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Beech Acres

Foster Care

Adoption, Foster Care

Five Myths Versus Realities of Foster Care

There has never been a better time to consider foster care. The need for foster parents in the Greater Cincinnati area is greater than ever. But the decision to welcome a child into your home is a HUGE decision. You may also have some misconceptions about fostering. The good news is we can help address those misconceptions and we’re with you every step of the way. Make a real difference in your community by exploring, supporting, or becoming a foster parent! Download the Five Realities of Foster Care here. MYTH 1Teenagers in foster care are too risky and create chaos. REALITY Part of any teenager’s role is to be challenging. That’s the nature of being a teen. Mostly, teens in foster care have experienced trauma and need stability and care to work through that trauma. Myth 2 Most children in foster care have experienced trauma that cannot be healed. REALITY Using a strength-based, trauma-informed approach every foster parent can make a difference to a child who has experienced trauma. MYTH 3 I can’t be a foster parent; I’d become too attached. REALITY Instead of letting the fear of getting too attached deter us, we should actually let the fear of these kids never feeling truly attached to someone drive us. Being afraid of getting attached is exactly what these children need – a person who cares deeply for them, regardless of their experiences or behaviors. MYTH 4 You must be a married, heteronormative couple to foster and adopt. REALITY Foster care providers are as diverse as the children in their care. Single, married, LGBTQ+ we encourage anyone to get involved who has a heart and a space for a child. MYTH 5 Biological parents of kids in foster care are not good people and should not get their kids back. REALITY Some biological parents have experienced as much trauma as their children in care. They are people like everyone else. They make mistakes. But just like everyone else, they can learn and change when supported and given the opportunity. Now, that’s cleared up, let’s get started!

Photo collage of photos from different people holding up a beech acres sign
Adoption Month, Foster Care, Foster Parents

Top 10 Reasons You Would Be An Amazing Foster Care Parent

Becoming a foster family is a tremendous responsibility with an equally tremendous reward. The need for foster families has never been greater. How do you know if you’d be a good candidate to open your heart and your home to a child when they need it most? Here are the Top 10 reasons YOU would be an amazing foster care parent! Take your first step by contacting Calena Durel today at 1-855-787-KIDS (1-855-787-5437). The licensing process takes approximately 3-6 months. Get started with your required classes now. Check out our Foster Care FAQ for more information.

With All Families logo for Beech Acres Parenting Center
Adoption, Foster Care

Did You Know Over 600 Kids In Green County Need A Safe And Loving Home?

Did you know over 100 kids need a safe & loving home each night? If less than 1% of all households in Green County stepped up to help, the problem would be solved! Some facts: -Black children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. -LGBTQ+ foster children need love, support and understanding from someone who understands them. -Recent trends show the level of need increasing, and the age of the children is decreasing. -As of January, 165 children were ready to be adopted. Beech Acres Parenting Center has been standing behind foster parents that stand up for children for over 40 years. If you’re in Green County, take the first step today by reaching out or calling 1-855-787-KIDS (1-855-787-5437).

Green graphic with text about National Adoption Month and a photo of a little girl walking on a laptop screen
Adoption, Adoption Month, Foster Care

November is National Adoption Month

Celebrating National Adoption Month November is National Adoption Month! We’ll be celebrating adoption all month long! Whenever possible, reuniting children with their biological parents is a top priority, but when that is not possible, adoption allows loving parents to ensure children have a caring environment in which to thrive. There has never been a better time to consider foster care and adoption. The need for foster parents in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton areas is greater than ever. You can make a real difference in your community by exploring, supporting, or becoming a foster parent! Why Choose Us? Beech Acres Parenting Center has been standing behind those who stand up for kids in foster care for more than 40 years. We are currently serving Greater Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Dayton & Montgomery County. Our comprehensive training prepares you for success, and our unique matching program connects you with the right child for your family. We build a community around our foster parents. Our foster families support each other, build each other up, and offer a support network of people with shared experiences and unique perspectives to help every family succeed. How to Become A Foster Parent Becoming a foster family is a tremendous responsibility with an equally tremendous reward. The need for foster families has never been greater. Take your first step by contacting Calena today at 1-855-787-KIDS (1-855-787-5437). The licensing process takes approximately 3-6 months. Get started with your required classes now. Check out our Foster Care FAQ for more information. Options for Kinship Caregivers If you are a kinship caregiver, our Kinship Connections program offers support and resources for relatives caring for their loved ones. Find information about this program here.   Kinship Caregivers caring for children in the custody of Children’s Services may be eligible for the Kinship Support Program. Contact us to learn more.

