We have created our program PAGES FOR ANGELS to help foster children
in this county and others to record their own importance.
They come to us one by one with little or nothing but the clothes on
their backs and the painful memories that have brought them to
foster homes - travelers in the System whose futures are uncertain.
As foster parents we help them heal physically by changing their
dressings and dabbing their crying eyes; psychologically by
providing nurturing homes with positive role models dedicated to
improving their quality of life and emotionally by soothing their
wounded spirits and building their self-esteem.
We have cared for many foster children who have crossed the
threshold of our homes without a single photograph of themselves or
their family.
Recently, California's Department of Children's Services has tried
to address this issue. One of the new guidelines for a foster parent
is to provide a foster child with a "Life Book". Foster parents can
help a child maintain links to his/her family's past by creating
life books together. A life book is a scrapbook that contains
photos, children's artwork and memorabilia that records the child's
life while in a foster home.
Everyone likes to remember the good things about where they've been,
no matter how hard the times were. Foster children need these ties
more than most children. Pictures, letters, birth records, school &
health records, greeting cards made at school and other items can
become of huge importance to them. Many items can be kept in
scrapbooks that the children can take with them when they leave the
foster home.
We are interested in providing scrapbook pages in 8 x 8 and 12 x 12
sizes for America's foster children to help make positive memories
for them. We need scrapbook pages that pictures can be added to - be
as creative or as simple as you want. Words of encouragement, that
are positive and ego building can also be added.
Possibilities include "dare to dream", "believe in your dreams",
"all about me", "miracles come when you least expect them", "dream
big", "reach for the stars", "the sky's the limit", "a smile so
sweet", "loveable you", "oh the places you'll go", "so many
expressions, one amazing face", etc. - the website scrapbook.com has
a resource section of titles and quotes.
Once Angels in Waiting gets the pages we package them in vinyl
zipper pouches with all our contact information - our web site
address, our 1-800 number and a list of support services that are
available to children as they move about the System. We send the
pages to private foster family agencies and Children's Services and
they in turn get them to the children. Once the children get the
pages they can make contact with us directly.
Often these children have no anchors - we aim to be a life-long
support system for them in their times of need - to make them feel
our outstretched arms of love and support. How empowering for them
to know that there are so many who care for them.
If you would like your pages to go to children in your county,
please let us know and we will see to it that they get there. Please
provide the address and phone number from your local foster family
agencies or The Department of Children's Services in your county.
Please make sure your information (ie: your scrap club, a photo of
your club etc. ) is in the package when you send it to us so we can
display your club and your pages on our website. We will do our best
to keep in touch and let you know how your pages have made a
difference.
With love and self esteem there is always hope for our children, and
when they are able to see pictures of themselves on pages you have
created you have done an immense service by helping them and
inspiring them to continue on their own.
Angels in Waiting is in desperate need for albums for your scrapbook
pages as well. Donations of scrapbook supplies and embellishments
will be greatly appreciated. What ever you want to donate we will
graciously accept and use during our upcoming Scrap Therapy
workshops for foster parents and foster children.
Please send your pages and any donations to:
Angels in Waiting
P.O. Box 1221
Blue Jay, CA 92317
1 (800) 974 4274