California Victim Compensation Program (CVCP)
Has the child you care for been exposed to drugs and/or alcohol in utero?
Has he/she been involved in or witnessed domestic violence?
Has he/she been sexually assaulted or molested?
Has he/she been involved with or witnessed a violent crime?
If you answer yes to any of the above questions then the child you care for should be eligible to receive compensation for medical, occupational & physical therapy, dental, and/or mental health related costs. If you are a foster parent, relative or non-relative caregiver, YOU may also qualify for compensation.
Please call your local CVCP and request an advocate to help you through the paperwork process or visit the website for more information.
VIEW THE BROCHURE
www.victimcompensation.ca.gov
MADA Lending Library
Making A Difference has educational materials for loan. These materials have been provided through generous grants from March of Dimes and Children’s Network. Click on the link under MADA Programs to see what resources are available.
Please contact Pam Berger at pnjberger@hotmail.com if you would like to borrow resources from the library.
NAMI California is a grass roots organization of families and individuals whose lives have been affected by serious mental illness.
We advocate for lives of quality and respect, without discrimination and stigma, for all our constituents. We provide leadership in advocacy, legislation, policy development, education and support throughout California.
NAMI California
1010 Hurley Way, Suite 195
Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone: 916-567-0163
Fax: 916-567-1757
Email: support@namicalifornia.org
Interactive information from the 2009 Kids Count Data Book.
Pick the state and indicator you wish to see then click "Submit."
THERAPY GROUP FOR ADOPTED TEENS
For adopted teens ages 13-18 (Boys and Girls)
First and third Thursday evenings of each month
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
For more information view the flier here
FREE Counseling
for Adoptive families in Riverside County
Offered by: Family Services Association
Where: Clinics located at:
21250 Box Springs Road, Suite 212
Moreno Valley
951-509-8733
OR
11290 Pierce St.
Riverside
951-686-3706
Now Available! New User Manual on Child Abuse and Neglect
www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanual.cfm
multiple publications available free on-line
Reasons for Concern that your child or a child in your care may need special help.
English Spanish
Read about the CALIFORNIA EARLY START program.
English Spanish
The Advokids telephone Hotline is the only free telephone support service of its kind in California.
The Advokids Telephone Hotline (1.877.ADV4KID) offers direct legal assistance daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
The Advokids Telephone Hotline provides information and assistance with understanding and navigating the child welfare system and the juvenile court dependency system.
TAALK
Founded in August 2007, TAALK is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California. The organization was formed to increase awareness of the child sexual abuse epidemic, with a focus on victims who are abused by a family member or someone they know and trust. www.taalk.org
SURVEY OF INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND THEIR FAMILIES
PURPOSE
- This survey is being conducted by the California Mental Health & Spirituality Initiative at the California Institute for Mental Health. The purpose of the survey is to document the interests, needs, and experiences of service recipients of the mental health system in California regarding spirituality.
For more information visit the website.
Respite care is available for families with children under the age of 12
Crossroads Church in Corona on Ontario Ave.
Call Diana at (951) 737-4664
Families looking to receive respite services and volunteers are both needed.
Community Health Action Network - Parent Resource Center
Victorville, CA
Department of Public Health Pamphlet
The information contained in the pamphlet is only a partial listing of the many services available to the public in San Bernardino County. For more information, please contact the Department of Public Health by calling Health Promotion & Education Services at (909) 387-6280.
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs.
Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge – regardless of financial need
Visit the Shiners Hospitals for Children website
SAFE AT HOME - Confidential Address Program
If you are a survivor of domestic violence, victim of stalking or a victim of sexual assault... If you are living in fear as a provider, employee, volunteer or patient of a reproductive health care clinic... the Secretary of State's Safe At Home program can help keep your assailant from finding you. Visit the website or read the brochure here.
Child Advocates of San Bernardino is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) organization.
CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed, and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.
CASA Associations
Child Advocates of San Bernardino County
Trinity Wallace-Ellis
555 North D Street, Suite 100
San Bernardino, 92401
909-881-6760
trinity@childadvocatesofsbcounty.org
www.childadvocatesofsbcounty.org
CASA for Riverside County, Inc.
