Partnerships in fostering: a newsletter of the Georgia DHR Foster Care Unit, Fall 1999

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How Schools Can Be Sensitive

Partnerships 1n

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A N EWSLETTER OF THE GEORGIA OHR FOSTER C A RE UNIT

Preparing for School:
Helping Children atch Up

Discipline Problems at School
What Children Should Know
Ways to Strengthen Kids in School
fall
FOR THE REWARDSe

If a child is behind in development, foster parents can find help in preparing him or her for school.
Babies Can't Wait (BCW) is a statewide program serving children from birth to age 3. Children who are far behind peers in areas such as talking or walking may be eligible for BCW. Children who have a diagnosed disability such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida or autism are eligible. There is no income eligibility.
Foster parents with concerns about a child can call l.888.651.8224 to get their local BCW phone number. The local BCW will explain the program over the phone and will assess a child for free to determine if the child is eligible for BCW.
Karen Sparkman, technical assistance specialist of BCW in Atlanta, said, "Many of the families who call have a child whose behavior problems make just going to the store stressful. The whole family is affected because they can't do dayto-day things they need to. Learning to deal with these problems can enhance the child's development and ease the family's stress."
Whether or not the child is eligible for BCW, BCW will help parents learn about other community resources to help the child. Financial assistance may be available for services not covered by Medicaid, such as family training and counseling, certain medical services, nutrition services, physical therapy and speech-language services. The avail-

ability of services differs among counties.
"There is a special system of resources to serve children with delays," Sparkman explained. "BCW and the other professionals we can link the family to can help foster parents learn to use this system. They don't have to do it alone. The earlier you get children into services, the less they'll need in future ."
The school system's pre-school special education program serves children with disabilities between the ages 3 to 5. Being eligible for BCW does not mean a child will also be eligible for a pre-school special education program. If foster parents have concerns about a child in this age group, they should contact the special education director in their local school system to get more information about available school resources.
The Department of Education's web page (www.doe.kl2.ga.us) provides information on school programs, including the names and phone numbers of all special education directors, who will have information on the local pre-school special education program and other community resources. This web page links to the exceptional students web page, which includes information on special education issues and how to contact state personnel.
The Georgia Project on Assistive Technology (404.362.2024) works with local systems and parents, providing information about technology
(Continued on page 3)

Help is available for foster parents preparing children for school, says Karen Sparkman .
Babies Can't Wait (state office)
24
Department of Education
Georgia Project on Assistive Technology
Office of School Readiness
PAEK
Head Start (Georgia liaison)

How One Foster Parent
eams With the School

Virginia Williams {pictured with her son, Harold) believes schools and foster parents need to be partners.

Caring for a deaf child was a new challenge for Virginia Williams, a foster parent from Albany. Williams recalled when 4-year-old "Shondra" (as she will be called in this article) first came into her care six years ago: "When I took Shondra to the grocery store, she would yell, run and didn't mind. She had to be taught about these things, but she had no way to communicate."
Williams entered Shondra in the school system's early intervention program. When Shondra began learning sign language in her hearingimpaired class, her behavior immediately became calmer, which is often true for deaf children when

enjoys, such as watching TV or playing with friends. For good behavior at school, Williams rewards Shondra with such activities as shopping or fixing her hair.
Also Williams talks at least once a week with Shondra's hearing-impaired teacher, who tells Williams about Shondra's accomplishments and makes suggestions for improvements. Williams said they talk about minor problems so "we can nip things before they get started."
"I tell Shondra she needs to be able to get along with others, and I tell her adults are in charge and to respect them," Williams stated. "I tell all my children the teacher's always right. Also I think parents need an open, honest relationship with teachers. I don't usually have disagreements with teachers. When I do, I tell them about what I think, and I listen to their point of view. Then we work it out. It's best for children not to be around then because they would see me having questions with their teacher and might think it's OK for them to do that, too."

Bringing School and Home Together

Williams also helps Shondra feel a connection

between home and school by sometimes coming

to school to have lunch with her. This makes

Shondra feel cared about, while also letting her

know Williams might "do surprise visits to know

how my little girl is doing." Williams also helps

Shondra to be successful in school by regularly

checking her homework, commenting, "Her

they begin gaining more of a sense of control in communicating with others. The school helped locate a class where Williams could also begin

homework is my priority when we get home. After-school programs don't check kids' work like mammal"

learning sign language.

