Monthly newsletter sent out to foster families of Kindred Family Focus, a Minnesota-based program of Nexus.

1. KINDRED FAMILY FOCUS YOUTH AND FAMILY SOLUTIONS
A FAMILY MEMBER
DECEMBER 2016 - JANUARY 2017
Lives, Families, and
Communities
Strengthening
Through Our Cornerstone Values
HONESTY
RESPONSIBILITY
COURAGE
CARE & CONCERN
C O N N E C T I O N S
IN THIS ISSUE...
PAGE 2 Update from the Executive
Director
PAGE 3 Updates & Reminders
PAGE 4-5 Education Corner/Education
Opportunities
PAGE6-10 News and CQI Corner
PAGE 11 Announcements & Upcoming
Events
PAGE 12 Contact Information
Keeping Foster Parents
CONNECTEDA Monthly Newsletter from Kindred Family Focus
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2. I hope this finds everyone safe, warm, and thankful for the many blessings each
of us enjoys. For me, the holiday weather was very cold, the food good, and the
cookies even better.
• Kindred continues to license many new homes for both foster care and
adoption. As I have previously said, the same trend continues in that we are now past 80 new homes
over these past two years with no gain in the number of homes providing care. I would encourage
everyone to reflect on our work, the successes we experience and the ever growing number of youth
entering the “system”. The best recruitment tool is one family referring another, please consider doing
such; making a difference in the life of a child.
• The PATH relationship continues to progress. Unless an unknown surprise arises that derails the talks,
we anticipate a formal relationship by early spring. PATH MN brings quality people, quality foster/
adoptive homes, excellent programming and ideas to expand our service programming. The closer the
relationship becomes the more anxious I am to get started - exciting!! The expectation continues to be
that PATH MN will merge with KFF, we are beginning to look at practice differences and how to support
one another in the locations where we co-exist. Within the first 6 months we’ll begin discussions to
review all programs and the strengths and needs of each, areas for new growth and regional county
service needs, and developing strategic goals that will shape our work. Our initial focus will be the
transition of the two agencies coming together.
• DHS recently released Bulletin #16-53-02 announcing the creation of an “Intensive Treatment in Foster
Care” program. The model closely follows COA requirements as well as nationally accepted treatment
models. The key elements include:
• 2 or fewer youth in a home
• Monthly review of the case plan by the foster parent(s) and social worker
• At a minimum, 3 clinical contacts a week for a minimum of two hours each session
• Different foster parent education hours and coursework
• A clinical (treatment) team that coordinates and provides the clinical services to all parties
involved
There certainly is more involved in the model, the intent is to introduce the concept and ask that KFF
families consider whether this model may fit their fostering interests.
• Our CTSS (clinical) program continues to surge, new hires have been added. The program will be integral
to the Intensive model previously described. The Central MN office and Gretchen Welch have successfully
negotiated a contract with Stearns County to begin providing clinical services to families and youth involved
in their Visitation program. Our CTSS program will provide the clinical services and coordinate their work
with the St. Cloud office. I’m not a gambler but I expect other counties to request the same. Very exciting,
congratulations to Gretchen as she has nurtured this program improvement for the past two years.
• A heads up – the Minnesota Social Services Association (MSSA) Conference is scheduled for March 22-
24, to be held at the Minneapolis Hilton. KFF purchases the block rate which allows anyone connected
with KFF to attend without needing to pay a conference fee. It’s a good conference with a large variety
of topics and an easy way to complete your education requirements for the year.
I wish each of you a wonderful and productive 2017. Remember, your fostering makes a difference in the life
of a child. Changing One Life Changes Everything.
George
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL –
From the Executive Director
UPDATE
2 December 2016Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent Newsletter

3. Re-licensing Paperwork
Please remember that your licensing worker will set up a re-
licensing meeting at least two months prior to the expiration
of your license. All license holders should be present at the
re-licensing meeting. At this meeting, you will be expected
to have all re-licensing paperwork complete and ready for
your worker to take back with them. DHS strongly supports
licensing agencies issuing corrective actions to license holders
for delinquent licensing paperwork, including but not limited
to correction orders or denial of a license. Thank you to all the
providers who submit their re-licensing paperwork in a timely
manner!
