The Vulnerable Children Ministry

WISE Up! Workshop for Adoptees

2012-01-30T17:34:00.000-08:00

What Is W.I.S.E. Up?

Most adopted children are frequently asked questions about being adopted, yet few are equipped to respond. WISE Up! is a unique and interactive workshop that provides a simple but powerful way for adopted children (and families) to handle comments and personal questions about their adoption journey. It also teaches children that they have the power to decide if and when they want to share their story. A parent workshop that teaches adults how to practice this program at home will run concurrently with the children’s workshop. WISE Up was developed by the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.).

Who Should Attend This Workshop?

This workshop offers practical tools for both adoptive parents and adopted children (both internationally and domestically) to guide them in making choices on how to respond to uncomfortable or personal questions about their adoption. Workshops for children will be divided based on grade: 1st-3rd and 4th-6th.Space in each Workshop is limited to 10 children and 20 adults, so we recommend early registration.

Workshop Cost

Registration fee: $100 per family, or $75 for adults attending without children. Payment for the Workshop is accepted by major credit card at the time of your registration, or by mail to Sunny Ridge within five business days of your registration. Please note: No refunds are given for cancellations. A Workshop credit will be issued which is good for one year from cancelled date.

Date, Time & Location

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Morning session:
10:00am - 12 Noon
Children Grades 1-3 (Ages 6, 7 & 8)
Afternoon session:
1:30pm - 3:30pm

Children Grades 4-6 (Ages 9, 10 & 11)
Location:
Sunny Ridge Family Center

270 Remington Blvd., Suite C
Bolingbrook, IL 60440

Registration

To register, click here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2448754290?ref=ebtn or visit http://www.sunnyridge.org/post-adoption/wiseup.php for more information.

Webinar on Foster Care Ministry

2012-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Foster Care Ministry - 25 Little Things That Make a Big Difference

It isn't always easy to know how best to encourage and aid young people in foster care. Here's your chance to hear honest reflections and advice from those who know intimately the challenges of life in foster care…and what a big difference small acts of love can make.

Join the Alliance in welcoming several Foster Youth Interns (FYIs) from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI). They'll share from personal experience as alumni of the U.S. foster care system their ideas about how churches and individuals can love, support and provide guidance for foster youth.

Presenters: Kathleen Strottman, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

Richard Terrell, Foster Youth Intern, CCAI

Mason McFalls, Foster Youth Intern, CCAI

Brittany Scott, Foster Youth Intern, CCAI

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Time: 1:00 PM Central

Each 60-minute webinar in this series will give local advocates access to the knowledge and experience of top Alliance member churches and organizations nationwide, covering key topics on adoption, foster care and/or global orphan care. Every webinar will be hosted by a local church orphan ministry and co-presented by one or more national experts on the subject matter. This pairing will deliver a combination of specialist information and resources alongside a “here’s how it works in a real church” perspective.

http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/

Adoption Articles from "HomeWord Bound" Ministry

2012-01-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've discovered some great articles from the HomeWord Bound Ministry with Dr. Jim Burns. Articles include the following topics:

* Chosen Children of Adoption
* Releasing a Child for Adoption
* International Adoptions & Special Needs Kids
* Pitfalls of Adoption
* The Answers Adopted Kids Seek in the Teen Years
* Should We Adopt?
* Do Adopted Kids Have More Problems?
* Helping Your Adopted Child Blend in With Your Family

You will find all the articles when you click on this link:
http://www.homeword.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=adoption&rtype=ta&log=1

"If You Were Mine" Adoption Workshop

2012-01-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Is adoption part of God's plan for your family?

Come join us as we explore what God wants us to do in response to His call to care for orphans. Through this biblical and practical video workshop, we'll learn the processes, challenges, and joys of adoption. Explore the following topics in order to make wise, loving decisions and have healthy expectations about adoption. Sessions Include:

* God's Heart for the Orphan.
* The Christian and the Orphan
* Making Basic Decisions
* Evaluating Agencies, Investigating Funding Options, and Paperwork
* Completing your Home Study and Discovering Your Child
* Welcoming Your Child Home
* Finalizing Your Adoption and Final Thoughts
Date: Saturday, February 18th 9:00.m. - 3:30 p.m. (check-in starts at 8:30 a.m.)

Location: Willow Creek Community Church, 67 E. Algonquin Rd., So. Barrington, IL 60010

Room: B100 - Park in lot B, Enter entrance B (lower level, under the Chapel)

Fee: $10.00 per person for workbook. Payment due on day of workshop.

Meals: Breakfast snacks & Lunch will be provided.

For more information contact: Dina @ vcministry127@gmail.com.

To register, please send an e-mail providing the following information to vcministry127@gmail.com.

* First and last name(s)

* E-mail address

* Phone number

* Any dietary concerns for lunch

Free Downloads of Adoption Music

2012-01-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Below is a message from singer and adoption advocate Becky Wright.

In case you weren't aware, this Sunday Jan. 22nd is "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday". Churches across the country will be remembering that life is a gift from God, begins at conception, and that the Lord has a plan for EACH life from before the foundations of the world.

I'm giving away two FREE songs to help you focus on this special day. Go to my music website HERE and click on the "REDEEM" tab at the top right.

Put in the code "life" to download the song "Act of Life" (quotations not needed- only the word life). Save the song to your computer, if you'd like, or just listen.

To download the second song, return HERE and click on the "Redeem" tab again. Put in the code "future" to download the song "I Gave You Away".

I pray that these songs will save lives, raise awareness, and help heal and encourage birth parents who've made the sacrificial and loving choice of adoption for their baby when they could not raise them... choosing LIFE over death. Becky

Psalm 139:13
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Sunny Ridge Parenting Class

2012-01-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

Risks and Realities of Parenting
Why Do Children Do What They Do?
Saturday, February 11, 2012

9:00am - 12:00pm
Sunny Ridge Family Center, Bolingbrook

Sunny Ridge Family Center presents

DR. DAN GRIFFITH, PhD

Clinical Pediatric Psychologist

Are you parenting or preparing to parent a child who may have been prenatally exposed to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs? While parenting certainly has its many rewards, there are also risks and realities which every parent needs to be of aware of. Come hear from Dr. Dan Griffith, Ph.D., a clinical pediatric psychologist, who will provide insights on the risks and realities of parenting with these challenges - and help us better understand why children do what they do. Topics to be covered:

Parenting A Child At Risk

Developmental tasks for children
The effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD)
The long-term risks and realities the exposure may present

Managing Sensory and Regulatory Difficulties In Children

Why do children do what they do?
The role of sensory processing in determining behavior
A model for understanding behavior through sensory processing and sensory/regulatory concepts
Promoting successful parenting through helping children to know what they are supposed to do and to be able to do it

$20 Workshop Registration fee, ($40 for 3 CEU's for LSW/LCSW's)

Dan Griffith is a licensed clinical psychologist and has years of experience in research and clinical practice with high risk infants/children and their families. Dr. Griffith has expertise in psychological/developmental/educational assessment and intervention with children, parent child relations and parental effectiveness training, research design and implementation, and program evaluation. He has worked with a number of high risk populations including: domestic and international adoptees, premature and/or low birth weight infants, infants/children prenatally exposed to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD), children with sensory/regulatory problems including ADHD and autism, and children with learning disabilities.

Register Here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2733715617?ref=ebtn

"Safe Families for Children" National Conference

2012-01-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

Save the Date - May 2nd in Orange County, California!

Safe Families for Children is pleased to announce the first Safe Families For Children (SFFC) national conference hosted by your national partners and Mariners Church. The conference will include seminars for all alliance members, host families, ministry teams, pastors, partners and implementers. We will also have a night of worship and celebration Wednesday evening.

This conference was strategically planned on May 2 due to the close location and timing of the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit - May 3 (http://www.summitviii.org). Please plan to join us as the story of God's call for biblical hospitality includes opening our homes through safe families to foster care to adoption for families who exist in a continuum of brokenness.