Now Shondra participates eagerly in church

services and loves art and school.

Helping Children Feel Consistency

"Once Shondra got in school and I got started

Sometimes children feel as though school and home are two totally separate worlds; they think no one outside their school will know about their behavior at school. To help Shondra understand everyone in her world knows about her and is working together for her, Williams works closely with the school. Teachers send home daily reports

working with her teachers, she changed so much it's like a miracle," Williams testified. "If you put a child in school and don't act concerned, some of the teachers aren't going to be concerned either. I let the school know that whenever Shondra needs anything, I'll be there. The teachers are there to teach, but it's up to parents to make sure the child

on Shondra's behavior, usually sad or happy

is getting it. You can't do it all by yourself. If you

2

faces. If Williams learns Shondra has misbehaved at school, she restricts her from an activity she

don't have teamwork, you're going to miss something somewhere."

Catch Up (Continued from page 1)

Helping the School to be Sensitive

to aid students with learning academics, using computers and communicating.
Other resources are available for pre-school children not needing such intensive services. Georgia has one of the finest pre-kindergarten programs in the nation to serve 4-year-olds. Foster parents can call the Office of School Readiness tollfree at l.888.4GA.PREK to find out more about their local Pre-K program.
Head Start serves economically disadvantaged children from birth to age 5. Foster parents can call Archie Venable, Georgia Head Start liaison, at 404.562.2862 to find out how to contact their local Head Start program.
Foster parents may find out about a variety of helpful resources by contacting the Georgia Learning Resource System (GLRS) centers at 1.800.282.7552 or by visiting their web page at www.glrs.org. All GLRS centers have personnel trained in special education who can answer questions.
When parents know the normal range of behaviors for children of different ages, they are better able to allow children to develop at their own pace, without too much pressure or worry for child or parent. Foster parents can learn more about child development and how children learn by contacting the resources listed above and talking with teachers at their school.
If foster parents have concerns, Sparkman advises they "seek help and don't wait. When you're talking about a child under the age of 3, six months is a long time to wait. Whatever the child's age, if you suspect a problem, wouldn't it be great to have someone say to you, 'We can help,' and to get that help early on?"
If you wou ld like to receive a copy of last year's back-toschool issue of this newsletter or if you have a suggestion for a story fo r next year's school issue, contact:
Jayne Bachma n DFCS Foster Care Unit 18-222 Two Peachtree St., NW Atlanta, GA 30303-31 80

Imagine a child spends her summer in a homeless shelter, before entering foster care. Then she finds herself in a new school full of strange faces. Her new teacher assigns her class to write an essay about how they spent their summer vacation, which they will be asked to read aloud in class. How do you think this assignment makes this child feel? Probably confused or even terrified!
But what if the teacher had given the class a choice of assignments, allowing them to choose between writing about their real summer vacation or their fantasy vacation they would have loved to have had? The child would certainly feel deep relief, and her right to confidentiality would have been respected. Too, her class would have the extra benefi_t of learning the difference between non-fiction and fiction. Everyone wms!
School can be scary for children in foster care. Sometimes teachers and school staff can unintentionally embarrass them or place them in difficult situations. No one means to do this, but they may need help in thinking how to do things in ways that are best for all students, including children in care. This article offers some ideas which you as a foster parent or case manager might share with school staff when you think doing so might help. Or you might simply make a photocopy of this article and give it to them. They'll probably be glad you did.
First, when the child introduces an adult at school, especially within other children's hearing, the child should not be asked for a more detailed explanation of the adult's name or connection to the child. It should be sufficient if the child says, "This is Ms. Jones" or"Aunt Jane."
Holiday school assignments can be challenging for children in _c~re. In these days of "two mommies," single-parent homes and step-fam1hes, teachers should not assume all children live with their biological mother and father. For example, if teachers ask children to make cards for Mother's Day or Father's Day, they should privately ask children how many pieces of paper they need for the task. At the time of the winter holidays, children should be permitted to make a gift for the family member of their choice. If they choose to make a gift for their biological parent whose rights are terminated, the teacher should not disagree with the child's choice. The gift should be sent home, then transferred to the case manager for possible delivery.
For family day activities, limited seating that assumes children have two parents is obsolete in these days of divorce. Many children have two sets of parents and eight sets of grandparents! Also the school should not use last names on place cards to seat families. For many families, a family symbol is a better image of unity. The teacher and students (older students may be able to work alone) could design family coats of arms or flags. Ideally teachers should make this assignment as homework for students to complete with their families.

