Issue 8

The subject of prescription medication has been everywhere in the past month, due in large part to an ABC 20/20 special where Diane Sawyer let the nation in on what those of us
close to the foster care industry already knew; America’s foster youth are overly medicated.

It’s not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination. The assumption with most  foster youth is that they inherently have mental or emotional defects. There is truth to the
notion that the effects of going into care can lead to post traumatic stress disorder among other diagnoses, as we reported last issue RAD is a new diagnosis that has caught on
recently. Are these disorders treatable through therapy or does it have to be tended to medicinally?

Before I was in care I was diagnosed with ADHD and ADD which was the par for the course for fidgety kids in the 80s and 90s. Like the thousands and thousands of other kids of
my generation, I took my Ritalin without question and to be honest didn’t see any changes in my personality, occasional laziness and slight increase in the number of naps I took
seemed to be the only side effects.

Fortunately by the time I entered care interest in my ADD had dwindled and I was not prescribed anything. Would I have benefited from a prescription to ease me into my new
reality as a foster youth? Maybe, but at that point in my life adding drugs to the equation may not have been the smartest choice. Perhaps I got lucky, butt I’m no expert...so I got
someone who is.

This month I’m introducing a new mainstay section to the magazine. Ask A Pro will be a monthly  opportunity for readers to ask a medical professional questions. Author of The
Supportive Parent a renowned speaker and Clinical Director at Mid America Psychological and Counseling Services Dr. Kalyani Gopal has generously lent Foster Focus her wealth
of information each month.

Working closely with those in the foster care industry on a daily basis Dr. Gopal has a unique perspective in regards to dealing with the problems that can occur when dealing with
foster care. Her book  The Supportive Foster Parent has been read and referenced all over the country.

Her hands on experience alone makes her an ideal choice to field questions that caseworkers, therapists, judges, lawyers, mentors, foster parents and foster kids may have about
what they deal with on a regular basis.

The foster care experience is different for everyone and because of that, Dr. Gopal will give careful consideration to each question, researching to find similar scenarios to draw
from.  So there is your introduction to the newest member of the Foster Focus family, send your questions to AskAPro@FosterFocusMag.com and the good doctor will hopefully
give some direction to deal with whatever issue you present.

In other Foster Focus news; it’s difficult to see the impact of what the magazine is doing because it’s a national publication. Phone calls and emails are great but they lack facial
expressions, emotions and personal feel that a face to face encounter can create.

With that in mind I decided to hold a book drive locally and donated over a thousand books in December. Initially the book drive was designed for me to donate to a local group
home of aging out teen girls. I managed to collect roughly four hundred fifty books. The books were a collection of instructional books on topics like cooking, web design, sales and
college prep. There were also some great novels for the girls of Ashler Manor in Muncy, PA a campus of the Families for Kids agency.

A great development came from the book drive; kid’s book. Over five hundred children’s books were left after the more adult books were all sorted. I was able to give those
children’s books to Mark Egly the Director at Lycoming County Children and Youth, which is one of my local C & Ys.

As important as it is for the older generation of foster youth to have resources that will prepare them for their future, I feel it is equally important for young foster youth to find ways
to be eased into their new environments. Books create a great way for foster parents and new foster youth to bond and relax themselves into their new home.

I hope to donate books twice a year, once in May for Foster Care Awareness Month and again in December during the holiday season. My donations will be local, giving me the
ability to see the impact that the magazine is having.