Alaska Center for Resource Families

Considering Adoption?
PARKA is an Adoption Preparation Program for Alaska’s Waiting Children.We are Enrolling for our 2012-13 Program. Please contact bursel@nwresource.org for information and to enroll. Program is available to Anchorage and Mat-Su families.

Information:
Effective May 31,2010, the Office of Childrens Services is now requiring that all licensed foster families complete the OCS Orientation and the pre-services training (commonly called Core) as a part of the initial licensing requirements. It is available here so, just check the appropriate calendar for your area/region for the times and dates of the Core you would like to attend or call 800-478-7307 for details.

Support Groups

Jump directly to support group information for: Anchorage, Mat- Su, Fairbanks, or Juneau

Anchorage Support Groups

	For one time support groups, please visit our calendars
	AYFN Support Group for Parents and Youth Discuss issues of children’s behavioral health with other parents. 2nd and 4th Friday of each month at Gateway Learning Center, 801 Karluk. Call Alaska Youth and Family Network at 770-4979 for more information.
	FASD Play Day Dates Summer 2006 For information or to confirm date and place, call Stone Soup Group at 561-3701 or contact Cheri Scott cheris@stonesoupgroup.org . On bad weather days we will meet for craft activities at Volunteers of America, 1675 C St., Suite 201.
Last Tuesdays of month - 6:30 to 8:30 PM	No Empty Nest (NEN), Volunteers of America offers monthly support group meetings known as No Empty Nest (NEN). Grands gather at the offices of Volunteers of America at 1675 C Street, Ste. 201 , Anchorage . Supervised children's meeting with activities and games are offered during this time. Plus, local Anchorage churches sponsor a Grands Breakfast on the last Saturday of the month for grandparents raising grandchildren and their grandchildren. Call Tami Eller at 522-9866 for more information.
1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month 7:00 pm	Support meeting for families and children with emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric disorders. Meetings are held at NAMI Alaska Community Meeting Room at 144 W. 15th Ave., Anchorage, between A & C Streets. Call Tracy at 277-1300 or 277-2245 for more information.
Once monthly daytime	Daytime support group for foster and adoptive families. This group meets once a month and enjoys food, discussion, and some training. Call Aspen Perkins for time and date at 764-2932.
Last Thursday of the month 6:30-8:30 pm	Adopt Talk:Support, training and discussion group for adoptive parents. Meets the last Thursday of the month at ACRF 6:30-8:30. Dessert and coffee provided. No childcare available. Please call 279-1799 to register
Every 3rd Monday 11:30 am- 1:00 pm	FAS Family to Family Support Group: meets at Stone Soup. Bring your own lunch. For More information contact Cheri Scott at CheriS@stonesoupgroup.org
Every 2nd and 4th Friday 6:00 to 8:30 pm	Autism & Asperger Support Group: meets the 2nd Friday of each month; 6:00– 8:30 PM and for the kids AYFN Youth Night held the 2nd & 4th Friday of each month; 6:00—8:30. Held at the AHFC Gateway Learning Center Corner of 9th & Karluck. For more information email ayfn@yafn.org or call 770-4979.
	Families with Children for China: Alaska Chapter: China or Taiwan. Monthly playgroup and other activities. Contact: Shawnalee Whitney, 345-9698 or swhitney@yahoo.com
First Wednesday of the month 6:30-8:30 pm	Let's Talk: Faith Based support group for foster and adoptive families. Facilitated by a licensed clinical therapist. Meets the first Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 at ChangePoint Church. Childcare available by reservation only. Please call 279-1799 to register
	NEW AdoptTalk Parent/Child Playgroup! Alternate Thursdays at Anchorage Park –n- Play- 1:00-pm to 2:30 pm Email bursel@nwresource.org for more information

