Stay Ahead of COVID-19!
As we move ahead to the fall and winter seasons, it is extremely important that we remain vigilant about protecting ourselves, those we work with, and the families we serve from COVID-19 and other diseases. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have recently increased, and other viruses such as the flu and RSV are a risk, especially to vulnerable populations.
The following graphic from the Baltimore City Department of Health contains tips you can use and share with others to prevent the spread of COVID-19 this season. In addition, families can order free COVID-19 test kits from covidtests.gov and receive four free tests that will be delivered directly to their homes.
Families can also visit the FDA's At-Home Over-the-Counter Diagnostic COVID-19 Tests and Expiration Dates webpage to check if the expiration date of the tests they currently have has been extended. By using and sharing these resources, we all can work together to prevent COVID-19 and other diseases this winter season!
MECU Visits - September and October
We are pleased to announce that MECU will be bringing the benefits of MECU services to BCDSS staff. MECU representatives will be onsite at various buildings to help staff update existing member accounts, answer questions about MECU benefits, and take onsite enrollment. MECU will be available on the following dates and locations to offer services:
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Date/Time
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Building Location
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Tuesday, 10/10/23
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3007 E. Biddle St.
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Friday, 10/13/23
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1525 Calvert St.
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Thursday, 10/19/23
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2500 Pennsylvania Ave.
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Thursday, 10/26/23
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500 N. Hilton St.
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An email notifying staff of MECU's visit will be sent to each building before the scheduled date. Posters will also be displayed in each building to indicate where MECU representatives will be located. No appointment is necessary to attend this event; however, staff should seek approval from their supervisor prior to stopping by. We hope all staff enjoy their upcoming visit from MECU!
Happy One Year Anniversary KinCare Center!
The KinCare Center celebrated its one year anniversary on September 24, 2023! Since its opening last year, the KinCare Center has provided our families and staff with direct accessibility to community and agency resources and support. The center is dedicated to strengthening the mental health and family relationships of adoptive, foster, guardianship, and kinship families through free specialized individual and family therapy, case management, education, and training. The center is a shining example of our efforts to foster our Kin First culture here at BCDSS. Congrats to the entire team at the KinCare center for working hard to continue to build a great resource center for Baltimore's kinship families! Stay tuned, more to come!
Kinship Care Resources
Studies show that kinship care can provide children with the opportunity to stay connected
to their family and cultural heritage, which can be an important factor in their overall well-being. The attached article, Supporting Kinship Caregivers, provided by Family Voices United, outlines the benefits of kinship care and how we can better support relatives caring for their family members.
Hearing the lived experiences of kinship care providers can help us to better understand how to support kinship caregivers. Please check out the following brief video interviews with two kinship families that give insight into the decision of two families to become primary caregivers for their relatives.
Kinship Family: You Get a Call, Do You Want These Kids?
Kinship Family: They Are My Daughters
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Support Children and Families in Foster Care
In honor of National Kinship Care Month, the Biden Administration released a historic package of regulations to ensure children in the child welfare system thrive. Specifically, the regulations will:
- Support kinship caregivers – family members and loved ones who step forward to care for a child in foster care – by making it easier for them to access resources and financial assistance.
- Protect LGBTQI+ youth in foster care from abuse and mistreatment and ensure they have the services they need to thrive.
- Expand access to legal services for children and families at risk of entering or in the child welfare system.
Click here to view a fact sheet that gives additional details on these new regulations.
Separate Licensing or Approval Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes
The Administration for Children and Families has established a final rule that defines separate licensing and approval standards for relative and kinship foster families. This rule will help Title IV-E agencies provide adequate financial assistance to relative and kinship families supporting children in their care. Click here to learn more.
Ask the Expert
Hey Child Welfare! Have you checked out the latest Child Welfare resource, "Ask the Expert"? Ask the Expert is a directory that provides contact information for Child Welfare practice experts across the agency. These experts are standing by, ready to provide you with technical assistance for your cases in areas such as CJAMS, substance use, health care, financial assistance, and more. Consult this directory for expert help at any time!
