Last Night...

We had a great turnout! Thank you all for attending. I hope you heard what you were looking for. I had a great time and was glad to be home a little earlier than usual. I am going to post what we went over last night. If you have any remarks to make...just please let me know.
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· May 30, 9:00-6:00: Summer Reading Kickoff
· June 27: Wear your Summer Reading T-shirt in the Provo City Freedom Festival Children’s Parade. Parade starts at 10:30 am, meet at Memorial Park, 800 E. Center Street, Provo. Last day you can register for Summer Reading.
· July 20-: Children can turn in their completed reading logs for prizes and tickets to the End of Summer Reading Party and Ronald McDonald Magic Show.
· July 25, 10:00 and 11:00 am: Ronald McDonald Magic Show for those who complete the Informational Challenge.
· July 30, 8:30-10:00 pm: End of Summer Reading party at Veterans Memorial Pool. Exclusive pool party for those who complete the Summer Reading program.
HOGLE ZOO in SLC: $80 for a year round pass plus can visit “sister” zoos in other states for a discounted price or free. A family of four (2adults and 2 children) costs $46 for one visit!
June 9-July 23Classes meet 9:30-10:30 am or 11:00-12:00 noon Tuesday through Thursday. Pre-registration is required, along with a fee of $2.50 per class per participant. Participants cannot register for Science Adventures and Stories and Crafts in the same session. Pre-registration begins May 30.
Tuesdays - Stories & Crafts (ages 5-12)
Wednesdays - Stories & Crafts 9:30 am (ages 5-12) Science Adventures 11:00 am (ages 8-12)
Thursdays - Science Adventures (ages 8-12)
Tuesdays - (5:00-6:00 pm) Spanish Stories & Crafts (for families)
Summer 2009 Kids' Summer Matinee Program!
Showing:Mon June 1, 2009 thru Thu August 13, 2009
Times: Cinema Series 1: Monday-Thursday at 10:30am & 1:00pmCinema Series 2: Monday-Thursdays at 10:00am
Prices: ONE SERIES:$6.50, BOTH SERIES: $10.00, INDIVIDUAL MOVIE: $2.00/person
Location:SCERA Center for the Arts745 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058
Showing:Mon June 1, 2009 thru Thu August 13, 2009
Times: Cinema Series 1: Monday-Thursday at 10:30am & 1:00pmCinema Series 2: Monday-Thursdays at 10:00am
Prices: ONE SERIES:$6.50, BOTH SERIES: $10.00, INDIVIDUAL MOVIE: $2.00/person
Location:SCERA Center for the Arts745 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058
Make it a summer tradition for you and your children! There are two different movie series available, each featuring 11 of the most current and popular family movies on the big screen for an absolutely amazing price! Just select the series you'd like, and then choose the day and time you'd like to attend each week. Buy ONE SERIES for $6.50 or BOTH SERIES for only $10. Everyone age 2 and older must have a ticket and young children must be accompanied by a parent or responsible guardian. A Double Delight Treat Combo is available offering Popcorn, Candy or Drink (any two items) for $1.00. If you want to attend an individual movie, it's $2.00 per person.SUMMER 2009Cinema Series IXanGo Grand TheatreMonday-Thursday @ 10:30am & 1:00pmJune 1-4: SPACE CHIMPS (Rated G, 81 minutes)June 8-11: NIM'S ISLAND (Rated PG, 95 minutes)June 15-18: THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX (Rated G, 94 minutes)June 22-25: IGOR (Rated PG, 86 minutes)June 29-July 2: THE LAST MIMZY (Rated PG, 97 minutes)July 6-9: KUNG FU PANDA (Rated PG, 92 minutes)July 13-16: MADAGASCAR 2 (Rated PG, 89 minutes)July 20-23: PENELOPE (Rated PG, 89 minutes)July 27-30: STAR WARS: The Clone Wars (Rated PG, 98 minutes)Aug. 3-6: KIT KITTREDGE: An American Girl (Rated G, 101 minutes)Aug. 10-13: DOOGAL (Rated G, 80 minutes)Cinema Series ISCERA Showhouse IIMonday-Thursday @ 10:00amJune 1-4: MARLEY & ME (Rated PG, 115 minutes)June 8-11: CITY OF EMBER (Rated PG, 95 minutes)June 15-18: PINK PANTHER 2 (Rated PG, 92 minutes)June 22-25: MISS POTTER (Rated PG, 93 minutes)June 29-July 2: PAUL BLART: MALL COP (Rated PG, 91 minutes)July 6-9: ALEX RIDER: OPERATION STORMBREAKER (Rated PG, 92 minutes)July 13-16: INKHEART (Rated PG, 106 minutes)July 20-23: HOTEL FOR DOGS (Rated PG, 100 minutes)July 27-30: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (Rated PG, 95 minutes)Aug. 3-6: SPEED RACER (Rated PG, 135 minutes)Aug. 10-13: ERAGON (Rated PG, 103 minutes)TO BUY TICKETS: Drop by the SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 South State, Orem, open 10am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays from 12Noon-6pm or call (801) 225-ARTS.
Thanksgiving Point www.thanksgivingpoint.com
Botanical Gardens/ Children’s Garden, Farm Country, Dinosaur museum, and 50% off of guest passes and other events with a year long pass for $175 for everyone living in your household. Otherwise prices vary at locations : Botanical Gardens is $10 an adult
Museum of Ancient LifeOpen:Monday - Saturday 10 am - 8 pm
*Closed Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day

