This is July 2017 newsletter for Kindred Family Focus supporters.

1. 505 Hwy 169 North, Suite 500
Plymouth, MN 55441
612-331-4429 • www.changingonelife.org
Timber Dash 5K & Kids Fun Run
Saturday, October 7, 2017, Bertram Chain of Lakes, Monticello, MN
Register online at www.timberdash.com
Supports Crisis Nursery serving Wright County programming for children
and families in need
Turkey Trot 5K, 10K & 1 Mile
Saturday, November 11, 2017, Fergus Falls, MN
Register online at www.FergusFallsTurkeyTrot.org
Support Kindred CARES funding for foster parents and
the youth in their care
Holiday Parties Celebrating Our Foster Families
Dates and locations coming soon!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

2. KINDRED FAMILY FOCUS YOUTH AND FAMILY SOLUTIONS
A FAMILY MEMBER
Alison Sherman
Kindred Family Focus
Development Coordinator
It’s the start of another school
year. Families are busy going
school supply shopping, buying
new clothes, signing up for
activities, and readjusting to a
new schedule. Children are
looking forward to the new year
and new experiences.
Children in foster care are no
different. They just need a loving
foster home to nurture them
physically, emotionally, and
spiritually, so they can be ready
for what’s ahead.
It all starts with great foster parents.
This issue features a woman who
has seen both sides of foster care.
Tammi Stoos’s story is inspiring,
and I hope it will move you as
much as it has moved me.
We need more foster parents like
Tammi. The opioid crisis is driving
an urgent need for foster parents,
especially for infants. Minnesota’s
need for foster parents has gone
up 33% in just the last year.
This issue will give you more
information on ways you can help.
Thank you for all you do to
positively impact a child’s life.
From The Heart
THE FOCUS
As Tammi Stoos tells her story, Kelly
Clarkson’s song“Piece by Piece”plays
in the background. We learn of the
importance of the lyrics “and the
father could stay” as we learn that
Stoos grew up in foster care. She
speaks about her experiences with
the system both as a child and now
as a grown woman. She lives by the
motto,“Never give away the day.”
When Stoos left foster care, she
went to college and became a social
worker herself. She trained foster,
adoptive, and kinship care providers,
as well as human service supervisors.
As an active member of the Foster
Care Alumni of America, she has
reviewed child welfare systems for
the Federal Government.
Tammi Stoos is now a foster and
adoptive parent herself, with 6
children currently under her care.
But she has touched the lives of
many more children. Stoos has
commemorated her passion for
her biological, adopted, and foster
children with a tattoo. She currently
has 8 completed pieces on her arm,
and says she has 18 more to go.
She will also need to find space to
represent her 5 grandchildren, she
adds.
Having seen the foster care system
from every angle, Stoos is brutally
honest about the experience. She
really connects with foster children
because she understands their
mindset and knows that they may be
thinking, “There must be something
wrong with me because the last people
on Earth who should have hurt me did
just that.” Her unflinching candor lets
the youth know they cannot say or
ask anything that will shock her or
cause her to judge them.
Stoos says she believes the most
important aspect of foster parenting
is supporting and talking to the
children at the level they are at;
understanding that longing and loss
will be present along the way.
FOSTER CARE FULL CIRCLE
Tammi Stoos has seen both sides of the
foster care system. As a foster parent, she
has given a loving home to 27 youth in
need.
“Never
give away
the day”
-Tammi Stoos

3. All across America, addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin
is destroying families and causing a surge in foster care
admissions.
Minnesota is one of five states seeing the largest increase in
foster care admissions due to the opioid crisis. Since 2016,
there has been a 33% increase in the number of children
needing placement. Additionally, because federal laws
require hospitals to notify Child Protective Services if infants
have been affected by prenatal substance exposure, more
newborns are in need of foster homes.
Parental drug and alcohol addiction robs parents of their
ability to safely care for their children. A substance abuse
disorder can change a parent’s brain structure and lead to
destructive behaviors such as ignoring their child’s needs,
lashing out in anger or violence, or becoming fixated on
acquiring more drugs.
Kindred Family Focus has stepped-up efforts to meet the crisis:
• Recruiting new foster parents
• Working through sponsors to gain public awareness
• Creating new roles for recruiting
• Generating an outreach campaign
Children need stable, loving foster homes to help protect their
long-term emotional, mental, and physical health. To learn
how you can help, visit www.changingonelife.org or contact
Alison Sherman at asherman@nexus-yfs.org or 612-505-9946.
“KIDS WILL RISE TO THE LEVEL EXPECTED OF THEM.”
There has been a
surge of infants
needing foster
care, as a result
of parental opioid
addiction.
She wants current foster parents to understand that“as adults, you need to
expect the children in your care to succeed. Kids will rise to the level expected of
them.”
She says living happily and healthfully is the greatest gift that a foster parent
can give to the youth in their care. Tammi says she succeeded in life because she
saw the happy and healthy life she had with her foster parents and wanted it for
herself. While fulfilling that dream, she has helped dozens of children along the
way.
If you would like to be a foster parent or help foster families and the youth in their care by volunteering or
donating, please contact asherman@nexus-yfs.org or call 612-505-9946.
Fost
er Care
Full Cir
cle
Helping theVictims of the Opioid Crisis