LeaveofAbsence
Foster families may request a leave of absence for up to 6 months to
provide the foster family a period of rest without foster youth. The
request must be in writing and submitted to your social worker.
The foster family may request to extend their leave of absence by
an additional 6 months. Foster parents are responsible for meeting
DHS licensing requirements during their leave (i.e., relicensing
paperwork/meetings, minimum education requirements).
Education Funds
The education fund spend down ended 12/31/16. On
January 1st, all licensed families again received $100 per
license holder for education funds. Each year, education
funds start over. KFF-sponsored trainings (including online
offerings at www.fosterparents.com/kff) are free of charge
for families licensed or in the process of being licensed.
Out of State Travel
If you will be taking foster
youth out of state, you need
to notify your worker to
obtain permission from the
guardian.
Liaison Activities
Your KFF social worker has
the primary responsibility for contact with the placing
county. The county pays KFF an administrative rate for
case management services (e.g. day-to-day oversight of
the placement, discussion of concerns/issues with the
placement, coordination of youth services). Foster parents
are responsible for making appointments for medical, dental,
school and therapy. It is the team’s decision though as to
whether or not specific services (e.g. therapy) are appropriate
for the youth. The various roles of team members should be
discussed at the time of the initial and quarterly reviews.
Any variances must be identified in the youth’s plan.
Respite Funds
Respite funds are earned at the rate of 1.17 days per month
at the youth’s per diem, which is the equivalent of 14 days of
respite at the youth’s per diem each year. Respite accounts
cap at: $2,000 for families serving 4 or fewer placements
or $4,000 for families serving 5 or more placements. ART
placements earn respite funds at the rate of $200 per month
per placement.
Safe Sleep Reminder
Foster care providers must comply with the requirements of
245A.1435 – Reduction of Risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant
Death in Licensed Programs (listed below). If violations are
determined a correction order, as well as a possible fine, will be
issued.
(a) When a license holder is placing an infant to sleep, the
license holder must place the infant on the infant’s back,
unless the license holder has documentation from the infant’s
physician directing an alternative sleeping position for the
infant. The physician directive must be on a form approved
by the commissioner and must remain on file at the licensed
location. An infant who independently rolls onto its stomach
after being placed to sleep on its back may be allowed to remain
sleeping on its stomach if the infant is at least six months of age
or the license holder has a signed statement from the parent
indicating that the infant regularly rolls over at home.
(b) The license holder must place the infant in a crib directly
on a firm mattress with a fitted sheet that is appropriate to the
mattress size, that fits tightly on the mattress, and overlaps the
underside of the mattress so it cannot be dislodged by pulling on
the corner of the sheet with reasonable effort. The license holder
must not place anything in the crib with the infant except for
the infant’s pacifier, as defined in Code of Federal Regulations,
title 16, part 1511. The requirements of this section apply to
license holders serving infants younger than one year of age.
(c) If an infant falls asleep before being placed in a crib, the license
holder must move the infant to a crib as soon as practicable, and
must keep the infant within sight of the license holder until
the infant is placed in a crib. When an infant falls asleep while
being held, the license holder must consider the supervision
needs of other children in care when determining how long to
hold the infant before placing the infant in a crib to sleep. The
sleeping infant must not be in a position where the airway may
be blocked or with anything covering the infant’s face.
(d) Placing a swaddled infant down to sleep in a licensed setting
is not recommended for an infant of any age and is prohibited
for any infant who has begun to roll over independently. Prior
to any use of swaddling for sleep by a provider licensed under
this chapter, the license holder must obtain informed written
consent for the use of swaddling from the parent or guardian of
the infant on a form provided by the commissioner and prepared
in partnership with the Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center.