Open:May 25, 2009 (Memorial Day): 10 am - 8 pmJuly 4, 2009: 10 am - 8 pmJuly 24, 2009: 10 am - 8 pmSeptember 7, 2009 (Labor Day): 10 am - 8 pm

Exhibit Only Admission:$10/Adult$8/Child (3-12)$8/Senior (65+)
Exhibit and Movie:$15/Adult$12/Child (3-12)$12/Senior (65+)

Farm CountryMonday – Saturday10 am-8 pm
Thanksgiving Point GardensMonday – Saturday10 am-8 pm
Emporium (in Water Tower Plaza) Monday – Friday10 am-8 pmSaturday10 am-9 pm
Deli & Bakery (in Water Tower Plaza) Ice Cream ShopMonday – Saturday11 am-9 pm
Cabelas at Thanksgiving Point has free “stuffed animal” display’s with a large tunnel aquarium
BYU Museum of Art  Mon-Fri: 10:00am – 9:00pm  Sat: 12:00pm – 5:00pm

§ Home to over 17,000 works of art, world-renowned and host to unique temporary exhibits.
BYU Museum of Peoples & Cultures · M,W,F 9:00am-5:00pm: 9:00am – 5:00pm
· T, TH 9:00am-7:00pm: 9:00am – 7:00pm
§ Home to anthropological artifacts from cultures around the world.
§ BYU Earth Science Museum · Mon-Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm
§ Houses one of the top five collections of fossils from the Jurassic Period in the world.
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum · Mon-Fri: 10:00am – 9:00pm · Sat: 10:00am – 5:00pm
§ Extensive collections of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, plants and eggs.
LDS Church Museum
Address:45 N. West TempleSalt Lake City, Utah 84150-3810
Phone number(s):Call 1-801-240-4615 for more information.
Schedule:
Monday through Friday 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.Saturday, Sunday, and most holidays 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

All kinds of ideas for Mormon history sights around all of Utah and lots of other things http://www.utah.com/mormon/index.htm
Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine Visitors Center is open to the public: www.kennecott.comVisitor Center and overlook are OPEN to the public from April 1 to October 31. Seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. School field trips do not need to be scheduled when visiting the mine during operating hours. Visitor Center and overlook is CLOSED to the public from November 1 to March 30. Please call our Visitors Center hotline, at 801.204.2025 for up to date information.
This Is the Place
www.thisistheplace.org family membership plus 2 guest $90.00 or adult $8.00 child (3-11) $7.00
Hogle Zoo
www.hoglezoo.org family membership $80.00 adults $9 children 3-12 $7.00 2 and under free
WELFARE SQUARE
Since its humble beginnings in the midst of the Great Depression, Welfare Square has emerged as a powerful example of what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does throughout the world to care for the poor, foster self-reliance, and provide meaningful opportunities for work and service. Welfare Square is a modern facility comprised of a towering, 178-foot-tall grain elevator, a large storehouse, a bakery, a cannery, a milk processing operation, a thrift store, and an employment center—all designed to help people help themselves.
President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, invited all to "come to Salt Lake City and visit Welfare Square. Your eyes will glow a little brighter, your heart will beat a little faster, and life itself will acquire a new depth of meaning" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, 11).
Free, one-hour tours explaining the history and purpose of Church welfare are conducted Monday through Friday.Address:780 West 800 SouthSalt Lake City, Utah 84104Phone number(s):Call 1-801-240-1245 for more information.Schedule:Tours Available April to OctoberThe courtesy shuttle van leaves at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays) from the north gate of Temple Square. In case of inclement weather, check with the information booth.Questions:Call the information booth at the north gate of Temple Square at 1-801-240-0978 or Welfare Square at 1-801-240-7320.Note:For individual, family, or group tours of Welfare Square, call 1-801-240-4872.Cost:The courtesy shuttle and tours of Welfare Square are free of charge.rough Friday.
Kennocott Copper Mine www.Kennocott.comENTRANCE FEES: Passenger Vehicle $5.00 Mini Tour Bus $25.00 Tour Bus $50.00 There is no admission charge for school buses. Bring your class to learn about mining!
Scouts and leaders get in free with their scout shirts and there is a patch you can earn at the website!