Mat-Su Support Groups

	Parenting Support Group Carol Campbell from AK Youth and Family Network (AYFN) is facilitating a parent support group on Monday nights from 6:15-8:15pm in the Co-Occurring Disorders Institute (CoDI) Building on Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. Childcare is provided. If you are interested in attending contact Carol or Vickie for more information. Carol can be reached at 715-0039 or carol@ayfn.org and Vickie can be reached at 715-0707
Mondays: 615 pm to 8:15 pm	Me2U Youth group, Vickie Romano from AK Youth and Family Network (AYFN) is facilitating a youth group for youth who have personal experience with the foster care system, homelessness, substance abuse treatment, the juvenile justice system, or mental health agencies. This group meets every Monday night from 6:15-8:15pm in the Co-Occurring Disorders Institute (CoDI) Building on Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. For more information, Vickie can be reached at 715-0707 or vickie@ayfn.org and Carol can be reached at 715-0039 or carol@ayfn.org
Thursdays: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Foster Parent Support Group Vickie Romano from AK Youth and Family Network (AYFN) is helping facilitate AGAPE, which is a faith based network of foster and adoptive families. They meet at Matanuska Christian School on Thursday nights from 6:00-8:00 PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring a finger food to share and childcare is provided. For information or to make arrangements for childcare call Vickie at 863-2144 or Andy at 863-2133 or email vickie@ayfn.org
Every 2nd Wednesday: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm	Grandparent Support Group Sponsored by Volunteers of America, Alaska Grandfamilies Project. Call Linda Price at 1-888-522-9866 or email grands@voaak.org or visit www.voaak.org. The monthly Mat-Su Grandparent Support Group meetings will be at Alaska Center for Resource Families Wasilla office located in the Brentwood Plaza Ste A2 on the Palmer-Wasilla Hwy off Shennum St by MSSCA. We meet on the 2nd Wed each month from 11:00-12:30 and snacks are provided. For local information call Betsy at Alaska Center for Resource Families 376-4678, email bwoodin@nwresource.org or visit www.acrf.org Rozann Kimpton is the local contact person for the Mat-Su Grandparent Support Group 376-7322 or 775-3020 or rozann@mtaonline.net or Melody McCullough at 373-8963 or musikalone@yahoo.com
Every 4th Monday 9:00 am to 10:30 am	Parenting Children with Special Needs Support Group , 4th Monday of every month, 9:00-10:30am at LINKS in the Valley Business Center, 4931 E. Mayflower Lane #3 on the Palmer-Wasilla Hwy (next door to North Star Bakery and across from MSSCA). All parents of children with disabilities/challenges are encouraged to come and meet others that would like to give or receive support. Contact Betsy at ACRF 376-4678 or Danita at Links 373-3632 for more info.
Mondays: 10:30 am to Noon	The Mom2Mom, Dad2Dad parent support group will meet the "First" Monday of every month at 10:30am to 12:00 noon. At the Alaska Attachment & Bonding Associates office. (907-376-0366) For adoptive, foster, kinship care, guardianship, and grandparents who care for children with Attachment Disorder.
Every 1st Tuesday Noon to 1:00 pm	Statewide Autism Spectrum Disorder Support Group Teleconference First Tuesday of EVERY month, Noon-1:00pm Meet other parents who are going through what you are going through. Share resources and ask other parents for suggestions or resources. Offer support to families new to this subject. To call in to the group: Dial 1-800-315-6338, follow voice prompts, then enter code:2272#.

Fairbanks Support Groups

EVERY SECOND MONDAY Times vary	CASA CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAINING All trainings are open to anyone interested in the topic. After training there will be a time for case review for CASA volunteers and GAL’s only. All trainings will be held at the CASA Office: Suite 201 of the Key Bank Building, 100 Cushman Street, Fairbanks. Please call in advance to register at 451-2812.
2nd and 4th Mondays of every month	RCPC Support Groups: Fairbanks Public Health Center Play Group held at RCPC, contact Gloria Wheeler at 452-1776 for times and information.
Every Thursday of the month	Parenting on Thursday held at RCPC, child care is available, contact RCPC at 456-2866 for more information.
1st Thursday of each month	NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Fairbanks has its NAMI General Support Meeting the first Thursday of each month for consumers, family members, loved ones or anyone who are dealing with mental illness. Held in our office at 946 Cowles Street, suite # 102, the basement of the Arctic Bowl building from 7 to 9 pm. Coffee and cookies provided. 456 - 4704
EVERY SECOND TUESDAY 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm	Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Parent and Caregiver Support Group: Held at the Resource Center for Parents and Children, 726 26TH AVE Suite 2, Fairbanks. For more information, please call 388-9682 and leave a message.

Juneau Support Groups

Last Wednesdays 6:30 - 8:00 pm	“Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” For grandparents raising their grandchildren Meets the last Wednesday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. At the old Moose Lodge 8335 Old Dairy Road in Juneau. Call TJ Arnold for details: 209-0516
Mondays 6:00 - 8:00 pm	“Our Time Group” For parents and caretakers of children with special needs Meets from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays At Aldersgate United Methodist Church 9161 Cinema Drive in Juneau. Call Lori King for details: 463-6103
Thursdays 6:00 - 7:00 pm	“Mental Illness Support Group for Family Members and Caregivers” – sponsored by National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) This support group is held every Thursday. The meetings are from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and are held at the Juneau Family Health and Birth Center, 1601 Salmon Creek Lane. It is for family members, caretakers and friends of loved ones who are struggling with mental illness. The group is aimed at connecting family members and caretakers to share resources and strategies on coping skills, and to share experience, strength and hope. No registration. Free. Just show up.

A project of Northwest Resource Associates. Funded by the State of Alaska DHSS, Office of Children's Services.
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