A Day to Celebrate
November is National Adoption Month, and in honor of that, we would love to share an adoption story we collected this month….
Morgan and Brayden Fisher were in foster care for a total of 2,552 days. They were officially adopted together by Jason and Kelsey Stock. The Stock’s have three biological children of their own, but they desired to see their family grow!
Since being fostered by the Stock’s, Morgan and Brayden have been thriving in school and in the home. They have made themselves a part of the family Stock family.
On their day of adoption, Kelsey and Jason wanted to make Morgan and Brayden feel special, so they rented a limo and had them ride down from Olathe to Yates Center for their adoption finalization day. The children had a party after the court hearing with CASA and TFI and their new extended family.
TFI is proud to have the Stock family and I think Morgan and Brayden would agree, they are great foster parents
Kansas Care Provider of the Month
The Dancer home has been with TFI close to two years. Over those years, this home has taken in many hard to place children and provided them a happy, safe and loving environment until reintegration was met. This home goes above and beyond for the kids in their home. The Dancers advocate for the well-being of the children in their home. This family has brought the kids in their home to Disney World, driven them far for visits with biological family and worked with their local school to meet the children’s needs. This home welcomes children of all backgrounds and do their best to meet their cultural needs. During their foster journey, the Dancer family has made a strong impact on the youth in their home and with the staff who work alongside them to support the children and families. They are strong supporters for co-parenting. Kathy and Tracy find ways to connect with the youth in their home to help promote healthy relationships, also displaying age-appropriate independent living skills assisting with part time employment.
Kansas & Nebraska News
Dear TFI Foster Families,
We are excited to announce several incentives being offered to our foster families as a thank you for all the hard work and dedication you provide for the children placed in your homes! We appreciate all that you do for children and families!
Current Foster Families:
- Each quarter, TFI will have drawings for KS/NE families to honor longevity and quality. Each family will be entered into the drawing, the number of entries will be based on longevity and no disruptions in the past quarter. One family will be drawn from KS/NE and the winner will receive $100.
- All foster families that complete their annual training timely will receive $50. For families who’s licensing renewals were due in previous months dating back to July 2022, you will still qualify for the $50.
If you have questions regarding these incentives, please follow up with your worker.
Thank you!
Nebraska Care Provider of the Month
Josh and Christina have been married for 18 years. Josh said, “fostering had been a goal of ours since before we were married because we love kids and have lots of love to give out.” They believe it is a perfect picture of salvation and entering the family of God. Christina also stated they have much love to give and want to be a “family for children that need one.”
Josh and Christina and their four children, Nate, Ben, Michael, and Kara range in age from 11-16 years of age. The Glore family has an active lifestyle with lots of playing and hugging. The children enjoy swimming, sports, playing instruments in band and playing games. Their hearts and home are ready to offer a safe and loving environment. Prior to receiving their license, the Glore family purchased a new vehicle that will hold eight people and installed bunk beds. The Glore family is adventurous, responsible and READY to open their hearts and door to a child in Nebraska.
Oklahoma Care Provider of the Month
Terra Turner has been fostering since 2014. She has done a great job bridging and adapting to each child’s needs. She had a sibling group of three with behaviors and she worked through the challenges until the kids were reunited with biological mother. She also has been mentoring the mother of her former foster children, assisting her with community resources to make sure she does not relapse. Recently, she decided to open her home to teens, and she accepted a sibling group of two. She has done an awesome with them thus far! Thank you for all your wonderful hard work, Terra!
Oklahoma News
November is recognized as National Adoption Month. During this time, Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) and partner agencies celebrate children leaving foster care to find permanency in their forever homes as well as the families and staff who make that permanency possible.
The OKDHS Adoption Program provides legal services to adopting families free of charge. The OKDHS Adoption Program provides friendly and experienced attorneys who represent families in uncontested adoptions of children in OKDHS custody. Any foster family who needs assistance with adopting a child in OKDHS custody my contact the OKDHS Adoption Assistance Program at 1-800-376-9729.
Training Corner
Huge Emotions and the Adolescent Brain
In the Disney Pixar film Turning Red, we are introduced to a Chinese Canadian family and their deep love and loyalty to one another. Meilin, the main character, is a 13-year-old girl trying to establish adolescent independence and autonomy, while her mother is continually overprotective and hypervigilant….
Read the article below, fill out the quiz and send to your worker for credit.
Need Additional Training?
Check out these other training opportunities in November
Recruitment Spotlight
This year, just like every year, TFI is thankful for our amazing foster families. We are thankful for the hard work and dedication we see from our families every day. The holiday season is a joyful time for many. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for our children in care. For our children, the holiday season can bring sadness, grief, uncertainty, and much more. These strong emotions are not easy to manage, but we know we have supportive and loving foster families who persevere. For this, we are incredibly grateful.
