Comment Procedure Changed

Hey all! My friend advised me that the comment feature of this blog has been preventing some people to make comments...well I am happy to say that I have fixed the problem and hopefully everyone can start commenting! Thanks!

**50 Custom Thank You Cards w/envelopes**

Sponsor Website: DigitalRoom.com
Prize Offered: 50 Custom Thank You Cards
Size: (50 ct.) 7 x 5" (folded to 3.5 x 5") Custom Thank You Cards with plain envelopes
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs. We will negotiate better shipping rates soon.

I don't know about you, but one thing I am working towards setting as a New Years Resolution is to be better and sending birthday, thank you, & thinking of you cards this next year. This giveaway is certainly helping me step in the right direction because as a host of this giveaway, I will be able to create and order 50 Thank You Cards for myself! I am very stoked and have been extremely impressed with the quality of work our sponsor, UPrinting.com, has offered. They are partnered with DigitalRoom.com and together have great customer service and products to offer. If you don't believe me, check out their reviews at yelp.com!

As with all the giveaways we have offered thus far, you are able to create your own personal design, upload it and get a proof before it come delivered to your door. Personally, it is so fun to see something I created in my hand...it helps me get excited to give them to other people as well.

As always, there is a mandatory entry for this giveaway...tell me what you plan to use this prize for if you win it. Are you going to design Thank You cards or create a different type of card to send out?

You should know by now that the best way to help promote adoption is to get the word out, what better way to do that then with these AMAZING giveaways we are able to enjoy together?!


*ADDITIONAL ENTRIES**
Please leave EACH entry as a SEPARATE COMMENT...if you have 2 extra entries, you need to comment twice, giving you a total of 3 separate comments
Be a follower of this blog (2 entries)
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this site (3 entries)
Join this group on Facebook (1 entry)
Tweet or post as your Facebook Status about this giveaway with the link back to this site (2 entries)
Check out the Uprinting reviews on yelp.com and tell me one thing you learned about their company and reviews (4 entry)

You have a chance to enter this contest 13 different times. Remember, that would mean you need to leave 13 different comments! Help spread the word about this giveaway and the miracle of adoption!

This giveaway will end on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH @ 11:59pm mst. The winners will be determined by RANDOM.ORG and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning announcement post or the prize will be re-drawn. I will post the winners on THURSDAY, November 19th.

Alicia and William's Story: Opening our Hearts

Alicia is a former first-grade teacher, turned stay-at-home mom. William teaches at a Jr. High School. Their son, Leland, suffers from many special needs including a brain disorder, cerebral palsy, blindness, and seizures. Alicia and William adore everything about their son, and love helping him grow and develop.
Alicia and William are looking to expand the family again, and their adoption blog is at http://aandw2adopt.blogspot.com
********************************************************************************

William and I (Alicia) met and fell in love in the fall of 2003. In May of 2004 we were married and it seemed our fairy tale life was just beginning. Call us crazy, but we wanted children as soon as possible and dreamed of having our family begin to expand. However, within the year, those dreams were shattered. Our lives seemingly fell apart, all of our hopes torn to pieces along with some of the horribly insensitive things people said or did, as we sought comfort and peace in our new situation. It became a dark and lonely world for us.

However, there was a ray of hope when we went looking for it. We were not against adopting, we just hadn’t really thought about it until we were told it was the only way. And even then, it took a little time for us to fully accept that adoption was right for our family and that it was the right time. In the spring of 2007 we finished our mountain of paperwork, our home visit, interviews, etc. and become approved for adoption with LDS Family Services. Then, we waited . . . nothing. So, we started searching by spreading the word. E-mails, passalong cards, letters, talking with complete strangers about adoption . . . still nothing ever worked out.

Then, in the spring of 2008 we had an intense ‘adoption miscarriage.’ To our surprise it turned into a blessing in disguise. We were so upset by losing her, that we reworked our entire homestudy. Then, we started applying for more and more waiting children: children in foster care, older children, sibling groups, and special needs (whereas before we had been slightly more picky). We became so open to “difficult placements” that we were able to receive a phone call that came in June 2008.

For us it happened fast, for our sweet birthmother it must have been something else entirely. When I received the first phone call it was not unlike all the seemingly endless others (that never seemed promising). They told me the situation, explained the special needs, and asked if we were interested. We said yes. A couple days later, our caseworker called and told us the birthmother wanted to talk to us. So, we set up a phone conversation for the next day, and it went well. A couple days later she called to tell us she wanted us to be the parents. The next night we flew across the country, and in the morning our 11 day old son was placed in our arms.

Opening our hearts to children that may seem “difficult” not only gave us a son, it gave us our son . . . the son that was meant to be a part of our forever family. We knew him the moment we saw him, and we cried because he was our son and we both loved him so intensely in that same moment. Of course we worried about his special needs, but he’s already accomplished more than they originally told us would be possible. We cried and cried when they told us he is blind, not because it was going to be hard for us . . . but because our son would miss out on so much in life by not being able to see. However, we have since learned that he’s not missing out on anything, it is us that would’ve been missing out on a beautiful life, had we not opened our hearts just a little bit more.

Adoption Center of Choice: Looking for an Adoptive Family

Birth Mother

African American - Delivering a African American baby boy

Has had Prenatal care since 8/09.

No medical insurance.

5-1 & 150lbs - 18 years old, brown hair, dark brown eyes

Has 1 other child, 4 year old girl. No mental or physical health concerns (in BM or in her other child) are reported at present.

Location - Utah

Due Date - December 26^th 2009

Medical History – No drugs, no alcohol, no smoking - High blood Pressure during first pregnancy

Last drug/HIV screening done 8/09, results: negative. Single, unemployed, hasn’t graduated from high school. Has considered parenting, but states she knows that she won’t be able to go to college if she keeps her baby and have the life she wants.