We will keep you posted as the details are announced.

Safe Families Mom's Coffee

2012-01-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Join other Safe Families Host Moms for a time of community!

Tuesday, January 24th

9:30-11am

at the home of Jennifer McAndrews, 1570 Lake Shore Drive S., Barrington

847-381-3295

Please RSVP via email to Tammy at tbauer@safe-families.org

Sheila at Sheila@applegates.com

Wess Stafford at Willow Creek Community Church

2012-01-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

Please join us at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington on Jan. 21 or 22 as Wess Stafford, President of Compassion International, shares some powerful stories about how just one minute can change a child's life.

The stories he'll be sharing are from his newest book, Just a Minute, which demonstrates that one moment can last forever in the heart of a child.You will be inspired by the impact you can make in the life of a sponsored child and other children in your life.

I truly hope you'll join us. I know that you will leave inspired, encouraged and challenged.

Saturday, January 21st @ 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 22nd @ 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

Willow Creek Community Church

67 E. Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010

Tony & Lauren Dungy Speak Out about Adoption and Caring for the Fatherless

2012-01-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to watch this challenging video from Tony Dungy (NFL coach of the 2007 Superbowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts) and his wife Lauren. They are adoptive parents, adoption advocates and faithful Christ followers. After viewing the video, I encourage you to find at least one person that you can forward it to.

http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/2011/12/28/tony-and-lauren-dungey-on-giving-families-to-americas-orphans/

Adoptive Parent Workshop

2012-01-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

Speech & Language Strategies for
Children Adopted from China

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

7:00pm - 8:00pm

Sunny Ridge Family Center presents

SHINFAN STEPHANIE CHANG, MS, CCC-SLP/L

Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist

Attend a seminar with guest presenter Shinfan Stephanie Chang, MS, CCC-SLP/L. Shinfan Stephanie Chang is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and Early Intervention Specialist, as well as a Mandarin Chinese Interpreter for the Illinois Early Intervention program. She will be present on speech and language strategies for children adopted from China and will be covering the following topics in her presentation:

Communication issues for internationally adopted children
Learning about signs of speech-language delays
Strategies to help your child communicate while they are transitioning into their new home
When to ask for a speech-language evaluation for your child
What is involved in a speech-language evaluation

Workshop cost is $20 per person. Adults only; no childcare provided.

$20 Workshop Registration fee

Click here to register:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2503355604?ref=ebtn

For more information go to http://www.sunnyridge.org/

D.C.F.S. Foster Care Training at Willow Creek

2012-01-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in investing in the life of a child by becoming licensed to be a DCFS foster parent?

The DCFS Pre-Service training program Foster/Adopt PRIDE will be offered at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL. The sessions will start on May 3rd and will run nine consecutive Thursday evenings from 6:30p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The 27 hours of training is based on a co-trainer model of a foster parent and agency social work staff member. If you are interested in registering for this class, you must have an agency refer you for the training.

Joyce Moffit, a member of our leadership team, foster care recruiter for Youth Services Bureau of Illinois Valley (YSB) and a DCFS master trainer, will be one of the trainers for this session. Foster families who have successfully completed this training program will be well prepared to meet the needs of the foster children in their care.

For more information, please call Joyce Moffit at YSB #847-468-0454. Additional training opportunities can be viewed at the DCFS web site, http://www.state.il.us/DCFS/library/com_communications_train.shtml

Safe Families for Children Webinar

2012-01-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Recognizing the extraordinary and irreplaceable value of each person and family who volunteers as part of the Safe Families For Children (SFFC) movement, SFFC is offering this webinar as a support to Safe Family hosts.

Dr. Monte Pries - SFFC Family Coach Supervisor, Santa Ana, will present a series of webinars for the next several months on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

January 10th, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Central Time: "Safe Families for Children and the Birthing of Joy"
They will look at the surprises, discomforts, and great benefits of the host family's commitment to Safe Families for Children. Dr. Monte will continue to speak about the crucial role in volunteering within the context of Safe Families for Children.

Click below to register:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/480100896

Adoptive, Foster & Safe Families Monthly Pot-Luck

2012-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

We're looking forward to connecting with everyone again for a time of community and learning. Here are the details for this months pot-luck gathering.

Date: Sunday, January 15th

Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Willow Creek Community Church/So. Barrington
Room: F150 (in the 2yr old Promiseland rooms)

This months topic: We will have a guest speaker from the Clearbrook Center talk about sensory issues. If you have welcomed, or plan to welcome a foster or adoptive child into your home, there is a good chance that you will need to address sensory issues in your child. Please come for a wonderful opportunity to learn more about these issues with others who are traveling the same journey. D.C.F.S. training hours will be applied for those of you who are licenced foster care families.

Pot-Luck: The leadership team will provide a taco bar and beverages for dinner. Please bring a dessert to share.

Child Care: Child care is provided if you r.s.v.p. with the number of children and their ages.

R.S.V.P.'s are not required (unless you're bringing children), but are helpful for planning. R.S.V.P. to vcministry127@gmail.com.

ABC World News Spotlights Adoption of Children with Special Needs

2011-12-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

An organization called Reece’s Rainbow helps to match adoptive families to children with Down Syndrome and other special needs. Below is an excellent report from ABC News that spotlights the adoption of a little girl with down syndrome from Ukraine.

Please remember to pray for this vulnerable children who do not have a voice, and that God would use this report to find many more forever families for these kids.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/utah-family-saves-ukraine-girl-15236476

Hope Ethiopia: 100 Challenge Results

2011-12-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

A message from LifeSong for Orphans.......

Do you remember that Hope Ethiopia:100 challenge we gave you? The one where YOU all completely exceeded our goals?

And that one phone call where an AMAZING donor committed to match ALL donations (up to $130,000) to Lifesong Ethiopia through the end of 2011?

Well, we found out about that donor on November 17th! That's 45 days to raise $130,000... which made this goal seem next to impossible... in OUR eyes! However, as you all know... GOD had different plans for THESE kids -

and these kids -

Plans that we could never had imagined... plans to give them hope and a future!

Thanks to an AMAZING TEAM of individuals and their fundraising efforts, coupled with the provision of our Lord, THE MATCH HAS BEEN MET! Did you hear me? All ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS has been donated for the children at the Adami Tulu and Ziway, Ethiopia schools!

We stand in complete awe of our MIGHTY Jehovah Jireh!

Thank you fundraising team for your efforts, for the way you never stop advocating for these children, and for our faith in our Lord God Almighty to provide for ALL of their needs!

Thank you donors who stepped up to the challenge and did not let the dollar amount get in the way... but trusted that EVERY one of your dollars mattered!

Thank you to all of you who advocated for these children, pray for them, and have invested in their lives... it will surely be an invest with an eternal reward!

Check the Adami Tulu site often to learn more about The Project, the fundraising priorities, and what's in store for 2012!

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/

"Careful the Things You Say"

2011-12-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

The following, is taken from "Rita's Blog" from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/who-we-are/blog/

Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

September 14, 2011

Last week I heard a child welfare professional charged with the care of dozens of children waiting to be adopted say, “We have done so much work for him, but had to take him out of another placement. Honestly, he is just proving to me that he is unadoptable.” The child about whom she was speaking is 14 and being moved out of his fifth home in almost as many years. I have thought about that comment nonstop since then. Unadoptable. The word makes me angry and sad. But mostly angry. Words have consequences.

In his compelling Broadway musical, Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim addresses nearly every iconic family theme – the relationship between parent and child, the difficult transition from childhood into adulthood, self-discovery, longing, loneliness, grief and guilt, wishes and hope. Of course other messages resonate in this intertwining of classic fairy tales (or it wouldn’t be a Sondheim musical!), but to me, none more profoundly than that of the responsibility we have as adults for children. All children. Responsibility for our actions and in how we speak. “Careful the things you say, children will listen,” sings the Witch. “Careful the things you do, children will see and learn.”