When Children Have
bl at Sch ool

Helping children early is critical, says Sue Wilson.
4

Foster parents may find school discipline to be challenging, in caring for children from chaotic home environments. By working as a team, foster parents and schools can help children learn to have good self-discipline.
Understanding the Discipline Code
One of the ways schools share information with parents is through the school discipline code. Schools are required to make a copy of this available to parents. There is no uniform discipline code throughout the state, though there are similarities among all school systems.
A discipline code lists unacceptable behaviors and their consequences. The consequences are progressive, meaning the more serious the offense the more serious the consequence. Repeated offenses move the offense up to a more serious level. Individual schools have some freedom in their consequences for the lower-level offenses. The more serious consequences are expected to be consistent throughout the local school system. Consequences for elementary students are usually less strict than for older students.
Lower-level consequences begin with detention after school, then move to in-school suspension (ISS). In ISS, students are in one classroom all day with very strict rules. Their regular teachers provide assignments for them. The most serious consequence other than expulsion from school is removal from the regular school by home suspension or placement at an alternative school.

"A parent and child discussing the school's discipline code is as much a part of school success as parental involvement in academics," stated Rhonda Walters, federal programs director in the Irwin County school sytem. "This ensures that parent and child know what behavior is expected and what will happen if the child behaves inappropriately. All children, and particularly at-risk children, need consistency and predictability, and discipline codes are meant to provide that."
Part of this parent-child discussion should include the parents telling the child that they support the school's discipline code and behavior guidelines. Foster parents do not always know what previous caregivers have told children about school behavior. They cannot assume a child expects the school and parents to work as a team. A parent telling a child about expected school behavior helps the child feel more consistency in his or her life so discipline problems are less likely to occur.
Parents Teaming With the School
Both parents and schools want to prevent problems. If a parent has concerns about a child's ability to follow the discipline code, the parent may want to have a conference with school personnel, such as the guidance counselor or teacher.
"Then parents can establish a positive relationship before a problem has to be dealt with," explained Sue Wilson, student support services coordinator of the Tift County school system. "Foster parents know what situations are difficult for a child in their care. If they share this information with a school administrator, then the school may know how to prevent problems before using the discipline code."
Walters pointed out that few students go through school without a discipline write-up, noting, "We don't expect perfect behavior. But chronic minor problems interfere with a student's learning and prevent teachers from teaching. The schools want to work with the parents to help their children learn to control their behavior so everyone can do what they're supposed to do."
When children receive consequences at school for misbehavior, it is important that parents support the consequences at home by discussing the

misbehavior. Discussing what happened and what

Foster parents

the child could do differently next time helps the should remember that

child learn new behavior and helps parents know as a child gets more

more about the problem. Parents may role play

write-ups or commits a

the situation with the child, letting the child prac- very serious offense,

tice a more appropriate behavior. If parents hear the school has fewer

anything from the child that concerns them, they choices in the conse-

should discuss this with school personnel, with- quences stated in the

out giving the child the idea they are questioning code. Parents and

the school's decision. If the child's offense is

schools have more flexi-

repeated or serious, additional positive and nega- bility and alternatives

tive consequences at home may be appropriate. in dealing with the

Pa rents Need to Be Informed

child's behavior before the child has moved up

the levels of conse-

To be informed, parents need to read children's quences.

Children need consistency between

discipline write-up forms. Parents sometimes complain their child has been given a different

If a child begins to

school and home, says Rhonda Walters.

consequence for the same misbehavior as a peer; have numerous writehowever, this may be because their child has been ups, Wilson recommended parents visit alterna-

previously written up more times than that peer and has moved to the next level of consequences. Foster parents also may obtain a copy of a child's

tive school and in-school suspension (ISS) facilities, adding, "Then if decisions have to be made about changing the child's situation, parents

discipline record from the school office. From this will know better if their child might benefit from record, foster parents can tell if a child in their care these settings. Parents should be aware it can be

is having general behavior problems or problems difficult for children to return to a regular class-

with one particular class or person. Administrators room after a stay at alternative school, which is

will discuss the write-ups with foster parents.

usually for an extended time. The expectations

Discussing grades, attendance and the writeups with their child helps parents know if more

and instruction at alternative school are very different from regular school. Parents should ask how the child's needs will be met in a setting such

