Both Hands Foundation's Founder to Speak at Northland

Lifesong For Orphans and Both Hands Foundation have partnered together to create a ministry that both assists orphans (adoptive families) AND helps widows.
 The Founder and Executive Director (J.T. Olson) is coming to Orlando on a family vacation and agreed to take time to come to Northland Church on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 7:00 PM to present an informational program.

Here is a video clip of Mr. Olson explaining how Both Hands works.

An Essay From a Former Foster Child

Being Resilient
by George Dean

"I entered Community Services at the age of 6 after my dad broke my leg. He threw me on the floor and still to this day, I wonder why. We don’t talk anymore. There have been numerous times I have tried to reconcile with him but to no end, every time was a failure.

I was shuffled in between foster homes and group homes for years, struggling to find out who I was. Not fitting in anywhere. Bullied all the time, beat up and bruised. My mind was like a never ending maze and every way I thought was the way out, led me to a concrete wall. I felt like I could never get through."
Continue

Adoptive Mom's Organization Provides Financial Assistance to Adoptive Families

"Becky Fawcett considers her infertility a blessing. But it wasn't always that way.

Desperate to be a mother, Fawcett endured five rounds of in vitro fertilization and three miscarriages before she and her husband Kipp adopted their first child in 2005."

Continue  . . .


"Building families -- that's what we do."

Series of Interviews on Foster Care and Adoption

The Examiner in Dayton, Ohio is presenting a new foster care and adoption interview series. 

"Although social workers and other experts can tell you a lot about the foster care and adoption process, they can't give you the nitty gritty details about the experience. Only someone who has been through the foster care or adoption process can tell you what it is really like."

Continue reading the first interview here.

Helping Foster Children throught the Educational System

"As little as two percent of Americans have experienced foster care, but statistics show that as much as half our homeless population have been involved with the system."


In honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month, Fostering Media Connections, a group dedicated to changing the foster care system through the power of the media, is kicking off a series of town-hall type meetings that address foster children in the educational system.  These meetings titled, "On the Road to Educational Equality" tour can be viewed and streamed live.

Here's a terrific article (and video) about the tour (and foster children & education) written by Daniel Heimpel, Project director of Fostering Media Connections:
On the Road to Educational Equality: Addressing the Educational Needs of Foster Care Youth

For National Foster Care Month: A Video Brochure of Former Foster Youth

"I am here. Don't forget me."



These youth are members of the Foster Care Alumni. 

Free to Live Tour - Helping Children Living in Poverty

Desperation Band, Meredith Andrews, and Tom Davis are the headliners on the Free to Live Tour, sponsored by Children's HopeChest, a ministry dedicated to helping children living in poverty escape sexual slavery and exploitation.  Find dates, cities, and ticket information here.

Tips and Recommended Reading When Adopting an Older Child

Older Child Adoption  - What to Think About, Tips for Successful Transition

by Susan Serrano as reported in Adoptive Families Magazine.

As more infants and toddlers are united with adoptive families within their birth countries, an increasing number of older children have become available for international adoption in recent years.  “I think older children have always been there, but there is a growing awareness that there are families interested in adopting them,” said Denise Schoborg, director of Dillon International’s China adoption program. “The
need for families is very real, but prospective parents need to do some soul-searching to determine if they are ready to parent an older international adoptee.”

The realistic expectations, research and education, that are key to any successful adoption experience, become even more vital when considering the adoption of an older child, who may have some additional struggles adjusting to life with their adoptive family.  “Kids that come from institutional settings are survivors. It may take some time for the child to learn what their role is in a healthy family and develop interpersonal skills in their new environment,” explained Debbie Wynne, director of Dillon International’s Texas office and Buckner Adoption and Maternity Services. “A child may be biologically a 7-year-old, but that does not mean that they have had seven years of nurturing by loving parents. They may even have been in a situation where they had to act as a parent.” 

“It is important for parents to realize that while they may be dealing with a 7-year-old that has the street smarts of a 14-year-old, that same child could also have the attachment needs of an infant. You have to be prepared to parent where that child is developmentally in the moment,” Schoborg added.

Patience is critical as the child attaches to the adoptive family and learns how to be nurtured. “The child may take their disappointments out on their family, but parents need to recognize that the child is acting out of a sense of grief and loss and to steadfastly offer unconditional love in return. They should not take those attacks personally,” Wynne said.

