Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to F.A.C.T. We would especially like to welcome any newcomers. If you feel comfortable telling us your name, please do so. We would like to acknowledge you and encourage you to keep coming back.

MISSION STATEMENT

OUR MISSION

F.A.C.T. is an alliance of adults who as children were separated from their parents and lived in foster care. We seek support and mutual understanding of our unique problems in coping with life and learning how to find our place in the world. There are no dues or fees for membership. The only requirement for attendance at a F.A.C.T. meeting is a desire to heal from our past by sharing our experience, strength and hope. F.A.C.T. is not a replacement for individual counseling and strongly encourages people to seek additional help if necessary.

If everyone is comfortable doing so, we'd like to hold hands and say a short F.A.C.T. prayer.

As we unite, no longer is there a sense of isolation. By reaching out to one another, we hope to find strength in recovering from our unique issues as former fostered and abandoned children, for the purpose of moving into a brighter future.

(Ask one person to read HEALING)

HEALING

The mission of F.A.C.T. is to help former foster children walk a new path that will build a bridge to healing. The First Stepping Stone on this path is to recognize we have been injured from our foster care experience, that we are powerless over our past and our lives are unmanageable. The Second Stepping Stone is to come to realize we can not heal alone, that only a Power greater than ourselves could restore order, hope, and sanity to our lives. The Third Stepping Stone is to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. The Fourth Stepping Stone is to make a searching and fearless emotional inventory of our foster care experience to discover the nature of the damage. The Fifth Stepping Stone is to share this inventory with God and another human being. The Sixth Stepping Stone is to work through our anger and pain. The Seventh Stepping Stone is to become aware of how our injuries hurt others and accept responsibility for our responses to the trauma we suffered. The Eighth Stepping Stone is to continue to take personal inventory and become willing to let go of our resentments. The Ninth Stepping Stone is to seek through prayer and meditation to improve our relationship with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. The Tenth Stepping Stone is to have a spiritual awakening as a result of these stepping stones and to reach out to other former foster children and practice these principles in our lives.

(Ask one person to read STATEMENT OF BELIEFS)

STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

We believe we are the children of a loving God, however we understand Him to be.

We believe and accept that we were powerless over the circumstances of our past.

We believe the injuries of our childhood can be healed.

We believe we can be reconciled with those who injured us.

We believe releasing those who injured us leads to healing.

We believe we have a rightful place in the family of man.

We believe we are neither slaves of the past nor masters of the future.

We believe our isolation ends when we share our pain.

We believe that in finding others who are lost we find ourselves.

We believe God has a higher purpose for all of His children.

Each stepping stone on this bridge to healing is an integral part of the healing process. It is our hope that as we work through these stepping stones we can come to embrace all of these beliefs.

***

(Ask one person to read GOALS OF RECOVERY)

GOALS OF RECOVERY

As former foster children, we believe there are certain goals we need to pursue in order to secure a better future. These goals are:

1. Make better decisions in our lives by becoming aware of how the past affects our decisions today
2. Become more patient and tolerant
3. Achieve better self-esteem
4. Cut the cords of shame that binds us by realizing that the abuses of the past are not our fault
5. Improve the quality of our life and our standard of living
6. Enhance the quality of our social and intimate relationships
7. Be able to reach out to others who feel lost or abandoned

It is our hope that as we endeavor to reach these goals, we will begin to cast our own shadow rather than live in it.

Are there any announcements concerning F.A.C.T.?

On the tables are lists of F.A.C.T. discussion issues that relate to the10 Stepping Stones. In each meeting we will focus on one particular Stepping Stone and discuss Related Issues, Goals of Recovery, and Statement of Beliefs.

The Stepping Stone that will be discussed tonight is _______.

Since F.A.C.T. is a new support group, things may not be perfected yet. We want everyone here to feel a part of F.A.C.T. and we encourage anyone who might have any new ideas for F.A.C.T. to share them with us after the meeting. We value your input and respect your opinions.

As stated in the group rules, there is no cross-talking allowed during the meeting. If you desire feedback from someone, wait until the meeting is finished. It is also crucial that what we discuss in these meetings remain confidential. We also ask that you be considerate of how much time you spend talking so that everyone has a chance to share.

ENDING PRAYER FOR F.A.C.T. MEETING
SERENITY PRAYER

God grant me the…
Serenity to accept the things I can not change
Courage to change the things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference
Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.