Welcome to the Maryland Resource Parent Association!
2020 ATTACh Virtual Conference: Interconnections
The MRPA is pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for parents to attend the upcoming ATTACh 32nd Annual Virtual Conference for 50% off, thanks to a number of scholarships being made available by ATTACh! The cost to attend will be $75 for scholarship recipients.
From their flyer:
ATTACh is offering parent scholarships designed to assist families with limited financial resources who are parenting children experiencing attachment challenges. The scholarship will cover 50% of the cost of a full conference registration fee, for one person.
Dates: This online Virtual Conference will present speakers and events throughout the month of October, from the 1st through the 27th.
Who Should Attend? Trauma and attachment are nuanced issues, and there’s always more we can learn to provide better care and understanding. For over 30 years, the annual Attach Conference has brought together leaders, experts, parents and valuable resources in the mental health and social service community so that you can gain a deeper insight on the most current approaches to children and their families’ treatment.
For complete details, and to register using your 50% off code, click HERE.
Before You Register!
Message us to receive a code for your 50% off discount on the 2020 conference, courtesy of ATTACh! We are honored to be able to offer this discount to Resource Parents, and encourage you to take advantage of this offer! The first 20 respondents will also receive a complimentary MRPA hat or T Shirt!
A note on the 2020 ATTACh conference from MRPA’s Executive Director, Arnold Eby
Those of us who work with foster or adopted children know that each of them has a story, and sometimes that story includes more trauma than we realize. These experiences can keep them from forming deep relationships and making strong attachments to others.
The mission of ATTACh is:
To strive for a world where every child has secure attachment relationships. We provide an annual conference, membership directory, and other benefits to our members and the public. We invite you to join us as we continue our mission: providing training to parents and professionals to promote healthy attachment and heal trauma.
My wife, Donna, and I have had the opportunity to attend several of the ATTACh conferences in recent years. Even though we have decades of experience working with foster children, we cannot stress strongly enough how much of an impact these conferences have had on us, and on our ability to work with the children in our care. When possible, it’s our job to provide an environment that can help set a child free from their past traumas- and the information shared in this wonderful organization’s annual conferences does just that.
There is a hidden blessing in this year’s conference being virtual, as it allows even more Resource Parents to attend right from their homes. And, with the discount being offered by ATTACh, at a highly affordable price. I strongly recommend this conference and encourage everyone who is able to take advantage of this unique and special opportunity.
Survey: Childcare and COVID-19 for Maryland Foster Parents
The Maryland Resource Parents Association has heard that many foster parents have issues with childcare, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This survey is an attempt to collect data and stories to help with our advocacy efforts with counties and the state. We start with questions about the pandemic then move into broader questions about childcare in general.
We expect this survey will take 10-15 minutes. Thank you for your time!
RESPONSES ARE NOW CLOSED. We will share the results of the survey when they are available. Thank you to those who responded!!
Welcome to the Maryland Resource Parent Association!
We assist Foster, Kinship, Adoptive and Guardianship parents with resources that can make your role easier.
News and Info Related to the MD DHS
Resource Parent Training Website
Survey Goals – Background, Original Invitation
The Maryland Department of Human Services, Social Services Administration (DHS/SSA) is striving to increase authentic partnerships between staff, resource parents, and biological parents to improve safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children. DHS/SSA is partnering with the Maryland Resource Parent Association (MRPA) to support this effort in local jurisdictions.
With assistance from the Capacity Building Center for States (CBCS), DHS/SSA & MRPA developed a survey in SurveyMonkey to gather information from Resource Parents about their thoughts and experiences with state and local resource parent associations. The survey also asks what resources and supports Resource Parents need and find most helpful.
DHS/SSA & MRPA asks Resource Parents what their perception is of how well DHS/SSA is accomplishing its goals for resource parents in MD.
Responses will help the DHS/SSA & MRPA workgroup develop strategies to better support resource parents, statewide and locally. This survey was anonymous, and responses will be held as confidential.
We are excited to announce that the new Resource Parent Training website and catalog are now available!
Workshops from July ’20 onward are continually being added, so check back regularly to see which are open for registration.
Create Your Account
If you are a resource parent and you have not yet created an account in the Ideas@theInstitute LMS (Learning Management system):
- Please use the link below to create your new profile. Upon clicking the link, participants will be asked to complete the sign-up form associated with the link which designates that you are Approved Status for Resource Parent training access.
- Please create profiles for each individual if you are part of a couple. Only one account can be created per email address.
- Click here to create your new profile: https://theinstitute.myabsorb.com?KeyName=ResourceParents
Already Have An Account?
Instructions for resource parents who ALREADY created a new account in Ideas@theInstitute
- If you already have an account set-up in Ideas@theInstitute, please contact the help desk by email or chat to have your Resource Parent status verified and added to your profile. After this process has been completed, you will then have access to Resource Parent trainings.