I have always connected this show to the work we do for maltreated children, vulnerable families and, in particular, children in foster care waiting to be adopted. The quest for home and the recognition that the threads of childhood are delicately woven into how we grow as adults is at the core of foster care adoption. And yet, knowing what we know – how basic and essential it is that childhood threads are sewn into a safe and nurturing family – we allow thousands of children to linger without homes, and thousands more to age out and never realize their quests for families.

Too often it is because, either consciously (or worse, unknowingly), we label children “unadoptable,” or “hard to place,” or just simply “difficult.” As many a rhetorician has noted, words have consequences. In this case, it is a bit of a double jeopardy. When we call a child unadoptable, we not only criminally diminish his or her hope, but we extend the myth that some children are less deserving than others of what you and I consider birthrights – family and home. Using the word allows those of us charged with assuring an adoptive home for every child the escape hatch of failure. If HE is UNADOPTABLE, then it must not be MY fault if I cannot find him a home that sticks. Enough excuses, particularly those that blame the child.

At the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, we work each day under the notion that every waiting child is adoptable. If a child has not been placed in a home with a pending finalization, it is our fault. We have not worked hard enough or smart enough to assure that the child is prepared, that an appropriate family has been sought or that the family has been given every resource to succeed. Our fault, not the child’s. He is not unadoptable. She is not hard to place. They are not difficult. Enough. Our failures, not theirs.

Children in foster care waiting to be adopted are unique and cherished individuals whose life experiences have already made them wiser than most adults. Now they simply need our indefatigable efforts to assure that they have families and homes. He is adoptable. She is wise. They are deserving of our best efforts.

Careful the things you say. Words have consequences. And if we do this right, it will be with the best possible results – homes for children who need them most. No excuses.

Oh, and if that word (you know what word) is ever used around us again – you might just get the Giant’s boot!

Family hopes state enables more international adoptions

2011-12-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

Carolyn and Kiel Twietmeyer and their large family sit down for dinnner… (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune)

Joliet couple see adding more kids as part of their religious mission

November 24, 2011|By Manya A. Brachear, Chicago Tribune reporter

As the parents of 14 children, including six adopted from Africa, Carolyn and Kiel Twietmeyer believe they are doing God's work. Two of the six children the Joliet couple adopted from Ethiopia suffer from HIV. Bringing them to the U.S., where they could get the medical attention they needed, was a matter of life or death. "The worst part of HIV is the stigma," Carolyn said. "In the U.S., it's considered a chronic and manageable disease."

But the Twietmeyers and other like-minded large families in Illinois face an obstacle to their mission of adopting from countries where the orphan crises are especially dire. In order to adopt children from countries such as Uganda, India and the Philippines, parents must be licensed by the state as foster care families. That's a problem for the Twietmeyers and other families who far exceed the standard licensing limit.

It's also a problem for Jojo, Carolyn Twietmeyer's nickname for Jonathan, a 3-year-old child with Down syndrome and HIV, who lives in a Ugandan orphanage. Twietmeyer dreams of the day she can bring him home and call him her son.
But social workers at the Twietmeyers' adoption agency say they have been told the family won't be licensed for more children, a necessary step to adopt from Uganda, where adoptions are not finalized until after children reach the U.S.
The conflict pits the families' desire to live out their religious mission of caring for orphans against the state's mission to protect children. To read the complete story, click here:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-24/news/ct-met-adoption-limits-20111124_1_international-adoptions-biological-children-joliet-couple

Great Story & Video from Little Rock

2011-12-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

The following, is taken from the Christian Alliance for Orphans blog. Get you kleenex before viewing the video. It drives home the fact that belonging to a family is a beautiful thing.

December 22nd, 2011 | by Jedd Medefind |

“Defending the fatherless” takes on countless forms as Christians act in response to God’s call. Barbara Rainey recently shared with me the news story of a young couple from Little Rock who made a remarkable decision in this regard, giving the gift of family to a teen girl not much younger than they are. TV station KTHV tells the remarkable story HERE.

Although the news report doesn’t mention it explicitly, it in inescapably clear from the home video that this incredible moment springs up from hearts that love Jesus Christ. You can also watch a home-made video of the “big moment” below. This video is of such an intimate moment that it almost takes your breath away; you feel almost embarrassed to watch. Yet ultimately, you know you’ve been invited in on a moment that the girl and the couple…and those who get to watch it…will never forget:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iexJtB57bkY

Set your DVR for "A Home for the Holidays"

2011-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

‘A Home for the Holidays’ television special

“A Home for the Holidays” is a powerful CBS special. It shares stories of foster care adoption and features performances from some of America’s most popular musical artists.

This heartwarming holiday special will air at 7 p.m. Central Time on CBS on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, featuring all-star talent. See the joy of having a family through the eyes of a child — not just for the holidays, but forever.

This year’s talent includes Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Gavin DeGraw, Martina McBride, OneRepublic and Christina Perri. Presenters are Katherine Heigl, her Sister Meg Heigl-Beltran, Denise Richards and Jillian Michaels.

Give the gift of family. Text the word HOME to 50555 to make a $10 donation to DTFA. Standard text and data rates may apply. Follow our live Twitter chat (@DTFA) during the show using #ahomefortheholidays.

Sponsored by Children's Action Network, CBS, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Wendy's.

2012 "Empowered to Connect" Conference

2011-12-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Registration is now open for the next Empowered To Connect Conference on February 17-18, 2012, at Irving Bible Church in the Dallas, Texas area.

Empowered To Connect, together with Show Hope, will host the Empowered To Connect Conference — a two-day conference designed to help adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals better understand how to connect with "children from hard places" in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be.

The conference features Dr. Karyn Purvis, and is ideal for adoptive and foster parents, those considering adoption or foster care and those who are serving and supporting others, including social workers, agency professionals, church staff and ministry leaders, counselors, therapists and others involved in adoption and foster care.

Registration for the Dallas ETC Conference is now open! Visit www.etcconference.org for more details and to register online at the discounted “early bird” price. In addition, for a limited time you can register for 1/2 off of the “early bird” price by using the discount code: FOCUS.

Make plans to join us for the Empowered To Connect Conference in Dallas on February 17-18, 2012!

Christian Alliance for Orphans Webinar

2011-12-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Alliance Webinar Series

The Christian Alliance for Orphans Webinar Series is designed to help individuals like you create and grow effective adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry in local churches.

You're Invited...

Grown Up Orphans - Self Sufficiency in International Settings

Although the best place for any child is a loving home, sometimes this is not an option. In such cases, a well-designed continuum of care can effectively minister to the diverse needs of a broad range of children. Learn about both broad principles and specific practices for supporting all levels of care through partnerships, with a special focus on transitional care approach.

This webinar is designed for individuals who are interested in orphan ministry or who are already involved. Whether it be church leaders, lay people, organization representatives, we can all learn from each other as we discuss the importance of an integrated approach to caring for the fatherless.

Presenters: John Lookabuagh, Valley Ranch Baptist Church

Jeff Jones, Buckner International

Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Time: 1:00 PM Central

Adoption at the White House

2011-12-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

Last month, in recognition of November being national adoption month, the White House hosted a panel on the importance of adoption in our country. The panel specifically focused on the role of secular and faith-based organizations in providing homes for children who are waiting in foster care.

Focus on the Family was invited to be part of that discussion in recognition for the outstanding work Focus on the Family has done through their Wait No More program. While they don't agree with the White House on many issues, they were pleased they recognized the important work of faith-based agencies which strive to place children in homes headed by moms and dads.

	Watch this Citizen Link report in which Stuart Shepard talks with Focus on the Family's Vice President of Community Outreach Kelly Rosati about her experience on the adoption panel. http://www.citizenlink.com/2011/11/30/white-house-panels-discuss-adoption/

Wait No More^® is an initiative that encourages the collaboration of adoption agencies, churches and ministry partners to educate and equip families with the tools they need to adopt from foster care. There are currently more than 100,000 legal orphans waiting for families in our country's foster care system—and it is their hope and goal that they will each find a forever home.

