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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 2, 2021)
Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com Wednesday, June 2, 2021 B1 COMMUNITY ODHS certification team for Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Gilliam and Wheeler counties are, left to right, Clair Stevenson, Ashley Handley, Mathew Kintner (supervisor) Tracey Gower and Toni Hughes (program manager). Photo courtesy of ODHS Foster Parent Appreciation Month celebrated by Oregon Department of Human Services in May Submitted by Marvin Hamilton ■ May was Foster Parent Appreciation month. In 1988, The U.S. government has issued annual proclamations in recog- nition of National Foster Care Month, celebrated in May, to show appreciation and gratitude to foster parents. Foster care intends to provide a safe environment for chil- dren who temporarily cannot live with their families. Foster care is a part of the constellation of services provided to chil- dren and families by the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Foster Care Month is a time to recog- nize how foster care supports and strengthens families, to honor the experiences of the children and young people in foster care, and to show gratitude for the contribution that re- source families make to the well-being and safety of children and families throughout Oregon. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) theme of the month was “Foster Care Can Strengthen the Whole Family.” ODHS, Child Welfare Division, believes that foster care should always be the last possible and temporary option for a child and family when there is a child safety concern. The trauma inflicted on a family by separating them during foster care needs to be carefully considered, said an ODHS press release. If foster care is necessary, reunification should be the primary goal. In Oregon, there are 5,975 children in foster care and thousands of resource families who step up to support them and their families. Of those numbers Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Gilliam and Wheeler counties have 61 children in care and there are a total of 47 resource families. Of those families only 20 are general foster care providers. We need more gen- eral home care providers as well as providers who are willing to take in children who identify as LGBTQIA+. Resource families, formerly called foster families or foster parents in Oregon, are affirming and supportive to both the child and their family. Resource families ensure cultural and community connections for children and young adults. They work hard to partner with families to offset the tremen- dous grief and loss children and young adults experiencing foster care may have. They are partners in achieving the best possible outcomes for families while providing for the safety, health and well-being of the children and young people they’re committed to caring for in their home. Resource families in Oregon support family preservation and reunifi- cation whenever possible and are also available to provide a permanent and supportive home when needed. “Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Gilliam and Wheeler counties have a limited amount of homes and the need for more resource (foster families) is great. We do all we can to train and support our families,” said an ODHS press release. “We truly appreciate our families and thank them for all they have done and all they continue to do. We also want to thank those who have been resource/foster parents in the past. We truly appreciate all your work and love you have showed the children in your home.” In Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Gilliam and Wheeler counties, the certifications team (persons who certify foster and adoptive homes) have been working hard to let the resource families know how much they are appreciated, said an ODHS press release. The certification team handmade and delivered 47 candy bouquets to all of the resource fami- lies in all five counties. In each bouquet was a coffee card and a lottery scratch-it ticket. The candy, lottery tickets and coffee cards were provided by donations made by DHS staff in the Dalles and Hood River office. “There is still a great need for resource families (foster care providers) and as you can see by our numbers we have more children than resource homes,” said an ODHS press release. “Our biggest battle is the fight to keep from placing a child in a hotel for temporary lodging due to not having enough homes in the Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Gilliam and Wheeler area.” If you have an interest and want to help care for a child in your area in your home please call 1-800-331-0503 or visit fosterORadopt.com. If you would like to talk to somebody directly and or make a donation to the resource families please call 541-564-4484 and talk to Marvin Hamilton, DHS recruitment and retention. Marvin Hamilton is ODHS recruitment and retention champion for district 9 and 12. Happy Kids, Healthy Smiles for a Lifetime Pediatric Dental Clinic Designed for Your Children Now offering dental laser technology anesthesia & pain free dentistry 1935 E. 19th St. Suite 200 The Dalles, OR 541-296-8901 419 State Street Suite 4 Hood River, OR 541-387-8688 © 2021 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 37, No. 27 Make a tiny story book and read it to a friend or little sister or brother! 1. Number each part of the story and each picture in order. Cut them all out. 2. Match the words with the pictures in the correct order. 3. Paste each set of matching words and picture on a small piece of construction paper to make nine individual pages. 4. Draw a cover and staple the pages together to make a tiny book. Have you read these? If not, look for them at your local library. Have a family folktale theater night! Make puppets of the characters and perform a show of the folktale, or just act out the parts with your family members. The other animals thought the stripes looked funny. Even today Tiger hides in the shadows. And he is still searching for wisdom. One morning, Tiger saw his big, strong friend, Water Buffalo, pulling a plow in a field. A man was telling Water Buffalo what to do. Tiger realized that he’d been tricked. He was furious as he pulled and clawed until he broke free of the ropes at last. But all that struggling had burned stripes into his beautiful golden fur! Long ago, Tiger was one of the proudest animals in the jungle. He was proud of his long fangs, his sharp claws and his beautiful golden fur. Tiger asked Water Buffalo, “Why do you listen to that strange little animal? He has no claws or fangs or even beautiful golden fur.” Tiger wanted wisdom very badly, so he agreed to be tied to the tree. Then the man left with his goats. Tiger waited and waited. He waited for a day. But the man never came back. The man said, “Wait here. I will go home and get wisdom for you. But first, please let me tie you to this tree so that you don’t eat my goats.” The next morning, Tiger saw the man walking home with his herd of goats. “STOP!” Tiger roared. “Give me your wisdom or I will eat you!” Which character in this folktale was wise? Why do you think that? Talk about it with a family member. Fill in the missing vowels to discover the names of other folktales you probably have read or heard. Water Buffalo replied, “Tiger, that animal is a human. He does not need claws or fangs. Humans have wisdom.” Tiger thought to himself, “Wow! I must get wisdom!” What is a folktale? How Tiger Got Its Stripes is a folktale from Vietnam. Folktales are stories that get passed from generation to generation. They can change as different people tell them over time. As such, they are created by “the folk,” or the people. Long ago, these tales were spoken and never written down. FOLKTALE SHADOWS VIETNAM BUFFALO STRIPES WISDOM SPOKEN TIGER WATER ROPES GOATS CLAWS TREE TALE FUR S O S W A L C E A R E L C R A H I S N S L A U G O T E F O P A F G W R P E W T O T F O T I G E R A K K U A R I S E S L E L B T S D E D O E N O S S S H A D O W S F M V I E T N A M S Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns. Good News Headline Read newspaper headlines to see how they are written. Think of some good news you would like to see as a headline. Write a headline for one or more good news articles. Wisdom Words Think of a phrase that you think is wise. For example, “Treat others as you would want people to treat you.” Look through the newspaper to find and cut out the words that make this sentence. Glue the words onto a piece of paper to remind you of this piece of wisdom. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information. What is your favorite animal? Write three facts and three opinions about your favorite animal. Children are born curious. From their earliest days, sensory exploration brings delight and wonder. New discoveries expand their minds. When they unlock the joy of reading, their world widens further. Magic happens. Kid Scoop opens the doors of discovery for elementary school children by providing interactive, engaging and relevant age-appropriate materials designed to awaken the magic of reading at school, at home, and throughout their lives. For more information about our literacy non-profit, visit kidscoopnews.org