Connected Through Kids routinely offers support, training and encouragement to our family and many fostering families throughout our county. The children in our home are offered many opportunities throughout the year. They may attend Birthday and holiday parties (in their honor) whale watching, Girl Scouts, tutoring, Padres games, Camp outs, Park days and many more events. Connected Through Kids also supports our family by providing necessities like bedding, pillows, cribs, carseats and other baby gear when it is needed. Barbie facilitates a clothing and equipment exchange so when a foster family is in need, they may connect with others who are passing things on. We have regular opportunities to gather with other fostering families for support and wisdom. Our family has been fostering for 10 years now, and I know we could not have made it without the support of Connected Through Kids. We plan to continue to foster for many years. Connected Through Kids is truly an amazing organization.
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Barbie is always available by phone or email to offer guidance and support. Additionally the organization provides things like cribs and other baby items as well as offering scholarships for older children to participate in band, dance or school trips. They offer tutoring, monthly birthday parties and a Girl Scout Troop to children who find themselves in the dependency system. Connected Through Kids also offers families opportunities to go whale watching and camping each year. All children receive gifts and pajamas at the annual Christmas party and Santa is always on hand to read a story and pose for a picture with the children. Barbie hosts a coffee each month for foster parents to connect and support one another. She often facilitates respite care for foster parents in need of it. Connected Through Kids offers support to children and their care providers in countless ways every single day.
As a new foster/adoptive family, we've received so much support and encouragement from Connected Through Kids. It is a wonderful organization dedicated to helping children in foster care as well as providing resources for foster families.
They say it takes a Village to Raise a Child, well, sometimes as a foster parent raising the traumatized children in the foster care system, you feel no one else understands or cares to help. I feel so blessed to have found Connected Thru Kids. They level the playing field for the children of our village by locating and offering resources including scholarships and funding for the kids so they can be like everyone else, maybe for the first time in their lives. I am so thankful to have found Barbie Caldwell and her organization. She has such an extraordinary talent for connecting people and will go thru great lengths to find the solution to a problem or filling a need of an adoptive or foster family in our community thus making what seemed impossible now possible. She offers training and support groups as well as opportunities for healthy recreation for the children and families. I truly appreciate those who support this organization who supports the kids oftentimes forgotten by our community.
Connected Through Kids is an organization that provides support to foster parents in San Diego county. Connected Through Kids organizes and funds activities for foster children and foster families to attend, whereas, without the help of this organization might not be possible. The organization also hosts\coordinates many different trainings and support groups for foster parents.
I can not put into words all the benefits foster families and children receive through Connected Through Kids. I can say that the unconditional support offered through this organization is so important to families being able to continue to foster and to help foster children navigate through the often times troubled 'system.' I have watched as this organization has grown and become a part of our community. My husband and I support this organization as they have supported us through our journey of fostering and adopting from the foster care system.
My feelings for Connected Through kids is a bit selfish....besides all the wonderful things they provide for Foster children and advice at anytime...Connected Though Kids has also come through with support for the Foster parents and even activities that involve the whole family. Although my family, bio children included do not find fostering an interruption in our lives and very rewarding..there are times that we find we are unable to do certain things because the whole family cannot be included so when the picnics and Christmas parties that Connected Through Kids arrange to involve everyone as a family....its a wonderful thing!
Connected through Kids has offered so much to our community. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about the foster care system. Barbie Caldwell helps children of all ages and never gives up in finding more ways to help our foster kids. They even celebrate birthdays each month along with opening up her home monthly for option moms to share their and their experience, strength and hope to better serve foster kids.
Connected Through Kids has been serving children in foster/kiship for several years. Many of the children in San Diego have benifited from a variety of services, both direct and indirect. I have made several referrals to connected Through Kids for educational support. Most recently Connected through Kids was instamental in getting an eye examination and glasses for a child that was experiencing difficulty in school due to vision problems. i know some children that have joined a girl scout troop that is supported by connected Through Kids.
Connected Through Kids is a fantastic organization that was formed to support children in out-of-home placements such as foster care, relative or kinship care. They provide many services and activities to enrich the children's lives. A Girl Scout troop, tutoring, quarterly birthday parties, a Christmas Party and most importantly personal support for the caregivers of these children are some of the services offered.