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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, April 7-10, 2007 The Park Record A-18 New preschool forming Utah needs foster parents vouchers, which will cover what her scholarships dont. Standard Examiner Collmeyer still has hopes of a (AP) Vicwmonl High School permanent family, even though senior Sarah Collmcycr has been she is in her seventh foster home. awarded two scholarships, even She ended up as a foster child though her college education is after she reported physical and already paid in full. emotional abuse from a family The editor-in-chief at the member. schools newspaper maintains a Her mother, who was addicted 3.6 grade point average and plans to pain medication, died at the to attend Weber State University age of 49, shortly after Collmeyer this fall, majoring in secondary left home. Fler father had little education. contact with her after her parents Collmcycr, IS. just as easily divorced when she was 3. could have decided three years Collmeyer said she met with ago to drop out of life when she potential foster parents before was placed in a foster home. she was placed. "I could have gone down the With each placement, there path some other foster kids was hope it would become pertake." said Collmcycr, who is manent. Then, for a variety of among 206 others in northern reasons cither she had a hard Utah between the ages of 14 and time adjusting to the family or 21 in the foster care systemthe families had a hard lime Some, like Collmeyer, hope to adjusting to her she found herself be adopted by their foster fami- being moved to another home. lies while others hope they can The Division of Child and return to their biological fami- Family Services does nol normallies. ly even have the luxury of putPlacing teenagers in foster ting a child in more than one care is difficult, said Kelsey home, because there is a shortFRANK FiSUEWPARK RECORD Lewis, director of recruitment age of parents statewide, said Lesa Hodgens, left, joins forces with Katy Heddens in forming a new preschool, "Right Start for the Utah Foster Care Duanc Bctournay. DCFS direcFoundation. Those who become tor. Kids Academy," to be located in Black Diamond Gymnastics and Sports Center. foster parents generally want "There is always a need for foster parents," said Carol Sisco, Hodgens , who goes by Miss public school schedule. Kids will toddlers or infants, she said. "Teenagers get a bad rap,"" spokeswoman for the Lesa, agrees that the primary be separated into two to three Department of Human Services. focus is academics. "I know noth- classes, depending on their ages, Lewis said. Those who do take in "There are never enough.1' ing about gymnastics." she said. academic needs, and abilities. teenagers often find out it can be Currently, there are around although she does know some- They will be taught problem thing about teaching kids, being solving, numbers and letters, rewarding to help a young person 2,200 children under 18 years old certified to teach early-childhood among many other things, by become independent, Lewis said. in foster families in Utah and By FRANK FISHER "They even know how to pro- about professionally trained- instruc1.000 foster homes through grade 12 students. Of the Record staff gram the DVD (player)." she statewide, Bctournay said. tors. And yes. students in Right What do you do with your life Start do get a minimum of one Heddens said "Right Start" will said. Of those, 50 percent are 14 as a three-year-old when you are gymnastics, rock climbing or provide "consistency in staff and Teenagers, like Collmeyer, and older, said Mike Hamblin, bored at home, you have seen all movement education class at the program, and a safe, nurturing end up in foster care for the same area representative for the Salt the cartoons before and your Black Diamond Sports center environment." reasons as younger children. Lake Valley Region Utah Foster social life is at an all-time low? each week, taught by Black Neglect and abuse, not some- Care Foundation. And 50 perHodgens added, "This is fun, You might ask your parents to Diamond staff. "This is one-stop- stress-free and hands on. It is thing they did, puts them there. cent of those who end up in fosenroll you in the "Right Start shopping," Heddens said. Teenagers, although older and ter care arc staying in the system also social as much as academic. Kids Academy," a new preschool more mature, also need a sense longer. include two, three It gives kids self-confidence.1' opening, in Kimball Junction in andOptions of permanency, even after they The goal of the division is to five-day programs. A kinderHeddens said the programs