- Email the Help Desk at theinstitutehelp@ssw.umaryland.edu and put Resource Parent Approved Status in the subject line and make sure your name and work email are included in the body of the email.
General Instructions
Once you are logged into the website, you will first be asked to complete an initial “course” which is simply an introduction to the program.
Once that is completed, you will see this screen below. The catalog will be available by clicking the link on the right hand side under RESOURCES:
Click to see a larger image.
If you need assistance you can email the Help Desk at theinstitutehelp@ssw.umaryland.edu or you can contact the Help Desk by LIVE CHAT. The Help Desk is available Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm ET.
COVID-19 News That Impacts Resource Families
P-EBT Update Regarding September ’20 Benefits
The benefits for September were issued to those who received P-EBT over the summer. Please note...
Maryland Secures Federal Funding to Extend Pandemic-EBT Benefits During September to Support Eligible Families
Over $47.5 Million in Additional P-EBT Benefits Will Serve Over 440,000 Maryland Children in...
NBC Article: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacting Foster Children, Parents (Featuring MRPA Executive Director Arnie Eby)
MRPA's Executive Director Arnie Eby was featured in an NBC piece released yesterday, 9/21, on the...
Maryland P-EBT Benefits for September
Great news – Maryland will provide P-EBT benefits for the month of September! Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)...
Last Call for Responses! Survey: Childcare and COVID-19 for Maryland Foster Parents
If you have not yet responded, please do so by Wednesday evening, 8/26! The Maryland Resource...
Links to Important Updates & Articles
- A message from the Child Welfare Academy on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and upcoming trainings.
- A Parent’s Gude: Navigating Special Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Affordable Internet Options for Students
- As Coronavirus Shutdowns Grow, Resource Families Left with Little Guidance
- Children’s Bureau Information Memo – Family Visitation Time
- Children’s Bureau’s Guidance Regarding Case Worker Visits
- DHS COVID-19 Preparedness
- Fact Sheet for Grandfamilies and Multigenerational Families
- FAQs and Guidance for Child Care Providers during COVID-19
- http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Special-Ed/TAB/SpecialEducatorsGuideCOVID-19.pdf
- Managing Stress-Anxiety During COVID-19
- Maryland Department of Human Services Continues to Provide All Programs and Services to Marylanders While Closing Buildings to the Public in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Parent COVID-19 Resource Guide
- Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019- Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
- Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
- Talking with Youth about COVID-19
- The ‘New Normal’: Youth Law Center’s COVID-19 Resource Series
- The Power of Connection: How Resource Families Can Support Adolescents Through COVID-19 Crisis
- The United States Center for Disease Control
- TIPS FOR YOUNG PARENTS: COPING DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- Update on the June NFPA 50th Annual Education Conference
MRPA’s Executive Director Arnie Eby was featured in an NBC piece released yesterday, 9/21, on the impact of COVID-19 on Foster children and parents.
Excerpt:
Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., are easing some restrictions and rules placed on foster parents and foster children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A News4 I-Team review found a series of safety precautions were ordered at the beginning of the crisis and have complicated the lives and work of foster families and the social service professionals who administer the system.
Watch the video and read the full story here! https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/covid-19-pandemic-impacting-foster-children-parents/2424143/
Our very own Executive Director Arnie Eby was featured as part of an NPR discussion of the effects of COVD-19 on foster children and resource parents. Have a listen!
To see the full transcript, visit https://www.marketplace.org/…/…/covid-19-foster-care-system/
What To DO With Those Kids!?
MRPA Executive Director Arnold Eby joins Irene Clements in a discussion with Rhonda Sciortino on the topic, ‘What To DO With Those Kids!’ during the COVID19 self isolation.
The MRPA Mission
Our Mission is to provide support service to all Resource Families in the state of Maryland. Membership in the Association shall be open to all Resource Parents.
MRPA supports foster, adoptive, kinship and guardianship parents all across the state of Maryland.
Whether you are a current resource parent, a prospective resource parent, or a child welfare professional, MRPA is there to support you.
We realize it takes all of us working together to give children in need a stable, loving family.
In the Know: Resource Parent News
Upcoming Events
Follow us on Facebook to see upcoming Events!
MRPA Community News
Prepping for the 2020 Census: Count All Kids
“The Count All Kids Campaign is a public outreach effort to working with advocates, state and local policy makers, complete count committees, service providers, and others to persuade families with young children to fill out the census questionnaire and make sure they include all their children.”
Resources for Parents
Resources Shared From the National Foster Parent Association
Click image to view a larger version.
Graphic Resource From the National Foster Parent Association and the FASD Network
“Individuals with FASD may be over or under-sensitive to certain sensory inputs, meaning that they may be so focused on what they hear, see, or feel that they can’t focus on other things. Sensory processing impairments can affect an individual’s learning, physical functioning, and behavioural development. Here are just some of the sensory disabilities individuals with FASD may experience.”
