Blog Archive

The hub of information for the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, our blog contains posts with announcements, news and events, articles, periodicals and additions or updates to our website.

This page contains published posts from the March 2015 archive sorted chronologically with the newest at the top.

Ten New Events, Twelve New Continuing Education Library Items and an Event Update

by David July
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Blog, Continuing Education

Several new and updated items were recently published to our website including continuing education events, continuing education library items and sponsors for the upcoming CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids fundraiser.

Event Update

In case you did not see our recent blog post about it, the CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids fundraiser on Saturday, April 18, 2015 is approaching quickly.

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

We are happy to welcome Wing Stop as a prize donor as well as Alsco and the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church as in kind donors.

There is still time to register as a baker or sponsor and to purchase tasting cards online, so visit gal2.org/cupcake for complete details.

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Continuing Education Library

Twelve new library items have been added to our Continuing Education resource center.

If you still need to complete hours of continuing education, the group of articles may be read for twelve (12) hours of credit. Review the annual requirements for additional information on this special continuing education opportunity.

  • Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Asperger Syndrome
    A short article describing Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Asperger Syndrome; early intervention research and locations for additional information.
    filed under Disabilities, Educational Advocacy, Mental Health and Article

  • Bonding and Attachment in Maltreated Children
    A paper by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD on the consequences of emotional neglect in childhood as it relates to bonding and attachment in maltreated children.
    filed under Early Childhood, Families, Victimization of Children and Article

  • Bullying and Victimization Among Students with Disabilities: Effective Strategies for Classroom Teachers
    An article by Chad A. Rose, PhD and Lisa E. Monda-Amaya, PhD designed to give teachers, administrators and researchers a fundamental understanding of bullying behavior and strategies for intervening in schools and classrooms.
    filed under Educational Advocacy, Older Youth, Victimization of Children and Article

  • Children and Domestic Violence
    An article by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on domestic violence, how exposure to domestic violence affects children, identifying children affected by domestic violence, therapy options and additional resources.
    filed under Domestic Violence, Victimization of Children and Article

  • Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Better Listener
    An article by Sarah Green about ways to improve listening skills; understand how tracks and sidetracks work; and apply emotional filters.
    filed under Guardians ad Litem and Article

  • Fostering Success in Education: National Factsheet on the Educational Outcomes of Children in Foster Care
    A research paper from January 2014 on why education matters to children in foster care including nationwide data, findings and references — plus a brief questions and answers sheet.
    filed under Educational Advocacy and Article

  • Helping Traumatized Children
    A booklet by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and the ChildTrauma Academy developed to assist parents, caregivers, teachers and various professionals working with maltreated and traumatized children.
    filed under Guardians ad Litem, Victimization of Children and Article

  • Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative Issue Briefs 1-6
    Six briefing papers from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative covering foster care topics and a range of related issues.
    filed under Communities, Families, Foster Care, Older Youth and Article

  • Mental Illness in Children
    A short article describing common mental illnesses in children; causes and risk factors; signs and symptoms; diagnostic and treatment; and general prognoses.
    filed under Mental Health and Article

  • Psychotropic Medication and Children in Foster Care: Tips for Advocates and Judges
    A practice and policy brief by JoAnne Solchany, PhD, ARNP on the use of medication in healing; common disorders for which medication may be used for treatment; drawbacks from the use of medications; and additional questions and answers.
    filed under Dependency, Foster Care, Psychotropic Medication and Article

  • Questions and Answers on Individualized Education Program, Evaluations and Reevaluations
    Thirty questions along with cited answers on a range of topics involving individualized education programs (IEPs).
    filed under Disabilities, Educational Advocacy and Article

  • Role of Healthy Relationship Interactions in Buffering the Impact of Childhood Trauma, The
    A chapter by Christine R. Ludy-Dobson and Bruce D. Perry from 'Working with Children to Heal Interpersonal Trauma: The Power of Play' on how healthy interactions may buffer the impact of trauma.
    filed under Guardians ad Litem, Victimization of Children and Article

Get Your Recipes and Taste Buds Ready, It Is Nearly Time for CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids

by David July
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Blog
Photo: David July/gal2.org

The second annual CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids fundraising event is just over three weeks away and Child Advocates II, Inc. (CAII) volunteers are working hard to spread the word, enlist bakers and secure sponsors.

Just this week, Akerman LLP signed up as a gold sponsor while the MacLeod Family and ClothesLine joined on as bronze sponsors.

Thank you to these and all our event sponsors.

What is CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids?

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

This year's event is from 1:30-3:30 PM on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at the Leon High School Cafeteria in Tallahassee.

There are three ways that you can support, have fun and help raise money for the children our program represents, many of whom are abused, neglected or abandoned.

  • Bakers — enter as a contestant and prepare treats
  • Sponsors — pledge a sponsorship and receive benefits
  • Guests — buy tasting cards of stamps and use them for cupcakes and cookies
But, I am not a baker.

You need not be a professional chef in order to participate.

In fact, there are five contestant levels — professional, amateur, high school youth, middle school youth and elementary school youth — so you can pick the one appropriate to your situation.

If you do not have one of your own, many recipes are available for free online. Moreover, if cupcakes are too intimidating, consider trying a simple cookie recipe that calls for a limited number of ingredients.

No, Really…

Alright, we also need people to come and sample all of the various types of cupcakes and cookies that will be available. This is where you can help.

Entry to the event is free. To sample the baked goods, tasting cards are available to purchase. Each tasting card includes ten stamps that you can exchange for cupcakes and cookies. Friends and family are welcome to share a tasting card.

There are even take-away boxes available for one stamp each, so you can take goods home for later or give them away to someone unable to attend themselves.