And Reminders
UPDATES
3Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent NewsletterDecember 2016

4. Training Transcript
The2016educationyearhasended. Anupdatededucationtranscriptwasmailed
to you mid-December. By the end of the year, each license holder’s transcript
mustcontainatotalof24hoursofeducation(whichmayincludesomewaivered
hours). In addition, each license holder must also be in compliance with their
mandatory trainings, including the DHS required annual hour of mental health training. Education hours for 2016 were to be submitted
to your local office by December 31st.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
December 2016Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent Newsletter
Corner
EDUCATION
4
Event Date/Time Location
CPR/FirstAid January 6, 27, February 10, 24
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Orion Associates
9400 GoldenValley Road, GoldenValley
www.orionassoc.net/training/ Cost $50
CARS (Child & Restraint Systems) Class January7
9:00a.m.–12:30p.m.
Altru, Grand Forks
Register at 701-780-1639 Cost $30/person
First Aid January9
6:00–10:00p.m.
Warroad Public Safety
Contact 218-386-1161 ext. 2 Cost $40
CPR / First Aid January10
9:00a.m.–3:30p.m.
Leech Lake Ambulance, Cass Lake
FREE
CPR January10
6:00–10:00p.m.
Warroad Public Safety
Contact 218-386-1161 ext. 2 Cost $40
The Impact of FASD on Foster & Adoptive
Families
January 11
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Webinar
Register at www.mnadopt.org Cost $18/person
CARS (Child & Restraint Systems) Class January 11, 27, February 8
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Orion Associates
9400 GoldenValley Road, GoldenValley
www.orionassoc.net/training/ Cost $50
CPR January 12
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Riverview Hospital, Crookston
Contact 218-281-9405 Cost $45
Children and Restraint Systems January 17
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Webinar
Register at www.mnadopt.org Cost $18/person
Children and Restraint Systems January 17
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
State Bank of New Prague
1101 1st Street SE, New Prague Cost $30
Contact Diane Hrabe at hrabe@bevcomm.net
www.sclfcca.com/Training?newPragueC.A.R.S.Training.pdf
CPR / First Aid January 18, February 2, 15
12:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Orion Associates
9400 GoldenValley Road, GoldenValley
www.orionassoc.net/training/ Cost $50
CPR/FirstAid January 18
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Mille Lacs Academy, Onamia
Contact Denise at ddallas@nexus-mla.org or
320-532-4005 ext. 544 Cost $27 each
Pre-AdoptionTraining
(20 HoursTotal)
Trainers–GretchenWelch&KristieKremer
January20
8:00a.m.–5:00p.m.
January21
9:00a.m.–4:00p.m.
Riverside Evangelical Church
405 Riverside Avenue North, Sartell
RSVP at 320-529-0862 or kkremer@nexus-kff.org
CPR/First Aid January20
9:00a.m.–2:00p.m.
Gerard Academy, Austin
Contact Pam Fischer at pfischer@nexus-gerard.org

5. Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent NewsletterDecember 2016
Opportunities
EDUCATION
Event Date/Time Location
1-2-3 Magic January21
8:30a.m.–4:00p.m.
ResourceTraining&Solutions,13723rdStreetSouth,Sartell
Registeratwww.resourcetraining.comor844-335-3276by1/9 Cost$60
Rage, Anger and Aggression in Children &
Adolescents: How to Understand & Calm
the Angry Mind
January24
7:00–9:00p.m.
ResourceTraining & Solutions, 137 23rd Street South, Sartell
Register at www.resourcetraining.com or 844-335-3276 by 1/10
Cost $15
How to Engage with Adopted and Foster
Teens
January25
6:30–8:30p.m.
Lutheran Social Services, 2400 Park Avenue, Minneapolis
Register at www.mnadopt.org
Cost $20/person or $35/parenting couple
Putting the PiecesTogether – How Early
Experiences Can Play Out OverTime
January26
6:30–8:30p.m.
Olmsted County Social Services
2117 Campus Dr. SE, Rochester
Register at www.mnadopt.org
Cost $20/person or $30/parenting couple
First Aid February2
6:00–10:00p.m.