This holiday season, we ask you to reflect on your traditions and think of ways to include others. Does the child placed in your home have a special ritual for decorating the tree? How can you include the family and friends of the child placed in your home? Can you invite your friends and neighbors over for hot chocolate and discuss how they can help our children and families in care? Not only can you expand your support network and family this holiday season, but you can also expand the TFI family as well.
TFI would love your help in finding more homes in time for the holidays. If you know anyone who is interested in fostering with TFI, please visit our website or call 1-833-7FOSTER.
Fund Development
Thanksgiving is the best holiday – anything that fixates our minds on gratitude, family (one of our core values), and food is a win in our book.
We’re so grateful for the folks who gave to support foster families at our events this fall – nearly $90,000 was raised at our golf tournament and our Blues Fest in the Topeka area!
The holidays just around the corner! If you know anybody who wants to do an angel tree or donate for gifts for kids, please let us know and we’d love to connect them to our staff in their area.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any contacts, questions, or fun stories of generosity.
Thanks for all you do!
Oklahoma/Texas: Steven Mandeville | 918-728-3378 | smandeville@tfifamily.org
Kansas/Nebraska: Sheila Kearney | 785-213-6161 | skearney@tfifamily.org
Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Libby Hayden | 785-294-6606 | ehayden@tfifamily.org
The winner of this month’s newsletter giveaway is Carolina Oliphant. To claim your $25 Amazon gift card, please email your foster care worker and tell them you won the giveaway. You must email your worker within the month of November to accept your prize.
Happy Anniversary
Thank you for opening your hearts and homes to children in need.
26 Years
Arnold Downing
15 Years
Travis & Anne Abbott
10 Years
Naninga Karunaratne & Chantal Gunawardhana
5 Years
Luke & Elisa Snyder
Amy Babcock
Juan & Jeanette Pineda
1 Year
Chelsea Barnes
Brandon Chambers
Elisha & Angela Fabrycky
Harley &Jazmine Helms
Marty & LaDonna Hughes
Michael & Lydia Koehler
Timothy Oplinger & Jennifer Gwalthney
Jabulani Sentwali
Kenneth & Megan Simmons
Dothlyn Davis
Troy & Julie Stafford
Every time you make a purchase on Amazon, TFI Family Services can earn money and participating does NOT increase the price you pay for your purchases. Visit smile.amazon.com or click the picture above and select TFI Family Services to support youth in foster care.
Every time you make a purchase at Dillons, TFI Family Services can earn money. Please visit dillons.com/communityrewards or click the picture above and select TFI Family Services as your nonprofit to support youth in foster care.
The Dancer home has been with TFI close to two years. Over those years, this home has taken in many hard to place children and provided them a happy, safe and loving environment until reintegration was met. This home goes above and beyond for the kids in their home. The Dancers advocate for the well-being of the children in their home. This family has brought the kids in their home to Disney World, driven them far for visits with biological family and worked with their local school to meet the children’s needs. This home welcomes children of all backgrounds and do their best to meet their cultural needs. During their foster journey, the Dancer family has made a strong impact on the youth in their home and with the staff who work alongside them to support the children and families. They are strong supporters for co-parenting. Kathy and Tracy find ways to connect with the youth in their home to help promote healthy relationships, also displaying age-appropriate independent living skills assisting with part time employment.
The Dancer family are advocates in their community and a big support to their community. When speaking with other foster families, they state they are a big contributor with their TFI foster parent support. The Dancer family always answers the call and treats any child as individual as we all are. Tracy and Kathy have the most kind and pure souls and our great role models for our children and families!
Kansas & Nebraska News
Dear TFI Foster Families,
We are excited to announce several incentives being offered to our foster families as a thank you for all the hard work and dedication you provide for the children placed in your homes! We appreciate all that you do for children and families!
Current Foster Families:
- Each quarter, TFI will have drawings for KS/NE families to honor longevity and quality. Each family will be entered into the drawing, the number of entries will be based on longevity and no disruptions in the past quarter. One family will be drawn from KS/NE and the winner will receive $100.
- All foster families that complete their annual training timely will receive $50. For families who’s licensing renewals were due in previous months dating back to July 2022, you will still qualify for the $50.
If you have questions regarding these incentives, please follow up with your worker.
Thank you!
Nebraska Care Provider of the Month
Josh and Christina have been married for 18 years. Josh said, “fostering had been a goal of ours since before we were married because we love kids and have lots of love to give out.” They believe it is a perfect picture of salvation and entering the family of God. Christina also stated they have much love to give and want to be a “family for children that need one.”
