The Letter of Application for the Grant

Here is the letter of application with some staggering statistics regarding foster care.

I am a sister, daughter, wife, friend, teacher, Abydos Trainer, and most importantly, a mother. I am a mother of two of the most beautiful daughters a mother has ever known. After many years of infertility treatment failure, my husband and I decided to take an unconventional route in order for us to become a family. Our two daughters were brought to us through the Texas Foster Care System and Texas Mentor Network, and with their adoptions complete, they are our precious babies. We are the fortunate ones: they are healthy, happy, bright, and the future is theirs.

Our foster care agency worked with us for countless months (29 to be exact) to ensure we had our educational hours complete, paperwork in order, and were constantly compliant with the laws and regulations for the State of Texas’ Foster Care System. We are forever grateful for their help, support, and friendship, and this is my way to give back to them for what they have helped me achieve.

It is a fact that not all foster children in Texas find families who adopt them. Many of these children bounce from home to home, never knowing what it is like to have a parent sit at the kitchen table with them to help them study science, work a math problem, explain an event in history, or even simply, read a book. In Texas alone, there are approximately 32,000 children living in foster care (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services). Most of these children have aspirations to attend and even graduate from college. However, a study by Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago states that many of these children “are experiencing significant academic failure and will almost certainly fall far short of meeting their educational goals.” The study also notes that approximately 55% of foster-care children receive some kind of special education services.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that these children have been transferred from school to school, have been absent for many days, and have no adult available who can help them. The National Association of Financial Aid Administrators says, “Youth and adolescents who spend time in foster care are much less likely to enroll in postsecondary education institutions.” Isn’t it our job as educators to help ALL children achieve their goals?

Through the Abydos Memorial Reese/Corder Grant, I would be able to establish a literacy library within the Texas Mentor Network, which would give these foster children the ability to learn and grow, and it would enrich their lives with the written word. Foster parents would be able to borrow books for their own education and learn to assist their foster children who have learning disabilities. This library would enhance the lives of everyone involved in the foster system. Immediately, I would have the ability to purchase and collect books of different genres, age targets, and educational support. I would be responsible for choosing the books, cataloging them for the agency, and assisting in recommending books to help for certain situations.

I thank you for your consideration to help me create a literacy library for the foster children and their foster families in the Dallas Metroplex through the Texas Mentor Network.

The Lucia Library

One year ago, I sat at an Abydos/NJWPT conference in Austin, Texas, listening to Mark Spilman accept a $1000 grant to build a library for homeless children through his church. I turned to my friend Kathy and said, "I want that money next year. I know exactly what I will do with it!"

Fast forward to this past weekend. The conference was held here in Dallas, and this year, I was the recipient of the $1000 Reese/Corder Memorial Grant. With this money, I am creating a literacy library through the Texas Mentor Network. It was one of the most amazing experiences I know of...standing in front of peers, coworkers, principals, superintendents, and many other education professionals from Texas and beyond to accept this grant. The best part was that Andrew, Luci, and Nadia were there to share in this with me.

The Texas Mentor Network is a foster care agency -- make that THE foster care agency because that is the agency that helped Andrew and I become a family. Just over three years ago, our phone rang with the words, "Abbey? It's Anji...we have a baby girl for you." Luci Helene became a Rosenbaum. Seventeen months later, Nadia Raye was welcomed to our home and our family. August 6, 2008, Andrew and I went to court to make us "Four"Ever Rosenbaums.

Abydos Learning (formerly the New Jersey Writing Project in Texas) quickly became my teaching "religion." It's not a program; it's a vision. It's the way to teach writing to kids. I adopted the philosophies in my classroom, and I saw the students' writing literally take off! Because this is a resource that I value so highly, I studied to become a trainer in my district (Richardson ISD). Basically, I can "teach teachers how to teach writing to their students." I am a proud member of the Abydos family.

So I applied for the grant, and I was named the recipient. At the luncheon, I read my application letter through many, many tears, and I graciously accepted the check! Andrew and I decided to name the library "The Lucia Library." Putting the girls' names (Luci and Nadia) together seemed fitting. It is a way to honor our daughters, and it is a way to contribute to the Texas Mentor Network to show our appreciation.

We (read: Abbey) decided to do a blog so our friends and families who aren't in Dallas can follow along on this incredible journey on which we are about to embark. I've never done anything like this, so wish me/us luck!

With love,
Abbey, Andrew, Luci and Nadia