Riverview Hospital, Crookston
Contact 218-281-9405 Cost $45
CARS (Child & Restraint Systems) Class February 7
6:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Altru, Grand Forks
Register at 701-780-1639 Cost $30/person
InTouch Parenting: Helping ChildrenWho
Use Behavior as Language
February 8
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
CHS/LSS, 1605 Eustis St., St. Paul
Register at www.mnadopt.org
Cost $20/person or $35/parenting couple
CPR February 9
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Riverview Hospital, Crookston
Contact 218-281-9405 Cost $45
Going the Extra Mile: LaunchingTeens
andYoung Adults with Special Needs
February 16 Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)
www.adoptionsupport.org First 300 registrants are FREE
Parenting the Love and LogicWay February 18
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
ResourceTraining&Solutions,13723rdStreetSouth,Sartell
Registeratwww.resourcetraining.comor844-335-3276by2/4 Cost$60
Children and Restraint Systems February 21
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
State Bank of New Prague
1101 1st Street SE, New Prague Cost $30
Contact Diane Hrabe at hrabe@bevcomm.net
www.sclfcca.com/Training?newPragueC.A.R.S.Training.pdf
BestYou = BalancedYou February 27
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
ResourceTraining & Solutions, 137 23rd Street South, Sartell
Registeratwww.resourcetraining.comor844-335-3276by2/13 Cost$15
Introduction to FASD for Resource
Families
March 21
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
DouglasCountyPublicWorks,526WillowDrive,Alexandria
RegisterwithJenniferat320-762-3814orjenniferm@co.douglas.mn.us
FREE
Child Passenger RestraintTraining 1stTuesday & last Saturday generally
monthly
AAA Office
600WestTravelersTrails, Burnsville
Cost $25 non-AAA members; $15 AAA members
Contact Shannon at 612-414-9590 or Shannon.swanson@charter.net
OnlineTraining www.mnadopt.org/training
www.fosterparentcollege.com
OnlineTraining 1. Fill in registration form at www.fosterparents.com/kfs
2. Select courses and submit by clicking on“Submit”button
3. Your course links will be emailed within 24 hours (usually within minutes)
4. Read the course material – take test
5. Receivecertificateofcompletionbye-mailorchoosetodownloaddirectlytoyourcomputerandgivetoyoursocialworker
***These trainings are only able to be utilized by KFF licensed homes unless prior approval is received from a KFF social worker.
5

6. and CQI Corner
NEWS
Away from home. If reports from the Children’s Bureau
under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
are any indication, more than 400,000 kids nationwide fall
into that category each year, forced to depend on foster
care during childhood.
And between the Anderson and Peterson families in Blue
Earth, 11 of them are right in town.
Eleven children away from home.
Supported through Kindred Family Focus, the largest
private foster care provider in the state, they are divided
between Mike and Marilyn Anderson and Scott and
Lisa Peterson eight with the Andersons, three with the
Petersons.
If all the local foster children, both past and present, are
to be counted, the two families have actually hosted more
than 35 kids over the years.
In any light, it is a hefty number. A burden so unimaginable
to some, so trying to both the kids and families at times
and, yet, so incomparably rewarding to the little boys and
girls who have been cast aside or left without love early in
life those raised by someone other than their parents.
“There’s always a need,” says Marilyn, who also has two
biological children of her own, plus a son from Mike. “And
I can’t say no. These girls just want to be loved. They may
make you want to tear your hair out but they teach us
things every day.”
The girls she is referring to, of course, are eight of the 11
foster kids that the Andersons and Petersons take pride
in raising: Allie, 9; Heidi, 16; Izzy, 14; Jessica, 12; Katie,
15; Kylie, 17; Marina, 16; Mary, 13. And in the Anderson
household, not one of the girls is considered a mere
number from the Kindred program, which specializes in
serving youth who have everything from traumatic pasts
and behavioral issues to self-harm and substance abuse
problems.
“We don’t use the word ‘foster,’” Marilyn says. “They’re
just our kids.”
