Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Meeting to find American Indian foster parents is 'good start,' organizer says

Meeting to find American Indian foster parents is 'good start,' organizer says

Jun 14, 2007 - 04:06:52 CDT

By VIRGINIAGRANTIER
Bismarck Tribune

She has raised a lot of children, is a grandmother now. But she isn't ready to stop mothering. She just recently bought a garage-sale stroller and wants to use it.

Organizers of a Wednesday meeting like the sound of that.

Helen Hanley, of Mandan, an American Indian who's interested in becoming a foster parent, was one of four people who showed up to a Wednesday public meeting scheduled by a task force that has been working for about a year to try to increase the number of American Indian foster homes in the area.

Now, there is only one licensed American Indian foster home for Burleigh and Morton counties.

Hanley, who is the business manager for the Bismarck-based Native American Training Institute, said in an interview before the meeting that she thinks it's important to place native kids in native homes.

"They need to be raised in the culture that they know," she said. "You don't see white kids placed in native foster homes. We want the same respect for our people."

Mike Mabin, owner of Agency MABU, the Bismarck marketing firm that organized the task force effort, said he considers it a good start, that they were able to attract four people to the meeting.

"This is really positive for us,"he said.

North Dakota Department of Human Services, more than a year ago, decided the best way to approach the foster home lack was to have a year-long pilot program to research the issue, come up with solutions and find families. And then those methods would be used statewide.

Burleigh County agreed to take on the pilot project.

Mabin helped organize a task force that was about 50 percent to 60 percent American Indian. A group of about a dozen "ambassadors," many of whom are American Indians, were recruited to get out the word to the general public about the need. And Mabin set a goal of trying to find six new foster families.

Mabin explained in a past interview why increasing the number of American Indian foster homes is important.

"Already they're going through a lot of stress and turmoil in going into another home," said Mabin, who is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Being placed with an American Indian family can help to "give them a sense of security and belonging," he said.

It's a place where they feel they fit in and where they may have opportunities to have similar cultural experiences.

"It's another level of comfort and security."

In the past year, local American Indian organizations and businesses used their resources, mass e-mailings and such to get the word out that homes are needed.

But up until this meeting, no one had signed up. Now, it's hoped that might change.

Hanley told task force members Wednesday she was concerned about the red tape and bureaucracy involved.

Mabin told the four possible candidates that the task force is looking for people who feel a calling to be a foster parent and that he understands there may be concern about getting through the licensing process.

"But if you keep the 'calling' at the forefront, we can help you ... get through the process,"he said.

Luanne Perkins, 49, of Bismarck, who has raised seven children, said she started seriously considering the idea of foster parenting after she heard a co-worker, whose children are in foster care, lament that her children were in non-native foster homes.

Perkins said the culture is alive at her home. Her children have native names, "sing at the drum," and so forth.

Vince Gillette, of Sioux County Social Services, and a task force member, said he has been in social services work since 1978 and efforts to recruit native foster homes has been going on "forever."

He said it's not that non-native homes can't take care of kids. But he's worried about the cultural ramifications.

"We're losing (the) culture,"he said.

A second public meeting for those who want to get information about becoming a foster home is planned for noon to 1 p.m. June 20 at the Bismarck Public Library. A complementary lunch will be served.

For more information, call 250-0728 or visit www.nativefostercare.com.

News > Local

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Comments

Thyme2Think wrote on Nov 27, 2007 10:33 AM:

" As a recent North Dakota transplant, and a Native American with German heritage I can see a very strong need for culteral sensitivity to any children coming into foster care. I am not of the Lakota peoples, and share a different heritage. But I will say that coming from another state, where my tribe was generally accepted and integrated, the feelings I have encountered here have been disquieting. I have heard numerous disparaging remarks made by people who are not aware of my cultural heritage and assume anyone of anglo/germanic appearance would feel the same as they do. These attitudes have been displayed amoung people of all walks of life that I have met as a parent and in the professional world. I can not imagine my own children being placed into a home where they would face such unspoken disparagement daily for the simple reason of their origins. A childs soul needs nourishment as well as the body. "

A child in need... wrote on Jun 18, 2007 12:31 AM:

" I think this is a good start to recruiting more foster parents. Period. If this means targeting a certain group, so be it. But I agree with Concerned Citizen - the cultural heritage should be last on the checklist, behind shelter, nourishment and caring people. It is sad that cultures fade. But it's sadder when a child is abused, neglected and then stuck in custody until a foster parent of their culture is located. What most of these kids need first and foremost is love, security and a sense of normalcy. Making sure the children and foster parents are of the same culture won't save dying traditions. It makes something so necessary exponentially complicated. These kids need to have three squares a day, a warm bed, some hugs, school, support. Worry about the culture after those are part of the day to day life. "

aye wrote on Jun 17, 2007 11:08 AM:

" I tnink this's an excellent idea/program. this isn't a race issue, it's about preservation of one's heritage and culture. Regardless if a child is native or Norwegian, it's in their best interest to place them with like fostercare. If you ask any elder from any race/color, be it German or Samoan, they all will say their culture is fading. So, yes it's imperitive & neccessary for Native kids to be raised by their own. I commend the task force & all involved for recognizing & working to solve this issue. Haho "

confused wrote on Jun 16, 2007 4:39 PM:

" Why do we just need native American homes for these native children? Do they go to a native American school then or do they integrate into the white kids school? It seems like the white people have to get used to the natives and the natives have to get used to whites. I would think that many times it would be better to put the native children into white homes - apparently they would be getting better care than in their "culture" homes. "

me too! wrote on Jun 15, 2007 2:09 PM:

" I agree with concerned citizen!!!!!! "

Concerned Citizen wrote on Jun 14, 2007 11:17 AM:

" Foster care for any child is a necessary evil. One would hope that the biological parents and/or the extended family could care for tje ordinary care of their children. However, since that is not always possible it is sometimes necessary to get other organizations and people involved to do what the parents and extended family should have done to begin with. with this point in mind, I find it strange, if not appalling, to place emphasis on "culture" as a requirement for locating willing foster parents regardless of the ethnic or racial status of the children in need. It might be best if such parents could come forward as volunteer foster parents but in that an ethnic/racial fit is hard to come by then any volunteer foster parents is better than none. I am American Indian and personally believe finding a "cultural" fit for chlldren in need is the least of their problems. Probably fifty years ago cultural differences among American ethnic and racial groups was such that the cultural divide between groups was relatively extreme and finding a foster cultural fit was necessary and appropriate. However, this cultural divide in 2007 no longer exists among Americans-although cultural heritage and class differences do. Such concerns regarding "culture" today are relatively non-existent and do not deserve the emphasis I read in your article. "

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