Do you know Leon? A great American hero, but nobody saw his potential. This video is a recent training I did to encourage our volunteers to always see the best in the children we serve and to even see the unseen potential.
We received this letter from a foster Mom. There is a lot of great content in here that allows us to see into the life of a Foster Parent and into the life of a child living with lots of issues because of trauma. These are the kids that really need a RFK camp designed just for their needs so they can leave their traumas behind and just be a kid for the week.
Letter from a Foster Mom to Camp# 133 Cuyahoga Falls, OH. 2018
Dear Church, Staff, and members,
I don't know where to start other than to say "Thank You". Those two words are so simple, but you have no idea how much weight I am putting on them.
Last Sunday, I dropped my son off for camp. This comes after months (and years) of struggle. We had never been away from each other for 5 days and 4 nights since he had come to live with us. The trauma, PTSD, mood disorders, ADHD and extreme behaviors have been something we have been trying to get through for 6 years.
Most recently he was asked not to return to school to finish the year after a total of 32 days (that is 6 weeks) of suspension for one reason or another. Even more recently than that, he had jumped out of his second story window 2 days prior to camp and ran away. He was found not far from home a few hours later - but it was still a scary moment for everyone involved.
I thank God for our family, friends, and neighbors who have joined our village to help raise our kids. The network of families I have met through fostering are priceless. Being able to start a conversation with "Well he got suspended because he threatened to strangle the principal" is so much less stressful when you don't have to deal with the shock and appall of others. We don't want to feel judged, or looked down upon, or pitied. The support we have among each other is so strong.
With all of the support we have between us- life is so stressful. Trying to keep a full-time career while getting called out on multiple occasions to pick up my child due to behavior or shuttling him back and forth because he has been kicked off the bus or caring for him full time plus working and teaching him because he is suspended, has been extremely difficult.
I will admit it. I was taking selfies out of pure joy at the church when I dropped him off last Sunday. I Snap Chatted it and even posted on Instagram. The thought of FOUR DAYS AND NIGHTS sounded as great to me as an all-inclusive vacation in paradise! Everyone would be able to breathe a little easier.
That being said, I wanted him to have a great time. I wanted him to have his five days and nights of a little paradise as well. I'm sure I am not always a gem to live with either. :-).
Well, we made it through all five days without a phone call. I was nervous coming to pick him up on Thursday. Was he going to be the same kid I dropped off. Was he going to be mad about something? Upset? Broken down?
Took the kids to Joshua Tree for a two night campout. Desert camping is interesting in Joshua Tree, only do it in the winter months! Joshua Tree has a number of good hiking trials, but it's mostly know for its rock climbing and bouldering. Bouldering is not rock climbing with ropes, its just climbing around on huge boulders and piles of boulders. Some piles are more the 100 feet high. The landscape and the geology is so interesting. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.
Although we didn't have too many camps this year, we still had lots of connections with the children we serve. Here are a few pictures from one of our Camps in South Dakota.
We couldn't fit as many pictures in the year-end newsletter this year. I guess the kid's lives have more content these days. Here are some of our favorite shots.
Celebrated Janet's 50th!
Royal Family KIDS Becomes ‘For The Children,’ Expands Mission to Protect Children in Foster Care
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Royal Family KIDS, an international alliance of 252 chapters dedicated to interrupting the cycles of neglect, abuse and abandonment of children in the foster care system, will now be known officially as For The Children, effective November 2020- www.ForTheChildren.org
Royal Family KIDS, an international alliance of 252 chapters dedicated to interrupting the cycles of neglect, abuse and abandonment of children in the foster care system, will now be known officially as For The Children, effective November 2020.
In making the name change, the organization is emphasizing its continued growth beyond its traditional programs of intervention camps and mentoring opportunities for children in foster care.
While For The Children will continue to oversee these trademark camps and mentoring programs that have formed the foundation of its work, the urgent and changing needs of children and families in the child welfare system require a broader, more systemic approach.
“For 30 years, our staff, volunteers and local municipal partners have dedicated their time, talent and treasure to help transform the lives of vulnerable children across the U.S. and the world,” said Paul Martin, President and CEO of For The Children. “Yet, extreme gaps in meeting the needs of these children and their families — especially considering COVID-19 — remain. I see an “epidemic within a pandemic” offering our 20,000 volunteers immediate opportunity to intervene and provide direct services, advocacy, and leadership.”
As the new entity evolves, For The Children will expand its work in fostering, adoption, advocacy, awareness, volunteer engagement and wrap-around services. The need for a more effective, comprehensive and resilient approach to child welfare is critical.
“The child welfare system in the United States is in crisis,” Martin said. “On any given day in America, more than 400,000 children linger in foster care. Due to COVID-19, those numbers will greatly increase in the months ahead. Family-induced childhood trauma is our nation’s greatest health care problem. We must better in our communities to give these innocent children the support that they need, not only for their sake but for the future of society.”
As part of its global advocacy mission, For The Children will launch the For The Children Pledge to ensure that every child can “live a life free of neglect, abuse, and violence.”
For more details on the Pledge, please visit https://www.forthechildren.org/pledge-for-the-children
Contact Information
Tiffany Everett
For The Children
http://www.forthechildren.org
443-473-1072
Emily Ferrell
For The Children
http://forthechildren.org
Here is a nice article that was written by one of our Directors from Utah. It was posted on the Focus on the Family Website.
No child is damaged goods, and none are second-class citizens. They are gems, priceless gems.
And God has a purpose for each of them. Some children have been told they are useless, unwanted, and unworthy. Abused and neglected children are especially vulnerable.