Photo of three women standing together behind a table with a green tablecloth on it
Foster Care

Take A Chance Event Recap

Thank you to everyone who attended our Take A Chance event at Washington Park on June 25th! Take A Chance There has never been a better time to consider foster care. The need for foster parents in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton areas is greater than ever. Make a real difference in your community by exploring, supporting, or becoming a foster parent! This year we challenge YOU to take a chance on foster care! Take A Chance Event The #TakeAChance event was held to bring awareness to the need for people to consider fostering within their own community. More than 673,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect in 2018. On any given day in Ohio, nearly 16,000 children are being cared for away from their parents. A lot of families are already fostering children within their community, we want them to have additional support from our Foster Care Community. Foster Parenting Changes Generation. Children and youth can learn from families who are stable, loving, and safe. Foster parents can provide security and safety, that children can grow up and pass on to their own children, and their children will do the same. Communities like Bond Hill, Avondale, Westwood, North College Hill, and West Price Hill, can all make a difference in their communities by considering foster care. At the event, we will have a panel discussion to hit taboo topics and engage with current foster parents on what fostering really looks like the good and the not-so-fun parts. Thank you to everyone who attended! Missed the event, but interested in exploring foster care? Reach out to get started today!

Colorful graphic with an image of a father standing between his wife and a child with information about FOster Care Month below it
Foster Care

Take A Chance Event Saturday, June 25th!

Join us on June 25, 2022, from 2-4 at Washington Park in Over the Rhine for this Foster Care event! The #TakeAChance event is to bring awareness to the need for people to consider fostering within their own community. More than 673,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect in 2018. On any given day in Ohio, nearly 16,000 children are being cared for away from their parents. A lot of families are already fostering children within their community, we want them to have the additional support from our Foster Care Community. Foster Parenting Changes Generation. Children and youth can learn from families who are stable, loving, and safe. Foster parents can provide security and safety, that children can grow up and pass on to their own children, and their children will do the same. Communities like Bond Hill, Avondale, Westwood, North College Hill, and West Price Hill, can all make a difference in their communities by considering foster care. At the event, we will have a panel discussion to hit taboo topics and engage with current foster parents on what fostering really looks like the good and the not-so-fun parts. We want families to join us at this event to #TakeAChance on #FosterCare, Ask questions and get answers. Learn more here. RSVP on Facebook!

Photo of two young girls holding a large $5,000 check in front of the Beech Acres Parenting Center sign
Foster Care

Flip For Foster Care Raises $5,000 for the Foster Care Program at Beech Acres

Inspired by their parents’ love and philanthropy, Mariah and Aubree wanted to do something special to raise money for foster care. Flip For Foster Care Mariah and Aubree issued a challenge. What began as a simple lemonade stand to raise money for foster care, evolved into something bigger. With a goal of raising $5,000, the girls launched a social media campaign asking friends, family, and the community to make a donation to Beech Acres Parenting Center. The girls wowed generous donors with flips for reaching certain milestones in the campaign. Their generous and giving hearts inspired donations to pour in online, ultimately reaching and exceeding their goal of $5,000. Congratulations, ladies! You are amazing! A Heartfelt Thank You While these philanthropic efforts were all Mariah and Aubree’s ideas, mom and dad were there for support, posting their videos on social media and encouraging the girls along the way. Mom even agreed to do a flip herself if the girls reached their goal. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to those who supported our girls through donations, sharing, and words of encouragement! The Foster Care and Adoption program will benefit greatly from these funds. Sharing your story to encourage others and bring awareness takes SO much courage! Our daughters chose to stand in the light for other children and families to make a difference.” -Calena Durel. Make A Difference There has never been a better time to make a difference in your community by considering foster care. The need for foster parents in the Greater Cincinnati and Dayton areas is greater than ever. You can make a real difference in your community by exploring, supporting, or becoming a foster parent! If this story has inspired you to give, please consider a one-time or monthly gift to Beech Acres Parenting Center. Choose #FlipForFosterCare from the drop-down menu to support the girls’ campaign.

Photo of a man and woman holding up a "With All Families" sign
Foster Care

Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner 2022

On Friday, May 13th, we were excited to gather with some of the most remarkable, caring people we know to celebrate, relax, and most importantly appreciate them for their decision to become foster parents. Our annual foster parent appreciation dinner was held at the Summit Hotel. Parents and staff enjoyed a relaxing evening, a delicious formal dinner, awards, gifts, a photo booth from Say Cheese Photo Booths, and time to meet and mingle with other foster parents. We also celebrated several foster parents who reached milestones in years of service. These individuals celebrating specific anniversaries were: Barbara Moore – 40 years Ada Finley – 30 years Ken and April Johnson – 5 years Katelyn Seals – 5 years Jason and Kimberly Smith -5 years Jennifer Stone -5 years Jena Stugmyer – 5 years Enjoy these photos from the event. And to our foster parents, THANK YOU! Want to celebrate with us next year? Begin your foster care journey today!