Theme your week Ideas Examples:
Service-save items for people in the military and send them (anysoldier.com), weed a garden, do good deeds for others, community service projects, clean up a park, “Leave No trace” on a small hike, sweep sidewalks, collect newspapers and donate them to Utah Foster Care Foundation (they put them into the recycling bin then donate the proceeds to children in foster care)
Bugs and insects-buy bug catchers at the $1 store, identify different bugs with a worksheet, make a bug out of egg cartons, coffee filter butterflies, (craft scraps), go on a picnic in the canyon and then catch bugs,
Art week-Finger paint, watercolor, sidewalk chalk art show, tempera paint, make hand print casts, make masks out of cast material (medical supply store ex. Praxair), playdoh, clay
Animal-go to the zoo, Cabela’s to look at big game animals, Bean Museum, make simple animal puppets from felt and yarn, visit the zoo or farm country
America Rocks!- usually plan on 4th of July week, Fireworks, make firecrackers with toilet paper rolls and tissue paper, write a letter to a soldier, make a red, white, blue T-shirt (ask ben Jenkins to pre order cheap white T-shirts)
Local heroes-tour a fire station, police station, coloring page activities, write a thank you note to local law enforcement agencies, tour Provo Courthouse
Pioneer Week- have a day without power,cars, phones etc.., learn pioneer games, go to Lehi and look at the old Pony Express Trail, hike Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City
Baking-make bread animals, make rice crispy treat and shape into objects, make your own pizza, creative muffins ( make a basic muffin mix and then have items that your kids can add in), make a basic cookie dough and let the kids each pick their own “inserts”, homemade oreo cookies
Games, Games, and More Games-flashlight tag, water balloons, have a small carnival (see family fun magazine Summer 2008), Splash balls from $1 store and play catch games
Safety-safety inspection for your house, pretend emergencies, make emergency phone number lists (include your address at the top of list) live a day off of food storage (can your kids prepare their own meal if you aren’t there?)
Local interests: tour Macey’s (for free) get a small group together, visit the free museums in Provo, Ask a local business if you can tour like Lehi roller mill, Crandall Copper mine,
Have a “staycation”- Make the kids little cards that they can request their own “special” breakfast, turn down their blankets at night and put a little piece of chocolate on their pillow, take them out to lunch for a couple of days (cheaper than dinner prices), visit your area and be a tourist,
For every week: pick up library books that match your theme ( and you can complete library programs too), go to a different park every week, tour local attractions (especially ones that are free), create a journal with a notebook and have them draw pictures or write something they liked everyday or every week, download math papers, alphabet, other assignments and do a little every day, have picnics with a stuffed animal and regular picnics, go to a movie (Movies 8 Provo $.50 Monday $.75 Tuesday) swim at the local pool, run through sprinklers, make a fort in the living room on a rainy day, call Family Support and Treatment center 801-229-1181 for a free 3 hour time-out for you and your kids you must call ahead to schedule and fill out their paperwork they have licensed, fingerprinted, background checks on all employees
Macey’s kids club….2nd Saturday’s either 9 or 10 am
Home Depot kids club…1st Saturday from 9 am -12pm make wood crafts, get a free apron
Macey’s Little Theater…classes for parents various times throughout the month
Free summer reading program…when you complete it send in a card and your child will receive a free mcdonalds happy meal. http://firstlady.utah.gov/summer_book_reading.html
Board Game Revolution (http://boardgamerevolution.com/cat--home--1 ) Store that you can rent a board game from for a week and a half for only 10% of the cost of the game so, you can play it before deciding to buy it.
Math games or math facts…http://www.uen.org/k-2interactives/index.shtml
http://www.uen.org/3-6interactives/index.shtml
http://www.thatquiz.org/ http://www.mathfactcafe.com/ http://nlnm.usu.edu/
http://www1.centerk12.mo.us/edtech/everdaymath.htm http://www.educational-freeware.com/freeware/timez-attack.aspx

June 10 Meeting

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! We are gearing up for another cluster meeting on June 10 from 7-9pm. You will receive 2 hours of in-service training. We will be talking about fun summer activities for your family. Ideas and helpful hints about how to keep yourself and your kids entertained throughout the summer months. We just ask that you bring your favorite summer dessert and maybe a tradition that you do that is inexpensive and fun! Come prepared to share your thoughts and ideas with the cluster.

Hello! I am so excited about our upcoming first meeting, and not just for the ice cream! I have planned all of activities until October and am waiting anxiously to hear your suggestions for trainings and such.
I am sure you have all heard about the cut backs that DCFS is making to the foster care payments. We are asking everyone to please write their legislators and tell them your feelings on the foster care reimbursement. As most of you know, foster parents in Utah get paid about 40% less than the National Average currently. We need those who support foster care to become one voice and talk about the experiences you have had, what that reimbursement means to you etc...