The open-arms approach was perhaps best exemplified
when the family earlier this year opted to expand its roster
of children on, literally, a moment’s notice.
“At the beginning of the year, we had three (foster) kids,”
recalls Marilyn. “But one time, the county called and asked
if we had any extra room, saying, ‘We have a girl that needs
to be placed in the next 15 minutes,’ and we took her and
have had her ever since.”
The total of children, then, blossomed from three to eight
rather quickly, and that bunch does not even include Kris,
19, who grew up with the Andersons and is now in her
freshman year at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“Some people are foster parents for the money or the
publicity,” says Kris, who was adopted by another family
from Russia at age seven but now calls the Anderson house
her home. “But Mike and Marilyn treated their own kids just
like they did me, so I never felt like I was in a foster home.”
It is no wonder that Lisa Peterson, mother to three of her
own foster kids, stays close with the Andersons in her own
push to better the lives of the children she has embraced.
“We did the same agency together,” Peterson says,
remembering when she first explored foster care 16 years
ago. “Then you have that go-to person to talk to, to vent
to.”
Like Marilyn, Lisa has children of her own: Cooper, 10;
Ty, 13; Blake, 19; and Slater, 23. So blending biological
relatives with three new daughters Destiny, 12; Jacque, 13;
and Taylor, 16 is not only a perpetual exercise of patience
but, on a larger scale, an opportunity to make a difference
in the way three girls are raised.
“This is what I feel is my calling,” Lisa says. “It can be
trying. There are lots of emotions. But you keep pushing
because I just see potential in everybody we’ve had.”
Everybody, she explains, includes the trio of girls she now
calls her own on top of at least 15 others from years past.
“You look at them and see the goodness in them,” she
says. “We can help them make better choices, help them
realize they don’t need drugs, don’t need alcohol, and the
ultimate goal is reunification with their families.”
THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE
Article by Cody Benjamin of Faribault County Register – December 18, 2016
December 2016Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent Newsletter6

7. NEWS
and CQI Corner
The process, from adjusting to a new home to dealing with
potentially unfamiliar family values, is often a rigorous
one for the kids and parents alike.
Taylor, the oldest of Peterson’s three foster children,
admits as much.
“I didn’t like it at first,” she says. “I didn’t like anyone.”
A blunt, albeit understandable, statement from a
youngster caught in a balancing act of biological and
unofficial guardians.
“But then I finally realized they care,” she says, motioning
slightly to Lisa.
The immersion of Kris, the Andersons’ 19-year-old college
student, into her own new home in town paints a similar
picture.
“Going through orphanages and treatment, I learned that
in order to move forward in life, I have to put my trust in
some people,” she says. “I chose to put my trust in Mike
and Marilyn, and they have yet to fail me, and I know
they won’t because of the relationship we built.”
That type of connection is exactly what the Andersons
and Petersons hope to forge with all the new members of
the household they welcome. In fact, all the hardships of
raising someone else’s kids, let alone the usual conflicts of
teenage girlhood, are worth it if the youngsters take even
the slightest step forward in their personal journeys.
“They just want to be loved,” says Marilyn. “When they
write their bio down and get past that part of their life,
it’s big.”
Some girls have remained under the wings of the two Blue
Earth families longer than others. Some have been in and
out, returning for visits with biological parents. Some had
trouble adjusting to foster care altogether.
All of them, though, are welcomed, and that branches
beyond the time constraints of temporary foster care.
“When they come back and see you, it’s special,” says
Marilyn. “We’ve been doing this for 18 years, and all of
them are coming back for Christmas.”
Lisa recalls a homecoming for her first-ever foster kids,
now in their 30s with children of their own, with just as
much appreciation.
“The first year after they left, she (the girl) sent me a
Mother’s Day card,” she says. “And the boy, who said all
of six words to me while he was here, came back to visit
and called me Mom.”
When it comes to the kids currently in the homes of
Lisa, Marilyn and their families, there is no shortage of
diversity or activity among them, both in their varying
backgrounds and everyday lives in and outside of school
at Blue Earth Area.
