If Companies Won't label their Products containing GMO's - BOYCOTT THEM

Here is a convenient list to Printout and Take Shopping

 

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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

Granpa Chuck

Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

Tough Love a documentary about the child welfare system

Won't you please make this video documentary a reality?

Please show your support -
Visit the site for Introductory videos

>>Go Now to Film Makers site<<

TOUGH LOVE chronicles the lives of two parents, Hannah from New York City and Patrick from Seattle, who have been separated from their children by the state. Through vérité-style footage and exclusive access inside the child welfare courts, TOUGH LOVE captures an intimate, firsthand account of these parents' triumphs and struggles as they confront their past mistakes and attempt to prove to the system that they deserve a second chance to be parents. Throughout the film we will also hear from the foster parents who take care of these children, the judges who oversee these cases and the child welfare experts who have a clear understanding of how this complex system works.

~~A NOTE FROM THE FILMMAKER~~

Hi, my name is Stephanie Wang-Breal. Thank you for visiting my Kickstarter page for my new film, TOUGH LOVE. You may know me from my last film WO AI NI MOMMY a story about International Chinese adoption. Working on that film was an amazing experience. Along the way we won multiple awards, were nominated for an Emmy and met an amazing community of people. This community urged me to look more closely into our nation's child welfare system. After doing some research, I became inspired me to make this new documentary, TOUGH LOVE.  
When I first began working on this film 2.5 years ago, I was surprised to learn that over 90% of parents lose custody of their children to the foster care system for neglectful incidents relating to treatable issues: insufficient housing, lack of childcare or family support, and drug addiction. Many of these parents deeply love their children and want them home. Sadly, poverty-related stresses and cultural stigma often make it difficult for them to get their kids home and out of foster care. This is a story and perspective that's rarely told in today's media.
As most child welfare stakeholders will tell you, the general public has a lot of empathy for kids who are in foster care, but very little empathy for the parents. TOUGH LOVE addresses the complexity of the child welfare system and shows that many of these parents are not bad people, but are lacking in the support systems they need to raise their children. By starting at the beginning, inside the parents' homes, TOUGH LOVE will provide audiences with a better understanding of what services vulnerable parents need to keep their children  out of foster care.

Interview with Film Makers Previous Award Winning Film

Wo Ai Ni Mommy (I Love You Mommy)

>>Go Now to Film Makers site<<

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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,

Granpa Chuck

Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

Join the Discussion - From Broken Child to Resilient Woman-May 31

 

Tune In to:

"HEART Talk with Ms. E"

on

  

  

This Friday, May 31st

 5:30PM Pacific/7:30PM Central/8:30PM Eastern 

as we close out

 National Foster Care Awareness Month

with

  Former Foster Youth

and

HEART Talk Publications' Newest Author  

Ms. Nicole L. Marchman  

            

as we discuss her memoir:

From Broken Child to Resilient Woman

  Unbreakable Spirit Arises:

What Readers Are Saying:

"This book is an inspiration for anyone who is a foster, or is fostering a child, or for that matter anyone seeking a story of overcoming life's challenges".

 

"Nicole's story is an inspiring one of tenacity and triumph... And this story is far from over"

"It will give you hope and make you see that one person can make a difference if they truly believe".

"A story like Nicole's could be hidden from daylight-- too painful to share--too much to relive.Instead of keeping her story a secret, she has instead chose to share it in this book and reflect it in her work."

 

"I felt as though I was a part of her journey to getting to the inspirational person that she is today. After reading this book, I was encouraged, challenged and pushed to continue with my goals."

  

You can Listen online at:

www.blogtalkradio.com/hearttalkwithmse

  OR

  Call in

and participate during the Live Q&A segment Call

(424) 675-8303

May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
Granpa Chuck
Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

UPDATE: From Parental Rights Organization

 Protecting Children by Empowering Parents

Sign the Petition

Donate

Volunteer

Learn More

View Online

May 28, 2013

The PRA and the CRPD Both Advance

The Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) has been drafted and is being circulated in the House as Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) secures original cosponsors. We are very pleased with its early progress: in just 4 days before Congress went on recess, the PRA list of cosponsors reached double digits. (Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia, the tenth cosponsor, signed on last Friday.)

Meanwhile, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has shown that it is still a threat to American parental rights. Senior staff connected to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have told Mike Farris face-to-face that a series of three hearings on the CRPD is planned to start sometime in June. Regardless of the exact date, there is no doubt this treaty will be returning soon. The time for action is now!

Action Items: Visit or Call

As alluded to earlier, Congress is on recess this week, so its members are in their home districts. That means that this week is a great time to make a local phone call or visit regarding these two matters.

First, call or visit your congressman and invite them to cosponsor the Parental Rights Amendment. Let them (or their staff) know to contact Patrick Fleming in Rep. Mark Meadows’ office for more information or to sign on in support. If they ask for a bill number, point out that we are seeking original cosponsors – a bill number has not yet been assigned.

If your congressman agrees to cosponsor, let them know that if they include Michael@parentalrights.org on their email to Rep. Meadows’ staff, we will update our website immediately to reflect their support.

