January 6th is the deadline to submit applications for the 2012 CCAI Foster Youth Internship Program. This program brings current and former foster youth from across the country to intern in Congressional offices for a summer internship. During the program, interns participate in a number of advocacy and professional development activities. They have the opportunity to share their firsthand knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of foster care with policymakers who can affect change.
See how these former interns were impacted by the program:
“I recommended the FYI program to a friend of mine who ultimately interned through FYI the year after I did. Like me, he has also stated that he felt this was a life changing opportunity for him. I continue to encourage foster care alumni who I know to apply for this program because I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity to see our nation’s capitol, to learn about the political structure of our legislature and to meet other people who have similar life experiences to themselves.”
“Due to being an intern with FYI, CCAI asked me to help them pick interns for a couple of the other classes, which was an honor but a grueling decision to have to make. CCAI also contacts me every Christmas to send me cards and gifts, which makes me feel like they are remembering me and caring about my future. I have also nominated a number of people I know for Angels in Adoption and their selection has been one of the few ways I have felt that I have been able to thank them in the way that they truly deserve. Thanking these people has been a delight for me and for the people who were recognized and I feel that the legislators who made the choices were more educated for having learned about them.”
“The FYI program was where I discovered what I actually wanted to do; how I wanted to impact the foster care system. For nearly three years I had been passionate about reforming the foster care system, but it was during my time on the Hill that I realized how I wanted to change it. While direct service was rewarding to me, I felt like I wasn’t able to change the foster care system on a substantive level. The FYI program didn’t just teach me legislative ideas, it inspired me and emboldened me to create my own ideas.”
Happy New Year and good luck to the 2012 FYI class!
As a protective measure, foster children and their guardians must be provided an Informed Consent form by a prescribing physician for the purpose of treating children with psychiatric or A.D.D. medications. This consent form must state as a provision to include alternative treatment plans
which may exclude treatment with drug therapy. All foster children must have access to a Differential Diagnosis assessed by an independant medical doctor to rule out causation or etiology of the behavioral condition from an underlying nutritional, physiological or environmental source.
This Infromed Consent form is a right that foster children and guardians must exericise to protect their health and well being.
The upcoming book released this spring
details many other critical topics for consideration to
protect all children from overmedicating.
Frank J Granett R.ph.
Author,
Over Medicating Our Youth: “The Public Awareness Guide for A.D.D. and Psychiatric Medications
Website overmedicatingouryouth.com
email overmedicatingouryouth@live.com
It was astounding for me to learn that most US adoptions are now from foster care. What a need for these kids to have mentors and others who believe in them. Thank you for all you are doing!
Sherrie Eldridge
Under His Wings: Creating a Safe Place for Adoptees to Talk about Adoption is FREE on my site…..in SPANISH! Written 15 years ago and time-tested in various venues, it shows the adoptee/foster child where they are hurting and then signs that they are indeed healing.
Go to: www:sherrieeldridge.com…..store….keep scrolling to freebies.
This was written by a caring woman in Guadalajara that donated 200 hours of labor so that the orphans in Mexico could find healing and hope.
Sherrie Eldridge
Author, Speaker, speclizlizing in adoption
2010 Recipient of Angel in Adoption Award from the Honorable Congressman Dan Burton of IN