Missouri, USA
CONTACT
Have a question, concern, or comment about something you saw on our website? Drop us a line.
Want to become a member of the Foster Care Alumni Association? Email us. Be sure to include your full name. Thank You!
WEEKLY WORD
Motivation YOU can use...
NEWS YOU CAN USE
• FosterClub is accepting nominations for 2017 Outstanding Young Leader. The annual recognition program recognizes the success and achievements of young people who have experienced foster care. Youth must be 16-24 to be nominated and can also nominate themselves. Selected youth will receive a certificate and recognition on FosterClub's website. It is also a great addition to a resume.
If you work with a young person who is deserving of this recognition, take a moment to nominate them at www.fosterclub.com. Missouri has had several youth awarded this title in recent years and the youth are always honored to be named and thought of!
Please note that the deadline is December 7th.
• Are you familiar with Senate Bill 127 of August 2013? If you are a former foster care youth and were in the custody of the Children’s Division 30 days prior to your 18th birthday and you are not yet 26, you are automatically enrolled in MO HealthNet. This means that you have medical and behavioral health care coverage through MO HealthNet. Contact your local Children’s Division office to request a MO HealthNet card and provide your current address information.
• Are you familiar with the Missouri Reach Credential Completion and Employment Financial Assistance Program (CCE). The CCE is a program to help youth successfully pursue an education or training pathway that leads to a recognized credential and entry into the workforce in less then a year with support. Youth are eligible through their 25th birthday.
For more information, click on the "LEARN MORE" link below.
• Are you seeking skill-based job training in Bioscience Technology, CNA, CNC, construction, Forklift, Healthcare, Hospitality, HVAC, IT, Legal Services, LPN, or Manufacturing? Are you a St. Louis City or St. Louis county resident between the ages of 16 and 30? If you answered yes to both of these questions, contact your local stl WORKFORCE CENTER at (314) 900-9675. Centers are located in Florissant, South City, Prince Hall, Ferguson, and Pagedale.
• Are you seeking help with ending an abusive relationship? Contact Safe Connections, (314) 646-7500.
HISTORY, MISSION, & VISION
HISTORY. There are over half a million foster children in the United States; approximately 20,000 of which are in Missouri's foster care system. Since 2011, nearly 2,000 of these foster youth were legally emancipated from the care, custody, and control of Missouri's foster care system. FAAM was formed in 2016 and born out of an urgency to fill gaps in services to former foster youth (foster care alumni), many of whom "age out" of the foster care system as legal orphans. The need for FAAM was identified as a recommendation of an action research study aimed at improving interdisciplinary collaboration among systems within Missouri for the sole purpose of improving outcomes for foster care alumni.
MISSION. The Foster Care Alumni Association of Missouri (FAAM) strives to enhance the quality of life of Missouri's foster care alumni by connecting them to available community and state resources, information, opportunities, FAAM, and each other.
VISION. The vision of FAAM is to serve as a conduit to improved quality of life for Missouri's foster care alumni.
HOW DO I BECOME A FAAM MEMBER?
Go to the contact section below. Email us your name. Put Membership Registration in the subject line. We will email you the membership registration form to complete. It will be used to verify your eligibility to become an active member of FAAM. Individuals who spent at least one day in foster care in Missouri are eligible to be members of FAAM. Membership in FAAM is required to be eligible for the above services and supports. Completing the registration form means that you due hereby give your expressed consent to have your membership eligibility verified through a third party; such requires the release of your name and date of birth.
Thank you!
BECOME A FAAM MEMBER TODAY
As a Foster Care Alumni, you will have access to community resources, information, college care packages, college tours, scholarships, gift give-aways, free conferences, free expos, free life skills training, opportunities, FAAM, each other, and much more.
WHAT WE DO
ADVANCE FCA's awareness of state and community resources, legislative updates, and other supports by providing information.
CONNECT FCA with available community resources, information, opportunities,
FAAM, and each other through organized activities.
EMPOWER FCA to live their best lives and give back to the community through motivation, knowledge, encouragement, and scholarship opportunities.
EQUIP FCA with tangible tools, resources, and workshops which advance self-sufficiency and enhance their quality of life.
SHARE our personal experiences, collective voices, and expertise with community stakeholders for the sole purpose of improving foster care practice and outcomes.
SUPPORT FCA by providing them with education, career, employment, housing, finance, and health resources, along with care packages and scholarship opportunities to enhance their quality of life and advance self-sufficiency.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
~We believe that Foster Care Alumni (FCA) are vital members of society.
~We believe that FCA are over-represented within some systems (e.g., legal, social services, mental health) and under-represented in others (e.g., education, employment).
~We believe that awareness of and access to available state and community resources creates meaningful opportunities for FCA which enhances quality of life and further advances self-sufficiency.
WHO WE ARE
The foster Care Alumni Association of Missouri (FAAM) is an alumni led, membership based, association dedicated to linking foster care alumni to community resources, information, opportunities, tools, and each other.
Life can be challenging. As a Foster Care Alumni, you have likely had your share of challenges. Consider giving back to lighten the load of others.
FAAM is offering 3 community service scholarships to FAAM members in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To learn more about the scholarship application requirements, click the link below.
TITLE Boxing Club is the best and only authentic full-body boxing workout that changes your body, clears your mind and completely engages your spirit. Our signature Power Hour class is a trainer lead, high-intensity interval training workout which sculpts your body and burns calories like nothing you’ve experienced before. It utilizes the fundamentals of a true boxer's workout to strengthen and tone your arms, legs, back, core and your confidence.
Title Boxing Club - Rock Hill and the Foster Care Alumni Association of Missouri team up on Saturday, December 3rd, 2016, for a Power Hour of boxing fundraiser! The suggested donation is $20, yet donations of any amount are welcomed. One hundred (100%) of the proceeds raised will be used to help former foster youth beat the odds. Entry includes handwraps and gloves to use for the class and after class refreshments.
FAAM FUNDRAISER
Thank you, and you, and you!
We thank Title Boxing and every individual who helped to make our first fundraiser a success! Special thanks to Heath who lead us in an amazing workout, Diontre, Donald, and Jenessa. With your support, we raised 25% of the funds needed to create a resource app for Missouri's Foster Care Alumni.
MBCH SPONSORS FAAM 2016 HOLIDAY HELP
With generous sponsorship from Missouri Baptist Children's Home, fifteen FAAM members and their minor children received holiday help in the form for toys, clothing, diapers, family games, and other gift items. On behalf of the FAAM and FAAM membership, please join us in thanking Mrs. Ramona Conrad-Cooper, Vice-President of MBCH, Jan, Flo, and the entire Missouri Baptist Children's Home team.
FEBRUARY 11, 2017
1PM - 3PM
Webster Groves Public Library
301 E. Lockwood Avenue
Webster Groves, MO 63119