Since its inception, Wait No More has helped approximately 1,800 families start the process of adoption through foster care. That means that, through the joint efforts of Focus on the Family, state foster care programs and adoption agencies, more families are considering the possibility of welcoming children into their forever families.

For more information visit http://www.icareaboutorphans.org/WaitNoMore.aspx

Know anyone in San Antonio?

2011-12-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hope for Orphans is kick-starting a promotion with Chick-fil-A restaurants in the San Antonio, Texas area and we need your help! This fundraiser will significantly help Hope for Orphans continue to serve the Church and orphans in 2012. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this information to family, friends, and those serving in the military who live in the San Antonio, Texas area:

On Wednesday, December 14th, every San Antonio area Chick-fil-A restaurant will donate all proceeds from their brownie sales to Hope for Orphans!

Stop by any San Antonio Chick-fil-A restaurant and pick up a delicious, moist, gooey, fudge nut brownie or two - or even a whole tray! And, don't forget to pick up some extra brownies for your friends and let them know that a brownie can help Hope for Orphans this Wednesday.

Let’s help every participating Chick-fil-A in San Antonio sell out of its brownies by the end of the day on Wednesday!

Please thank our friends at Chick-fil-A for their generosity and your purchase will help us reach more churches to reach more orphans. And, feel free to forward this message, or post it on Twitter or Facebook. Call ahead to order your brownies or stop your local Chick-fil-A restaurant on December 14!

Safe Families Holiday Gathering

2011-12-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

Safe Families Northwest and Lake County

Holiday Gathering

Tuesday December 13^th at 9:30a.m. or 7:00p.m.

Safe Families Northwest & Lake County invites you to join them this holiday season to celebrate the amazing families who have blessed Safe Families for Children. Safe families like yours, who open their homes and hearts, make a difference for children and families in crisis.

Please join them for coffee in the morning or

wine and cheese in the evening.

Location:

Sheila & Ben Applegate’s home

1315 W. Kenilworth Ave, Palatine

Children are always welcome

RSVP to Sheila Applegate

Sheila@applegates.com or 847-323-0150

Hope Ethiopia: 100 - LifeSong for Orphans

2011-12-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

Hope Ethiopia from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo. (Please mute blog music before starting video)

Children at the Lifesong Ethiopia school are fed 2 nutritious meals per day, provided with a quality education, and taught the message of Jesus Christ. This gives kids like Beza the hope they need in order to break free from gripping poverty.

We currently have a need to build a 12-room expansion to our existing school, in order to reach more children like Beza. We have been blessed, by the generosity of a donor, to be able to MATCH all donations to the Ziway and Adami Tulu Schools between now and December 31st... up to $130,000!!!

This week, the 5^th through the 9^th, we invite you to join Hope Ethiopia:100. We are looking for 100 people to give a one-time $100 donation! We have currently raised $59,472.21 of the $130,000 needed, which is about 46%.

Joining this team will not only give hope to kids like Beza, but your dollars will be matched AND you'll be entered into a drawing for a FABULOUS gift basket (details below).

Donate Here: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=ppqgOrAcYI3SXUERUeoITJCJRWMzEB2sqOf4-gzr4Xw3HSeCqlYJRoVA3Li&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8db2b24f7b84f1819343fd6c338b1d9d60

Help us achieve the next $10,000 by being a part of our Hope Ethiopia: 100 Team!

*Gift basket includes: $100 itunes or amazon gift card, Lifesong t-shirt, Lifesong cookbook, Journey On CD, handmade necklaces & note cards by orphans in Zambia, handmade ornament from a child in Ukraine, 5 bags of Gobena coffee, Gobena coffee mug, Gobena t-shirt, and Gobena tote bag. This basket is worth over $250!

*To commit via check, please send an email to info@lifesongfororphans.org. Make check payable to Lifesong for Orphans, indicate 'preference Hope Ethiopia: 100' in the memo.

www.lifesongfororphans.org

2011-12-06T18:38:00.001-08:00

Hope Ethiopia from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

"If You Were Mine" Adoption Workshop

2011-12-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Is adoption part of God's plan for your family?

Come join us as we explore what God wants us to do in response to His call to care for orphans. Through this biblical and practical video workshop, we'll learn the processes, challenges, and joys of adoption. Explore the following topics in order to make wise, loving decisions and have healthy expectations about adoption.

* God's Heart for the Orphan.
* Agency selection & funding options.
* How to prepare yourself, your family and your home.
* What to expect when your child comes home.

Date:          Saturday, February 18th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Location:    Willow Creek Community Church, 67 E. Algonquin Rd., So. Barrington, IL 60010
Room:        B100 - Park in lot B, Enter entrance B (lower level, under the Chapel)
Fee:           $10.00 per person for workbook. Payment due on day of workshop.

Lunch: Provided

For more information contact: Dina @ vcministry127@gmail.com.

To register, please send an e-mail providing the following information.

* First and last name(s)

* E-mail address

* Phone number

* Any dietary concerns for lunch

Sponsored by the Vulnerable Children's Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church.

The Children's Closet has Winter Coats

2011-12-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

The Children's Closet has winter coats available to give to any of your Safe Kids, Foster kids or any child in need in your community. Also a ton of little kids winter clothing is available.

For the Schuamburg area contact Lisa Serwatka Phalen at #224-357-0060 and for McHenry and Kane County contact Teri Altpeter at #847-220-4602.

Help Warm the Hands of a Child in Foster Care

2011-12-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

This Christmas season, you can help warm the hands
of a child in foster care!
On Saturday and Sunday, December 10th & 11th, the Vulnerable Children's Ministry
will be collecting mittens and gloves that will be donated
to our local D.C.F.S. office in Elgin for them to give this winter. All sizes are needed.
We will collect new mittens and gloves (100 hats have already been donated!)
before and after each weekend service in the atrium at Willow Creek South Barrington.
Just look for the balloons to find us. Hope to see you there.

Beyond Orphan Sunday Webinar

2011-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

An upcoming webinar and a new web resource can help you make the most of the momentum from Orphan Sunday!

Join November's webinar: Beyond Orphan Sunday

What’s next? How can you best harness the energy built by Orphan Sunday? Join us for this webinar highlighting great resources for both personal action and church orphan ministry. Explore ready-to-go tools and plans for growing engagement - from your family or small group to large ministries. Hear strategies for turning awareness and excitement into tangible plans for defending the fatherless over the year ahead. Orphan Sunday is just the beginning!

Presenters: Jedd Medefind, Chistian Alliance for Orphans & Jason Weber, Hope for Orphans

Date: 1:00 PM Central, Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Register Here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/652798712

Online Beyond Orphan Sunday web resources: http://orphansunday.org/beyond-orphan-sunday/

Reece's Rainbow Christmas Angel Tree

2011-11-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

In only five years, more than 500+ children with Down syndrome and other special needs are HOME with their "forever families" this Christmas. The vast majority of this funding comes from the Angel Tree Project each year!

From November 1 - December 31, Reece's Rainbow is holding a fundraiser to support their efforts to advocates for the adoption of children with Down Syndrome and other special needs.

When you donate $35 or more, you will recieve a beautiful photo ornament of your sponsored child to hang on your tree. This is a very special way to "share Christmas" with an orphaned child, and it's a very personal and meaningful GIFT IDEA for everyone on your list. Gift cards will be sent with the ornament to your intended recipient(s). These are great for friends and family, but also for teachers, therapists, caregivers, doctors, etc.

Joint Councils 4th Annual Photo Contest

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of National Adoption Month, Joint Council is launching its Fourth Annual Photo Contest and is now accepting submissions.

This year's photo contest brings a new opportunity for the community to see through your unique lens how your life has been impacted through your forever family. We are looking for beautiful, inspiring photos of all types of children- children in orphanages, foster homes, or adoptive families, engaged in all types of activities- children at play, in reflection, or just being loved.