Deborah Sutton
PO Box 3008
Indio, CA 92202-3008
760-863-7424
dsutton@casariversidecounty.org
Riverside County Department of Mental Health, Children Services has developed a non-emergency crisis Telephone Support Line for parents/caregivers of Riverside County who are raising a child/youth with mental health/emotional/behavioral challenges. View the flier.
Family Participation Fund
Family Participation Fund FAQ
Visit the website
The California Department of Education is committed to helping family members voice their opinions about education policy.
Through the State Improvement Grant, the Department established the Family Participation Fund to provide financial assistance to families.
The Fund assists families who do not have any other agency support to become active members of decision-making committees, task forces and other policy-making bodies.
The Family Participation Fund provides assistance for family members to attend and participate in policy-making meetings.
Trainings, Workshops, Lobbying and Conferences are NOT paid for under this program.
TO QUALIFY FOR FUNDING families must:
- Have a child with disabilities.
- Attend local, regional or statewide meetings to provide their ideas to decision makers about education policy.
These meetings include, but are not limited to, the following:- The Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)
- The Regional Coordinating Councils
- The State Special Education Advisory Committees
- Task forces/committees where families provide input on issues affecting the education of children with disabilities, to appropriate decision makers.
- One person per household per activity may apply for stipend and reimbursement.
- $1,000.00 per person per year maximum.
- Will not be receiving a stipend from the agency conducting the meeting
- Total number of meetings reimbursable per month is two (2) meetings
- Applications must be received within 30 days of the meeting that was attended.
While every effort will be made to honor all requests for funds, the Family Participation Fund is limited and there is no guarantee of funding to any applicant.
Please note that fund policies may be changed at any time to more effectively achieve the goals of the State Improvement Grant.
If you would like more information about the Family Participation Fund or would like to appeal a decision or file a complaint regarding Fund, please contact us or call us at 916-325-1690 Ext. 306.
THERE ARE THREE FORMS TO BE FILLED OUT
1. STIPEND REQUEST
Trainings, Workshops, Lobbying and Conferences are NOT included in this program. If you are receiving a stipend from the agency conducting the meeting, you are not eligible for the Family Participation Fund.
STIPENDS: Payment is per meeting and may be applied for in advance or may be requested after attending the meeting.
1/2 Day Meeting - $50
Full/Multiple Day Meeting - $100 per full day
Download stipend form in English (MS Word)
Baje la forma de reembolso en Español (MS Word)
2. REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF OTHER EXPENSES
Trainings, Workshops, Lobbying and Conferences are NOT included in this program. If you are receiving a stipend from the agency conducting the meeting, you are not eligible for the Family Participation Fund.
Reimbursements are available only after attendance, and can include Airfare, Bus/Train Fare, Car Mileage, Lodging, Meals and Childcare.
(Certain limitations may apply.) RECEIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH ALL REIMBURSEMENT CLAIMS
Download expense form in English (MS Word)
Baje la forma de otros gastos en Español (MS Word)
3. FAMILY PARTICIPATION FUND SURVEY
This survey helps us gather information about your participation in meetings and other activities that were paid for by this fund. This information is used to evaluate program efficiency and is in no way tied to funding eligibility. Your evaluation is very important to the California Department of Education.
Download survey in English (MS Word)
Baje el cuestionario en Español (MS Word)
SART (Screening, Assessment, Referral, Treatment)
Screening, Assessment, Referrals, and Treatment are services available at no cost for young children facing challenges with social skills, aggression, short attention span, intense shyness, speech difficulties, motor skills, bonding, communication, feeding, as well as other development concerns.
SART Program brochure (County Wide)
West Valley SART Program
West End Family Counseling Services
855 N. Euclid Ave
Ontario, CA
909.983.2020
Best Practices for Transitioning Children from placement to placement
Court Forms for Foster & Kinship Caregivers
We understand from many of you that some Juvenile Court Clerks are unaware of the new court rule and revised JV-290 forms and information sheet for caregivers. As you all know, under the new procedure, the court clerks are required to serve the forms on attorneys. The California Administrative Office of the Courts has sent out a memo on the new procedure to the presiding juvenile court judges and juvenile court personnel. Until the new procedure is firmly in place, LAPP suggests the following process to avoid confusion at the clerk's office.
