The Redwood Review February 2009

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Fellow Community Members,

I know that our current economic times are of great concern for businesses, public and private. Without a plan from our state or federal leaders, many of the services and supports that our most vulnerable and at-risk children, youth and families depend on, are perilously situated. The community based organizations that are the final safety net, are struggling to plan and respond to the fiscal challenges.

During times like this, I do two things; first, I start calling and consulting with those who are smarter and wiser than me. Second, I remind myself and others of the significance of staying focused to the mission; to remember why the work we do is important.

This addition of our Newsletter is just an example of why foster care, in its many variations, is so important to the children and youth who need it. As you will read on page 3, Matt and Patty are two of our over 3000 children served that have found success and happiness. They have been able to connect, bond, and commit to others, and to contribute positively to society. This is our greatest hope for our children and youth.

Foster Care has gone through many different modes over the twenty five plus years that I have been in the field. Where we were once asked to raise the children who were taken from their parents, more and more we are being askedto assist them in rebuilding healthy family connections. We now treat their behavioral and emotional challenges with our eyes on returning them to their families. RCS provides a level of service that is most needed for children and youth who suffer some of the most significant behavioral and emotional repercussions of trauma. For this reason, we are often asked in partnership with our Lake and Mendocino County partners to raise the older adolescents to be independent and healthy young adults.

The County Independent Living Programs and RCS’s Transitional Housing programs are a positive step in that direction. Work and education is the key to success and these are the very areas that are so hard for our youth to find and maintain. This is all the more reason that the success of young adults like Matt and Patty are so important to remember. These two young people are contributing to society, paying taxes, purchasing homes, and most importantly building healthy relationships.

I was a 22 year old naive and scared young woman when I left the group home / community I had been placed in foster care with. I had no idea how to find work, rent an apartment, drive a car, let alone be alone, or manage my own time. These are all challenges forour youth today. I was lucky enough to find community adults and mentors to teach me on my way. This is what we at RCS want to provide for the young people for which we are responsible. Through our Transitions Programs and our Youth Resource Centers, such as the Arbor on Main and the Lake Center for Support, we are hoping to build programs that build on young people’s strengths and teach them how to work and learn, both of which will hopefully help them be successful, capable young adults who trust and can build positive healthy relationships.

Even in these tough times we must remember that the work we do is not an option, it is not something we can put on hold. The financial and social costs are too high. The success and wonder of Matt and Patty show us just how great the benefits of our mission are. Thank you, to each and every one for the part you have played in this great journey.

Camille Schraeder, RCS Executive Director