Mental Health Issues - None reported

Birthfather Situation: African American - Identity/location: unknown

Adoptive Family Preferences

Prefers that Adoptive Family have No children

Would prefer an African American or biracial family

Placement fee $16,475

Estimated Medical fees $6000 to $8000

Post Placement fee $2500

Total fee $24,975 to $26,975

Contact: Dave Williams

Adoptive Family Outreach Specialist / Adoption Center of Choice

801-473-9350

davewilliams@theadoptioncenter.com

Adoption Center of Choice: Looking for an Adoptive Family

BM: Porsha, age 24

Mississippi

Full AA Girl

Due Date: TBD (End of November estimated)

No regular prenatal care

BM does smoke about 1 pack per day

No alcohol, no drug or other substance abuse

BM is not legally married and has 3 other children

BF is aware of pregnancy and is being incarcerated next Monday, reasons unknown

BM would like semi-open adoption

**Legal: If Utah Family, UT law can be utilized. Otherwise, Mississippi law is BM signs at 72 hours and her signature is irrevocable. Legal fees are estimated at $5500. The family CANNOT finalize in Mississippi. They must know if they can finalize in their own state.

Placement $16,475

Legal $5500

Post Placement $2500

24,475 total

Adoption Center of Choice: Looking for an Adoptive Family

African American Outreach Opportunity

Expecting Baby Boy - Due 1/12/10

1st baby

Prenatal care since 5/20/09

Birth Father is Unknown - African American

Medical

No Medical Coverage - ESTIMATE: $6,000-$8,000

Mental health – Diagnosed with situational depression (not clinical) taking Zoloft

Family history

Maternal grandmother has high blood pressure, takes meds

Social/Medical form is available for review.

Preferences for Adoptive Family:

Married Couple

Christian

High school graduates with good paying jobs.

Substance Use

NONE

Fees

$16,975 – Agency placement fee
$6000 to $8000 estimated medical expenses
$1500 to 2500 post placement fee

Total Estimated Fees $24,475 to 27,475

Adoption Center of Choice

My name is Dave Williams and I work for The Adoption Center of Choice in Orem Utah. We are a licensed non-profit adoption agency specializing in newborn domestic adoptions. We have been in business for thirteen years and recently celebrated our 1000^th placement earlier this year.

We provide a wide array of birth mother services which include temporary housing in our two bedroom apartments at our Utah campus equipped with cable T.V., Internet access and phone service across the country. Our very clean and safe building also offers birth mothers onsite childcare facilities, on premise house parents available 24 hrs a day 7 days a week to assist our birth mothers with any need. We offer specialized activity days twice a week with other birth mothers in our program. We provide individual and group counseling sessions as well as a weekly allowance to help with living expenses.

We also can offer birth mothers a large selection of adoptive families for them to consider as suitable parents for their unborn child. In addition all birth mothers deliver in a state of the art birthing facility in a local hospital.

Our Adoptive family program offers prospective families access to a large pool of active birth mothers across the country. Each family is able to be seen by as many as fifty birth mothers a year depending on your adoption plan. Our placement times are current with other agencies in our state and across the nation. Fees are based on a flat fee schedule giving families the peace of mind that fees will not change based on their adoption preferences. We also protect our family’s adoption funds 100% against any interruption to the adoptive process. Our agency employs a full-time staff dedicated to helping our families to be exposed to many different opportunities

We also have an outreach program for prospective families that allows home study ready families from any other agency to have their profiles shown to any birth mother in our African American pool or Biracial African American pool. We require a copy of your home study and background clearances for approval and a copy of your family profile. There is no cost for this service. On average we have five to 10 different outreach opportunities a month.

As a nonprofit agency our goal is to provide exceptional services for both adoptive families and birth mothers alike. We are dedicated to making the dreams of adoptive families and hopes of birth mothers become a reality.

My contact information is:

Dave Williams
Outreach Specialist
The Adoption Center of Choice
241 W 520 N Orem Utah 84057
Direct line: 801-473-9350
Fax: 801-224-1899
Office; 801-224-2440
www.theadoptioncenter.com

don't let the adoption tax credit go hasta la bye-bye

RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ENSURE THE ADOPTION TAX CREDIT REMAINS PERMANENT

Private and independent domestic adoptions can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000, and expenses for intercountry adoptions generally total between $7,000 and $40,000. Domestic adoptions out of foster care are typically much less expensive, usually costing the adoptive parent $2,500 or less.

Congress introduced the Adoption Promotion and Stability Act in 1996 to “help families defray adoption costs.”

Unfortunately, while the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) made the adoption tax credit permanent, the provisions which raised the amount that adoptive families can claim and increased the income eligibility phase-out range will sunset on December 31, 2010. Thus, beginning in 2011, the amount adoptive parents will be able to claim under the adoption tax credit will revert to the pre-EGTRRA levels of $6,000 per special needs child and $5,000 per non-special needs child. Additionally, adoptive families reporting $75,000-$115,000 in annual adjusted gross income will again be restricted in the amount they can claim, and those reporting more than $115,000 in annual adjusted gross income will again be prohibited from claiming the tax credit at all. Several bills have been introduced in Congress to repeal the sunset and make the EGTRRA reforms of the adoption tax credit permanent.

