As your adopted children head to school — whether for the first time or not — you may wonder how to talk to your children’s teachers about adoption and adoption-related challenges your children face. Heartofthematterseminars.com has prepared a wonderful document to help you think through how to help both your children and their teachers. Download it here: Talking with Teachers (pdf).
Lexington, SC: International, Domestic, & Embryo Adoption Workshop
On August 24, at 6 pm, Nightlight Christian Adoptions is holding a free informational workshop on international, domestic, and embryo adoptions at the main branch of the Lexington Library:
5440 Augusta Road
Lexington, SC 29072
Please register here.
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Adjustment, Bonding and Attachment
The following is a guest post by Kerry, who along with her husband Scott adopted their daughter Grace from Ethiopia. Kerry and Scott are friends of Nightlight Christian Adoptions and were gracious to allow us to re-distribute this post, which first appeared on their family blog. This post is important for two reasons: it addresses attachment issues that can arise for children who are adopted very young; and it gives the perspective of a mother who’s experiencing these things right now.
Our daughter Grace is giving hugs. You have to ask for them, and she doesn’t always oblige, but when in the right mood she’ll wrap her little arms around you and squeeze just slightly. I’m sure this is a big deal to any parent but in the adoption world, it’s a huge sign of progressing attachment and we are celebrating.
I don’t claim to know a ton about attachment and bonding, but we have read a fair amount on the subject and tried to prepare ourselves for anything. If you are waiting for your adoption to be completed right now, spend some time reading about attachment. Even babies must learn to attach. They have to learn to see their parents as a special and significant relationship, not just a caregiver.
Again, I’m no expert on this at all; I just thought I’d share our story and how we are still seeing growth in this area 10 months after coming home. Our experience has been measured in subtleties that I wouldn’t even have know about had we not read adoption books. We’ve not had a difficult time with Grace. We’re extremely thankful for that. Nonetheless, it’s an area we still put much work and prayer and try to act deliberately. Continue reading
Nightlight’s Speakers’ Bureau
Nightlight has a Speakers’ Bureau available to speak in Southern California, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. We are available to travel to other states upon special request.
We are here to speak on the various topics:
• Share the plight of orphans and give your group creative ways to make a difference
• Discuss the fate of stored embryos and the difference embryo adoption can make for these unborn children
• Adoption Around the World: Making a difference in the lives of orphans through international adoption
• How to give hope to a girl or woman facing an unplanned pregnancy
Below are some special dates throughout the year in which you may want to have speaker on that day or close to that date as well as suggested topic. Continue reading
Posted in Education, Events, Orphan Care / Adoption
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Special Needs Adoptions from China and Taiwan
On September 9 (Wednesday) at noon ET, Nightlight is conducting an online educational webinar about special needs adoptions from Taiwan and China.
Previously scheduled for September 2, the webinar was moved to the 9th because we anticipate having a list of (agency-specific) special needs children from the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs at the beginning of September, and we would like to present webinar participants with information about the children available.
More details at the course page: China and Taiwan: Adopting the Child with Special Needs.
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Free Lifebooks course in May
Adoption Learning Partners is offering their Lifebooks Course free of charge during the month of May (certificate of completion costs a fee).
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Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Seminar – Charlotte, March 28
This Saturday there will be a workshop on Embryo Adoptions in North Carolina, sponsored by Nightlight Christian Adoption’s Snowflakes program (more information at our website here).
Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Seminar
Saturday, March 28, 2009
9:30 – 11:30 AM
South County Regional Library
Conference Room A
5801 Rea Road, Charlotte, NCParents and professionals welcome!
- Listen to Charlie & Kala’s personal story
- Learn about embryo donation & adoption
- See how you can adopt embryos through Nightlight’s Snowflakes Program
“The pain of infertility is gone and our prayers have been answered. Through the Snowflakes Program, I was able to experience pregnancy and give birth to our adopted children.” -Anneke and John, Adopting Parents
“The Snowflakes Program enabled us to take the final step in our fertility process. It was the perfect answer to a question that weighed heavily on us – how to lovingly provide for our remaining embryos.” -Bob and Betty, Genetic Parents
RSVP or Questions:
Megan Corcoran
Snowflakes Program Coordinator
714-278-1020 ext. 115
Posted in Education, Embryo adoption, Events
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Transcultural and transracial adoptions: online course Wednesday
Wednesday evening at 9:00 (ET) Carolina Hope is offering a live, interactive online education course on Transracial & Transcultural Adoptions.
