thomas and Elgin Schedule of Meetings of the Board of Directors

September 24, 2008 6:00 p.m.October 29, 2008 6:00 p.m.November 26, 2008 6:00 p.m.December 17, 2008 6:00 p.m.

January 28, 2009 6:00 p.m.February 25, 2009 6:00 p.m.March 25, 2009 6:00 p.m.April 22, 2009 6:00 p.m.May 27, 2009 6:00 p.m.

All meetings take place at FACS-Elgin at 410 Sunset Drive, St.Thomas.

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October is Child Abuse Prevention Month in Ontario

During the month of October, Children’s Aid Societies across the province take part in an annual public awareness and education campaign to help prevent child abuse and neglect. The purpose of this campaign is three-fold:

· To inform the public and community professionals of the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect· To make public and community professionals aware of the importance of early intervention and

prevention of child abuse and neglect· To inform the public and community professionals of their duty to report child abuse and neglect

One of the greatest challenges of this campaign is to educate the general public on what constitutes abuse and helping them to recognize the subtle signs. There are 4 types of abuse:

Physical abuse is when a child is injured or harmed by his or her caregiver, or when the caregiver fails to do something to protect the child. Subtle signs include: recurrent nightmares or disturbed sleep patters, loss of or excessive appetite, and behaviour extremes (aggression or withdrawal).

Sexual abuse is any sexual exploitation of a child by a caregiver or someone else. Subtle signs include: constant sadness, bedwetting, and avoidance of undressing or wearing extra layers of clothes.

Emotional abuse is when a caregiver treats a child in an extremely negative way that damages self-esteem and the concept of self. Subtle signs include: headaches or stomachaches without medical cause, destructive behaviour, and speech disorders (stuttering, stammering).

Neglect is a pattern where a child’s caregiver fails to provide basic needs such as food, sleep, safety, supervision, appropriate clothing or medical treatment. Subtle signs include: missing key articles of clothing, trouble concentrating, and body odour.

No individual subtle sign is proof of abuse, but multiple signs can be. If you have any suspicions at all, contact your local Children’s Aid Society or Office of Family and Children’s Services at 519-631-1492. They will confirm or disprove your suspicions while keeping your information confidential. For more information about recognizing signs of abuse, or to learn how to file a report, visit www.oacas.org or www.useyourvoice.ca.

FACS-Elgin has included a purple ribbon with each newsletter, in addition to distributing them to local community partners. You can contact FACS-Elgin and request a Purple Ribbon to wear to show your support.

“Kids shouldn’t have to live with abuse”

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Mitchell’s Medals 2008On Wednesday, July 09, 2008 FACS – Elgin held their 3rd annual swimming event to test basic swimming skills for children in care, children in kin homes and children of foster parents. Approximately 40 children were tested and all were awarded bronze, silver or gold medals depending on how well they met the standards of basic water safety. Many families attended this special event at Pinafore Park, which included a medal celebration where the children received their medals and enjoyed the food and many fun activities offered.

The event was inspired by the tragic death of Mitchell Temple-Medhurst, who drowned at the Port Stanley Beach in 2004. Mitchell had been temporarily placed in the care of Family and Children’s Services, and subsequently admitted to a placement at Madame Vanier Children’s Services (MVCS) on the recommendation of his parents and FACS of St. Thomas and Elgin County. On August 21, 2004 Mitchell drifted too far into the water during a game of Marco-Polo, and although the MVCS staff, lifeguards and other volunteers followed necessary rescue procedures, they were unable to save Mitchell. Mitchell’s death prompted an inquest and a complete review of

the recommendations for water-based activities.

The new standards include specific plans regarding the supervision of children at beachfront activities, staff knowledge of the child in their care and clear instructions to the children before entering the water.