the falfof 2007. garten enrichment program is are competitive, price-wise, with leave home to be on their own, provide permanent homes for all Registration has already geared for kids five-six years of other preschools. Of the kids Lewis said. foster children, whether it is to begun for the 2007-08 school age. who are already in kinder- already enrolled for next year. "They still need somewhere to return them to their biological year at Right Start, to be housed garten. "Most of our success comes from go for Thanksgiving dinner, a call families or have them adopted, in the Black Diamond "Kids need more than what word of mouth. In oir small on their birthday or help during Hamblin said. Gymnastics and Sports Center, they get in three hours of kinder- town, word of mouth means rough times," Lewis said. ""The "They need to know they can for kids ages three-six. garten, especially with those more than advertising," she said. reality is. many do not get adopt- count on someone to be there," Lcsa Hodgens has been run- class-sizes in the 20s," said She was looking forward to the ed." ' Hamblin said. ning "Two by Two preschool for Heddens. The enrichment stu- coming school year, and working Because she is in the states In Collmeyers case, she is 10 years. Katy Heddens. an edu- dents will attend Right Start with the students. "If we can get foster care system, Collmeyer hoping her foster mother, who is cator at Black Diamond, had her from 9 a.m.-noon, including a the kids excited, that's half the has access to a number of servic- single, will adopt her. daughter enrolled in Hodgen's lunch break, and then be trans- battle.. es to help her when she decides Her foster mother. Tory school. The two began to bat ported to any one of the four to move out on her own. Among Binkerd, was her German Rit*hl Start Kids Academy is ideas about and the result was public elementary schools. located at 6400 N. S.R. 224 in the assistance is education teacher. During Collmeyers jun"Right Start Kids Academy." Heddens said that a maximum Junction. For more "This is an academic pre- of 16 students will be accepted Kimball information, call 615-1800. or school first and foremost, which for the 2007-08 school year, contact Heddens ust happens to have use of gym- which parallels the Park City diamondcvm.com.at katy@blacknastics facilities." said Heddens. By LORETTA PARK Right Start Kids Academy seeks new students. ior year. Binkerd learned the teen was having a difficult time in foster home No. 6. "The more I got to know her, the less I could stand the situation she was in," Binkerd said. "I knew if 1 didnt do something about it, I couldnt face my maker or my mother." Binkerd was not a foster parent and she has not had any children of her own. She is also not the type of foster parent normally recruited by DCFS. A recent bill passed by the Legislature makes it clear, single adults are not preferred. House Bill 343. sponsored by Rep. Lorie D. Fowlke. R-Orem, gives preference to two legally married parents over a single parent in adoption or foster care placement. It was passed in the last session. Be lour nay calls the bill "'unnecessary." "This docsnt change anything were doing now," he said. The division had a rule that legally married couples were preferred over single adults "unless it is a fairly unusual situation." Belournay said. In the case that a single relative wants to adopt the child, the division will give preference to the relative if it is in the best interest of the child, he said. Binkerd said she was willing to go through foster parent training, but Collmeyers caseworker put her in the independent living program. It saved a few steps for Binkerd. The independent living program teaches teenagers how to live while under supervision. Binkerd only had to have a background check and a home inspection before Collmeyer came to live with her in June 2006. In addition to education vouchers, Sisco said, Utah has several aids like the independent living program that helps teenagers who phase out of foster care to get established. The young adults are kept on the states Medicaid program until they are 21. The state also helps them find apartments at reduced rent and provides kits with basic supplies to furnish their new residence. They are also taught how to go shopping, prepare a budget and get a job. www.parkrecord.com Has Your Realtor Shown You These? Park City Performing Arts Foundation Along with • IdeaSphere 1 Presents I Th THREE GREAT COLONY LOTS 170 WHITE PINE CANYON ROAD «Wailin' Jennys I his 11.15 acre homestead boasts a rare combination of views, privacy, sun and ski access. 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