At the center of this debate is a recent Treasury Report which found that parents who adopted children internationally account for a disproportionately large number of adoption tax credit recipients, while parents who adopted children from foster care represent a disproportionately small number. More specifically, international adoptions accounted for 34 percent of all adoptions supported by the tax credit despite making up only 15 percent of all adoptions in the United States, while domestic adoptions out of foster care made up 18 percent of adoptions supported by the tax credit despite making up nearly 40 percent of all adoptions in the United States. This finding has led some to claim that the adoption tax credit is not fulfilling a primary goal of promoting domestic adoptions out of foster care. Some advocates have suggested that the federal government should therefore eliminate the adoption tax credit and redistribute the funds saved to other pro-adoption programs.

The Adoption Promotion and Stability Act of 1996 had two purposes, first among which was “to defray adoption costs for families seeking to adopt” by establishing the adoption tax credit. The bill made no distinction between adoptions out of foster care and any other type of adoption.

Increasing subsidies to adoptive parents has been one of the most effective ways of boosting the adoption rate.

Most importantly, the EGTRRA provisions to the adoption tax credit due to expire in 2011 should be made permanent.

For 2009, the maximum adoption credit has increased to $12,150. This amount is phased out if your modified adjusted gross income is between $182,180 and $222,180. You cannot claim the credit or exclusion if your modified AGI is $222,180 or more.

For information on Special Needs Adoption Tax Credit for 2009 go to North American Council on Adoptable Children.

To take the credit or exclusion, complete Form 8839 (PDF), Qualified Adoption Expenses, and attach the form to your Form 1040 (PDF) or Form 1040A (PDF).

See irs.gov (topic 607 adoption credit)

“The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, H.R. 213.” Written to repeal the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs. This legislation will make the tax credit permanent. Unless legislation is passed, the Federal adoption tax credit that allows many adopting families to take a credit of up to $12,150 (2009) is scheduled to expire in December 2010. (For information on other legislation involving adoption go to adoptioncouncil.org/policy/fed_leg.html.)

Help Make the Current Federal Adoption Credit Permanent by Writing to your Representative

Here is how:

Find the name and Washington, D.C. mailing address of your Representative and Senators at www.congress.org. To find e-mail addresses, click through to the Senator’s or Congressperson’s Web site.

Next, log on to THOMAS (Library of Congress) to find out whether your Congresspersons are already co-sponsors of the legislation. Here is how:


On the THOMAS opening page, under “Search Bill Summary and Status,” search by bill number for H.R. 213. Then click on “Bill summary and Status.”

(Click to enlarge.)

On the page that comes up, click on “Cosponsors,” “Text of Legislation,” or “All Congressional Actions” to follow the progress of the bill.

If your representatives have not signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, send them your request that they do so. Tell them how important the tax credit was to you when you adopted your children, or how much you and other families you know are counting on it to be available in the future.

Act today, your efforts make a difference.

**100 brochures/flyer Giveaway Winner**

Congratulations go out to Tyson, Jennie & Cedric who have won this awesome giveaway!

You have 48 hours to contact me to receive this award. Please send me an email accepting this giveaway.

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: 12 Result: 7 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Tyson, Jennie and Cedric said...

We follow this blog

October 27, 2009 1:31 AM

Urgent Adoption Family Needed

Dave Williams is a representative for AdoptionVoices and sent me this urgent adoption. The family selected back out last minute and this child is to be released into the custody of the agency in the morning. If you are interested in more details about this child, please contact Dave at davewilliams@theadoptioncenter.com

Here is the information given on the BirthFamily:

African American BM - 33 years old

Married; Legal Father will sign.

5'2", 137 lbs.

Boy, C/section scheduled for 11/3/09

Has 2 other sons, ages 12 and 2

Lives in Maryland; will deliver there.

BF Situation:

Caucasian

22 y/o

Aware of pregnancy; will consent to adoption. BM has restraining order against him. Has no contact with him, but states he will sign.

Medical:

Prenatal Care throughout pregnancy

Has Cigna Insurance.

Substance use

None Reported

Mental Health Issues

None Reported

Physical Health
Chlamydia (STD) at age 18; was treated, no reoccurrences lately.

Oldest son (12) has Autism.

BF has Asthma

Legal fees estimated $7,000

Placement Fee $23,725

Total estimated fees 30,275

**100 Postcard Giveaway Winner**

Congratulations go out to Melissa who have won this awesome giveaway!

You have 48 hours to contact me to receive this award. Please send me an email accepting this giveaway.

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: 50 Result: 8 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Melissa said...

Facebook Status
Melissa Strasser Jensen enter for a chance to win 100 customized postcards through a giveaway on "Adoption...Changing Lives From Beginning to End". http://becauseadoptionmatters.blogspot.com/2009/10/100-postcards-giveaway.html

Adoption...Changing Lives From Beginning to End: **100 POSTCARDS GIVEAWAY**
Source: becauseadoptionmatters.blogspot.com
Hello all and welcome! In today's society a lot of people don't fully understand the purpose of adoption. This blog, along with the group that has been created on Facebook, is meant to help gather experiences, ...
2 seconds ago · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share

October 21, 2009 3:30 PM

**100 Brochures Giveaway**

Sponsor Website: UPrinting.com
Prize Offered: 100 Brochures
Size: 100 8.5 x11" Brochure / Flyers on 100lb gloss text paper ; 4 color printing on both sides
Folding Choices: Half fold; Trifold/Letterfold; Z-fold; Accordion (4 panels) Roll Fold (4 Panels)
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs. We will negotiate better shipping rates soon.


So far, our giveaway responses have been holding firm at around 20-30 comments. I would like to see more participation if possible, but I can only do so much! It is up to you to enter and to participate. I hope you do!!

This is a great giveaway because you have a HUGE choice on what type of brochure or flyer you can win. There are 5 different styles you are able to choose from and that means FUN because you also design it all. Since I host the giveaway, I also am able to receive this giveaway for free! I am very excited and will probably make some sort of advertising brochure for my photography business (which you can find on facebook under "L Photography").