4. IT’S 6 O’CLOCK: WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
Papa John’s Pizza Dollars for Dough Fundraiser
20% OFF and 20% DONATED to
Kindred Family Focus
When you, your family and friends order online from Papa John's
and use this Promo Code: “KFF”, receive 20% off the total order at
regular menu price. Papa John’s will also donate 20% of the total
net sales generated by the Promo Code to Kindred Family Focus.
Papa John’s Pizza is committed to the mission of Kindred Family
Focus. Please support our “Dollars for Dough” fundraiser!
.
Online Only Offer @ PapaJohns.com
Promo Code: KFF
(ONLINE
ORDERS
ONLY)
PROMO CODE: KFF
Offer good at participating Papa John’s restaurants in MN only. Not valid with any other coupons or discounts. Limited delivery area,
charges may apply. Customer responsible for all applicable sales tax.
Papa John’s Dollars for Dough
Fundraiser for
Kindred Family Focus
PROMO CODE: KFF
PATH MN and Kindred Family Focus (KFF) merged on April 1, 2017,
to expand and strengthen programs and offer more services to
Minnesota foster youth and families.
PATH MN’s offices and programs are now marketed under the Kindred
Family Focus brand, under the leadership of George Hendrickson,
Executive Director. Jay Kimball, former Executive Director of PATH MN,
now serves as the Eastern Operations Director for Kindred Family
Focus.
The merger positions Kindred Family Focus as the largest private foster and adoption agency in Minnesota,
offering expanded services in almost all areas of the state.
George Hendrickson, Executive Director of Kindred Family Focus, said,“The need for foster care is greater
than ever. We are so pleased to have such a strong partner for growth.”
Jay Kimball
Eastern Operations Director
Kindred Family Focus
George Hendrickson
Executive Director
Kindred Family Focus
PATH MN and Kindred Family Focus Merge
to Meet Minnesota’s Growing Need for Foster Care
From OurTable toYours
Back to school means back to soccer games, band
practice, study groups, swim lessons, and busy
evenings and weekends.
With all that going on, we want to help by giving
you one less thing to worry about. When the kids
ask, “What’s for dinner?” we’ve got you covered.
Kindred Family Focus has partnered with Papa
John’s to offer our donors 20%off your order with
promotion code: KFF.
When you order using the code, 20% of the
proceeds will go to Kindred Family Focus to help
youth in foster care.
So serve up a slice knowing you saved some
money and helped youth in foster care!

5. A decentralized grassroots effort builds real,
sustainable support in many areas, including
recurring contributions and volunteer support.
The following electric cooperatives through their
Operation Round Up Programs have generously given
their support to Kindred CARES:
Goodhue Electric $300
Itasca Mantrap Cooperative Electric $500
Stearns Electric Association $500
Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative $500
Meeker Cooperative $750
Minnesota Valley Electric Trust $750
Lyon-Lincoln Electric Trust $1,000
People’s Energy Cooperative $1,000
South Central Electric Association $1,000
The following Lions Clubs and businesses have also
given in support of Kindred CARES:
Albertville Lions $400
Maple Grove Lions $500
Allianz Life Insurance $1,500
Thank you to the Otto Bremer Foundation, the Mardag Foundation,
and the Northland Foundation for their generous support of the three
recruiter/licensor positions working around the state. With their help,
there will be more foster families available to help children overcome
the challenges facing them and to thrive.
Thank you, again, to Enterprise Fleet
Management (above), MattressFirm (top
right), and the Plymouth Lions (right) for
Supporting the Kindred Family Focus
Valley Fair Picnic Celebrating Our Foster
and Adoptive Families on July 28.
You Helped Make It aVery Special Day!
WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO

6. Kindred CARES helps foster parents provide the same growth opportunities to children in fos-
ter care as their peers enjoy – opportunities to get involved, to learn something new, to partic-
ipate in sports, and to build their self-confidence. This crucial resource supports unreimbursed
expenses and allows youth to more fully experience everything life has to offer.
The value of such opportunities and activities goes far beyond fun and enjoyment, and lasts
a lifetime. A strong body of research supports the critical importance of school and commu-
nity involvement in the development of resilience and essential “protective factors” such as
relational skills, problem-solving skills and the ability to manage and control emotions and
behaviors. These attributes and strengths mitigate negative experiences and challenges, and
help children cope in the face of adversity.
Children in foster care have experienced more than their share of trauma and loss. Access to
school and community engagement can play a huge role in healing and growing beyond
their troubled histories. Jenny’s story helps to illustrate the impact Kindred CARES can have on
a child in foster care.
WHEN YOU SUPPORT KINDRED CARES,
YOU ENRICH THE LIFE OF A CHILD IN FOSTER CARE
When Jenny entered foster care, she was a 12-year-old
with a strong history of neglect and abuse. She experi-
enced social anxiety and post-traumatic stress as a result
of her traumatic childhood. She had few, if any, oppor-
tunities in school or the community to build friendships
and participate in activities. Described as“difficult and
non-compliant”, she rejected her
foster parent’s involvement and guidance at first.
Fortunately, her foster family secured funding through
Kindred CARES to enroll Jenny in after school activities.
Her passion for basketball was found.
Jenny was encouraged and mentored by her
basketball coach and gained pride and satisfaction from
developing her talents. She met her best friend while
playing basketball, and they developed such a deep
connection that the friend’s parents became a source of
support for Jenny, and began including her on trips and
daily adventures. Jenny has become a well-adjusted, helpful, kind and thoughtful young woman.
The foster family is now in the process of adopting Jenny and her siblings, something that might not
have happened without the long-lasting impact of friendship and self-awareness gained through
positive interactions and experiences.
Jenny’s Story