Family and Children’s Services has set a goal to have every child who enters the care of the Society, and who stays for 6 months or more, to achieve proficiency in the “Swim to Survive” test as established by The

Lifesaving Society of Canada. The test measures the ability to orient oneself at the surface after an unexpected entry into the water, support oneself at the surface by treading water for one minute and swim to safety by covering 50 meters using any stroke.

Water-based activities can play an important role in the lives of children. We believe the Water Safety Policy creates a reasonable framework for children of the Agency to participate in these activities by establishing a balance between safety needs and the needs for normal childhood experiences. The event, in memory of Mitchell Temple-Medhurst, is held annually to ensure that both of these goals are accomplished.

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Special thanks go to Brian Flint, Sharon Bogart, Barb Harrison, Rob Fellows, Stephen Dodds, Tabitha MacAurthor, Tracy Trainor, Rebecca Downey, Lorri Donaldson and Ashley Young for all their efforts to organize the swimming event and BBQ. Many thanks go to several youth in care who offered their help on this special

day. Finally, a big thank-you also goes to Board President, Laurie Intven, for presenting Mitchell’s Medals to all swimming participants.

Mitchell’s parents were in attendance and have pledged their continued support for the Mitchell’s Medals program. Their young daughter and son also participated in the event.

The Elgin Children’s Foundation needs your assistance in providing some special items for children who come into the care of FACS-Elgin. While the Agency provides for basic necessities and clothing, the Foundation would like to provide some additional comfort items in an attractive kit to the child at the time they enter into care. The kits may help them cope with the transition of coming into

care, by reminding each child they are special.We need to purchase enough items to fill 100 kits

for the children coming into care over the course of one year. We are asking people donate enough for individual items or provide a $75 donation to purchase one complete kit. We would be pleased to provide a charitable receipt for donations of $10 or more.

Kits:Teddy Bears .......................$15Small Toys .........................$5Knapsack ...........................$15

Mittens .............................$10Blankets ............................$15

Colouring books/pencils ....$10Picture Frames ...................$5

Laurie Intven, Board President, F&CS, awarded

Mitchell’s Medals to participating children,

including Britney and Byrin Temple-Medhurst.

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TestimonialMembers of the Resources Kinship Team are Recognized

Wilma van der Woerd, Hiedi Britton and Maria Gubbels have been key players in the

development of the F&CS Kinship Services program over the past two years. They have

continually gone above and beyond the expectations of their roles, taking both a professional

and personal interest in ensuring that the Kinship program meets the needs of the children,

families and community we serve. All three workers have taken on this challenging journey

without hesitation. This is especially true with regard to the efforts they take to secure

permanency for children, stepping outside the box and finding ways to help children

find permanency and empower families; this in itself has been a success story. Moreover,

they have taken what was originally seen by many families as an “overly intrusive” and

“unnecessary” service and made people feel supported and important. Together with their

efforts to build strong partnerships, develop protocols and build supports both in the field

and the community, these three individuals have helped put F&CS at the forefront of kinship

programs in Ontario.

It was at the recent Kinship BBQ that I fully realized how their long hours of hard work

and dedication have paid off for the children and families of Elgin County. At a time when

caseloads have been hard to manage, Wilma, Hiedi and Maria not only took the time to

put together and facilitate this wonderful event – but did so despite suggestions by their

manager that it might be too much to take on at this time. They felt very strongly that it

was paramount that we show the families how greatly appreciated and respected they are for

the role they have undertaken within the community. At first we thought they might have

15 to 20 people attend. I was pleasantly surprised, and I must say shocked, to hear that 63

people had confirmed their attendance (almost all of whom attended). Even families that

originally considered the Society to be interfering with their family have now come to realize

how helpful the support and guidance of the agency can be. This is a clear indication of how

strong social work skills and a commitment to families can change people’s perspective and

help build strength in families who are often questioning whether or not they have what it

takes. With a focus on building strong relationships and helping families feel empowered,

Wilma, Hiedi and Maria have gone above and beyond the expectations of their roles and have

helped to further strengthen the face of the agency as a positive support in the community.