This is a great opportunity to spread the adoption word, or to use for personal use. Who would pass this up, honestly?

WAYS TO ENTER

**MANDATORY ENTRY**
How do you plan to use the flyers if you win them?

*ADDITIONAL ENTRIES**
Please leave EACH entry as a SEPARATE COMMENT...if you have 2 extra entries, you need to comment twice, giving you a total of 3 separate comments
Follow this blog (2 entries)
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this site (3 entries)
Join this group on Facebook (1 entry)
Tweet or post as your Facebook Status about this giveaway with the link back to this site (2 entries)
Check out the Uprinting reviews on yelp.com (1 entry)

You have a chance to enter this contest 10 different times. Remember, that would mean you need to leave 10 different comments! Help spread the word about this giveaway and the miracle of adoption!

This giveaway will end on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH @ 11:59pm mst. The winners will be determined by RANDOM.ORG and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning announcement post or the prize will be re-drawn. I will post the winners on Saturday, November 7th.

article: 22 yards of ribbon and perfect timing

the following is an article that i wrote for the community outreach section of our local fsa newsletter.

Panicked, I got off the phone with my mother. She had just moved up my sister-in-law’s baby shower a whole week. I had been charged with the task of making invitations. The invitations had to be made that day! Knowing my inability to focus in craft stores, I invited by dearest friend, Laura visiting from Chicago, to accompany me and force me to make decisions on what supplies I needed. Although it was not what I had in mind, we decided to go to a shop down the street from where she was staying. I had no idea that we would also be doing some quality adoption outreach along the way.

I must admit that I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to selecting crafting supplies. On our fourth lap around the store, Laura finally pinned me down on the ribbon I would use on the invitations. (Ribbon that I ended up not using in the end.) For some reason, we estimated that I needed about 22 yards. That seems crazy-extravagant to me now.

As I approached the employee to ask for some assistance in measuring and cutting the ribbon, I couldn’t help but overhear an all too familiar phrase from the lady she was chatting with, “...and she decided to keep the baby.” I wasn’t sure if they thought that was good or bad. My heart started to race--much like when you know you are supposed to bear your testimony in Fast and Testimony Meeting. I felt the Spirit.

As the employee’s attention turned to me and her friend left, I heard myself telling her how many millions of yards I needed, but my mind was elsewhere. I was praying. “Please, Heavenly Father, help me know what to say. Please help me create a conversation that will lead to adoption.” I looked at my beautiful son in the shopping cart and decided that I would take the risk. After all, someone did it for us.

As if she had read my thoughts, my dear friend Laura started speaking of a tragedy that had just happened in her family where a child was killed in a horrible accident. Laura and I were chatting about the topic between the two of us when Laura asked me, “How do you get over something like that?”

The employee (who was still measuring out the 22 yards) said softly, “You don’t. My son was killed six years ago.” From here the conversation took on a very personal and almost sacred tone. She shared some of the things that she does with her family to remember her son. She spoke of how important family is.

Realizing the direct and immediate answer to my prayer, I waited for an appropriate lull in the conversation when I knew she was finished sharing about her son to make my move. The employee was still measuring out the ribbon as I blurted out, “And did I hear your friends say that someone in an unplanned pregnancy was going to keep her baby?”

She smiled and explained that actually her friends had been chosen by a birth mother who had changed her mind in the hospital and decided to parent. I expressed to her how hard I knew that was and how my heart went out to the couple. I then told her that my little guy is adopted and that adoption seems to be on my mind all the time.

What happened next shocked me.

Now untangling the newly measured and cut ribbon, she offers, “But, my best friend’s daughter, who I practically raised, is single and just had a baby. The baby’s in the hospital right now with some breathing problems due to the drugs that surrounded the pregnancy. I’m adopted and I think adoption is the best thing in the world, but I don’t know how to get a hold of her and talk to her about it.” She went on to tell us how the state will most likely not allow her to parent and will find foster care for the infant due to the drugs the mother was involved in.

I explained (without really knowing what I was saying) that if she presented an adoption plan and relinquished her rights that this birth mother could be able to choose the family that the baby was placed in. She could choose where they lived, what they liked to do, their religion and she could even have visits if she chose a couple that was open to that. These options might not be available to her if the state took over.

Then, I found myself busting out with the statistics and websites that we use in the classroom presentations on adoption in the high schools and junior high schools. How glad I was to be armed with such powerful information.

As the time came for us to leave, I wished I had listened to the Spirit the day before when prompted to put some pass-along cards from friends in the finding phase in my purse. I didn’t. I could have kicked myself. I won’t let that happen again.

I didn’t want to leave her empty handed. I asked her for a piece of paper, wrote down my name, email and phone numbers as well websites where she could anonymously look at couples hoping to build their families through adoption who are starving for babies in their home.

I testified that the best thing she could do for her friend would be to get her some help, for free, at LDS Family Services and I wrote down the address. “Here,” I told her, “they can help her understand the laws and what her options are. They will take good care of her over there.” I told her that they could just walk in and they would be helped.

The employee tucked the paper into her apron and thanked us. She said she would talk to her friend. I smiled. It always feels good to listen to the Spirit.

I don’t know if my mom was inspired to change the date of the shower or if Laura was directed to point out her favorite craft store instead of mine. I don’t know if it was my crafting indecision that caused us to be in the right place to overhear the right conversation at the right time. I don’t know if I was only attracted to that ribbon and felt that I needed a whopping 22 yards for the sole purpose of contacting this employee. But, I do know that I am grateful that there were 22 yards to be counted so that the conversation would take longer. I am thankful that, even though I didn’t have all the answers, I was still able to give some information instead of none at all. And to be honest, it was really easy. The conversation just flowed.