The photo contest is open to all persons interested in child welfare issues related to finding children a safe, loving, and permanent homes. Examples of some persons who may want to enter the contest are parents, adoptive parents, foster parents or employees of child welfare organizations.

Visit the photo contest web site at http://www.wix.com/jointcouncil/photo-contest for information on how to submit your photo!

Orphans Sunday Event

2011-11-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

You Are Invited to a

Willow Creek Orphan Sunday Event

Sunday, November 20

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Willow Creek Community Church (room F150)

67 E. Algonquin Road So. Barrington, IL 60010

* Be challenged and inspired by our guest speakers who are in the process and have adopted with the help of Reece's Rainbow, an organization that advocates for adoption of children

with special needs.

* View the Heart Gallery of IL and help pray these children into forever families

* Join us in live worship to a God who's heart is for the orphan.

* Share a catered meal with orphan advocates & adoptive, foster and Safe Families.

* Be there to see our Forever Family Wall unveiled.

* Bring a package of diapers or pull-ups to help serve our local DCFS office. (optional)

* Child care is available after dinner if you r.s.v.p. with the number of children and their ages.

Please R.S.V.P. to vcministry127@gmail.com

Families By Design Adoption

2011-11-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

I found this great resource which many of you will find helpful. I encourage you to check it out.

After adopting 3 children from foster care, Karla's passion to see children's lives changed was fueled. She spent several years assisting other parents in building and expanding their families. This passion soon turned into Family by Design ~All Things Adoption. Leaving a long career in bank management and human resources, Karla assists prospective parents in accomplishing their dream of parenthood and changing children's lives.

Family by Design~All Things Adoption is a consulting firm dedicated to the advocacy of adoption and foster care. They firmly believe that our children should be the ultimate focus to ensure their needs and dreams are fulfilled. FBD was started out of a passion and heart to see childrens' and parents lives changed through this precious gift of adoption and foster care!

FBD also focuses extreme effort in assisting adoptive parents in parenting and raising confident and well-adjusted children. We firmly believe that giving the adoptive parent/foster parent the tools needed provides each child with an experience of freedom, joy and a positive self-identity.

Through their radio program, seminars and private consulting on adoption and adoptive parenting they provide information and inspiration. They also provide tools, resources and e-books that guide clients through the process.

Their vision is to increase the awareness of children that need loving families and provide all the information that a parent needs to help their children succeed.

familybydesignadoption.com

Sunnyridge Family Center's Denim & Diamonds Gala

2011-11-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

THREE WEEKS! Join us for a spectacular "Denim & Diamonds" evening in support of the mission of Sunny Ridge Family Center on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

You're invited! Our Gala Fundraiser is fast approaching and there are many ways you can support the event:

Attend the Fundraiser
Get your group of friends together for a fun evening in support of Sunny Ridge! Wear your best denim and diamonds, take home that special auction item, or dance the night away! Adoptive parents we encouraged you to submit your child's picture to Sunny Ridge for our video slide show at the Gala! Remember: payments in excess of $35 per reservation may be considered a charitable contribution. Purchase your reservations at: www.sunnyridge.org/gala

Donate an item to our Live or Silent Auction
Our Live & Silent Auctions raise important funds for Sunny Ridge, and we rely on generous supporters to help make our auction a success. Ideal items include sporting event tickets, such as Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, and college sports; golf packages, entertainment items such as theater, concerts, guest passes to museums, one-of-a-kind experiences, electronics, restaurant gift certificates, airfare, vacations, and more. All donors will be recognized in our Gala Fundraiser Program Book. Please send your donated items to Sunny Ridge no later than Friday, November 18, 2011. For more information or to make a donation, please contact: Ms. Joan Bowen, (630) 325-9800, jb@bowencpa.com.

Purchase Raffle Tickets
Enter to win one of three fabulous prizes, including a Downtown Chicago Weekend Hotel/Dinner package, a Kindle e-reader, or a $100 Gift Card from Best Buy. Purchase your raffle tickets on-line today.

Place an Ad in our Program Book
Purchase an ad for your business or commemorate your child or family in the Gala Fundraiser program booklet. Families can include their photo as part of their ad. Download the form from our invitation at: www.sunnyridge.org/gala

Online Gala Reservations/Donations: http://gala2011.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn

Download the Gala Fundraiser Invitation (PDF): http://gala2011.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn

Oklahoma Singer Records "Heart of Adoption" Album

2011-11-10T16:41:00.000-08:00

Music Aims to Find Homes for Foster Kids: November is 'National Adoption Month'

Oct. 17th, 2011, Tahlequah, OK:

Becky Wright, mom of nine and former school music teacher, is on a mission "to find homes for kids", particularly kids in US foster care. Wright has just completed recording her fourth full-length album, entitled "The Heart of Adoption", which was released in October. Giving voice to the fatherless, the orphan, the foster child, and the forgotten, these ten songs are an eclectic mix of inspirational, rock, R & B (with 12-year-old EJ Avery performing "Who's My Daddy"), country (brand new recording of "Child of My Heart" with Tommy Brandt), and the heart-gripping ballad of a birth mother who relinquishes her baby, "I Gave You Away". Songs of faith, family, hope, and divine intervention, including "Entertaining Angels, Unaware" are certain to inspire. Working closely with Oklahoma's www.111project.org and other organizations nationwide, Wright hopes to raise public awareness and enlist more foster and adoptive families through the music.

See the website for more information or details on Becky's concert /speaking schedule: www.beckywrightsongs.com . (Booking: Lee Porter, Aspiring Mark Agency: 615.656.5987)

Adoption Video

2011-11-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Below is a wonderful video and music from North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) that says it all. Don't forget to mute the blog music at the bottom of this page before starting the video, or click here to view it on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTln0hGZVQA&feature=player_embedded

Orphan Sunday Live from Kansas City!

2011-11-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

On Orphan Sunday evening, join with David Platt, Jedd Medefind, the Desperation Band's Jon Egan, members of the IHOP team and Christian leaders from around the globe via

LIVE from Kansas City!

This one-hour webcast event will unite believers worldwide in GUIDED PRAYER for the fatherless and WORSHIP led by IHOP's Jon Thurlow and Jon Egan of the Desperation Band.

LIVE from Kansas City will be webcast live at www.orphansunday.org November 6, 2011 at 6 PM Central Time.

To join the webcast ONLINE is free, but please REGISTER HERE. http://orphansunday.org/live-event/

To join IN PERSON tickets are free, but you must register HERE. http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1996540707

Visit us at www.christianalliancefororphans.org

Special Family Needed

2011-11-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have been made aware of a unique situation from Adoption-Link, a not-for-profit adoption agency providing humanitarian and adoption services in Haiti. They are trying to locate a very special family to adopt three sisters who were orphaned in the earthquake in Haiti. If you have ever considered adopting from Haiti, adopting a sibling group, or adopting children who have suffered emotional trauma, please consider this request.

Following is a brief description and comments from Jerry Capell, the Board Chair of Adoption-Link:

3 biological sisters ages 13, 9, and 7. The birth father has never been around and abandoned the family many years ago. Their birth mother died in the earthquake despite the girls trying to save her. They have been at Crèche Enfant Jesus since the earthquake. Danielle, the previous Adoption-Link extern in Haiti got to know them over the course of her year in Haiti and feels they may all be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and will need some therapy services. They also received little to no formal education prior to coming to the crèche and therefore it seems the right fit for them would be a family that can home school for at least the first year or more. They also are all three Christians and would need a family that would at least support their faith. Otherwise they are healthy and just want to be adopted. I recognize this is a tall order, but am hopeful through our collective networks we can locate a home for these beautiful little girls. Please feel free to share this email with family, friends, community or religious organizations. More information is available by contacting Heather Breems at Adoption-Link, 708-524-1433 or Heather.Breems@Adoption-Link.org.

Five-year Research Proves Wendy's Wonderful Kids Works

2011-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Research released this week will forever change how The Dave Thomas Foundation does business: as a Foundation, as partners with Wendy’s and as the organization overseeing agencies charged with finding adoptive parents for children who wait.