The numbers of abused and neglected children are staggering. In the United States in 2018, 678,000 children were victims of child maltreatment. There are approximately 430,000 children in foster care, one-third of those live with relatives. All these children have one thing in common: all have had a very rough start in life.
Royal Family Kids (RFK) camps are one week, faith-based summer camps for children ages 7-11 who have experienced abuse and neglect. Last year, 214 camps in the United States relied on over 14,000 volunteers to host 8,846 children.
I will tell you about one of those camps, Camp #113, for which I have volunteered over 17 years.
Our camp is one of three in Utah. 75 adult volunteers staff the camp. They are committed to spending a week with 50 children from the foster care system. We do not charge the staff or children to attend. Instead, we rely entirely on donations from generous people.
Each adult is thoroughly vetted through an application process, background check, interviews, and 12+ hours of training before setting foot at camp. We are serious about safety, especially children’s safety. Knowing that these children are especially vulnerable and that we are responsible for their care weighs heavily on the directors, nurses, social workers, and child specialists on staff. Our rules are strict for a good reason: absolute safety for everyone, especially the children. Counselors are paired, and each is responsible for only two campers. No child is ever alone with an adult, and supervision is high.
All staff are chosen to attend this camp for one purpose only: to give these children a positive message of love and hope through the curriculum provided by RFK. Since our volunteers worship in over twenty different churches, we focus on the beautiful message of God’s love. The staff is taught to view these children as God sees them: very precious, created, and loved deeply by God.
Daily chapel and Bible time are centerpieces to every day, with songs and skits that reflect the Bible stories and lessons. We encourage the staff to pray with the children, talk about, and thank God frequently during the week.
Camp week starts for the staff on Sunday morning, with a commissioning service and a trip to the camp to get ready for the children who arrive by bus on Monday morning. Everyone meets the bus; waving, smiling, cheering, and jumping up and down to welcome the children. The children who have attended in previous years are all smiles. First-timers are usually perplexed and apprehensive. They wonder, “Who are these crazy people?” We then introduce every child to their counselor, who will be their most important and special friend for the next five days. The week is filled with hiking, swimming, arts, crafts, and activities for all interests and abilities. The children are not only encouraged but showered with smiles, cheers, and praise.
At this camp, everybody wins! Counselors accept every child for who they are.
Wednesday evening is “Talent Night.” Songs, skits, tumbling, magic tricks, and jokes are popular, but no matter what a child does, he/she gets a wild standing ovation. The looks on every child’s face and their encouragement of the others are priceless.
One of the favorite activities for both children and volunteers is the Tea Party. After a chat with “Grandma Manners,” the children and their counselors don dress-up clothes. We encourage make-believe conversations. It is hilarious, and it does not take long for everyone to get the giggles.
Incredibly, many of the children have never had a birthday celebration. For this reason, “Everybody’s Birthday” is part of every RFK camp. Our party includes bounce houses, pony rides, a petting zoo, games, visits from local sports celebrities, and simple gifts for every child. As one camper put it: “This is everything I ever wanted.”
These children are NOT damaged goods. The center of this camp teaches the children that they are LOVABLE and they are LOVED. Deeply, and unconditionally. Watching these children thrive, prosper, and flourish throughout the week is an indescribable experience. By the end of the week, the children stand a little straighter, a little taller.
Their smiles are deeper, their faces softer and more open. It is joy. Pure joy. We send these children home with a priceless gift, words from Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Dan and Carol Rubelmann were a wonderful couple I trained at RFK in 2017. So sweet to see that they not only operate a one week camp for 30 kids, but they have opened their home for two of them for 52 weeks a year!!!
We recently captured some information from both Foster Parents and Social workers. Here's what they are saying about RFK.
My son who is adopted from foster
care attended his first RFK camp in June. He LOVED it. It was a very healing
experience for him. - Adoptive Mom
We sent three foster daughters to the
camp. They truly had an amazing time and camp was a really fabulous experience,
that may be a once in a life-time thing for them. I am very grateful to the
caring volunteer staff and donations that helped make it possible. – Foster Parent
"I am so thankful that he got to
go to camp! I thought for sure you would be calling me in the middle of the
week to ask me to come pick him up for behavior challenges. I am amazed he
stayed all week!" – Foster Mom
The whole atmosphere, designed to
make them feel special and like the most important kids in the world, really
was amazing for their confidence and self-esteem and has shown in how they
carry themselves. –
Foster Parent
God bless you and your entire
organization! Last week was the best
week in Braden's life. We have noticed a
calmer, more flexible Braden since his return.
– Foster
Parent
What a rewarding experience for our
little guy. I asked if he wanted to
return next year and he said...next WEEK!
– Foster
Parent
You folks are winning the battle in
rehabilitating children that normally aren't fortunate enough to attend such a
positive summer camp. – Foster
Parent
Our current foster child comes from a
very rough background and does not have many good experiences in her life. But to this day she still talks about all of
the fun she had at camp this past summer and can't wait to return the following
year. – Foster Parent
My wife and I are extremely grateful
for organizations like Royal Family Kids that invest time and resources into
innocent kids who are enduring difficult circumstances. – Foster Parent
The relationships they developed with
their "cousins" were also very important to them. – Foster Parent
I believe that RFKC has created a
structure that invites and supports safety and healing. -
Social Worker
the design of the camp is well-conceived and structured, and when staffed with loving people who share a
vision of God’s love, then you have a recipe for success. - Social Worker
I just wanted to thank all of the
Royal Kids Camp staff and volunteers for all that you do for kids. I’ve had a
few kids go to the camp and all of them LOVE the experience! -
Social Worker
. Jessica's new job. Trainer for Scooters Coffee.