G eorgi a Learni ng Resource System

support is needed to help the child follow disci- as alternative school, ISS or special education."

pline requirements. Many school resources are

available, including counseling, tutoring, afterschool programs, student support teams and special education. Because each school offers different

If a foster parent has a child in special education and has concerns about discipline which the school cannot answer, there are several other

Georgia Department of Education
00

I resources in different ways, parents will need to talk with the teacher and possibly an administra-

resources to call. The Georgia Learning Resource System (1.800.282.7552) and the state Department

Behavioral Intervention

tor and counselor to find out about options avail-

'

able at their school. They can decide as a team what resources best fit the child's needs.

Foster parents may consider supports outside

of Education (404.656.2800) can answer questions about special education discipline.
If a child continues to have severe behavior problems, the Behavioral Intervention Program

Program
039 www.ccps.ga.net/bip

school to help the child learn more self-control. Counseling and special programs such as anger management and conflict resolution classes may be available through the local mental health or

(BIP) (404.675.8039, www.ccps.ga.net/bip) may be a helpful resource. BIP works with local schools to assess a student's behavior problems and develop strategies to help the child function successfully.

juvenile justice departments. Foster parents can learn more about these services by contacting these local agencies, the school or their case

Foster parents can ask the school to call BIP or can call BIP themselves if they would like more information.

manager.

5

Things Parents Can Do at Home What hildren in Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade

Following are the things that "average" stu-

time to within five minutes; measure using inches;

Below are some things adults can do to help children learn

dents learn to do in kindergarten through fifth

identify fractions to one-fourth.

throughout the day. Parents can adapt these activities to suit

grade. Don't assume something is wrong if a child in your care or on your caseload cannot yet do some of the following. Remember that childret;t change a lot in a year, and all children develop at different paces.

Language arts: To identify main ideas and feelings of characters in stories and cause-effect relationships; check writing for spelling; alphabetize to words' second letters; determine meanings of unknown words from context.

Kinder arten
Math: To count to 10; recognize basic shapes (circle, square, triangle); recognize money to $1; group objects by similarities and differences in size, shape and color; understand concepts such as above, below, nearer, longer, longest, etc.

Third Grad
Math: To add and subtract with three-digit numbers; use multiplication and division through the nines; make change with money up to $5; identify odd and even numbers through 99; identify fractions to tenths.

the abilities and age of particular children; for example, the more mature the child, the less supervision he or she will need with cooking, shopping or woodworking activities.
Play is how young children learn. We all are more motivated to learn when it applies to our personal interests and is enjoyable. Games use skills such as following directions and taking turns, which are very important to success at school. Some of the games mentioned below develop the child's ability to memorize, especially in a particular order. The physical coordination, especially hand-eye, which games require is a building block for other development.

You can help children learn about numbers by playing "I Spy" games with street/building numbers, phone numbers on the sides of trucks, etc. Play at looking at license plates to find numbers 1-10, letters A-Z or the child's birth date. Encourage the child to find the letters of the alphabet in order on billboards. You can talk to the child about how far you are traveling and how long it will take to get there.
Make a game of identifying differences and similarities, such as how you and the child are alike and different or how

Language arts: To
attempt to read stories
of about 30 words; distinguish letter, word
~ and sentence; identify ~ the main idea of a story;
1~ make predictions about the end of a story. ~
rt Grade
1.E Math: To recognize,
i-~ write and say numbers to 99; identify money
a: up to $5; tell time to
hour and half hour; add

Language arts: To understand written instructions; skim for answers to questions; alphabetize to words' third letters; use table of contents and index.
Fourth Grad
Math: To round two- and three-digit numbers to the nearer 10 or hundred; begin to add and subtract decimals; locate points on a grid or map using pairs of numbers; add and subtract fractions with like denominators; make change with money up to $20; organize information in charts and tables.
Language arts: To discuss ideas gained from read-

