Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 1, 1 January 1991 — Many children need foster homes [ARTICLE]

Many children need foster homes

Andy is a 12-year-old Hawaiian/AfricanAmehean boy who has suffered physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, numerous failed foster home placements, school problems and emotional and behavioral difficulties. Every day, Andy and other kids like him are kept needlessly in institutional settings for laek of caring foster parents. Na 'Ohana Pulama, a program of Catholic Services to Families, places chi!dren and teenagers like Andy in stable and caring families in the community. "These are not easy kids to work with," says Warren Aoki, the program's recruiter/trainer. "That's why we provide extensive and on-going training and support services, like 24-hour on eall crisis intervention and weekly home visits. We require one parent in the home to consider this a

full-time job, and we offer a $900 tax-free monthly stipend." "You don't need to be a 'super-parent' to help a troubled kid," explains June, one of the program's treatment parents. "If you have pahenee, an openness and ability to leam new skills, and ean make a commitment to really and truly love these kids no matter what they do, you probably ean do it." Persons who have had successful experiences raising or working with children, and who believe they ean help a troubled child or teen should eall Warren Aoki at 536-1794. The next 30-hour parent training sessions begin in February. Na 'Ohana Pulama is a community of caring families working together for the benefit of Hawaii's troubled youth. The program is funded by the State Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division.