Families preparing to adopt an older child can pave the way for smoother transitions with plenty of advance education that focuses on the needs of older adoptees. It is also crucial for families to surround themselves with a support network that includes adoption professionals and adoptive families, Schoborg recommended.

Securing the services of a translator and locating other language resources prior to the child’s arrival will also go a long way toward building attachment and establishing relationships, Wynne added.

Although the adoption of an older child does come with some unique challenges, it offers advantages as well, Wynne points out. “With an older child, there is an opportunity to really ‘see’ them,” she explained. “You can know their health and how they respond in social and educational environments. With an infant or toddler, you really haven’t seen the person that they will grow into being.”

“There are children who desire so much to be in a family,” Wynne said. “The families that do well adopting older children are resourceful and committed to helping their child heal from the traumas of the past. It is exciting to see families that have chosen this path do extremely well. There are families for every
kind of child.”

Recommended Reading:
• Raising Adopted Children by Lois Melina
• Attaching in Adoption by Deborah Gray
• Nurturing Adoptions by Deborah Gray
• The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis, Ph.D.
• Adopting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck, Ph.D.
• Parenting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck, Ph.D.
• With Eyes Wide Open by Margi Miller, MA, & Nancy Ward, MA, LISCW
• Toddler Adoption by Mary Hopkins Best, Ed.D.
• Parenting Your Older Adopted Child by Brenda McCreight, Ph.D., RSW
• Our Own - Adopting and Parenting the Older Child by Trish Maskew
• Adopted Teens Only: A Survival Guide to Adolescence by Danea Gorbett
• Beneath the Mask by Debbie Riley, MS
• Parenting Adopted Adolescents:  Understanding and Appreciating Their Journeys by Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D.
Susan Serrano is director of media relations for Dillon International, Inc. Founded in 1972, Dillon International is a licensed, nonprofit adoption and humanitarian aid agency that is affiliated with Dallas-based Buckner International. Headquartered in Tulsa, Okla.—with branch locations in Tustin, Calif. (in Orange County); the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area; the Kansas City, Kansas area; St. Louis, Mo.; Little Rock and Fayetteville, Ark; and Richmond, Ind.—Dillon International is Hague Accredited through the Council on
Accreditation to process international adoptions pursuant to the Intercountry Adoption
Act of 2000.

The Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children Annual Conference to be Held in September

Reported in the May issue of Adoption Today Magazine:

The Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh) is hosting its 23rd annual confernce Sept. 21-24, 2011 in Omaha, Neb. This year’s conferences focuses on Attachment and Trauma: through the Eyes of a Child. For more than 20 years, ATTACh has been advocating for improved treatment services for children who have experienced significant traumas affecting their attachment.

This year, ATTACh is bringing the conference to the Plains area. Approximately 400 attendees from across North America, as well as other countries, are expected to attend. Attachment-related traumas can include
child maltreatment, separation and loss of a parent, exposure to post-partum depression, domestic violence, and other overwhelming early life experiences that affect the child’s sense of security. Research over 50 years has demonstrated that the nature and quality of the attachment relationship between a child and primary caregiver influences virtually all other spheres of development — neurological, behavioral, social, emotional and moral.

The ATTACh Annual Conference is an opportunity for parents and professionals to network with peers and to learn from world renowned experts about the most recent developments, research and training in the fields of attachment and trauma. The conference will include 35 workshops designed for parents and experienced professionals, as well as those new to the field. Two keynote addresses are also planned by Edward Tronick, Ph.D., developer of the Still-face paradigm, author, researcher and Harvard professor; and Laurie Anne Pearlman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist from Massachusetts, who specializes in vicarious trauma. Full day presentations at the postconference institute will feature John Briere, Ph.D., author, researcher and professor at Keck School of Medicine, LAC-USC; and, a special workshop led by Victoria Kelly, Ph.D. and Lori Thomas, experts in the area of therapeutic parenting techniques for families parenting children who have experienced trauma in early childhood. For more information, contact Lynn Wetterberg at 847-356-3506 or Jackie Meyer at 02-336-4841.

Adoption Agency Gets #1 Ranking by China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption

Chinese Children Adoption International has been ranked the #1 Adoption Agency by the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA, formerly CCAA) for overall assessment among the 178 international adoption agencies or countries around the world placing children from China!!


This ranking (released on March 28, 2011) is the first ever by the Chinese government.

May is National Foster Care Month

A reminder from Fostering Families Magazine that May is National Foster Care Month.