More Information

For complete details about this fun and delicious event, visit gal2.org/cupcake where you can learn more and purchase tasting cards or sponsorships online.

If you have any questions, please contact CAII volunteer and event organizer Kristine Lamont at lamontk@hotmail.com or (850) 893-6427.

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you on April 18th!

Three New Continuing Education Events Plus New Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids Donors

by David July
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Blog, Continuing Education

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Event Update

Thank you to Hopkins' Eatery, Newk's Eatery and Which Wich for donating prizes for the CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids event on Saturday, April 18, 2015.

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

There is still time to register as a baker or sponsor and to purchase tasting cards online, so visit gal2.org/cupcake for complete details.

In Print: CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids

by David July
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Blog, In Print

On Wednesday, March 11, 2015, the Tallahassee Democrat published a "Taste Briefs" article that included a segment about our upcoming CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids fundraiser.

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

Our segment of the Tallahassee Democrat article is presented below in case you missed it. Thank you to the Democrat for sharing our program with their readers.

Child Advocates II is looking for bakers to make tasty treats
by Democrat staff

Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Tallahassee Democrat
Taste Briefs

Child Advocates II will host the Second Annual Cupcakes and Cookies to benefit the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem program on April 17 at the Leon High School.

Cupcakes and Cookies is an annual local baking competition where professional, amateur and child bakers can compete in variety of categories, including kitchen sink cookies, 21+cupcakes, chocolate cookies, and fruitilicious cupcakes. For a small entry fee, anyone can submit their creations. The entries then will be judged to see what baked good reigns supreme.

The public can sample the delectable treats during the event. Tasting cards to sample the baked goods will be available to purchase both prior to the event and at the event. Each $20 tasting card has 10 stamps that can be redeemed for various samples of cupcakes and cookies. Tasting cards can be shared.

Child Advocates II is also looking for community sponsors for the events. There are different levels of sponsorship, which include complimentary entries and tasting cards.

All money raised will go to support the Guardian ad Litem program. The Guardian ad Litem program volunteers advocate for abused and neglected children. Through the support of its nonprofit Child Advocates II, the program is able to provide for the needs of the children and families its serves.

For more information on Child Advocates II or the Guardian ad Litem program and how you can help, please visit www.gal2.org or call 606-1213.

New and Updated Training, Events, Forms and Continuing Education

by David July
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Blog, Continuing Education

Several new and updated items were recently added to our website including an updated volunteer form, new event sponsor, corrected training dates, three new events and a continuing education resource library item.

Volunteer Court Report Form

The Guardian ad Litem Report to the Court document has been revised once again. You can download a fresh copy in Microsoft Word and PDF formats on the Current Volunteers page under Volunteer Forms and Documents.

Event Update

We are happy to welcome The Lamont Family as a gold sponsor for the CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids event on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Jeff Cameron of 97.9 FM ESPN Radio is also confirmed to emcee the event.

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

For details, visit gal2.org/cupcake and then purchase tasting cards or register as a baker or sponsor. Please note that tickets have been renamed to tasting cards to better reflect their purpose and clarify that general admission to the event is free.

Corrected Pre-Service Training Dates

The dates for our May pre-service training classes have been corrected.

Prospective volunteers can also review the Pre-Service Training Classroom Schedule for 2015 for all of this year's monthly training opportunities.

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Continuing Education

One new library item has been added to our continuing education resource center.

  • It's Not Always Depression
    An article by Hilary Jacobs Hendel about how childhood traumas can manifest themselves later in life with the same symptoms as depression.
    filed under Mental Health, Article and Website

Take 5: to Consider the Role of Safety Planning in Reunification Decisions

by Charles Nelson
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Blog, Take 5

The Practice Points to Ponder developed by the University of South Florida's Training Consortium is a very good training tool that discusses the kinds of factors to consider on when it is safe to return a child to a home environment following removal. In the form of a five point question and answer format, guidance is presented on how to determine the least intrusive safety action necessary — or even if in-home placement is the best idea given safety concerns.

If the children have been removed, what must be different in order for the children to be returned home safely? That's the central question when considering reunification. I think we would all agree, it's not merely the completion of a case plan task that drives that decision.

Discuss this with your fellow staff members and your volunteers. You may even want to invite a local community-based care organization to present a brown bag luncheon on safety planning in the reunification decision. It would be well worth a discussion.

Here is a link to the document. It's only a one-pager but very worth the five minutes!

Updated Court Report Form, New Event Sponsors, Rescheduled Training and Four New Events

by David July
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Blog, Continuing Education

Several new and updated items were recently added to our website including an updated volunteer form, new event sponsors, rescheduled training and four new events.

Volunteer Court Report Form

The Guardian ad Litem Report to the Court document has been revised. You can download copies of the current version in Microsoft Word and PDF formats on the Current Volunteers page under Volunteer Forms and Documents.

Event Update

We are happy to welcome Barnaby's Family Inn as a bronze sponsor and Law, Redd, Crona and Munroe, P.A. as a silver sponsor for the CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids event on Saturday, April 18, 2015.

With proceeds benefiting the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, CAII Cupcakes and Cookies for Kids is a friendly competition for amateur and professional bakers and an opportunity for the public to raise money for our program by sampling the various goods.

For details, visit gal2.org/cupcake and then purchase tasting cards or register as a baker or sponsor. Please note that tickets have been renamed to tasting cards to better reflect their purpose and clarify that general admission to the event is free.

Rescheduled Pre-Service Training

The last two dates for our May pre-service training classes have been changed.

Prospective volunteers can also review the Pre-Service Training Classroom Schedule for 2015 for all of this year's monthly training opportunities.

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.