They have learned, after five years of rigorous, evidence-based evaluation and research that the child-focused recruitment model works. That model is Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.

Here are some of the top line results:

- Children in foster care served by the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruitment program are 1.7 times more likely to be adopted than those not served by WWK.

- The impact of WWK’s child-focused recruitment model is greatest among children who are older or those who have mental health disorders in fact, three times more likely for both populations.

- These findings upend the belief that some children are “unadoptable.” In fact, with more focus on evidence-based innovative strategies like WWK, rather than a reliance on traditional services, there is hope for every child in foster care.

Please take a moment to visit their website at http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/ and view the video created specifically for this momentous announcement and for a deeper understanding, please read the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids National Release Executive Summary. Below are the links for each of them.

(Don't forget to mute the blog music on the bottom of this page before viewing the following video. You can also view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aLP3pAfCHgo)

http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/executive-summary/

Safe Families Webinar for Host Families

2011-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Webinar Title: "Safe Families for Children Movement Webinar for Host Families and Volunteers"

Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST

"Come and Be, Safe Family, Ministry of Presence" Dr. Monte states: "When faced with the daunting task of providing care and shelter for children in need, many Safe Family volunteers feel like they have to step beyond who they are. Many feel a pressure to provide something to the children and families which exceeds their skill set. Many feel that they should have the insights of professional therapists or the healing faith of spiritual giants.

This training is designed to offer the reassurance that the crucial elements of success are easily found inside of all of us once we are willing to "just show up". When expectations are softened and, volunteers are freed up to build from the biblical foundation that powerful success from the Safe Families point of view is easily obtainable."

Register now by clicking the link below:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/688574640

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

For more information about Safe Families visit http://www.safe-families.org/

Adoptive Families Urgently Needed for Russian Orphans

2011-10-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Russian children are being turned away from the adoption process due to a lack of adoptive families, but outcomes for Russian orphans who grow up and age out of orphanages are bleak at best.

Families should never take the decision to adopt lightly, but for those who feel called, Russia is an excellent option with the process currently taking far less time than adopting from many other countries. Buckner is seeking families who will consider being a forever family for Russian children who need homes. Read on to learn more. http://www.buckner.org/enews/index.php/2011/10/russian-orphans-need-families/

Buckner International is a global Christian ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing of children, families and senior adults. For more information visit http://www.buckner.org/.

Sunny Ridge Adoptive Parent/Toddler Play Group

2011-10-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

NEW DATES ANNOUNCED!

Who: Adoptive parents with children ages 0-4

When: Friday mornings from 10:00 -11:30am, November 4 & 11; December 2 & 9

Where: Sunny Ridge Family Center, 270 Remington Blvd, Suite C, Bolingbrook, IL

Fee: $35 includes four sessions

Why: Meet and connect with other adoptive parents in the community! Share ideas and parenting strategies, discuss and share helpful books, social media sites, and articles regarding adoption and parenting issues. Come be part of a casual group who won't care if you have to put a conversation on hold to go change a dirty diaper ... or address a toddler’s tantrum!

Facilitated by Pam Shepard, LCSW, Supervisor of Parent Training and Adoption Counseling Services (and mom of 2 toddlers.)

Space is limited, so sign up now for this unique opportunity by clicking here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2370530320?ref=ebtn

"Gift of Adoption" Fundraising Event

2011-10-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Adoption Fund's mission is to inspire adoption by providing grants to qualified parents – giving children who need families a permanent home and a chance to thrive.

To register for the Wine Tasting Event, click here: https://www.giftofadoption.org/wineevent.html
For more information, contact Tina Rounds at trounds@giftofadoption.org.

Attachment & Trauma Workshop

2011-10-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Sunny Ridge Family Center presents: Attachment and Trauma 101: A one-day Workshop - Six (6) CEUs offered for Social Workers ( IDFPR # 159-001117)

Friday, November 18, 2011

9:00am to 4:00pm

Speaker: WILLIAM S. KAPLAN, MSW, LCSW. Director, House Calls Counseling

Key Workshop Concepts:

* Teaches participants how trauma & neglect affects brain development as well as a child’s ability to connect and attach

* Introduces and explores therapeutic parenting; SPACE (Safety, Support, Structure, Supervision, Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity & Empathy)

* Identifies the manifestations of attachment and trauma dysregulation on children’s behavior, cognitive, affectivity, physical and spiritual/ moral functioning.

* Introduces participants to core concepts and practices of three treatment approaches which have demonstrated effectiveness for treating children and youth with Attachment and Trauma Dysregulation.

Who Should Attend: Social workers, educators, adoptive parents, clinicians.

Schedule:
8:30am Registration & Refreshments
9:00am to 12:00pm - Morning session

Lunch on your own

1:00pm to 4:00pm - Afternoon session

Registration Fee: $110
To register, click here:
http://billykaplan.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn

For more information, contact Sunnyridge Family Center at http://www.sunnyridge.org/.

Willow Creek Orphan Sunday Event!

2011-10-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

You Are Invited to a

Willow Creek Orphan Sunday Event

Sunday, November 20

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Willow Creek Community Church (room F150)

67 E. Algonquin Road So. Barrington, IL 60010

* Be challenged and inspired by our guest speakers from Reece's Rainbow, an organization that advocates for adoption of children with special needs.

* View the Heart Gallery of IL and help pray these children into forever families

* Join us in live worship to a God who's heart is for the orphan.

* Share a catered meal with orphan advocates & adoptive, foster and Safe Families.

* Be there to see our Forever Family Wall unveiled.

* Bring a package of diapers or pull-ups to help serve our local DCFS office. (optional)

* Child care is available after dinner if you r.s.v.p. with the number of children and their ages.

Please R.S.V.P. to vcministry127@gmail.com

(To find hundreds of Orphan Sunday events around the country and around the world, go to http://www.orphansunday.org/ and click on "map".)

Is it An Adoption Thing? Webinar

2011-10-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Expert advice on child development and adoption

Wedneday, November 2, 2011

7:00 - 8:00 PM Central

Q & A: 8:00 - 8:30PM Central

Cost: $15

When your child exhibits challenging or frustrating behaviors, do you:

(a) Immediately assume it's related to his adoption history?

(b) Not even consider adoption?

Because many families struggle with the difficult task of sorting out if behaviors and challenges are adoption related or not, we've asked an expert to help!

Join Dr. Gregory Keck, Director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, as he discusses the impact of adoption and trauma on child development.

This webinar will:

* Discuss common challenging behaviors adopted children may exhibit at each developmental stage.

* Offer real life examples and suggestions for handling these behaviors

* Examine effective and ineffective parenting tools

Your purchase confirmation email will include a link to submit questions to Dr. Keck.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dr. Gregory Keck is the founder and director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio where he specializes in working with children who have developmental trauma disorder, reactive attachment disorder and numerous other mental health difficulties.

Dr. Keck served on the board of ATTACh for nine years, two of which he served as president. He is also the co-author with Regina Kupecky, MAT, LSW of Parenting the Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow (2009), Parenting Adoptive Adolescents (2009) and Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special Needs Kids (2009).

To register for the webinar click here:
http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/webinars/is-it-adoption.cfm?utm_source=jcicsisitadoption&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jcicsblast

Sponsored by:

Monthly Pot-Luck Topic: Parenting the Hurt Child

2011-10-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

You are Invited to join the Adoptive, Foster & Safe Families Community
at Willow Creek for our Monthly Pot-luck Gathering

This is a great place for those who are considering adoption or foster care, to talk to families who are already along on their journey.

Sunday, October 16th

5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (dinner will start at 5:00)

Please bring a dish to share. Beverages will be provided.

Childcare is available after dinner if you r.s.v.p. to this e-mail with the number of children and their ages. R.S.V.P. to vcministry127@gmail.com.