The cost for this course is only $15. You must sign-up at least 2 hours before the course begins. Additional information on signing up and paying can be found at the Transracial & Transcultural Adoptions page. Here’s a short course description from there:
In this 1-and-a-half-hour course, you will be introduced to a broad range of issues faced by transracial families, and you will be given strategies for confronting these issues as they arise. This course is presented by Laura Beauvais-Godwin, Carolina Hope’s director and co-author of The Complete Adoption Book. In addition, parents who have already adopted will present and share their own experiences.
Posted in Education, Transracial Adoption
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Domesticating an international adoption in South Carolina
Carolina Hope is offering a live online course this Tuesday (Mar. 10) about Domesticating an International Adoption in South Carolina. Participation requires a phone and an internet connection.
Please pay and register before Thursday if you would like to participate. More information on the course contents and on registering is available at the course page.
Posted in Adoption Law, Education, International Adoption
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Adoption homestudies: learn about the process during tonight’s free online course
Tonight from 8:30 – 10 (ET), you can participate in a free online education course about adoption homestudies in South Carolina. Learn more and sign up at the course webpage, The Adoption Homestudy: Starting the Process.
Posted in Adoption Home Study, Education
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Ethiopia Adoptions: Learn about Travel & Post-Placement Issues (online course tomorrow!)
Tomorrow, March 5, at 9 pm (ET).
From our course page (which is where you can get info about signing up)
In this approximately 90-minutes webinar, we will discuss the practical aspects of traveling to Ethiopia fro adoption, the required paperwork and forms to submit to the U.S. Embassy and how to complete them, and bringing your child home and helping him or her to adjust to family life. This webinar will last about 90 minutes.
This webinar is presented by Laura Beauvais-Godwin, Carolina Hope’s director and co-author of The Complete Adoption Book. Laura is the adoptive mother of two daughters.
Posted in Education, Ethiopia Adoption, International Adoption
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Calendar of events (mostly adoption education)
We now have a calendar on our website to make it easier to keep track of the adoption education events coming up. See it here.
And here’s what’s coming up for March (starting tomorrow!):
Tuesday, March 3
7:00pm: Openness in Adoption
9:00pm: Intro to Ethiopian Adoption Program
Thursday, March 5
9:00pm: Ethiopia Travel & Post-Placement Issues
Monday, March 9
8:30pm: Adoption Homestudy: Starting the Process
Tuesday, March 10
7:00pm: Intro to Domestic and International Adoption
8:30pm: Domesticating an International Adoption in SC
Wednesday, March 11
9:00pm: Transracial & Transcultural Adoptions
Thursday, March 12
9:00pm: Medical & Adjustment Issues in Ethiopia Adoption
Monday, March 16
9:00pm: Financing an Adoption
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Connected Child Conference in Winston-Salem (Mar. 6-7)
Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of The Connected Child, is the featured speaker at the Connected Child Conference: Bringing Hope and Healing to Your Family, March 6-7 at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. More details at The Connected Child website.
I have heard Dr. Purvis’s book highly recommended as a resource for parents of adopted children, particularly children who have had a damaging background (institutionalization, multiple caregivers, abuse, etc.). One such recommendation has been published on our blog.
I encourage you to listen to the following 8-and-a-half-minute interview with Dr. Purvis, aired on WBFJ Radio in Winston-Salem. I think that hearing her should give you a better understanding of her perspective.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I personally have a mixed reaction to the interview. Continue reading
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Domesticate an International Adoption in SC: Live online course this Thursday
Carolina Hope is offering a live online course this Thursday (Feb. 19) about Domesticating an International Adoption in South Carolina. Participation requires a phone and an internet connection.
Please pay and register before Thursday if you would like to participate. More information on the course contents and on registering is available at the course page.
Posted in Education, Events, International Adoption
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Openness in Adoption online education course, tomorrow
Tomorrow, Feb. 5, at 9 pm (EST), Carolina Hope is offering a live online adoption education course about openness in adoption. Here’s the write-up from the course page:
We often hear that families who are considering a domestic adoption are afraid of an “open” adoption. In this 1-and-a-half-hour course, you will learn what an open adoption is, the possible benefits of openness, and when communication with birthparents is appropriate. By increasing your awareness of what openness is — and by being “open” to openness — you will probably increase the likelihood of having a successful adoption — and parenting — experience.
This webinar is presented by Laura Beauvais-Godwin, Carolina Hope’s director and co-author of The Complete Adoption Book. Laura is the adoptive mother of two daughters.
Participating in the course requires an internet connection and phone connection. The cost is $15. More information is available at the course page.
Read more about open adoptions in this article by Laura, Open to Openness in Adoptions.
Posted in Domestic Adoption, Education, Open Adoption
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