Josh and Christina and their four children, Nate, Ben, Michael, and Kara range in age from 11-16 years of age. The Glore family has an active lifestyle with lots of playing and hugging. The children enjoy swimming, sports, playing instruments in band and playing games. Their hearts and home are ready to offer a safe and loving environment. Prior to receiving their license, the Glore family purchased a new vehicle that will hold eight people and installed bunk beds. The Glore family is adventurous, responsible and READY to open their hearts and door to a child in Nebraska.
Oklahoma Care Provider of the Month
Terra Turner has been fostering since 2014. She has done a great job bridging and adapting to each child’s needs. She had a sibling group of three with behaviors and she worked through the challenges until the kids were reunited with biological mother. She also has been mentoring the mother of her former foster children, assisting her with community resources to make sure she does not relapse. Recently, she decided to open her home to teens, and she accepted a sibling group of two. She has done an awesome with them thus far! Thank you for all your wonderful hard work, Terra!
Oklahoma News
November is recognized as National Adoption Month. During this time, Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) and partner agencies celebrate children leaving foster care to find permanency in their forever homes as well as the families and staff who make that permanency possible.
The OKDHS Adoption Program provides legal services to adopting families free of charge. The OKDHS Adoption Program provides friendly and experienced attorneys who represent families in uncontested adoptions of children in OKDHS custody. Any foster family who needs assistance with adopting a child in OKDHS custody my contact the OKDHS Adoption Assistance Program at 1-800-376-9729.
Training Corner
Huge Emotions and the Adolescent Brain
In the Disney Pixar film Turning Red, we are introduced to a Chinese Canadian family and their deep love and loyalty to one another. Meilin, the main character, is a 13-year-old girl trying to establish adolescent independence and autonomy, while her mother is continually overprotective and hypervigilant….
Read the article below, fill out the quiz and send to your worker for credit.
Need Additional Training?
Check out these other training opportunities in November
Recruitment Spotlight
This year, just like every year, TFI is thankful for our amazing foster families. We are thankful for the hard work and dedication we see from our families every day. The holiday season is a joyful time for many. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for our children in care. For our children, the holiday season can bring sadness, grief, uncertainty, and much more. These strong emotions are not easy to manage, but we know we have supportive and loving foster families who persevere. For this, we are incredibly grateful.
This holiday season, we ask you to reflect on your traditions and think of ways to include others. Does the child placed in your home have a special ritual for decorating the tree? How can you include the family and friends of the child placed in your home? Can you invite your friends and neighbors over for hot chocolate and discuss how they can help our children and families in care? Not only can you expand your support network and family this holiday season, but you can also expand the TFI family as well.
TFI would love your help in finding more homes in time for the holidays. If you know anyone who is interested in fostering with TFI, please visit our website or call 1-833-7FOSTER.
Fund Development
Thanksgiving is the best holiday – anything that fixates our minds on gratitude, family (one of our core values), and food is a win in our book.
We’re so grateful for the folks who gave to support foster families at our events this fall – nearly $90,000 was raised at our golf tournament and our Blues Fest in the Topeka area!
The holidays just around the corner! If you know anybody who wants to do an angel tree or donate for gifts for kids, please let us know and we’d love to connect them to our staff in their area.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any contacts, questions, or fun stories of generosity.
Thanks for all you do!
Oklahoma/Texas: Steven Mandeville | 918-728-3378 | smandeville@tfifamily.org
Kansas/Nebraska: Sheila Kearney | 785-213-6161 | skearney@tfifamily.org
Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Libby Hayden | 785-294-6606 | ehayden@tfifamily.org
The winner of this month’s newsletter giveaway is Carolina Oliphant. To claim your $25 Amazon gift card, please email your foster care worker and tell them you won the giveaway. You must email your worker within the month of November to accept your prize.
Happy Anniversary
Thank you for opening your hearts and homes to children in need.
26 Years
Arnold Downing
15 Years
Travis & Anne Abbott
10 Years
Naninga Karunaratne & Chantal Gunawardhana
5 Years
Luke & Elisa Snyder
Amy Babcock
Juan & Jeanette Pineda
1 Year
Chelsea Barnes
Brandon Chambers
Elisha & Angela Fabrycky
Harley &Jazmine Helms
Marty & LaDonna Hughes
Michael & Lydia Koehler
Timothy Oplinger & Jennifer Gwalthney
Jabulani Sentwali
Kenneth & Megan Simmons
Dothlyn Davis
Troy & Julie Stafford
Every time you make a purchase on Amazon, TFI Family Services can earn money and participating does NOT increase the price you pay for your purchases. Visit smile.amazon.com or click the picture above and select TFI Family Services to support youth in foster care.
Every time you make a purchase at Dillons, TFI Family Services can earn money. Please visit dillons.com/communityrewards or click the picture above and select TFI Family Services as your nonprofit to support youth in foster care.