Some, like in Kris’ case, are from overseas. Most are from
all over Minnesota. Others are from North and South
Dakota.
Kris played volleyball, and now Mary is doing the same.
Ditto for Destiny, with the Petersons. Kylie is a published
artist. Izzy is a Scrabble genius, according to Marilyn.
Taylor plays cello, does track and gymnastics. Destiny
plays the flute in between sports. Katie is an avid animal
lover in a house where lizards, snakes and goats are among
the pets. And Jacque, with the Petersons’ two young boys
by her side, prefers “hanging out with the squad.”
All of them, of course, in some sense or another, are still
away from home.
Another reason the two local families jump at the chance
to take care of the kids?
“Nobody else will,” says Marilyn, conveying the cold
reality of not only the widespread demand for mentors of
troubled youth but the situations that led to that need in
the first place.
And yet, to some of those same girls residing with the
Andersons, the Petersons and perhaps the thousands of
other foster-care families across the state, things are a
little brighter.
A sign in the Andersons’ house, hanging on the entryway
of a living room stuffed with more pets and Christmas
stockings than a scene out of “Cheaper by the Dozen,”
reads, “Blood doesn’t make family.”
It was a gift from the children, a token of appreciation
picked up during one of the family’s many out-of-town
excursions.
And, in a way, a signal that maybe the kids are not fully
away from home.
A signal that maybe they are home.
And until they are told otherwise, the parents have not a
single problem with that.
“They’ll always have a home here,” says Marilyn. “We’ll
keep them all as long as they let us.”
Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent NewsletterDecember 2016 7

8. and CQI Corner
NEWS
The Nexus Practice Model aligns WHAT we want to accomplish through
our Mission Statement with HOW we will accomplish it through our
everyday practices to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for
our youth and families.
The Nexus Practice Model reflects the important and meaningful goals,
values, and practices that Nexus staff bring to their interactions with
families and children, so we can work with intention toward Safety,
Permanency, and Well-being for all youth. It also helps ensure that
no matter where a child is treated within the Nexus system, they
will receive the high-level services we define as “Nexus”. There are
10 principles that guide the interactions of staff members and foster
caregivers toward youth, family, and community members.
In collaboration with Chapin Hall, in addition to creating a practice
model, Nexus selected an aligning functional assessment tool, the
Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS). The CANS will help
us more accurately assess a child’s needs and strengths at placement,
during care, and at discharge. The CANS will also allow us to observe
trends and changes across Nexus programs and sites, as well as to
evaluate how well the Nexus Practice Model is integrated across sites.
The implementation process of the CANS is underway at all sites. KFF
has completed training of supervisors, and will be developing the roll-
out plan for staff with the assessments beginning in 2017.
NEXUS PRACTICE MODEL
PRACTICE MAKES
PERFECT
The Nexus Practice Model aligns
what we want to accomplish
through our mission statement with
how we will accomplish it through
our everyday practices to achieve
safety, permanency, and well-
being for our youth and families.
MISSION
Strengthening Lives, Families,
and Communities Through Our
Cornerstone Values
CORNERSTONE VALUES
Honesty, Responsibility, Courage,
Care and Concern
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Community, Customer Satisfaction,
Hope, Innovation, Integrity,
Respect, Stewardship
PRACTICE PRINCIPLES
Values-Oriented, Relationship-
Based, Individualized and
Strengths-Focused, Culturally
Responsive, Trauma-Informed,
Family-Driven, Youth Guided,
Skill and Competency-Based,
Evidence Informed, Outcomes
Driven
OUTCOMES
Safety, Permanency, Well-Being
èèèè
December 2016Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent Newsletter8

9. NEWS
and CQI Corner
As a foster parent, it’s important to understand your foster child’s past and
plan ahead for his future. What better time to make that happen than the New
Year? We’ve gathered a handful of the most common New Year’s resolutions and
unpacked them as they pertain to foster parents. Use these foster parent New
Year’s resolutions to help you and your child move confidently into 2017.