This month we are privileged to have Guest Speaker, Stan Grimes, who will address the topic "Parenting the Hurt Child". Stan has worked in the field of social services and child welfare since 1980. He recently worked as the associate director of foster care at UCAN and served children and families in Lake and McHenry counties until joining One Hope United’s continuous quality improvement team in January, 2010. Stan and his wife have been licensed foster parents, and adopted a baby boy from The Cradle in February, 2010.

Orphan Sunday Event at The Chapel

2011-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Compassion for Kids ministry at The Chapel invites you to an

Orphan Sunday Event

with Krista McCoy, M.S.W., LCSW

CULTURE, RACE AND IDENTITY IN FOSTER CARE/ADOPTION

SATURDAY, NOV. 5

1:30 – 4 p.m.

The Chapel’s Barrington Campus

Please join us for an afternoon as Krista McCoy discusses from a professional

and personal perspective the role Christianity plays in raising children of a race and

culture different than the adoptive parents. You will have the opportunity to ask

questions in this open and honest discussion.

PLEASE JOIN US IF YOU:

• Adopted a child domestically or internationally

• Wondered what you should focus on first; Christianity or your child’s race/culture

• Are raising a child who is a different race, culture, or ethnicity

• Are curious about having friends and mentors for your trans-racially adopted child

• Are wondering what you can do to help your child in their identity formation

• Have wanted to know how raising biological children is different than adopted children

Early registration*: By Oct. 27 $10

Walk-ins: $15

Snacks provided. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Laura Grimes at

buildingfamilies@chapel.org or call 630.235.0903.

Planning Grocery Shopping? Print $1 Coupon to Give $1 to Orphans

2011-10-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

YoBaby is improving nutrition for orphaned, fostered and adopted children...

and so can you with a few simple clicks!

Click here http://adoptionnutrition.org/yobaby-promotion/, print the $1.00 off coupon for YoBaby yogurt and they'll donate $1.00 to help improve orphan nutrition!

Please note: You must PRINT the coupon for the donation to be made. Limit 1 print per person. Good for up to 3000 prints. 3000 prints = $3,000 in orphan nutrition support!

"Hope for Kids" Ministry Events

2011-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Hope for Kids ministry at Moody Church in Chicago is hosting two upcoming events.

1. Outpour Prayer Night is a Chicago-area prayer night for As Our Own, a Christ-based community driven movement in India that rescues young girls from certain enslavement. The event is free and will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13th from 7 – 8:15 in room 108 at Moody Church (1635 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL 60614). We’ll hear a ministry update from the founder, hear testimonies of children rescued, and spend time in prayer and worship for God’s work in the lives of vulnerable children in India. http://www.asourown.org/.

The ministry has 2 orphanages for mostly children whose mother’s work in red-light districts. Working with their mothers, As Our Own rescues these children out of the districts and gives them a long-term care and solid education—a life-changing gift in India. They also work with local churches to stop the cycle of enslavement in India.

2. Orphan Sunday—11/6/2011—Moody’s worship service will focus on orphan care and will be followed by an Orphan Sunday Luncheon from 1-2:15. Attendees will be served lunch and hear from Carolyn Twietmeyer of Project Hopeful, advocate for adopting children with HIV/AIDS. You'll also hear several testimonies from Moody congregation members who are caring for orphans—whether through adoption, Safe Families, or volunteering with one of 7 ministry partners. Anyone can attend; RSVP here (https://www.moodychurch.org/register/2011-orphan-sunday-luncheon/ ).

Safe Families Mom's Coffee

2011-10-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Safe Families Moms are invited for a Mom's Coffee sponsored by Safe Families Northwest

Date: Tuesday, October 11th
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Place: Joelle Chidlow's home in Palatine at 579 W Center Rd.

These coffees are a great opportunity to meet other safe families and share stories and concerns with families like yours. Feel free to bring a friend who might be interested in becoming a safe family. Children are always welcome.

For more information, contact Sheila Applegate, SFNW Coordinator at sheila@applegates.com or
847-323-1050.

LifeSong in Zambia Update

2011-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

(Don't forget to mute the blog music on the bottom of this page before viewing the video, or, click here to view it on the LifeSong web site.

Brush to Berries from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

"Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline... a better solution would be to develop a relationship that says, we are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future'" (An excerpt from the book, When Helping Hurts)

Lifesong is serving the people of Zambia... the orphaned, the at-risk, and the poor... by utilizing the land that is, like the people, so full of potential. Lifesong farms-Zambia reaped its first strawberry harvest in June, and local grocers have been purchasing the berries. With additional acres to farm, we are hoping to process some of the berries and begin marketing Lifesong Farms Strawberry Jam.

By harvesting fruit, we are able to serve more orphans by providing the gift of a job at Lifesong's gardens and self worth to an orphan's caregiver. We are also able to provide future employment for our kids as they transition into adult living, develop a system to raise funds to help cover operational costs, and develop expertise that can be replicated in multiple countries where Lifesong serves. Most of all, we are seeking to glorify Jesus as we teach others how He walked.

Interviews from Summit VII Air this Week on Family Life Today

2011-09-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

September 27th, 2011

by Jedd Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans

The unforgettable interviews done live on stage by Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine at Summit VII are being aired on Family Life this week! The interviewed with Carolyn Twietmeyer ran yesterday, and can be listened to or downloaded online, titled “Welcome Home"
(http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.6240603/k.2C4F/Search_FamilyLife_Audio_Library.htm

The interview with Luther and Rebecca Ellis airs today and can also be heard in Family Life’s online archive, titled "The Adoption Journey"

(http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.6240603/k.2C4F/Search_FamilyLife_Audio_Library.htm)

Admittedly, both of these adoptive families are larger than most. But each gives a compelling look at a specific aspect of adoption, while also offering moving stories and insights that apply to any family.

About Luther and Rebecca Elliss: Luther John Elliss is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Detroit Lions for 8 seasons before he was released in 2003. He played for the Denver Broncos for one season, before retiring in 2004. In his time in the NFL, he was a two time Pro Bowler after the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Luther is married to Rebecca and their children include Kaden, Olivia, Christian, Noah, Isaiah, Isabelle, Sophia and Jonah. Rebecca and Luther are actively involved with the Act of Love adoption agency based in Salt Lake City. They’ve donated money, spread the word of adoption and they sit on the agency’s board of directors.

About Carolyn Twietmeyer: Carolyn Twietmeyer and her husband Kiel are parents to 13 wonderful children. The Twietmeyers have adopted from Ethiopia three times (two sibling groups of three children) because they recognized the vitality of keeping orphan siblings together and minimizing their losses. One of their children is HIV+ and another is diagnosed with stage 4 AIDS. Carolyn is Founder/ Executive Director of Project HOPEFUL, an organization dedicated to educating, encouraging, and enabling families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS. Carolyn advocates for orphans by speaking at various conferences around the country, and has been featured in national and international publications, radio, and on television news shows.

Loving Shepherd Ministries New Web Site

2011-09-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

At LSM, they believe that we have been called to care for the orphan. Orphans are not orphans because they lack food, clean water, or clothes. They are orphans because they lack a family. Their prayer and mission is to place these orphaned children in a loving family. They want to raise them to be godly leaders in their communities - and child by child, bring about effective change for the glory of God.

They are excited to let you know that they have launched our new website! When you visit, you'll discover the heart and soul of LSM and how you can play a part in God's work among orphans. You'll find pictures and stories of children who have been given hope in the name of Jesus, of women who have a second chance living a dignified life, and of adoptive families who have seen God expand their horizons. Through everything, they hope you see God breathing life into their ministry.

Please join us in praying that as they move forward, God would continue to be glorified in everything they do. Together, let's make a difference in the lives of the fatherless... one child at a time!

I encourage adoptive parents, pre-adoptive parents and orphan advocates to visit http://loving-shepherd.org/.

Joint Council and the Mead Johnson Nutrition Foundation Work Together to Help Vulnerable Children Worldwide

2011-09-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Alexandria, Va, September 20, 2011 – Recognizing that proper nutrition is critical to every child’s growth and development, The Joint Council on International Children’s Services and the Mead Johnson Nutrition Foundation today announced the launch of a program dedicated to improving nutritional care for vulnerable children living without parental care around the world.

