Gandara is opening homes

By Erin O'Connor

Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD Jennifer Hall and Pamela Nadeau two clinical coordinators for the Gandara Gateways Intensive Foster Care Center spoke last week with Reminder Publications about their agency's mission in western Massachusetts.

"We are helping children learn to trust again and be a part of something bigger," said Nadeau who has been working at the Center since the early two-thousands.

The Gandara Center has been in existence since 1999 and works with the Department of Social Services (DSS) in finding children homes.

"We are not a placement agency. We are different then other foster homes," said Hall who has been with the Center since their opening in 1999, "We like this to be the last home that they have to encounter. These kids have been disrupted many times in their life. They come from disrupted homes or programs and many can't make it in regular foster homes," she said.

"These kids want to live in a home," Hall added.

"They want to have somebody who is going to care for them," said Nadeau."There's so many people so many kids that we get referalls for, that we don't have homes for," Nadeau said.

"We are looking for people to open their homes and hearts to a child," Hall said.

All of the Center's current foster parents are at capacity. While the children are waiting for homes they are kept in situations that are suppose to remain temporary. Due to lack of other alternatives many must stay in these places, that can include settings such as hospitals and residential treatment centers.

"It ebbs and flows," said Hall in speaking of the fluctuation of interested foster parents. "I started with four children I was working with, then it went to twelve and now I am currently working with ten children," Hall said.

"We are a very small agency with the amount of homes that we have," said Nadeau, "we offer lots of support and we are on call 24-7 if there is a problem."

Potential Families

"The types of families that we work with are very diverse," Hall said. "Families from Caucasian, African- American, Hispanic, lesbian couples, single parent homes...as long as you want to open your home and heart to a child."

Both women agreed that they are looking for people who are dedicated and want to help children, people who are resilient and want to make a difference.

"The children that we are working with are between the ages of 12-18 years old and the average age of referalls that we receive are in the age ranges of 15,16 and 17 years," said Hall.

The Placement Process

It all starts with a phone call to the Center. Calling Hall or Nadeau at (413) 736-8329.

Just call. You never know Nadeau said.

After the first call, in that any questions the caller has will be answered, the next step is sending the candidate an application that is reviewed and a C.O.R.I is ran to check for criminal background.

Nadeau or Hall or both will then go to the home of the candidate and meet the family to make observations and get to know the family involved, an interview is conducted at this time.

"We find out what the strengths and weaknesses are of the family at this time... what they will need help with and we talk to them about foster care," said Nadeau.

"We describe in detail to the family what the youth has been going through," said Hall.

We train the homes with a program called Massachusetts Approach to Partnership Parenting (MAPP), a program that takes 40 hours to complete said Nadeau and Hall.

The family is also required to participate in CPR and First Aid training if the parent or parents are not already certified.

After the parent(s) reviews the child's file, "We then speak to the parent about the youth, the good, the bad and the ugly and ask them if they are ready to take the next step?" said Nadeau, "We like to try and work with anyone that we can," she said.

The next step is for the family to meet the youth accompanied by Hall or Nadeau at a location outside of the potential home.

"We sit down and explain the program to the foster parents and the child," Hall said, "We talk about what the foster parents' house is like."

Phase two is a dinner visit in which the child will go alone with the potential parents to their home for a dinner that will last two hours

This follows with a day visit that will usually last from 10 a.m to 6-7 p.m. and the child will return to their current residence after the conclusion of dinner.

"It allows them to get to know each other on a better level," said Nadeau.

An overnight stay is the next part of the process.

"If the youth or the foster parents get nervous then we slow it down," said Hall.

"The process can be stopped at any time," Nadeau said.

When a match is made

"It is exhilarating you get chills," Hall said, "We have cases that fall through but it is the best feeling in the world when a child who has never gone on vacation before is with a family and going on vacation," she said.

"In one case we were working with a child who was living with 15 other boys and going to an alternative high school. He was able to go into a more normalized situation where he did not feel like an outcast," Nadeau said.

After the Placement

"We offer every other week support group for parents involved in the process," Hall said.

"We put our heads together and we offer different views," Nadeau said.

The women participate in home visits weekly in that they discuss with the parents and the children the situation and how everything is working out.

Every three months there is a task meeting between the DSS and Gandara Center and families in discussing the progress of the child.

Making it a reality

A financial stipend is offered to families who participate in the program. The former policy of DSS was that one parent had to include the foster parenting as their primary occupation. Due to a new policy, however, the foster parent or parents can now have a job outside of the home.

"DSS is realizing that it is hard for people to meet financial obligations," Hall said.

"It is rewarding and you are making a difference," Nadeau said.

The ladies with an office based at 147 Norman Street in West Springfield ask that people call with any inquiries they might have about sharing homes and hearts to (413) 736-8329.