I recently received a lovely thank you card that was sent to the kinship workers. It read:

“Thanks for the bbq. Not only for the good food, but it gave us an opportunity to see we’re

not the only ones!” Mission accomplished - congratulations Wilma, Hiedi and Maria, you

continue to make the agency proud.

Brian Flint, Manager, Children’s Resources

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Summer Fun

Agency news

Elgin Children’s Foundation

9th Annual Beach Volleyball Fun ClassicFamily & Children’s Services of St. Thomas and Elgin hosted the 9th annual Volleyball tournament on August 23, 2008 at GT’s on the Beach in Port Stanley, Ontario. The day was a perfect mix of sun and sand. The event is held each year to raise money for the Elgin Children’s Foundation “Kamping for Kids” program. The money assists in sending underpriveleged children/youth from the St. Thomas and Elgin area to camp each summer.

Ten teams competed in the tournament with the hopes to win the trophy. The final game was between an area Police Services team “This Won’t Take Long” and the London Children’s Aid Society team. The Police Services team held on to their title of tournament champions. Congratulations to all of the participants for putting forward a great effort, having fun and supporting a worthwhile cause.

On behalf of the Elgin Children’s Foundation, Family & Children’s Services would like to thank all of the generous sponsors for this year’s event who donated items for door prizes/raffles.

Our goal this year was to raise $2500.00. So far were have raised just over $1700.00 for the Elgin Children’s Foundation. Should you wish to make a donation to help us meet our goal, please feel free to call 519-631-1492.

The winning team “This Won’t Take Long”, left to right: Sarah Males, Dan Spicer, Liv Smith, Michelle Wenger, Cormack Smith, Travis Wintjes and Heather Gillespie.

Charitable Registration# BN 89176 6248 RR0001

Elgin Children’s Foundation believes every child should have a carefree summer at camp. Help them in their mission to establish a permanent camp endowment fund to send underprivileged kids to camp.

Visit us on the Web at:www.childrensfoundation.on.ca

Send donations to:Kamping 4 Kidzc/o The Elgin Chil-dren’s Foundation410 Sunset DriveSt. Thomas, ONN5R 3C7Tel: 519-631-1492

Yes, I would like to help Elgin Children’s Foundation in their mission to establish a permanent camp endowment fund to send underprivileged kids to camp.I wish to donate: $25 $50 $100 $ _________Name: _________________________________________________Address: _______________________________________________City: _______________________________ Prov: ______________Postal Code: _______________ Telephone: __________________Credit Card: Visa MasterCard American ExpressCard No.: _______________________________________________Expiry: ______________ Signature: _________________________

Donations not specified for the

camp fund are also warmly accepted.

Elgin Children’s Foundation believes every child should have a carefree summer at camp. Help them in their mission to establish a permanent camp endowment fund to send underprivileged kids to camp.

“Camping is a subject quite close to my heart. My love of camping combined with my passion for canoeing has provided me with a lot of opportunities to learn more about nature, my fellow campers and perhaps most importantly, myself.

In public and high school, as well as college, I found myself drawing on all the skills and strengths I developed over the years at camp. Whether it was working under adverse conditions, as a team or alone, or putting into practice skills I had been taught, camping helped me face many of life’s challenges with confidence. Even today, I draw on those skills in my role as a municipal manager and business owner.

Along with countless family camping trips, I’ve also shared my passion for the outdoors with many young people as a Scout Master and Venturer Advisor with Scouts Canada. Young men and women still come up to me, years later, to tell me they continue to camp and canoe. We begin to reminisce about the many camping trips we took, and how important those trips were to them. It reminds me of the true value that camping experiences bring to the development of a young person’s life.”

Today I share my love of camping and canoeing with my grandchildren, and even though I am a little older, the joy that I get from camping is enhanced by the excitement that camp fires, stories and sing songs, bring to the lives of another generation of campers.”

Danial DaleDirector of Planning and Municipal Services

Town of Aylmer