Reaching out to our community is more than doing classroom presentations in the health classes at the local high school. It’s opening our mouths when we are out in our community and helping to spread the good news of adoption--the joyful, life changing and hope giving news of adoption.

visit mrs. r at www.therhouse.blogspot.com

FSA Regional Adoption Conference

Hello Everyone,

The FSA Regional Adoption Conference being held in Portland, Oregon on November 6 & 7^th is only weeks away!!!

There are many wonderful speakers, panels, and classes that anyone associated with adoption will enjoy- birthparents, birth families, adoptees, couples interested in adoption, current adoptive families, adoptive families with questions about their growing adopted children (of any age), LDS Family Services Specialists, as well as those in church leadership.

Come and feel the spirit of adoption!

Register today at https://www.123signup.com/event?id=jmdhy

Take a look! Which will you choose?!

Birth Family Panel
Panelists: Katie Shelley, Steve Williams, Nicole Moseley, Annie Neilson
Moderator: Tawnia Singleton, MS, LMHC, Seattle, Washington, LDS Family Services Adoption Supervisor
Adoption would be nothing without the courage, faith, and love of a birth parent. These birth parents will share their stories and will answer questions from the audience.

Panel - Growing Up Adopted
Panelists: Scott Adams (adult), Kacie Armitage (adult), Brandt Harrison (youth), Lizzy Cichoski (youth), Rachel Cichoski (teen), Danielle (adult)
Moderator: Julie Russell, Oregon LDS Family Services Birthmother/Adoption Caseworker
What does it feel like to be adopted? How do adoptees feel about their birth parents? How do they feel they fit into their families? Panelists from pre-teen to adult will answer questions about how adoption affects their life.

Panel - Other Agency Experiences
Panelists: Jen Colwell - The Adoption Center of Choice, Suzi Graden - Abrazo Adoption Associates, Sherry Budge - Children's Hope International
Moderator: Jo Lynn Farrer, Adoptive Mother and Oregon FSA Outreach Specialist
There are many paths in adoption. Come listen and ask questions as adoptive families share their experiences of using other adoption agencies to build their families. Find out information about the agency they used, why they decided to use that agency and hear their adoption stories. Use the information they provide to decide if looking at other agencies might be right for your family.

Birth Parents and Adoption
Monica L. Blume, LCSW, Co-author "For The Love Of A Child: The Journey of Adoption"
A special session for birth parents, whether they are still undecided about choosing adoption, or have already chosen adoption.

Adoption Advocacy
Lindsey Redfern, Adoptive Mother and Adoption Advocate
You feel passionately about children and adoption. You want to share your experiences. Let us give you practical, do-able ideas that even busy soccer moms and CEO's can fit into their schedule. This interactive brainstorming class will be the ‘can’t miss’ session of the conference and promises to provide attendees with optimism and confidence about successfully and efficiently promoting adoption.

The Blessings and Challenges of Transracial Adoption
Jessica Lothyan, Adoptive Mother and Danielle, Birth Mother
Learn about the impact of race within an adoptive family. Explore how racial identity will influence your child’s life in the home, at school, church, and in the community. Discover what you need to understand around race, racism, and racial equity as you consider adopting a child of color and successfully raising them within your home.

Adoption in the Digital Age
Phil and Valerie Hochheiser, National FSA Co-Chairs
The rapid advance of the world into the digital age is forever changing the face of adoption. We must choose as a family how we want to leverage the technologies available. Going online can make your information available to birthparent(s) literally around the world. Doing so brings with it tremendous opportunities but does have a number of pitfalls that we need to all be aware of. As part of this class we will explore how we can use the Internet to increase opportunities, promote adoption, and find the support you need.

Adoption and Your Extended Family
Linda Holt, Adoptive Mother, Oregon FSA Media Specialist
Have you ever wondered how to talk to your family about adoption? Do you want to help them understand the idea of an open adoption? Do they have concerns about adoption? This class will give tips and tools on educating your extended family about adoption, proper adoption language, address their fears that they might feel differently about a child who is adopted, and help the family understand relationships in an open adoption.

Adoption 101
Julie Russell, Oregon LDS Family Services Birthparent/Adoption Caseworker
Pauletta Morrissey, Oregon LDS Family Services Adoption Secretary
You have finally made the decision to start the adoption process. The road can be confusing, uncertain, and emotional. This workshop will outline the steps involved in adopting from application to finalization. Plus you’ll learn how to put your profile on the New! ItsAboutLove.org website.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Adoption
Monica L. Blume, LCSW, Co-Author "For The Love Of A Child: The Journey of Adoption"
Adoption is a journey of a thousand different emotions; joy, despair, hope, frustration, anxiety and happiness. It is not always a smooth path. This class will explore how to ride this rollercoaster of emotions, develop coping skills, and find support in the highs and lows of your adoption journey.

Adoption and the Law
David M. McConkie, Lead Corporate Attorney for LDS Family Services
While we know adoption happens in our hearts, it also has to happen in a court of law. This class will provide an overview of the legal process involved in adoption and What the adoptive couple can expect leading up to finalization. It will also address the legal concerns that many adoptive couples have. Local adoption attorney, Scott Adams, will also be present.

Adoption and Your Growing Child
Aura Lee Loveland, MSW, Adoptive Mother
While discovering and creating their identity, children who were adopted have the dual task of navigating the more universal tasks of child development, as well as the expected questions that come with adoption. This session will explore obstacles and strategies inherent to this journey including specific techniques parents can use to assist in teaching adoption based upon a child’s developmental needs.