Each issue of Fostering Families contains great stories about amazing foster parents doing incredible work on behalf of children in their care, plus articles on various programs that are using innovative ideas to benefit kids in care.  For more information or to subscribe go to http://www.adoptinfo.net/. 

Shoes for Orphans In the Ukraine

Northland Church in Longwood is hosting a service project on May 21, 2011 where families can decorate TOMS shoes to send to Ukrainian orphans.   TOMS Shoes is a company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes to give to a child in need.  You can find more information about this event and  register here.

Mr. Rogers and His Episodes on Adoption

The following is a post from an Adoptive Families Magazine blog that's helpful for those with preschoolers looking for resources to help them discuss adoption:

I have been a fan of Mister Rogers since I was a toddler myself. I am now introducing my children (2.5 years and 17 months) to Mister Rogers and they love him too. I really feel that his show is one of the best children’s programs in the history of television!

Which is why I was so thrilled to discover that Fred Rogers did some episodes on adoption. (Did anyone else know he had an adopted sister?) I ordered them off Amazon and watched them as soon as they arrived. They do not disappoint! I’m always looking at ways to introduce the theme of adoption into our lives so that our children grow up knowing they can talk about it. What I love about the Mister Rogers episodes is that it introduces the topic in his unique, gentle way and he talks about all the feelings that can result from adoption—including the fact that it is ok for adopted children to sometimes feel sad or angry or sacred because they are adopted.

The adoption episodes originally aired in the mid-80’s during a week-long theme entitled “Families Come in Different Sizes and Shapes.” The entire series include episodes #1551-1555. They can be ordered off Amazon as part of the recordable DVD program, meaning that the episodes are saved to DVD’s and shipped only as the orders come in.

There is also a well-known book entitled “Adoption: Let’s Talk about It” that was originally released about the same. I’m looking forward to that arriving soon!

I recommend these DVD’s to other adoptive parents looking at ways to introduce the concept of adoption to their toddler/preschool-aged child.

You can order the DVD's here.

Help for Adoptive Families Whose Children Had a Rough Early Life

Adoption Learning Partners is offering four new online courses to prepare parents to raise children who arrive with difficult early experiences. The "Tough Starts Matter Series" covers topics that are timely and meaningful not only for pre-adopters—including brain development, treatment, parenting, and families—but also for families who are already in the thick of it, and are looking to help their children gain new skills.

The Tough Starts Series equips adoptive parents with insight into how their child's tough start in life may lead to troubling behavior years later.  Importantly, it also helps parents learn what they can do now to intercede, helping their child to heal and their family to thrive

Experts like Karyn Purvis, Ph.D., and Judy Stigger, LCSW, weigh in via short videos. The package includes four online courses totaling five hours. Buy the package for $60 at adoptionlearningpartners.org (a 29-percent discount from the list price per course).

Hurt children, of all ages and with all sorts of challenges, benefit when their parents (and professionals) receive extra support and preparation to transition them into a family. If your family is facing this situation, don't hesitate to sign up.

Help for Those Families Struggling with Sleep Issues

Are You Sleeping?


Expert advice for adoptive families struggling to get a good night's sleep.
Webinar
Thursday, May 19, 2011
7:00 - 8:00 PM Central
Q & A: 8:00 - 8:30PM Central
Cost: $15

REGISTER for this webinar

Join Dr. Julian Davies for a practical, humorous, and balanced exploration of why adopted children (and their parents!) often sleep so poorly, and what to do about it!
This webinar will help adoptive families:

• Explore the reasons behind sleep problems in adopted children

• Formulate short-term and long-term sleep strategies for adoptive families

• Trouble-shoot specific sleep problems

• Add many practical sleep tips to your toolbox


Speaker:  Dr. Julian Davies
Julian Davies, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, where he co-directs the Center for Adoption Medicine, and works at the longest-running FAS clinic in the country. His interest in foster care and adoption started in Russia, where he started a summer arts and clown camp for Russian orphans. He now has a pediatric practice where 2/3 of his patients were fostered or adopted. Dr. Davies also created an award-winning online resource for pediatrics and adoption: http://www.adoptmed.org/

Please Note: Registrants will be contacted and asked to submit questions prior to the event

Sponsored by:
Adoption Learning Partners & Joint Council on International Children's Services

Benefit Concert & Silent Auction to Benefit Ukrainian Orphans

Faraway Place, a ministry that helps Ukrainian youths who "age out" of  Ukrainian orphanages, is sponsoring a benefit concert and silent auction on Friday, May 6 at First Baptist Altamonte Springs.  Visit their site for more information.