- Call the juvenile court clerk in advance to see if they are prepared to serve the new form on attorneys and let the clerk know about the memo from the Administrative Office of the Courts so that he/she has time to check with other court personnel about it. To clarify: Caregivers are permitted to file the form with the court – you do not have to give it to the social worker instead. The court clerk will provide copies of your form to the attorneys in the case. Take or send 8 copies with you. See the Court Rule below for more information on timelines.
- Take a copy of the Court Rule, the information sheet and a blank copy of the JV-290 form with you when you go to the clerk's office to file the JV-290 form. If the clerk at the desk will not take the form, ask to see the supervisor, then the court manager, if necessary and show them the new rule of court and the forms. California courts are required by law to take official Judicial Council forms. Here are the forms and rule of court below:
California Rule of Court 5.534
JV-290
JV-290 INFO - For those of you wishing to file a Prospective Adoptive Parent (PAP) form, the court clerk will also serve the attorneys with your forms. There has also been some confusion about this. We recommend you take a copy of the JV-325 INFO form with you when you file your JV-321 form. The JV-325 INFO form clearly states in Item 1 that the court clerk is responsible for noticing the attorneys when a caregiver files a PAP form (JV-321). Here are the forms below:
JV-321
JV-322
JV-325 INFO - Please keep track of how your foster parents are doing filing these court forms. If there are counties where the process is working well, we would like to know that. If there are counties that need additional help, we would also like to know that. Hopefully, the process will be clear to everyone soon.
Info About 388 Petition for Modification in Juvenile Dependency Court
The Role Of The Public Health Nurse
Public Health Nurses in the Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care (HCPCFC) work with the child's
caseworker to ensure that children in foster care receive all needed health care services. The nurses collect health
information to determine appropriate referrals and services needed. The PHN's then develop a health plan for the
foster child and assist foster parents and relative caregivers in obtaining timely comprehensive health assessments
by helping schedule appointments, and arrange for transportation to medical, dental, developmental and mental
health services. They also assist in timely referrals to specialty providers and community programs. The PHNs assist
social workers in obtaining additional services necessary to educate and support the foster caregivers in providing
for children with special health care needs. PHNs can obtain and provide health care documentation when necessary
to support the request from the caregiver for needed health care services. PHNs help interpret the results of health
examinations and advocate for the health needs of foster children. PHN's will collaborate with the social worker to
develop a system of tracking and follow-up on the health care status of children and the effectiveness of the services
that are being provided to assure that each child's progress is meeting the treatment goals.
Riverside County
Nicole Boyd
951-413-5025
boydn@cws.state.ca.us
23119 Cottonwood Ave. Building A
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
San Bernardino County
Phyllis Byrnes
909-388-0481
pbyrnes@dph.sbcounty.gov
Gail Seekins
909-388-0480
gseekins@dph.sbcounty.gov
120 Carousel Mall San Bernardino, CA 92416
San Bernardino & Riverside Areas
Al-Anon Family Group, Inc. Over 200 Meetings are held throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties for friends or family members of problem drinkers. (909) 824-1516
Nar-Anon. A Self-Help support group for family, friends and loved ones of drug abusers. Equipped with a 24-hour answering machine, members will return calls inquiring about services. (310) 547-5800
CoDA (Co-Dependents Anonymous). Self-Help support group dedicated to assisting people involved in dysfunctional personal relationships develop spiritually and emotionally. 90 minute meeting.
Location: Victoria Presbyterian Church 6091 Victoria Avenue, Riverside CA 92506
When: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Contact info: Joe – 951-369-6289
For further information or other locations, visit codependents.org
Domestic Violence Helpline 24-hour “safe way out” helpline provides direct assistance and link to nearest domestic violence shelters. Multiple languages spoken.
(800) 978-3600
Free Teen Driving Course
It is called Driver's Edge, and it is a non-profit group, made up of professional race car drivers and other people who care about driving skills. They tour the country giving FREE courses to all children from their permit till age 23. They put them through an intensive classroom course, and then they put them into vehicles and make them drive through skids, traffic hazards, etc.
www.driversedge.com