Pennsylvania MENTOR

Robert Carter was in care as a child and was separated from his siblings for a time. He understands more than anyone the importance of helping #siblingsstaytogether and has adopted 5 siblings from care just in time for #NationalAdoptionMonth! Congratulations to the Carter family!

November is #NationalAdoptionMonth and we will be sharing some heartwarming stories of Mentor foster parents who have adopted children from foster care!

Representation is so important, and we are glad to see that Sesame Street is helping parents of all children understand autism better.

"There's been times where I've had to call in the middle of the night and they take care of everything," said Markie McWashington, Mentor foster parent.

The adjustment to continued virtual interaction may be difficult for some children, including 4-year-old Rachael* in our Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) program. Rachael was initially very resistant when shifting treatment modalities from traditional face-to-face therapy to tele-therapy. She refused to come near the computer, yelling and screaming and running away. She was having a difficult time adjusting to the quarantine and actually began self-isolating ...in her room. Rachael’s BSC therapist Jessica Hortman worked diligently with the child’s parents and creatively approached the situation. Jessica started by sharing her screen and putting up pictures of the child’s favorite characters from her favorite movies. Rachael soon began moving closer to the computer and as she engaged with those characters, Jessica started asking her questions. Rachael has since started looking forward to sessions! *Name changed to protect privacy

What sort of Daylight Savings morning did your family have today? Did you savor the extra hour of sleep or rise and shine for an early breakfast? Comment A or B below!

Happy Halloween from the team at Pennsylvania MENTOR! Recruiter Amanda Wright is celebrating the #HalloweenThrowbackChallenge with her favorite childhood costume. What are the children in your life dressing as this year? Comment with an emoji below!

Beth was recently able to help a teenager in care register to vote! As a Team Lead for Alabama MENTOR, Beth has a special place in her heart for the Transitional Living Program. Beth is passionate about supporting older children and providing them with the tools to succeed. The Transitional Living Program is synonymous with opportunity. That means empowering youth to take on responsibilities with confidence, and teaching them how to network resources to reinforce success, s...aid Beth. In this case the teenager was vocal about wanting to register and vote but thought she may have needed a driver’s license. Beth helped her understand the process and requirements for voter registration in Mobile and they went together to officially register her! This program means so much to me because I know the statistics for youth aging out of foster care, said Beth. I am passionate about making it my purpose to ensure they are on the other side of those statistics. I strive to make each young adult understand they are allowed to raise their standards and break the cycles they were once exposed to. I am a believer in them until they too are a believer in themselves.

Join our webinar host Amanda tomorrow, October 29th at 8 PM to learn more about becoming a Mentor foster parent. Register for free through the link below: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regist/7158784279164445456

Wanda McKinney has been a foster parent for 27 years and transferred to MENTOR Maryland five years ago. When Wanda transferred she immediately felt supported by her team and began fostering children in the Medically Fragile program. Now the little boy she welcomed at 10-days-old is approaching his 5th birthday! Wanda has taught Miles* about his G-tube and how to make sure he vocalizes his needs. As a Certified Nursing Assistant, Wanda felt confident about working with childre...n with needs like Miles and feels strongly about serving as an advocate and caretaker. While Miles initially needed many hospital treatments as a baby, he has not needed a hospital visit since 2017! Wanda was inspired to become a foster parent by her mother who fostered children in the home when Wanda was growing up. Before joining MENTOR, Wanda adopted 3 children from care and still feels passionately about opening her heart and home to children in need. We just need a lot of people that’re loving and caring for these children, said Wanda. *name changed for privacy

Are you wanting to make a difference as a foster parent but only have a few days a month? This type of alternate care may be right for you if you are just starting your foster parent journey. Click the Message button below for more information.

What an amazing story of love, tough decisions and happy endings. You love, even though you know that somehow, someway, it’s going to go away. You take that risk, because not taking it means you’ll never know the reward.

Relationship building is key to a child’s healthy development and growth. Our Family Vistas model recognizes the unique needs of every child and emphasizes the healing effects of family relationships. To learn more visit: https://makeadifferenceathome.com/therapeutic-foster-care/.

Originally, I wrote this book only for my son so that he could know our story, Major said. I couldn’t find a book about a single mom adopting in a happy style, and I wanted to change that. Now, I am sharing this book with everyone in hopes that it will encourage more adoptions.