The last days of Spring were certainly enjoyable weather-wise! Let’s hope Summer is as nice! Since our last edition, we have made some changes to this quarterly newsletter and we are planning some additional changes for the future. In fact, we will soon be launching a contest for renaming the Communique. Stay tuned and watch for an e-blast for the opening of the contest. We are thrilled to report that we were awarded $10,000 from Ticket to Dream and Famous Footwear to support the housing needs of youth transitioning from foster care to independent living! We are working with Our Piece of the Pie, DCF and others to identify which youth have housing support needs. This is all due to the generosity of shoppers at Famous Footwear in their “Rounding Up” campaign and the folks at Ticket to Dream who work to support children experiencing foster care! In March, we had one of our most successful Avenue of Dreams prom readiness events to date. Every youth that attended found a gown or tuxedo and the fashion show and red carpet was thrilling. Electrifying is the word that comes to my mind. Thanks to all who attended and all who volunteered! Also coming soon, Fun Family events! Please stay tuned for information about attending games of the Hartford Yard Goats, free New Haven Symphony performances, Brownstone Adventure Park tickets, and more. We continue to support the Quality Parenting Initiative (“QPI”) that DCF is integrating into its work with foster families. QPI is a refocus of child welfare to return to making the child the center of any interventions and expects that all adults involved will bring attention to what works best for the child. In fact, this summer we are creating another CAFAF Post-Licensing Module for our online training series focusing on “warm calls” and “ice breakers” which are components of QPI. We will announce when it is posted to our website. Please check out our ever-increasing training offerings at link below!
Enjoy the summer and stay safe as the darn virus is still around!
Margaret Doherty
Executive Director