Read as much as possible to the child and encourage him or her to read. Find something that interests the child: comics, stories about animals, airplanes or anything that will allow him or her to see reading as enjoyable and useful. Ask what the child thinks will happen next in a story and what was the main or most important thing that happened. Check out books and books-on-tape from your library. Take your child to story hour. Encourage older children to find magazines and books about subjects that interest them, such as bikes, racing or clothes.
Talk to your child while you drive, run errands, etc. This can involve identifying "ball" to a 1-year-old or explaining about paying utility bills to a 12-year-old. A child who is used

the cars in the parking lot are alike and different. Play at teaching children about directions, with them telling you and you telling them to stand near, nearer, nearest, behind, in front of, etc. Count together and talk about shapes.
The child can cut out pictures, letters and numbers from newspapers and magazines and make a book with the pictures. Give the child a treasure box and let him or her sort screws, buttons, rocks, etc. Stores such as Wal-Mart and teachers' supply stores have activity books which can give you other good ideas for such solitary, fun activities. Often children are interested in computer games and programs.

and subtract with numbers up to nine; decide to ing; distinguish between fact and opinion; use call

to discussing information with adults will do much better in

use addition or subtraction to solve a math prob- numbers in a library; write a personal letter with

school.

lem (" ... if you have five apples and you give me the correct address. three...").

Sort and have the child guess how you decided to put what

Language arts: To read stories of about 30 words which include dialogue; recognize beginning and ending sounds of letters and begin to sound out words; write sentences and begin to use capitalizations and periods correctly; print numbers and letters legibly; alphabetize words by their first letters.

Fifth Grade
Math: To identify terms used in geometry, such as parallel and intersecting; begin to work with number sentences (x + 6 = 8); multiply and divide three-digit numbers by two-digit numbers; multiply fractions by whole numbers; multiply decimals by whole numbers to tenth decimal place.

For example, let children help with laundry to help them learn about colors and sorting. Letting children help with clipping coupons can help them learn math (figuring how much money is saved) and sorting. The child learns to measure when helping with cooking or woodworking. Cooking teaches children math (as they figure how to make smaller and larger serv-

in each group (for example, have all the pens with tops in one pile and pens without tops in another). Make up a story with you and the child taking turns contributing each new sentence. Give directions to find an object ("walk to the table, tum left, raise your hand"). Play "I Spy" for colors or letters. Play "I'm going on a trip and taking..." things in certain categories which you and the child can take turns naming, such as lists of things in alphabetical order, all of the same color, things to eat, etc. Play hopscotch, hide and seek, card and board games and

Second Grade

Language arts: To summarize and paraphrase

ings) and reading skills. Use measuring cups to teach more,

jump rope with rhymes.

information gained in reading and draw conclu-

less and same, and use cutting cakes and pizzas to teach frac-

Math: To count by twos, fives and tens to 100 and sions; write a letter to request information.

tions. When shopping, have the child identify money and, if

backwards from twelve to one; add and subtract

appropriate, make change.

with two-digit numbers and regroup (borrow); tell
6

Foster Care Unit Division of Family and Children Services
Suite 18-222 Two Peachtree Street, NW
D H R Atlanta, GA 30303-3180

BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE
PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 5823

"Keep an eye on Timmy-he's a sexual perpetrator."
A foster parent or case manager might say these words to be helpful, perhaps to alert a teacher to protect the other children in Timmy's class. But this language labels Timmy, and such labeling language can greatly harm a child.
"My grandmother used to say, 'Words make minds,' " recalled Shareefah Hud, program manager of KidsPeace, a therapeutic foster care facility in Columbus. "A label can negatively change how a child thinks about himself. It can also frighten people so they treat the child as being 'different.' They don't see the whole child anymore-only the label. This is especially hard for children in care whose egos and self-esteem are already very fragile."
Schools need to know information about children that might impact the safety of others; however, Hud emphasized the importance of describing children's specific behavior, rather than labeling.

Hud explained, "Instead of describing a child as 'a sexual perpetrator,' I might say to a teacher, 'Billy is a sweet child who really wants to be liked. You need to know, though, you'll need to monitor him closely. He likes to touch and be touched. He's had some really difficult times that make him really want to feel close with others, and sometimes he can't tell when he's invading other kids' and adults' space. He needs us to help him understand and respect how other people have rights to their space and to not be touched.'"
Hud added, "Explaining about behavior takes more time than labeling, but it's helpful. For instance, labeling a child a 'fire-starter' sounds really scary. I might assume this child strikes matches whenever he can get his hands on them. It would be important for me to know this 14-year-old child had a one-time incident of starting a fire when he was 5. Children are sometimes labeled based on a one-time incident, and that label follows them throughout their school career and, sometimes, throughout life."