We need everyone to make a change. Next year, the rate cut will be even larger than this years. Please do what you can to help if you have any questions post them or email me. Thnak you all for the great work you do every day!



Dear Foster/Adoptive/Kinship Parents,

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a training for Cluster Facilitators for the entire state. It was an awesome experience and I learned so much from all of the trainings. Some of which I would like to share with you. A few very important things were brought to our attention that I think every Foster Parent should be aware of. This might get long, so I apologize but please bear with me. It needs to be heard. The main things I am going to share with you, some of you who follow politics may already know. I, on the other hand who does not follow politics very closely, was not aware of it.

The first topic I would like to address is the budget cuts to Foster Parent Reimbursements Rates being carried out by our legislators. We met with Duane Betourney, The Director of DCFS for the State of Utah. It was a very short meeting for the topics being presented. We could've been there all day talking about this. We, as Foster Parents are the only ones who can legally advocate for these issues, we are the voice. It is not legal for DCFS and UFCF to do anything about it. I am strongly advising each and every one of you to contact your Representatives, which I will list in this email. Please read the bullet points of what the Director of DCFS had to say.

This years Legislative session was extremely difficult this year. A lot less understanding was given by the Legislative Committee this year compared to previous years. It was the worst he's seen it in his 31 years.
42 million dollars was cut from the Department of Human Services. DCFS, did however, fare better than other departments.
DCFS was targeted as being "bloated." (excessive, unnecessary funds)
DCFS heads testified to the committee on our behalf. They strongly cautioned the cuts and warned how it would affect our children.
The cuts for our department will take place over a 2 year period. 10 million dollars will be cut in 2 phases. The first phase to take affect by July 1, 2009 and the second phase by July 1, 2010.
They do not know the exact amounts of rate decreases yet
DCFS did get some stimulus money from the government which only covered an already cut budget
Rate cuts are inevitable
We as Foster Parents should be Angry, Frustrated and Worried over these decreases
Rate cuts will include: Proctor Care, Group Homes & Private Providers also (most of which get reimbursed more than us)
A legal analysis of rate decreases has not been done, to DCFS knowledge
Cuts will also affect all new subsidies for adopted children. Old, already established subsidies will not be affected.
There is a legal case in California where a Foster Parent sued over decreased rates. This is a very recent case. Here is a link to the case www.caichildlaw.org/fc_litig.htm
Very important that we remain mature, nice and respectful in our attempts to educate our legislators
Legislators by nature respond to public out cry
DCFS workers and staff have also taken cuts
National averages and market studies show that Utah Foster Parents are due for a 40% INCREASE in reimbursement rates.
You can email Duane Betournay anytime with your questions/comments. dbetournay@utah.gov
So, what do we do about this? Below are some are some very good ideas from other Cluster Facilitators and Foster parents from around the state.

Contact your legislators! Write them letters. Call them. Fax them a letter. Invite them to your home to meet with you and see an actually family that these cuts will affect.
What will you say to the Reps. once they are there?
How about a cost comparison on how much it actually costs per day to raise a child in your home compared to the reimbursements we receive. I have Copied and Pasted an example letter that has been already been given to Representative Ben Ferry at the bottom of this email. This is only an example. Rep. Ferry is taking this letter to his next meeting. He found it to be quite enlightening when broken down in such a real way. He was looking at the big number of 5 million...10 million bucks being wiped away. Seeing it this way shed a whole new light on it for him. If you like this idea please personalize it to your family.
What will these decreases mean to you? It doesn't have to be some glorified story of heroism....just a simple story of taking care of kids who need us. Make sure to be kind, respectful and mature in your approach.
Do you or anyone you know have newspaper or t.v. connections? Let them know about these changes or let me know and I will contact them.

Our First Cluster Meeting

Hello All,
Our first cluster meeting is an ice cream social on Thursday, May 21 7-9pm at the UFCF in Orem. We will be getting to know you and your needs/wants. We will have some RFC's joining us so that we can find out information and resources and some answers to questions you may have. following we will be having ice cream. I am so excited for our first meeting and hope you all are planning on attending. So, that's 1 hour of in-service and 1 hour of getting to know each other. Mark it on your calendar. Remember, no children please and come and be a part of our brand new cluster!

Welcome to our cluster blog. I am not fanatical about these things but I do try and update and read them often. I am so excited to be the facilitator for such an amazing group of people. I can't wait to hear your comments and share in all of your experiences. I want to reassure you that I am well aware of the things that happen with adopted children. I want to be a resource to you and your family. It is important to feel heard and that someone really understands you and I believe you have found that place. I am not guaranteeing that what you need can be fixed but I have confidence that we can teach you how to deal and feel succesful in all aspects fo your life. Please feel free to comment often. Can't wait to hear from you and get started.