Why FSA?
Phil and Valerie Hochheiser, National FSA Co-Chairs
What does membership in FSA (Families Supporting Adoption) REALLY mean? How can membership benefit you? Spend a few minutes with us learning the “who”, “what”, “when” and “why” of it all. No matter where you fit into adoption...FSA needs YOU! We’re all in this together.

Adopting Through the State - It is Harder, and Easier, than you Think!
Madeline Hodge, Oregon Department of Human Services Training Manager and Todd Harrison, Oregon DHS Volunteer Trainer, FSA Regional Co-Chair
There is an overwhelming need in many states, including states in the Northwest, for adoptive and foster care parents. Come to this session to learn about adopting thru the state - the children, the process and the possibilities.

Openness: Fear vs. Love
Brent Cichoski, MA, Oregon LDS Family Services Adoption Supervisor
This class will discuss the following; the various levels of open adoptions, the benefits to each of the parties involved, address concerns and fears, and identify specific tips and guidelines that can be used to structure and develop healthy, and lasting relationships.

As you can see, this will be a wonderful conference. Please put it on your calendar and register today!

https://www.123signup.com/event?id=jmdhy

Questions from a Reader: How do you answer questions from family and friends about adoption?

Linda asked:

I am curious what questions families/friends of adoptive couples asked them when they learned they were chosing to adopt? What were the fears voiced by friends and family? If it was an open adoption what did they think of it and what were thier fears? Were they supportive? How did the adoptive couple help ease fears, educate and talk to their family/friends about adoption and open adoption?

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Have a question you would like to ask or have been wondering about but don't know where to go or who to ask? Please email it to me at adoption_stories@yahoo.com and we will post it for our readers to help answer

**100 POSTCARDS GIVEAWAY**

Sponsor Website: UPrinting.com
Prize Offered: 100 Postcards
Sizes: 4x6
Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock
Printing: Full color both sides
Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States. Canadian Residents must Pay Shipping and Taxes. Residents of other countries are not eligible.


I love having a sponsor for this blog because they have AMAZING PRODUCTS and conduct GREAT GIVEAWAYS! We have been very lucky to be selected to do most of the giveaways, and I enter to participate in ones that I feel the readers of this sight would want. Advertising for your adoption hopes can be expensive and sometimes you don't know where to start, so please take advantage of this great giveaways because you will be saving money and getting a good supply of items use for your adoption voice. Now, it is certainly not mandatory that you only use these giveaways for adoption purposes, you are free and able to use them for ANYTHING...personal use, business, gifts for a friend...you win it, you get the chance to do anything you want with it!

This giveaway is perfect for the holiday season coming up. It is 100 postcards. You design them and upload your design to their printers, request a proof and then have then sent to your house before the holiday season and then, you have your Christmas cards done!! Woot Woot!

By participating in this giveaway I will receive 100 postcards of my own to create and enjoy. I am planning on using it as our family newsletter/Christmas cards! What better way to say to friends and family Happy Holidays then by a letter?!

WAYS TO ENTER

**MANDATORY ENTRY**
How do you plan to use the postcards if you win them?

*ADDITIONAL ENTRIES**
Please leave EACH entry as a SEPARATE COMMENT...if you have 2 extra entries, you need to comment twice, giving you a total of 3 separate comments
Follow this blog (2 entry)
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this site (3 entries)
Join this group on Facebook (1 entry)
Tweet or post as your Facebook Status about this giveaway with the link back to this site (2 entries)
Reply to this Question from a Reader Post (3 entries)

You have a chance to enter this contest 9 different times. Remember, that would mean you need to leave 9 different comments! Help spread the word about this giveaway and the miracle of adoption!

This giveaway will end on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27TH @ 6:00pm mst. The winners will be determined by RANDOM.ORG and will have 24 hours to respond to the winning announcement post or the prize will be re-drawn. I will post the winners on Wednesday, October 28th.

**250 Business Card Giveaway Winners**

This was an easy one to figure out for the winners...since only two people entered this drawing, those two people have won! Congrats to Cory and Becca as well as William and Alicia.

You have until tomorrow night to contact me to receive this prize. Please email me at adoption_stories@yahoo.com to accept.

Congrats to you! Look for a new giveaway to be posted this week!! It is a GOOD ONE!!

**24x36 VINYL BANNER GIVEAWAY WINNER**

Congratulations go out to Jeremy and Becky who have won this awesome giveaway!
You have 48 hours to contact me to receive this award. Please send me an email accepting this giveaway.

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 17 Result: 12

Jeremy and Becky said...

Blogged on our adoption website! www.oursmallsliceofheaven.blogspot.com and linked it back to the website!

September 23, 2009 8:39 AM

**250 BUSINESS CARD GIVEAWAY**

Sponsor Website: UPrinting.com
Prize Offered: (2) 250 Business Cards
Sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card)
Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing
Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States. Canadian Residents must Pay Shipping and Taxes. Residents of other countries are not eligible.

Take some time to get familiar with the different styles of business cards at UPrinting.com!

Our sponsor is at it again with another GREAT giveaway for you to win! This giveaway will have 2 winners and is showcasing business cards. I recently won business cards from this company and grew to love their quality of work. In fact, for hosting this giveaway I am going to be receiving 250 business cards of my own! I know awesome huh?

Pay particular attention to the 2x2 style business cards that they have. Those are all the rage and will be what I plan to order! Great ideas for using this product if you win would be to advertise your business, specialty, or better yet, to make pass along cards to advertise your hopes to adopt. Trust me when I say 250 pass along cards will help get the word out for sure! Imagine creating a cute design on a 2x2 business card to pass around or to leave at restaurants with your tip. You can make them as classy or funky as you would like! That is the beauty of Uprinting.com, you create your design and they will print it for you.