White graphic for the Super Saturday Virtual Foster Care Training Conference with photos of adults looking at computers
Foster Care, foster care month, Foster Parents, Uncategorized

Foster Care Super Saturday Training Conference June 18, 2022

Super Saturday: A Virtual Foster Parent Training Event! Join Beech Acres Parenting Center for Super Saturday: A Virtual Foster Parent Training Event Saturday, June 18, 2022. All attendees are welcome! Training certificates are provided as needed after the event. Attend for a chance to win door prizes awarded throughout the day! Please reserve one ticket per attendee regardless of how many sessions you will attend.  Registered attendees will be able to select individual sessions during the event.  Video required, same-household attendees may attend on one or multiple devices. Questions? Contact Sarah or Ryshel for more information or register online here. Download more information here. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 9:00 AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks 9:15 AM – DEI Workshop Part 1 10:00 AM – Break 10:15 AM – Morning Workshops 12:15 PM – Lunch 12:45 PM – Guest Speaker 1:00 PM – DEI Workshop Part II 1:45 PM – Break 2:00 PM – Afternoon Workshops 4:00 PM – Panel Discussion 4:45 PM – Closing Remarks Scheduled to Appear LaTrese Green Nurturing Self and Being Love LaTrese Green is a Health Educator residing in the Greater Cincinnati Region. She is as well a meditationand yoga instructor as well. She uses a plethora of wellness skills to enhance the community, locally and globally into a more holistic lifestyle. The Nurturing Self and Being Love Session is about finding your sense of peace in everyday life habits and situations. Tree Essentials LLC will provide you with applicable tips and skills to further enhance your self-love journey. Melissa Adamchik Trauma and Resilience within a Developmental Perspective Melissa Adamchik, MA, LPP, is the Executive Director of the Tristate Trauma Network since its formationin 2015. In addition, she works as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Social Work at Northern Kentucky University. Melissa hasher Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University and is independently licensed as a Psychological Practitioner in Kentucky. This session will discuss the effects of traumatic experiences on the development of the brain and the body and how these translate into behavioral presentations. It will also explore the resilience factors that can help to mitigate these effects for children in the short and long term. Mark Cardwell Let’s Talk About It. Mark Cardwell is the founder and principal consultant for Cardwell Communications LLC, a full-service marketing consultancy. After being in 5 five foster homes Mark was adopted at the age of 5. After Ohio records were unsealed Mark searched for and was reunited with his birth family after 50 years of separation. In the discussion “Let’s Talk About It”, I share my personal experience and perspective on how we might manage the uncomfortable or tough conversations that come up in all stages of the adoption journey. Yolanda NAMI – Ending the Silence for Families Yolonda is a Recovery Ambassador! She is currently a volunteer peer leader for NAMI Southwest Ohio where she leads Peer to Peer classes, helps facilitate Connections Support Groups, and is an In Our Own Voice and Ending the Silence presenter. She writes a Word Press blog, Bridges to Hope. She also volunteers for the Southwest Ohio Council on Aging and leads classes now online and over the phone on Chronic Pain and Chronic Disease as well as Diabetes Self-Management. Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation about mental health for parents and caregivers where a lead presenter shares an informative presentation and a young adult with a mental health condition shares their journey of recovery. Sarah Breetz, LSW, MSW Promoting Normalcy in Foster Care Sarah Breetz, LSW, MSW, is the Manager of Training and Licensing at Beech Acres. Sarah has worked in Foster Care at Beech Acres since 2013. Sarah is a Licensed Social Worker and has a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Louisville. Youth in foster care often talk about feeling different from their peers. Regulations set in place to create safety for young people can often create barriers that cause them to miss out on experiences. This session will focus on efforts to provide normalcy for foster youth. Ryshel Bowling Where do I belong… Placement from a Bio Child’s perspective. Ryshel and her husband were licensed foster care parents for more than 2 years for teen girls. They completed their family through adoption in November of 2021. Ryshel will be joined by her daughter, Elizabeth, to provide first-hand insight on the adjustment of placement for bio children in the home. Katie Beurket Supporting Children & Families After a Death Katie has a B.S. in Communications with a focus on Organizational & Health Communication from Ohio University. Her introduction to Fernside was as a teenager participating in our support groups following the death of her father in 2009. While still in high school, Katie returned to Fernside to volunteer as a member of our teen PIT (Philanthropists in Training) Crew. After college, she completed our Facilitator Training Program where she volunteered for three years before joining the staff at the beginning of 2021. Katie coordinates our East Side and Tuesday Blue Ash group nights as well as our Community Outreach & Education Program, including oversight of all social media platforms. She also assists with our Camp and Crisis Programs. Join us for informational training with Fernside Center for Grieving Children and Families. The training will cover the developmental stages of grief for children ages 3-18 including different grief reactions and ways to help a grieving child. We will discuss tips and interventions for working with children who have experienced different types of grief. There will be an informational segment on Fernside services and a Q & A session for families. Kenny McQuitty Internet Safet for Kids and Families Technology has an inevitable place in our day-to-day activities and lives. It is up to us to make sure technology doesn’t go outside the boundaries we set for it. And as we do that we create a space that honors each person’s sense of belonging. Kenny McQuitty currently serves as the Associate Pastor at

