Sotera Anderson’s Post

Can you believe it’s already time to start thinking about Back-to-School? But before you get too busy shopping for supplies, (which, as you’ll soon read, I can help with), I want to tell you about the secret most parents don't know and why Back-to-School is THE MOST important time for you to think about your family's future. If something happens to you (like an accident) and you are unable to care for your children (either because you are in the hospital or you've passed away) your kids could be taken into protective custody (foster care) until the police can figure out who has legal authority to take care of them. Surprised? You see, the people who spend time with your kids on a daily basis, like relatives, neighbors, or teachers, don’t automatically have the authority to take care of your kids if you can't. Their authority has to be documented legally by you first or a judge will decide. To make sure your kids are not taken into the care of strangers, even for a minute, you need to set up a comprehensive Kids Protection Plan® that names both long-term and short-term legal guardians for your kids, AND ensures they’ll never be in the care of strangers, or anyone you don’t want. AND you must put in place a comprehensive estate plan to ensure your assets are immediately and privately available for your children’s care. So, here’s my offer to parents this month: If you’re one of the first 5 families to plan with me in August, I’m going to give you a $100 gift card to help pay for your children’s back-to-school supplies AND I’ll waive our regular $750 planning session fee! SCHEDULE YOUR PLANNING SESSION HERE: https://lnkd.in/gmWh7fd

Can you believe it’s already time to start thinking about Back-to-School? But before you get too busy shopping for supplies, (which, as you’ll soon read, I can help with), I want to tell you about the secret most parents don't know and why Back-to-School is THE MOST important time for you to think about your family's future. If something happens to you (like an accident) and you are unable to care for your children (either because you are in the hospital or you've passed away) your kids could be taken into protective custody (foster care) until the police can figure out who has legal authority to take care of them. Surprised? You see, the people who spend time with your kids on a daily basis, like relatives, neighbors, or teachers, don’t automatically have the authority to take care of your kids if you can't. Their authority has to be documented legally by you first or a judge will decide. To make sure your kids are not taken into the care of strangers, even for a minute, you need to set up a comprehensive Kids Protection Plan® that names both long-term and short-term legal guardians for your kids, AND ensures they’ll never be in the care of strangers, or anyone you don’t want. AND you must put in place a comprehensive estate plan to ensure your assets are immediately and privately available for your children’s care. So, here’s my offer to parents this month: If you’re one of the first 5 families to plan with me in August, I’m going to give you a $100 gift card to help pay for your children’s back-to-school supplies AND I’ll waive our regular $750 planning session fee! SCHEDULE YOUR PLANNING SESSION HERE: https://lnkd.in/gmWh7fd

Do you have a child under the age of 6 in your home? Groundwork Ohio wants to hear from you! https://lnkd.in/g_ENuXNY With our partners at RAPID Survey Project we are working to better understand the many challenges facing Ohio families. "I haven't been able to return to work because I cannot find suitable child care." - Parent from West Central Ohio Child Care is critical for Working Families, but Access is Limited and care is increasingly unaffordable: • More than 1 in 3 respondents reported difficulty finding child care. • Almost 60% of respondents reported relying on Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) subsidies. • More than 40% of parents reported difficulty finding a provider who accepts PFCC. • Over half of respondents whose children were not enrolled in child care cited the expense of child care as the reason. Complete the survey and earn a $5 gift card. Survey closes September 24. Take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/gQQBfUrx

Hard to believe we are talking about the holiday season in October. For Family Tree, it’s about how we can best serve our clients during the holidays and stay true to our mission to partner with all people to prevent and overcome the interconnected issues of child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness and promote safety, healing and stability across generations. After years of giving out stuff to our clients at the holidays, Family Tree has made a strategic decision to provide GIFT CARDS instead of physical gifts, like toys and clothing. The intention is to continue to celebrate the season, still provide some opportunities for donor and volunteer engagement, and give a kind yet empowering offering to the Family Tree clients and their families. According to a recent Business Insider article, “Gift cards provide a solution. They put the power in the hands of the people we're giving to. Rather than showing them what we think they need, gift cards allow us to convey a powerful message: We trust that you know your family's needs better than we do.” We encourage those who wish to participate in Family Tree’s Holidays of Hope to host gift card drives. We also ask those who want to do drives for items concentrate on the essentials - hygiene products and cleaning supplies – which are always in high demand for our programs. For more information on Holidays of Hope, visit https://lnkd.in/gVkXwemH.

