Humboldt County Office of Education hosts Back to School Carnival for Foster Children

By
Tucker Caraway
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The Humboldt County Department of Education knows it takes a village to raise a child, and that’s why they held a foster child back to School event today. 

“This is a beautiful event because it allows families and students to feel confident about going to a new school year. They have brand new things. None of it is secondhand. It’s all brand new. So backpacks, school supplies, clothing, and it also helps them build relationships with the county Office of Education staff and other community partners that are here. so it’s about community building. It’s about supporting families and giving them the basic needs they need. and about celebrating just another year of school”, says Leah Lamattina, director for Foster and Homeless Youth Education in Humboldt County. 

The county works with College of the Redwoods to make sure new foster parents are properly equipped. 

“Yeah, we have a lot of first-time foster parents. But our main students are people who are relatives of the kids who have been taken by the child welfare system. So many grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings are raising kids who have been brought into care, to help give them a safe and loving home”, says Kristin Chorbi from the Foster and Kinship care department of College of the Redwoods. 

If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent or have a foster child in your life, there are resources available. 

“Community members who want to be foster parents have to take several required classes that are all offered through the Foster and Kinship Care Education program at College of the Redwoods. They also have to take continuing education classes every year. So we offer classes on trauma, visitation rights, child welfare 101, we see classes on adoption and teens, all kinds of wonderful topics that will help support foster parents and taking care of the kids that are in their care”, Chorbi says.

You can learn more about the Foster and Kinship education program here https://www.redwoods.edu/foster/ and learn about the requirements to become a foster parent here https://humboldtgov.org/534/Foster-Parent-Recruitment 

Story by Tucker Caraway 




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