Another great thing I utilize for every order I place is their proof before purchase option. When you are going to place and order and request the proof before purchase, you just select pay over the phone and then place the order. This will send the image to proofing, you will receive the proof less than a day later, and then you know exactly what you are going to get! What an awesome service!

WAYS TO ENTER

**MANDATORY ENTRY**
What would you use these business cards for? Business, personal use, to give to a friend?? Do tell!

*ADDITIONAL ENTRIES**
Please leave EACH entry as a SEPARATE COMMENT...if you have 2 extra entries, you need to comment twice, giving you a total of 3 separate comments
Follow this blog (2 entry)
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this site (2 entries)
Join this group on Facebook (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this site (2 entries)
Request to have your blog listed on our site (1 entry)
Share your adoption experiences as a guest blogger (4 entries)

You have a chance to enter this contest 13 different times. Remember, that would mean you need to leave 13 different comments! Help spread the word about this giveaway and the miracle of adoption!

This giveaway will end on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH @ 11:59mst. The winners will be determined by RANDOM.ORG and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning announcement post or the prize will be re-drawn. I will post the winners on Wednesday, October 21th.

Matching Monday

are these your children?

many of you are looking for your children.
these children are looking for their families ...


Colorado

Nathanyel Age 5
If you need a hug, then you need to meet Nathanyel! This affectionate young boy loves to be hugged and praised. Taking rides in the car or in the school bus makes Nathanyel smile. With assistance, Nathanyel can scoot around to explore his environment, and he likes to practice walking up and down the stairs. Children's songs and Celtic music enable Nathanyel to move about and shake his arms up and down, which he loves. "Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E" are two of his favorite movies. Nathanyel has been diagnosed with osteopetrosis and craniosynastosis. He has a G-tube for feeding and has made great progress in his gross motor skills. He is talking more often and with increasing clarity. In preschool, Nathanyel learns best with cause and effect toys. Fun and pleasant to be around, he plays well with other children, and he is also content to play by himself. Due to his visual impairment, Nathanyel needs special equipment to get around. He benefits from physical, speech and occupational therapies. Nathanyel will do exceptionally well in a nurturing and supportive family.

Colorado

Davonte, Deron, Jorvondre Ages 11, 7, 5
re you the answer to this trio's hope for a forever family? First in line is Deron. In the fourth grade, Deron does well in school and gets along beautifully with others. He is respectful and well-behaved. He enjoys dancing, playing basketball, jumping on the trampoline, reading, science, camping, and fishing. In the middle is Jorvondre, who goes by "Dre." He is in first grade and attends alternative school. Like his older brother, Dre enjoys jumping on the trampoline, camping, and fishing. He also likes to draw, color, play outside, and play with the family cats. Last but not least is Davonte, who likes to be called "Coy." Coy attends preschool, where he is developing his academics and skills. He enjoys coloring, being read to, playing outside, and receiving attention from adults. All three boys benefit from counseling, which may need to continue following placement. The caseworker prefers a two-parent home; however, all families will be considered. The boys would like to remain in contact with their current foster family

Colorado
Athena H. Age 8
Being out on the town is what Athena is all about! She loves going out to eat at local restaurants, especially Chuck E. Cheese. Pizza, in fact, is the best food! Boondocks Fun Center is a great place to go, as is a trip to the mountains. Taking walks, playing soccer, and hide and seek are high on Athena's list of favorites. Indoors times will find her working on the computer, playing with her dolls, and making puzzles. Talkative, loving, and caring, Athena is a wonderful helper around the house. A fourth grader, she is making great progress with her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and speech therapy. She thrives on structure and follow-through. Charming and social, Athena likes to be the center of attention. She is in counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Athena has an older brother with whom she remains in contact. Her caseworker will consider all family types.

Wyoming
Bud M. Age 8
Get ready to listen and laugh! Bud is a talkative and funny kid who can entertain others with his engaging personality! Intelligent and with a willingness to learn new things, he would love to have a forever family with whom to share the rest of his life. Animals are a passion of his, and being with a family who has pets would be a great match. If you find him outdoors in the fresh air, whether fishing or swimming, you know he is in heaven! Movies and electronics, especially video games, are his favorites. In the sixth grade, Bud likes playing board games and cards. He benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Bud’s caseworker prefers a two-parent family who is willing to participate in a transitional plan prior to placement.


Wyoming
Ricky O. Age 6
A forever family would be a dream come true for Ricky, a delightful and active boy who has a number of interests. Quite the athlete, he loves swimming, basketball and football. And what does this lively boy eat to sustain his get-up-and-go? Apples and peanut butter are his favorites! After playing hard outside and wanting to relax, Ricky can be found reading books, or playing with puzzles and board games. His creative side is tapped while drawing or doing arts and crafts, which give him much joy. In the third grade, Ricky gets excellent grades. Last quarter, he received no grade less than a B! Ricky benefits from an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), as well as counseling, which will need to continue after placement. The caseworker prefers a two-parent family for Ricky; however, all family types will be considered.


please take time to look at each situation--each child. then share their information with others. even if these little ones aren't right for your family, you might be the link to the family who is. please let me know if you pursue any of these situations, you know i would love to hear.

** 24x36 VINYL BANNER GIVEAWAY**

Sponsor Website: UPrinting.com
Prize Offered: (1) 24 x 36" Vinyl Banner w\ grommets ($62 value)
Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States

Check out the specifications on these high quality vinyl banners at UPrinting.com!

I am so excited to have the latest sponsorship with UPrinting! Their products are top notch and they many different options for your printing needs. Are you creating pass-along cards to spread the word to people that you are looking to adopt? Do you have a desire to create brochures to have at doctors offices and schools? Do you need business cards or A VINYL BANNER to help advertise your business or an event? UPrinting can do it all! Make sure to check them out.