Photo of a father sitting with his daugter on his knee as they look down at a laptop screen with the "With All Families Beech Acres" logo in the top left corner
Foster Care, Foster Parents, Uncategorized

Beech Acres Parenting Center Foster and Adoptive Care

Beech Acres Parenting Center Foster Care and Adoptive Care Beech Acres Parenting Center has matched children with safe, loving, well-trained foster parents for over 40 years. But we need your help. There is a child in this community waiting for someone just like you–someone who can provide a safe haven, open arms, and a loving heart. We will train you and guide you every step of your journey. More than ever, Greater Cincinnati kids need foster parents. Every day, around 1,800 children in Hamilton County need foster care. Add Clermont, Warren, Butler, and the other Greater Cincinnati counties, and the number of youth in need of foster care is staggering. Every child deserves a stable and secure home. Foster parents give our community’s most vulnerable children a safe, loving environment in which they can grow and thrive. What Makes Beech Acres Parenting Center Different? At Beech Acres Parenting Center your family is our family. Over 40 years of experience have made it clear that the best way to help the community is to build a community. We connect our families and focus on creating a nurturing and supportive network around them. Our collaborative Foster Care & Adoption team inspire & equip foster care parents with the skills and knowledge to be confident in their ability to unlock their families’ natural strengths and create a safe, stable & nurturing environment to raise their children. Foster Care & Adoption Team Goals Work with foster parents and birth parents to take a holistic view of the child’s welfare. Whenever possible, reunite foster children with their birth families. Recruit adults wanting to help kids, driven by our values & mission, who want to give an amazing experience to kids and are willing to be part of a community. Create a tight-knit community with the Foster Care families filled with encouragement and support. Beech Acres Parenting Center Foster Care families often refer their friends to us. Why? It’s in the details… • Beech Acres Parenting Center’s unique framework, Natural Strength Parenting™, is infused in training & support for all Foster Care parents. • A culture of advocating for the whole family, not just the children. • A network of support with other foster families, both informally and in a group setting. • Foster-to-adopt licensing offered.• Nurturing staff members with small, manageable caseloads. • Unique two-person foster care parent/child matching team ensures intensive review & strong fit between family & foster care child. • Case aides who provide transportation assistance. • Competitive per diem and mileage reimbursement rates • 24-hour emergency access to Beech Acres foster care social workers. • Bi-monthly newsletters welcome new families, celebrate anniversaries, send lists of free upcoming family activities & educate foster families about helpful community resource organizations. • Annual appreciation events including a Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner, a Foster Family Cookout and a Holiday Party. • Free tickets to area events like sporting matches, ballets & plays, through Most Valuable Kids. • Easy access to Beech Acres Parenting Center behavioral health services, should you need them. Additional details that make a difference… Bridge gaps between families and county workers to provide excellent care and case coordination. Maintain low caseloads to ensure our social workers are more accessible and easily reached. Train our foster parents in Trauma Informed Care. Teach them to ask “What happened to you?” insteadof “What’s wrong with you?”. Encourage our foster parents to use strong communication skills, Trauma Informed Care knowledge, and Natural Strength ParentingTM to minimize disruption of children in their homes. Develop strong, positive relationships between foster parents and primary families. Proactively attend court hearings, conferences, SAR’s, school meetings, etc. Available 24-7 via our on-call emergency line which rings directly to one of our social workers. Support from resolution-oriented leadership team who are, involved, accessible, and approachable. Here’s what our foster parents are saying… “Beech Acres is amazing! They’re always available to support and encourage their foster parents.” “It’s so rewarding. I know there is a great need and I feel like I’m playing a part on a big team that is making a difference.” “The staff and fellow foster parents are awesome!” Beech Acres Parenting Center. Standing behind those who stand up for kids in foster care for over 40 years.

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