Foster Parent New Year’s Resolutions: Volunteer to help others: You’ve already
got this one down pat – by becoming a foster parent you’ve shown that you’re
committed to others’ well being. In fact, in every moment that a foster child
finds comfort in your home you are actively improving his life and improving the
condition of your community, too.
Foster Parent NewYear’s Resolutions: Loseweight: More than just an appeal to get
in shape, losing weight is about removing excess and streamlining your life. We
knowyoucaredeeplyforyourfosterchild,socommitthisyeartotakingtimefrom
something less pressing and devoting it to your foster child’s well being.You’ll be
surprisedhowmuchmoretimeyouhaveforthethingsthatcountwhenyouletgo
of the things that don’t.
Foster Parent New Year’s Resolutions: Learn something new: Learning more
is never a bad thing – it empowers you to make the right decisions and take
control of your life. This year, resolve to brush up on your knowledge of foster
care.
Foster Parent New Year’s Resolutions: Take a trip: There is the obvious way to do
this – hop in a car or book a flight – but less people tout the benefits of a mental
vacation. It’s important to set aside time for yourself each day – to de-stress,
reflect and prepare for the day ahead – so that you can continue to manage your
life effectively. We all know that investing yourself so deeply into the well being
of your foster child is a big task, but no matter how pressured you feel by your
obligations, be sure to take a few moments to appreciate a bit of peace and quiet
of your own.
For some of us, 2016 flew by and for others it may have felt like it would never
end.Butthere’snodoubtingthatforyourfosterchildren,2016wasmadesomuch
more special by your willingness to open your home and your heart. Here’s to an
inspiring, upbeat, healthy, rewarding NewYear for you and your children in care!
FOSTER PARENT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
This New Year is a blank canvas. Use these foster parent New Year’s resolutions to paint an inspiring picture on it.
Foster and Adoptive Family Services Blog by Thomas Castles – December 29, 2014
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) efforts touch many aspects of Nexus/KFF services and practices. As the Nexus
continuum of care and services have expanded, so have our CQI efforts and our focus on outcomes. As a result, each site
worked together to create the 2015 Performance and Outcomes Report. Below are some highlights from the report. It is no
wonder that we are all so busy when you look at all the clients we have served and the vast locations of our homes.
Nexus served nearly 2,200 youth and families in 2015 across our sites and services.
NEXUS 2015 PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOMES REPORT
The map shows current locations of KFF’s foster homes.In 2015, Kindred Family Focus provided services to 950 youth and families.
Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent NewsletterDecember 2016 9

10. and CQI Corner
NEWS
The 7th Annual Turkey Trot was held November 12th in Fergus Falls. This was
the first year the proceeds from the event supported Kindred CARES. Over 200
walkers and runners participated in the 1 mile, 5K, or 10K. It was a beautiful,
sunny, crisp morning. Staff from Kindred Family Focus volunteered at different
spots on the route cheering on runners; lots of community volunteers helped as
well. Thefemaleandmalewinnersofthe5Kand10Kwereawardedhugeturkeys
for their Thanksgiving dinners. Many thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, and
participants who helped make the day a success! Mark your calendars for next
year’s race – November 11, 2017!
TURKEY TROT 2016
RogerLeeprovidedgreatmusic,andthekidslovedhiskeyboard!
MomanddaughtervolunteersembracingtheTurkeytheme.Allagesenjoyedtheonemile!
Theyareoff!Runnerslinedupatthestartofthe5Kand10K.
December 2016Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent Newsletter10

11. Congratulations go out to Tommy and Rachel M. on the
recent adoption of Ravion and Markia.
It is so wonderful for our youth to have a permanent home!
CONGRATULATIONS ON RECENT ADOPTIONS!
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS!
Happy Holidays from the Metro/South and NE Region and
Central Region staff!
1/24 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Hunan Restaurant in
Fergus Falls.
SHARE & SUPPORT
Kindred Family Focus Foster Parent NewsletterDecember 2016
ANNOUNCEMENTS
& Upcoming Events
11
WELCOME NEW FAMILIES!
