What would you say to someone who, minutes before your first meeting, had just been told by a judge that their children were to go into the temporary physical custody of someone else?
Would you let them know that your role is to support them? Or would you simply give them the time and space to ...
Continue → For those not involved in child welfare, it’s a little-known fact that reunification is the goal of foster care whenever possible.
About half of all Wisconsin kids in out-of-home care permanently go back to their biological families. That’s in keeping with the national reunification average, which hovers around 50%*.
June is Reunification Month and a time to ...
Continue → Two officers from the District 7 Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) recently presented a program called Educate 2 Empower at the SaintA campus on 89th and Capitol. It was a casual, yet powerful, workshop about the relationship between law enforcement and citizens.
Officer JD Belongia and Officer Lawson Murrell were there representing the Office of Community Outreach ...
Continue → May 25, 2017 – Our annual sponsorship drive launched at the beginning of 2017. Instead of an event, we invited our corporate donors to participate in a “non-event.” This approach allows us to put 100% of donations directly to helping one of the most overlooked populations – young adults who have aged out of foster ...
Continue → For over a year, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel economics reporter John Schmid dug into some of Milwaukee’s most pressing social issues through the lens of trauma, including poverty, crime, and unemployment. The result of his groundbreaking deep dive is a five-part series, “A Time to Heal,” produced through a fellowship funded by the Sheldon B. Lubar ...
Continue → On Saturday, February 25, SaintA joined several local and state partners for a discussion entitled, “The Impact of Foster Care on the Black Community of Milwaukee,” hosted by the Community Brainstorming Conference.
The conversation featured Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Secretary Eloise Anderson, along with the following panelists who work in Milwaukee’s child welfare system: ...
Continue → Q: What happens when you ask a diverse group to identify Black Americans who have been influential to them?
A: A large display of civil rights pioneers; influential educators and social workers; inventors; musicians and radio DJs; poets and scholars; and even, black WWE stars.
At least that’s what happened on Monday, February 27, when SaintA Child ...
Continue → In 2014, SaintA became a provider of a highly specialized family therapy called Functional Family Therapy (FFT). SaintA provides this service in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) and has seen positive results for at-risk youth and their siblings.
DCF Secretary Eloise Anderson, along with Police Chief Edward Flynn, chose the FFT ...
Continue → Youth who have aged out of foster care have a new tool to help them navigate the critical resources they need to transition successfully into adulthood. A new phone app, called GRiD MKE, officially launched Feb. 2, 2017.
The app was made possible by a technology grant from the Tellier Foundation and contains hundreds of resources ...
Continue → If you met SaintA Independent Living Services (ILS) client Malcolm (23) today, you would never guess he spent the better part of two years in shelters. He is clean cut, well dressed, has a contagious laugh – and, despite difficulties in his past, has plenty to smile about.
His journey from homeless to hopeful began after ...
Continue → In early December, about 300 foster kids, parents and other family members convened in Milwaukee’s Third Ward for SaintA’s Annual Candy Cane Connection. For a time, the Italian Conference Center was transformed into a wonderland. There was jewelry making, Grebe’s Bakery cookie decorating, singing, dancing and more! Santa was available for photos and most importantly, ...
Continue → Earlier this week, one set of Wisconsin siblings got the best Christmas gift they could ever imagine. That’s when their foster parents, Chris and Wendy Attoe of Chippewa Falls, officially adopted Trysten (13) and Infinity (6), nicknamed “Finny.” A group of family members and social workers-turned friends gathered at Chippewa Falls Family Court to witness ...
Continue → On Tues., Nov. 22, SaintA foster/adoptive parents Scot and Mya Yohr were presented with a Governor’s Outstanding Adoptive Parents Award in the Assembly Chamber at the State Capital. They were in good company with five other Wisconsin families being recognized during Adoption Awareness Month.
The Yohrs have adopted 3 children and had been licensed foster parents ...
Continue → “This made me feel like I have a lot of power, where I can pick where I want to go.”
So said a boy in one of SaintA’s Residential Treatment units about how things have changed in recent months. The boy, who we’ll call David, used to cut himself and attack staff. He has a history ...
Continue → On Monday, August 29, 10-year-old Abby, a student at Milwaukee’s St. Coletta Day School, was adopted by her foster mom Ann Novotny. Because of her close-knit school community, Abby’s classmates spent what was supposed to be their first day of this academic year at Children’s Court, witnessing her adoption, instead. Afterwards, Abby, her forever family and ...
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