All children and young people in care have a right to be heard and listened to. We want to hear what children and young people in care aged 5–18 have to say about their life in care. Our My life in care survey asks questions about Queensland’s care system, including their placement, how the education and health systems are supporting them, and different aspects of their life, such as their family and social relationships. Their responses to the survey questions will help us understand which parts of the system are working well and what needs to change to improve life in care for all children and young people. Last year, more than 900 young people participated in the survey. We’re calling on our partners – our foster and kinship carers and our child and family service providers – to encourage eligible young people in care to participate in our survey. Eligible young people aged 10–18 years will receive a post card and a notification through their kicbox account about how to access and participate in the survey. Children aged 5–9 years will be supported to participate in the survey by our Child Safety Officers and Community Visitors during home visits. The online survey is open from 2 September to 30 November, giving them lots of time to complete. Children and young people will receive a gift card as a thank you for completing the survey. For more information, go to https://lnkd.in/gfbY2Akk [Image description: Image shows a bunch of emojis inside a speech bubble on an orange background with the title 'Hey! What's on your mind? My life in care survey']

**Experience the Transformative Power of Our Evidence-Based Approach for Children's Behavior and Parenting Skills** ACPN has proven successful in enhancing children's behavior and empowering parents. Here are some of the outcomes we've achieved: * Measurable improvements in children's behavior, as observed through: * Independent observations * Teacher ratings * Parent reports * Reduced reliance on corporal punishment by parents * Increased consistency in parental discipline practices * Increased parenting confidence * Improved classroom behavior, according to teacher reports * Similar benefits to other evidence-based programs, with: * Higher parent satisfaction * Lower costs **Join Our Program and Take Advantage of These Benefits:** Parents participating in our program will receive: * 2 Professional Development training hour certificates for each training session, which can be applied towards: * Annual licensing requirements * CDA programs * Eligibility for a stipend of up to $240.00 in the form of a gift card upon completion of the program Enroll in our program today and witness the positive impact it has on your parenting journey and your child's behavior!

It's #teacherappreciationweek. 😱 UHOH. Are you scrambling for a gift for your children's teachers? 🛑 STOP. Do not buy that candle, that mug, or that body lotion set. 🤔 THINK. As a professional yourself, how do you enjoy being appreciated? 🎁 ACKNOWLEDGE. It's probably through recognition of your contributions and/or a bonus. 👍 DO. Now do that, for them. Write a heartfelt note from you and your children to the teacher. Highlight specific ways they've positively impacted your child. And, if you can, pair that with a gift card (you can't go wrong with Target!) 👋 INTERACT. The power of interactions is limitless. Begin saying thank you at drop-off, at pick-up, smile, treat them kindly, and interact in the ways you'd want them to interact with your children. 💌 💌 💌 Signed, a former educator who STILL has enough mugs to open a coffee shop, enough candles to burn down the neighborhood and enough body lotions to lather up my entire LinkedIn following. PS - I still have those heartfelt, handwritten cards from parents and their children. I cherish them and will not be giving them away or regifting. #education #teacherappreciation #formereducator #interactionsmatter

We want to hear from you to better understand the impact of the A Better Start Southend programme!📣 Are you any of the following: • A parent or carer of a child under 4 living in Southend • You or your partner are pregnant and living in Southend • A parent or carer who has taken part in A Better Start Southend services Please support us by completing a short survey and you can be entered into a free prize draw to win one of five £50 gift vouchers. Survey links can be found at: https://ow.ly/lE1050ROBhj RSM is supporting A Better Start Southend through evaluating the programme. They ran a similar survey in 2023. If you took part in that survey, you will notice that the questions are similar because they are interested in how people's answers may have changed over time. #Southend #Parenting #Parents #EarlyYears #Community #ABetterStartSouthend #SouthendsBestStart #RSMUK

GIVE THE GIFT OF GIFT CARDS As we move into the holiday of giving thanks, we are considering how to best support our clients during the holiday season. After years of giving out stuff to our clients during the holidays, Family Tree has made a strategic decision to provide GIFT CARDS instead of physical gifts. The intention is to continue to celebrate the season, still provide some opportunities for donor and volunteer engagement, and give a kind yet empowering offering to Family Tree clients and their families. “Lani (a Family Tree client) shared how she felt like she was seen as a capable, yet struggling parent. One who is trusted to take these cards and provide the best holiday gifts, meals and overall experience for her family.” - Family Tree Blog Post According to a recent Business Insider article, “Gift cards provide a solution. They put the power in the hands of the people we're giving to. Rather than showing them what we think they need, gift cards allow us to convey a powerful message: We trust that you know your family's needs better than we do.” We are encouraging those who wish to participate in Family Tree’s Holidays of Hope to host gift card drives. We are also having those who want to do drives for physical items concentrate on the essentials - hygiene products and cleaning supplies – which are always in high demand for our programs. Please support Family Tree and learn more at https://lnkd.in/gVkXwemH.

I Can for Kids recognizes that predictable access to nutritious food is fundamental to children's growth and success. Our grocery gift card program empowers food-insecure families with the dignity and confidence to plan, purchase, and provide the food that best meets their children's unique needs. The simple power to choose enables parents to exercise more control over their lives and improve the well-being, resilience, and self-esteem of their children. Learn more about the power of choice: https://lnkd.in/gNPX6D67