With Your Family in Mind

I returned from a court hearing today and realized that what I know in my heart (as well as in my head) is that children who have been caught in the child welfare system need love, attention, and security from people who may or may not be their parents.  Having a safe home to return to after a tough day is something we all need.  Having a person who values us whether we accomplish great things or not, is something we all need.  Receiving kindness whether we earned or not, is what we all need.  

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (“QDRO” pronounced quadro) is probably the single most important of all documents in a dissolution matter!  Under California law, spouses are each entitled to one-half of the community estate. This means that in a dissolution matter, a spouse is entitled to one-half of any asset that was obtained from the date of marriage until the date of separation, including retirement/pension plans/401(k), etc.

How mature are your kids?  Many of them are destined for college, but are they ready?  There’s more to preparing for college than a qualifying GPA and completing the required classes.  Many kids still have to be nagged by parents to keep up with their assigned work, follow through with responsibilities and the “unpredictables” that come up frequently. 

The stresses of life are enough to keep anyone’s schedule fully occupied leaving little room for spending time with family or partaking in leisurely pastimes to escape from mentally tiring days at the office. The things people love help them keep sanity in the hectic, quick-paced world that is the 21st century. Insurance is a must in order to preserve a person’s own little escape from reality, and when looking for an insurance plan to best suit a family, main concerns include quality, accessibility, and price.

Every child deserves to have a safe, loving and permanent home.  Children’s Bureau needs foster families who will care specifically for infants and toddlers during the reunification process with their parents.  There are also 114,000 children currently in foster care who are unable to return to their families of origin.

Do you know a vietnam veteran?  There are numerous medical conditions that are now automatically attributable to the Veteran’s service in Vietnam.  Substantial benefits may be available.
The VA previously denied claims for compensation by Vietnam vets who claimed injury or illness from exposure to Agent Orange.  In 1986 Vietnam veterans and their survivors filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which was referred to as the “Nehmer decision.” 

Could you be more vulnerable to having an affair than the person sitting next to you? According to D. Layton-Tholl, over 90 percent of responses to a survey of 4,300 people reported that their affair was based on a lack of emotional fulfillment within their existing relationship, not for sexually motivated reasons. 

ACTION Family Counseling Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs is and has been a beckon of light for the community of Santa Clarita for years offering a variety of support as an alcohol and drug treatment program.
ACTION’s Founder and President Cary Quashen is always looking for new ways to make a bigger difference with his organization and he believes that he has found one through a partnership with Alex Urbina; a well respected Transformational Family Life Coach.

LUNAFEST® Short Films By, For, About Women™, the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues highlighting women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities, will be hosted by Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley at the Canyon Theater Guild located at 24242 Main Street in Santa Clarita on April 26, at 6 p.m.

For seniors, maintaining good personal appearance often goes hand in hand with maintaining a sense of purpose in life.  When we have places to go, things to do and people to see, we naturally take greater interest in how we look.
A decline in grooming often indicates that a senior needs assistance due to a loss of physical dexterity or onset of conditions like Alzheimer’s that inhibit the ability to perform the activities of daily living. But it also can go much deeper, signaling depression and a loss of direction or interest in life.

Careers in the health care industry are among the fastest growing in the country, and Golden Oak Adult School now proudly provides the opportunity to train for a position in the rapidly expanding medical field in collaboration with Boston Reed Medical College.  

Last month, I ran an article discussing the importance of being properly prepared for your divorce as well as options for a Do It Yourself Divorce.  The response was overwhelming.  Many of you had questions about the first steps to take when contemplating divorce.  Others have uncontested divorces pending but did not understand the difference between attorney assisted divorce and the Do It Yourself process.  

Joe and Judy Grantor have three adult daughters.  Their assets include: (1) a house, (2) personal property, (3) two IRA’s, (4) a stock portfolio at a brokerage, (5) a bank account and (6) a classic car parked in the attached garage of their house.  The Grantors want to leave their house and contents to daughter Debbie. 

Koinonia Family services, a premier foster and adoption agency, is seeking caring families who desire to provide a safe and loving home for a foster child or permanent home for an adoptive child.  For over 30 years, our experienced staff has walked this journey with families just like you. 

Healthy eating is an important issue throughout our lives, but good nutrition in our “golden years” is especially valuable.  Good nutrition can help lessen the effects of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, gastrointestinal ailments and chronic malnutrition.  Studies have shown that healthy eating in later years helps in reducing the risk of these diseases as well as helping to manage the signs and symptoms. 

“One day your life will flash before your eyes.  Make sure it’s worth watching” – Anonymous
The New York Times recently published an article describing the dramatic shift in aging Americans’ perspective of the Golden Years.  The traditional view pictured two souls caring for each other into their late years.

Medicare will cover a nursing home stay entirely for the first 20 days, as long as the patient was first admitted to a hospital as an inpatient for at least three days.  But a growing number of seniors are finding that Medicare won’t pay for a nursing home stay because they were not actually “admitted” as an inpatient at the hospital - they were merely held “under observation.”

So you’re divorced, or you have filed for divorce.  You are receiving spousal support and think it’s about time you moved on with your life.  On your quest to move on with your life, you decide to move in with the person you are currently dating.  Sounds like a great plan because you can save money by sharing rent and expenses.