Please welcome our newest Kindred Family Focus families:
Michael & Aquarius Jones – Hutchinson (12/1)
Bryan & Jennifer Eiferd – Rockford (12/14)
John &Tara Burthwick – McIntosh (12/21)
Maria & Erika Dominguez – Sleepy Eye (12/22)
Jason & Dawn Nelson – Rush City (12/28)
DeanWesterberg&TammyHagenbeck-Westerberg–MooseLake(12/29)
WELCOME NEW STAFF
Boozhoo (Hello or Greetings)
Iwantedtotakeafewminutestointroduce
myself as the new “Consuelo Silbernagel,”
also known as the Case Worker for Crisis
Nursery ServingWright County.
I am a Native American Ojibwa decent of
the Grand Portage Reservation. I come to
the Kindred Family Focus team with 24
years of experience working with families
of all backgrounds and needs. I primarily worked in the Human Services field
with job titles ranging but most of them had me working alongside and on
behalf of families as a Case Manager. For 10 years of my career, I spent working
at St. Stephens Human Services primarily focused on families and individuals
who faced homelessness, but I also assisted clients with other challenging
obstacles such as chemical dependency and mental health. The list could go
on. When I first began in this field, I was just 20 and took on a home visiting
position working with teen parents at the Division of Indian Work. Over the
courseoftime,IreturnedtotheDivisionofIndianWorktwoseparatetimesand
in one role I managed the food shelf. More recently I worked to reduce infant
mortality rates among Native Americans as the Women’s Traditional Birthing
Coordinator.
On a personal note, I am a mother of five and grandma to seven. In addition
to all my professional experiences I was once a licensed foster home. Over the
last few years, I returned to school to fulfill my dream of obtaining a degree
in Human Services. In addition I have spent the last year fostering my own
grandchildren. In summary, I love working with families and strongly believe
in family connectedness and unity. I look forward to meeting you all in person
and working alongside each of you.
Ruth Mestas
• Central Region Holiday Party for foster care providers
on January 17th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Westside
Events & Learning Center in Sartell. Please RSVP to
320-529-0862.
• Metro/South Region Holiday Party on January 21st
from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Sky Deck Sports
Grille and Lanes on the 4th Floor of the Mall of
America. Please RSVP to Sarah at 612-331-4429 or
sbalenger@nexus-kff.org.
• Brainerd Area Holiday Party on January 22nd
from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Rapid River Lodge and
Waterpark, Comfort Suites, 7376 Woida Road, Baxter.
RSVP at 218-828-3900 by January 17th. Nancy will
assign potluck items for each family to bring.
HOLIDAY PARTIES

12. 9766 Fallon Avenue NE #107
Monticello, MN 55362
CONTACT
KINDRED FAMILY FOCUS
Lorie Gratke
lgratke@nexus-kff.org
218-828-3900
CONNECTIONS EDITOR
ADMIN OFFICE
9766 Fallon Avenue NE #107
Monticello, MN 55362
PH: 763-271-1670
NORTHWEST REGION
Fergus Falls Office
220WestWashington Avenue #B2
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
PH: 218-739-3074
Bemidji Office
619 Beltrami Avenue NW #101
Bemidji, MN 56601
PH: 218-332-0110
METRO/SOUTH REGION
Metro Office
2277 Hwy 36West #310
Roseville, MN 55113
PH: 612-331-4429
CENTRAL REGION
Brainerd Office
17025 Commercial Park Road #6
Brainerd, MN 56401
PH: 218-828-3900
St. Cloud Office
412 Great Oak Drive
Waite Park, MN 56387
PH: 320-529-0862
NORTHEAST REGION
Cloquet Office
1302 Cloquet Avenue
Cloquet, MN 55720
PH: 218-722-6106
After-Hours Emergency:
877-838-9817
NEXUS CORPORATE OFFICE
505 Highway 169 North #500
Plymouth, MN 55441-6447
PH: 763-551-8640
FX: 763-551-1637
www.nexustreatment.org