Please use the following link to view the full, current directory. Ask the Expert will be updated regularly and staff will be emailed the latest version.
*Please note: the "Ask the Expert" image included in each Friday Focus (seen below) is only a preview of the full directory. Please use the link provided in the description above the image or click the image itself to access the full directory.
 Hey Child Welfare! GET READY TO BE REFRESHED!! That's right, the FTDM Unit will be scheduling refresher trainings for Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meetings. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your FTDM skills. Please stay tuned and check your email for additional updates regarding an upcoming training.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following staff on your years of service with BCDSS! We are so appreciative of your dedication to our mission to improve the lives of vulnerable adults, children and families in Baltimore City. At your career milestone, we honor you for the part you play in our commitment to excellence and helping those in need.
Garnett Granville - 5 years
Tami Morningstar - 35 years
Nkemakolam Chukwu - 15 years
David Boone - 15 years
Denise Howard - 25 years
Deborah Jones - 40 years
Serita Nichols - 25 years
Sykeia Cornish - 15 years
Antoinette Collins - 15 years
Lynne Mclamb - 25 years
Wendy Hunter - 35 years
Adiatu Deigh - 5 years
Yvonne Epps - 5 years
Lisa Allen - 30 years
Toya Braxton - 30 years
This week's Staff Spotlight goes to LaTonya Bryant, Deputy Chief of Staff! LaTonya started with BCDSS in December of 2021. Since her arrival, she has assisted the agency greatly in numerous capacities. LaTonya is the administrator/contract monitor for QFLOW (QFLOW is used in the FIA centers to call clients and keep things organized). She also serves as the contract monitor for Sharp Copiers, ensuring that every agency department and building has efficient and functional copiers! LaTonya is also a BCDSS liaison to OTHS. In this role she helps set the agenda on OTHS projects and solves IT issues.
In addition to these responsibilities, LaTonya is a BCDSS liaison to DAO, where she helps set the agenda for building operations, including security, and helps solve building issue. She works on special projects for the Chief of Staff and the Director. Staff often come to LaTonya to get all of their problems solved, and LaTonya shows her W.E. C.A.R.E. spirit of service by solving the problem directly or redirecting staff appropriately. LaTonya, thank you for all that you do for BCDSS!
Our next Staff Spotlight goes to Lakeshia Foster, Assistant District Manager of the Program Integrity/Citywide Intake Unit! The following expression was sent on behalf of Lakeshia from DHS regarding a customer who received exceptional customer service from Lakeshia:
"The Office of Human Resources received a call from Ms. Tina Spears this afternoon. She wanted to pay a compliment to Ms. Lakeisha Foster on her excellent service. She felt that Ms. Foster exceeded her expectations in helping her with her case and gave her the information necessary."
Our final spotlight goes to Jeannette Murdaugh, APS Unit Manager! On September 19th, Jeannette attended a regional conference with Greg Sesek, the Director of the Office of Adult Services for the Social Services Administration. Jeannette and Greg met to discuss and present the great work Adult Protective Services is doing locally and statewide. The following statement was sent in Jeannette's behalf from Mr. Sesek:
"Yesterday, Jeannette Murdaugh and I presented at the SSA regional meeting. I can't emphasize enough how proud I am of your Adult Services team and the fantastic work they are doing. Every other local there was impressed with the organization and the support provided to the team to do their best. Keep up the great work!"
Click here to view more photos of the SSA Regional Conference.
Many thanks goes to Craig Fader, Terry Townes, and Greg Sesek for these submissions! To nominate a staff person you admire for a future Staff Spotlight, please send an email to bcdss.communications@maryland.gov.
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"People say, 'What is the sense of our small effort?' They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There's too much work to do."
Dorothy Day, American Journalist and Social Activist
 Brandi Stocksdale
Director
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