This giveaway is pretty awesome, ONE because it is a 24x36 vinyl banner that can be personalized by YOU for anything YOU want!! TWO because the shipping is FREE!!

There are so many different things that a banner can be used for...from business use to personal, it can help save time and money because it is resueable and very good quality. Here are some ideas you may consider using if you win this banner: Happy Birthday, Congratulations, Welcome Home, Merry Christmas, Open House, etc!!

I hope you are excited about this giveaway! I sure am!!

Check out these two sites for more information on this giveaway:
Vinyl Banners
Banner Printing

WAYS TO ENTER

**MANADTORY ENTRY**
Tell me what you plan to do with this banner if you are the winner and leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

*ADDITIONAL ENTRIES*
Please leave EACH entry as a SEPERATE COMMENT...if you have 2 extra entries, you need to comment twice, giving you a total of 3 seperate comments
Follow this blog (1 entry)
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this site (2 entries)
Join this group on Facebook (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this site (2 entires)
Request to have your blog listed on our site (1 entry)

You have a chance to enter this contest 8 different times. Remeber, that would mean you need to leave 8 different comments! Help spread the word about this giveaway and the miracle of adoption!

This giveaway will end on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH @ 11:59mst. The winner will be determined by RANDOM.ORG and will have 48 hours to respond to the winnging announcement post or the prize will be re-drawn. I will post the winner on Monday, October 19th.

Questions From A Reader: Private, Agency, or Independent Adoptions?

Hello, my name is Michelle and my family has come in contact with a birthmother through a friend. We had a successful adoption a few years back through an agencies, but this time, we were just thinking of hiring a lawyer to do a private adoption. The only issue is that I am not exactly sure what benefits I am losing by not going with my perspective birthmother to an agency. Am I making the right choice by trying for a private adoption? I just think it would probably be less cost and stress. Do you have any other recommendations?

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Have a question you would like to ask or have been wondering about but don't know where to go or who to ask? Please email it to me at adoption_stories@yahoo.com and we will post it for our readers to help answer

R House Couture

Readers - we have the chance to help one of our sisters-in-adoption. For those few who might not know, Mrs. R is going through the fight of her life right now as court proceedings continue regarding her little "G" baby's adoption. Pray for her. Let her know of your love by leaving her bloggy love in the form of a comment showing support!

One other way to help is to visit her Etsy store. She has amazing friends who help hand-make jewelry to sell to pay the lawyer fees. The necklaces are to die for!

You can even get one item from her Etsy shop for free! That's right - FREE! Read about this fabulous giveaway at the following link:

I Never Grew Up

New Adoption Show on WEtv

I just watched the series priemer of a new show on WEtv called, Adoption Diaries. It was very emotional for me to watch as I am an adoptive parent. It is so wonderful to have shows like this that help show the process and the feelings that come to those who are affected by adoption. To learn more about this show, please visit the WEtv website!

Introducing the newest partnership with "PARENTHOOD FOR ME, INC"

One great thing about having this awesome blog is getting the chance to meet new people and hear about their stories and situations. It has been so amazing to get feedback and to have your stories shared for those who are seeking to read and infuse in their lives. I am also excited about the opportunity I have to create partnerships with agencies and businesses to help spread the word on adoption and to help you (the reader) out a little better.

I am pleased to welcome our newest blog contributor, Erica, and her business Parenthood for Me, Inc to help share "financial and emotional assistance for those starting adoption and medical intervention."

Erica Schlaefer

Age 31

President

Parenthood for Me, Inc.

info@parenthoodforme.org

I am an adoptive mom to my 2 year old son from S.Korea. He came home on June 3, 2008. My husband, AJ and I went through infertility ART for four years without a successful pregnancy. We finally decided that adoption was the right option for us because ultimately we wanted to be parents. We had such a wonderful experience adopting and our lives feel complete with the arrival of our son. We found out very early on we would need help conceiving. I have PCOS and my husband has MFI. We were young and naive and after two years we switched to a new RE where our care suited our needs much better. Upon switching doctors I was diagnosed with severe endo and anti nuclear antibodies. The lack of correct diagnsoses limited our chances of conceiving further but we didn't know until switching doctors. We were very angry and felt we should educate others on how to advocate for themselves when it comes to healthcare. We wanted to try and help other couples going through infertility to understand how important it is to get second opinions and really know their options. The same goes for the adoption process. There is a lot of information out there and it is daunting. Potential adoptive parents need to be educated and seek help to choose the correct path towards adoption.

When we were going through infertility most of our peers were not even married yet. We felt very alone and isolated in our grief. Our way of coping was to talk about the perils of infertility and try and educate family and friends. But, no one around us could really understand how difficult things were for us. When our son came home, we decided to try and help other people suffering through infertility.

Parenthood for Me, Inc. is a national not for profit corporation. Having a family is fundamental to the human experience. It should not come down to how big your bank account is. Our goal is to provide emotional support, educational tools, and financial support to those adopting or pursuing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to try and conceive. We hope to ease some of the burden bestowed on people who desperately want to be parents. 2009 is our year to build awareness and the endowment. We will be accepting grant applications in January 2010 and awarding our first grants in June 2010. PFM has grown quite rapidly since its inception. This is due to the strong need for support both monetarily and emotionally for people going through infertility or adoption.

You can visit our website to learn more about our story and Parenthood for Me. You can make a donation, and we also have tshirts and our Artwork for Building Families Project. Buy stationery notecards as a gift and make a donation at the same time.

http://www.parenthoodforme.org/donations.php

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If you are interested in learning more about Erica please visit her blog at http://parenthoodforme.blogspot.com

WELCOME ABOARD!