To find contact information for your congressman, visit ParentalRights.org/states and click on your state. Then, click on the link to your congressman’s website for specific local offices and give them a call. If you can, try to enlist a few friends to go with you for a brief 5-10 minute visit.

Then, call or visit your senators and urge them to reject ratification of the CRPD. Let them know you care too much about American sovereignty and parental rights to ratify any treaty that would dictate U.S. domestic law over our families. If they deny that the CRPD would have this effect, urge them to take the time to be absolutely sure. And if they tell you our ratification will only create changes in other nations, ask them politely to show you the article that empowers the U.S. to govern other nations if we ratify the treaty.

You can find your senators’ contact information through ParentalRights.org/States by clicking on your state, then on the web link next to your senators’ names. Please gather a few friends and schedule a 5-10 minute visit in your senators’ local offices.

We will keep a close eye on both of these in the days ahead. We will watch with excitement as the list of PRA cosponsors grows, and we will keep you alerted to any movement on the CRPD. (When it arises, we plan to host events in D.C. and locally to help ensure its defeat. Please plan to join us if you can, and we will get you the dates as soon as we know them!)

Please Donate

Our diligence and preparation come at a cost. Defeating the CRPD while driving the PRA forward is neither an easy nor an inexpensive task. If you are able, please donate today to ParentalRights.org to keep both efforts going strong. Only with your help can we preserve parental rights in America for the next generations.

Thank you for standing with us to protect parental rights and American sovereignty from international intrusion.

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research
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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
Granpa Chuck
Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

When a LEADER becomes a HINDERANCE to the COMMON CAUSE

Just sharing a thought. No leaders need to be mentioned. 
Too many times I have observed these basic steps:

• One becomes a recognized leader by gaining popularity based on a Common Cause of the Populace
• The Populace designates said leader to stand strong on the Common Cause
• But then, at some Magic moment in time, said leader says I am now your leader and ONLY I know what is Right for the Populace? 

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Instead, 

Speak Up, as an Individual and
Become a Member of the Team
"The Family Team"

• Note A team can be an Organization, Family, or even a Discussion Group.
  But, common to all are just these three words:

 Sharing, Caring, & Guidance.

*

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May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
Granpa Chuck
Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org

CHILDREN are WAITING while ADULTS Can't Figure out what to Do???

All I am going to say that below are some fact sheets about Our Children that are actually waiting for Adults to do something for Their Future with Their Family.

In the U.S. 400,540 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system.  115,000 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 40% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted. Source: AFCARS Report, No. 19 Around the world, there are an estimated 153 million orphans who have lost one parent.  There are 17,800,000 million orphans who have lost both parents and are living in orphanages or on the streets and lack the care and attention required for healthy development.  These children are at risk for disease, malnutrition, and death. Source: UNICEF and Childinfo According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. families adopted more than 9,000 children in 2011. Last year, Americans adopted the highest number of children from China  followed by Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. Source: United States State Department No child under three years of age should be placed in institutional care without a parent or primary caregiver.  This is based on results from 32 European countries, including nine in-depth country studies, which considered the “risk of harm in terms of attachment disorder, developmental delay and neural atrophy in the developing brain." Source: Mapping the Number and Characteristics of Children Under Three in Institutions Across Europe at Risk of Harm: Executive Summary Children raised in orphanages have an IQ 20 points lower than their peers in foster care, according to a meta-analysis of 75 studies (more than 3,800 children in 19 countries).  This shows the need for children to be raised in families, not in institutions. Source: IQ of Children Growing Up in Children's Homes A Meta-Analysis on IQ Delays in Orphanages Each year, over 27,000 youth “age out” of foster care without the emotional and financial support necessary to succeed.  This number has steadily risen over the past decade.  Nearly 40% had been homeless or couch surfed, nearly 60% of young men had been convicted of a crime, and only 48% were employed.  75% of women and 33% of men receive government benefits to meet basic needs.  50% of all youth who aged out were involved in substance use and 17% of the females were pregnant. Source: Fostering Connections Nearly 25% of youth aging out did not have a high school diploma or GED, and a mere 6% had finished a two- or four-year degree after aging out of foster care.  One study shows 70% of all youth in foster care have the desire to attend college. Source: Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth As of 2011, nearly 60,000 children in foster care in the U.S. are placed in institutions or group homes, not in traditional foster homes. Source: AFCARS Report, No. 19 States spent a mere 1.2-1.3% of available federal funds on parent recruitment and training services even though 22% of children in foster care had adoption as their goal. Source: Adoption Advocate No. 6: Parent Recruitment and Training: A Crucial, Neglected Child Over three years is the average length of time a child waits to be adopted in foster care.  Roughly 55% of these children have had three or more placements.  An earlier study found that 33% of children had changed elementary schools five or more times, losing relationships and falling behind educationally. Source: AFCARS Report, No. 19 Adopted children make-up roughly 2% of the total child population under the age of 18, but 11% of all adolescents referred for therapy have been adopted.  Post-adoption services are important to all types of adoption, whether foster care adoption, international adoption, or domestic infant adoption. Source: Behavior Problems and Mental Health Contacts in Adopted, Foster and Nonadopted Children

May you find Strength in Your Higher Power,
Granpa Chuck
Keeper of the web files for http://nfpcar.org