Interview with Co founder, Beth Maltzie
Central NH Foster and Adoptive Parent Support Group
Providing a monthly place where foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers can gather and bond together on their similar journeys, is one of the purposes of the Central NH Foster and Adoptive Parent Support Group. Co-founder Beth Maltzie adds that although there are quite a few foster and adoptive parents in the group, other adults who are raising a relative’s child(ren) (kin) or those raising a parent’s child(ren) who is/are close to them (fictive kin) are also welcome. The group serves families from the NH Division of Children for Youth and Families’ Laconia District Office’s catchment area which includes Belknap and most of Grafton County.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization since 2014 co-founded by Beth and her husband Scott Maltzie, the Central NH Foster & Adoptive Parent Support Group works hard to maintain a safe, confidential environment to discuss issues for the families it serves. While there is a monthly in-person support group, there is also a private social media page with almost 100 members and is a resource for information that caregivers will need to navigate their journey.
Maltzie explains that the in-person meetings start with a simple dinner so the families can get to know each other and soon realize they are not alone. The kids also get a chance to see that there are others in similar situations and soon form their own bonds. After dinner, the parents meet to discuss issues, hear from speakers, or learn of important resources that can help them, while the kids gather to play together with background-checked adult supervision in another area.
Part of the way the support group also serves its members is to bring in speakers to help families navigate their challenges, which in turn helps foster parents with the licensing continuing education hours they may need. Some of the speakers and topics for the group over the past almost 11 years since they became a non-profit organization have included facilitators from the state’s Better Together program, adolescent mental health, a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA), understanding Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) topics, the Parent Information Center (PIC), DCYF’s adolescent programs, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), the Nurtured Heart Approach, and Charlie Appelstein, who wrote “No Such Thing As a Bad Kid,” to name a few. Most of the topics covered not only help adults with challenging behaviors and trauma in children, but also give them resources when questions arise.
Maltzie says funding from The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction allows them to provide 3-4 major events throughout the year in which the families can get together and leave difficulties behind for a day. Some of those events include a hike through Lost River Gorge, apple picking, mini golf, beach day, movie night, and various holiday events.
Maltzie says the group enjoys a few small grants from other organizations which allow them to do something extra for the families as well as monthly operation of the in-person group. She says she is always looking for ways to say thank you to the amazing people who open their homes and hearts to children in need.
When asked how the community could support these amazing families, she expressed a hope that landscapers or home cleaners in the area might offer their services to support the caregivers who are doing so much for the children in their care that they don’t have time to care for their homes or yards the way they would like. Another dream she has is for area attractions to offer gift cards or baskets to families to allow them to perhaps have a “date night” or just a night of fun with friends.
Anyone who would like to support foster, adoptive and kinship families can reach out to Beth Maltzie at bmaltzie@gmail.com.
Article written by Beth Osgood Dodge. If you are a Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction funded nonprofit contact Beth at beth03253@gmail.com to arrange an interview and let us spread awareness for your mission!
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