“Begin With The End In Mind”

Ada S. Mckinley Presentation

Steven R. Covey

"Our problem is those who received all the help and won't help the neighbor or kids down the street.”

Silas Purnell

Keeping the Legacy Alive

Ada S. McKinley

Our mission is to serve those who, because of disabilities or other limiting conditions, need help in finding and pursuing paths leading to healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.

“Put First Things First”

• Integrity

• Execution

• Priority

• Action

Steven R. Covey

The Fact Is . . .

• 16, 272 children were in the foster care system in Illinois on January 31, 2007.¹

• Children are placed temporarily in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.

¹Source: IDCFS / Executive Statistical Summary

The Fact Is . . .

– 4% <1– 26% 1-5– 20% 6-10

– Male 52%

– 24% 11-15– 18% 16-18– 9% ≥19

– Female 38%

Average Age of children in care on 9/30/03: 10.7 years²

²Source: Adoption & Foster Care Analysis & Reporting System FY 2003

The Fact Is . . .

In out-of-home care

– 68%– 24%– 6%

– 0%

– 0%

– 2%

– 0%

In state child population³

– 18%– 59%– 17%

– 0%

– 3%

– N/A

– 2%

Race & Ethnicity²:

Black (non-Hispanic)

White (non-Hispanic)

Hispanic

Am. Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic)

Asian/Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)

Unknown

2 or More Races (non-Hispanic)

²Source: Adoption & Foster Care Analysis & Reporting System FY 2003

³U.S. Census Bureau 2002. American FactFinder

The Fact Is . . .

• The average length of stay for children in care on 9/30/03 was 54 months².

Length of Stay:

Reunified:

• 40% of the young people leaving the system in FY 2003 were reunified with their birth parents or primary caregivers².

²Source: IDCFS / Executive Statistical Summary

The Fact Is . . .

• In January 2007, there were a total of 13, 692 licensed kinship and non-relative foster homes in Illinois¹.

• On January 31, 2007, 38% of youth living in out-of home care were residing with their relatives¹.

Foster Homes:

¹Source: IDCFS / Executive Statistical Summary

“Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood”

• Mutual Understanding

• Consideration

• Courage

Steven R. Covey

Target Market

25-34

35-45

Who’s EligibleTo Be A Foster Parent?

55-65

Who You Are!

• Traditional and Non-Traditional

• Professional

• Single

• Family Members

• Grandparents

• Church Family

Who You Are!

• Be single, married, divorced or a widowed adult over the age of 25

• Willing to accept Agency supervision and support

• Be a mature, stable adult with no criminal record

• Be willing to attend required foster parent training sessions

• Have sufficient verifiable income to support yourself

• Have enough space in your home (and your heart) to care for a child

• Be willing to work with the birth or legal parents; and

• Be willing to take children to their necessary appointments with doctors and family members, to help heal them

“Synergize”

• Creative Cooperation

• Value Differences

Steven R. Covey

Who’s Supporting You?

• Sponsorship of an active foster parent association, the New Beginning

• Growth Activity Program (GAP) — developed to provide organized activities such as dance, arts, crafts, martial arts and theatre to help promote creativity and self-esteem

• Tutoring services to assist children in educational growth and developments; and

• Sponsorship of a birth/legal parent support group

Who’s Supporting You

• Long Term

– Business Community

• Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart

– Provide support to families in the form of uniforms, school supplies, etc.

– Scholarships

– Church Community

• Mega Churches

– Appeal to Membership to become foster parents

– Adopt a family with support through drives

– Local Organizations

• Provide additional support through mentoring

– Educational tutoring

– Jobs and training as needed

Who’s Supporting You

• Short Term– Media Community

• Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart– Provide support through on air advertising to

support Ada S. McKinley efforts area wide– Church Community

• Mega Churches– Appeal to Membership through church bulletins,

websites and monthly publications– Commit to on-air (radio/television) PSA’s as

needed to support our efforts – Local Organizations

• Provide support through PSA’s website, org publication, etc. – Appeal to memberships to support through

involvement as needed

Who’s Supporting You

• Short Term– Celebrity

• Merri Dee– WGN Super Station PSA National Support– Work with Merri Dee to create PSA’s to

promote what the entire families look like in their homes

• Identify famous foster celebrities to create PSA’s– Ice T– Eddie Murphy– Charlotte Ayanna (Miss Teen USA 1996)– Billy Mills (Olympic Gold Medalist 1964

Tokyo)

“BE PROCTIVE”

• Responsibility

• Initiative

• Self-determination

Steven R. Covey

“THINK WIN WIN”

• Mutual Respect

• Mutual Benefit

• Mutual Abundance

Steven R. Covey

“SHARPEN THE SAW”

• RENEWAL

• WHOLE PERSON

Steven R. Covey

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

What’s Next?

Contact:

Ada S. McKinleyFoster Care & Adoption2907 S. Wabash AvenueChicago, Illinois 60616(312) 808-1080