Globally, millions of children live without parental care, with most living in orphanages, group homes and institutions. While caregivers work diligently to attend to the needs of these children, science-based training and resources on nutrition and feeding practices to help identify nutrition deficiencies are often unavailable.

Through the new program, called A Child’s Best Start, Joint Council and Mead Johnson are leading an initiative to identify best practices for nutritional care among this vulnerable population of children. The program will provide critical nutrition information to individual caregivers through training on the ground in facilities located everywhere from major cities like Shanghaito small towns in rural Mexico.

A Child’s Best Start will support research, establish a free online library of information and resources, implement in-language training programs, and provide support to the individual organizations that care for vulnerable children. The program will launch the online library later this year and start the training pilot program in the first country, China, in the first half of 2012.

Mead Johnson’s nutrition scientists will lend their expertise to materials development, and its offices and employees in countries around the world will help individual orphanages and group homes through programs based on local needs.

“Children living in orphanages and group homes often do not receive the strong nutritional foundation they need in order to grow and flourish.” said Tom DiFilipo, president and chief executive officer of Joint Council. “Our goal through this partnership with the Mead Johnson Nutrition Foundation, is to change that. We believe A Child’s Best Start is uniquely positioned to serve these vulnerable children by identifying their specific nutritional needs, introducing science based interventions, marshaling the resources of our partner-members and mobilizing local volunteer care givers.”

Mead Johnson Nutrition, Joint Council, and Chinese Government officials visit local orphanages.

To get the program underway, Joint Council and Mead Johnson have formed a cooperative agreement with the the SPOON Foundation, a member of the Joint Council network which focuses its efforts on orphan nutrition. Together, the groups established the Global Nutrition Working Group of leading authorities on nutrition and medical care for vulnerable children and children living without parental care, to provide guidance on the development of program materials.

“One way we fulfill our corporate mission to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life is by giving back to and helping to improve the communities where we live, work and operate as a business,” said Stephen W. Golsby, Mead Johnson Nutrition’s president and chief executive officer. “A Child’s Best Start leverages Mead Johnson’s deep scientific expertise and understanding of pediatric nutrition and builds on our century-long heritage of philanthropy and community involvement. This program will make a real impact on the lives of children, and we are proud to be a founding member of this ambitious effort.”

Joint Council helps vulnerable children living without parental care by advocating on their behalf, marshaling the resources they need, educating those who serve them and mobilizing those who care. Joint Council and its partner organizations provided services to over 2.1 million children and families each year. For more information, go to www.jointcouncil.org/.

Mead Johnson, a global leader in pediatric nutrition, develops, manufactures, markets and distributes more than 70 products in over 50 countries worldwide. The company’s mission is to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. The Mead Johnson name has been associated with science-based pediatric nutrition products for over 100 years. The company’s “Enfa” family of brands, including Enfamil® infant formula, is the world’s leading brand franchise in pediatric nutrition. For more information, go to http://www.meadjohnson.com/.

Village to Village Intl.

2011-09-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today I learned about a wonderful new organization whose purpose is to serve the fatherless by supporting orphans through special projects and assisting adopting families with financial resources. Please check out their promotional video as well as their web site to get involved.

As a reminder, first mute the blog music on the bottom of this page, or go to http://www.villagetovillageintl.com/ to view the video there.

Village to Village Overview from Matt Borst on Vimeo.

Adoption 12 Children with Special Needs

2011-09-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Below is an inspiring video I'm sure you'll love. As a reminder, mute the blog music on the bottom of this page before viewing, or, click the link below to view the video directly from CBS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7381153n

Attention: Orphan Care & Adoption Ministry Leaders

2011-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

There are two great opportunities for those who lead adoption, foster care or orphan care ministries at their church or with an organization.

Locally, the Chicagoland Alliance for Orphans will be meeting on Tuesday, September 20th at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at The Chapel in Barrington.

The purpose of the CAO is to SHARE resources, events, ideas and opportunities, SUPPORT each other as leaders, and create SYNERGY by networking, learning together, and encouraging one another.

If you would like more information about the Chicagoland Alliance for Orphans, or would like to attend, please contact Dina Ackermann at vcministry127@gmail.com.

Also............

Join other national orphan care and adoption ministry leaders in a webinar sponsored by LifeSong for Orphans and Empowered to Connect. The webinar will focus on how God has been working in and through ministries throughout the US as well as providing you with tools to equip you to go deeper! To register for the webinar, click here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/389146010

A Prayer

2011-09-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Jesus,

Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with you Spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only
Jesus...
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching;
not by words, but by our example.
By the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Author: Mother Teresa

The Children's Closet

2011-09-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Children's Closet serves Adoptive, Foster and Safe Families in need of immediate or additional clothing and baby supplies. It is hosted at Calvary Community Church in Schaumburg, IL and is run by a team of volunteers from various churches and organizations. They provide clothing, supplies, and basic necessities free of charge to help families who are providing homes for children.

The Children's Closet is currently seeking donations of Ziplock bags, gallon size or larger. The bags will be used to organize matched outfits and shoes.

To make a donation of Ziplock bags, or a monetary donation to buy them, please contact Teri Altpeter at vcministry127@gmail.com. Thanks for your consideration.

Christian Alliance for Orphans Upcoming Webinar

2011-09-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Webinar Topic: How to Use Orphan Sunday to Engage Your Church

Whether your church is small or large, Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to stir the community to see God’s heart for the fatherless and how individuals can respond. This 30-minute webinar will provide a plethora of practical ideas to help you to inspire and engage others.

Learn how to create a simple activity, event or themed meal for your church, family and/or small group. Find partner organizations ready to assist you in turning passion into action. Join churches around the world that participating in Orphan Sunday. Discover countless ready-to-go resources designed to save you time while strengthening your services, meetings, and events. Use Orphan Sunday to spark that next step for your family or church that will grow for years to come. Join this webinar to learn how.

Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Time: 1:00pm CST

Panelist: Vanessa Vasquez, National Orphan Sunday Coordinator; David Arruda, Fellowship United Methodist Church

To register for this webinar, click here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/386598817

Blog Updates

2011-09-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

I hope you like the new look of the blog. Aside from a new look, there are two other additions.

If you look at the top right hand side of the screen, you will find the "Follow by E-mail" space. Just enter your e-mail address to have blog updates sent to you.

I have also added a widget called "2011 Kids Count Data Book". It is a great resource to access statistical data, state by state.

Thanks for visiting our blog!

September Pot-Luck Gathering

2011-09-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

Fall Family Fun Night!

Sunday, September 18th, 5:00 -7:00 p.m.

Willow Creek Community Church, So. Barrington

Room F150 (west wing, lower level in Promiseland room)

Pot-Luck Dinner begins at 5:00. Please bring a dish to share. Beverages will be provided.

We invite you to come and connect with other

adoptive, foster and Safe Families.

There will be door prizes, a craft, story time & face painting for all to enjoy.

Please R.S.V.P. to vcministry127@gmail.com with the number of adults, and children's ages.

Vulnerable Children Classes At Willow Creek

2011-09-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Compassion & Justice (C&J) ministry at Willow Creek/South Barrington will be hosting a 3-week class entitled "Earth's Most Vulnerable Residents - And Why You Matter To Them".

Children, society’s most vulnerable, look to their parents for safety, shelter, and a loving environment, but all too often, instability from a variety of sources threatens the sanctity of this design. Consider how you can provide support, education and life-changing guidance to the most vulnerable.

Week 1 will focus on care for the unborn and coming alongside women who are navigating the complexities of unplanned pregnancy; Instructor: Staff from Caris Pregnancy Counseling & Resources.

Week 2 will challenge all of us to consider true biblical hospitality by opening our home to a child for either a temporary or long-term solution. Instructor: Staff from Lydia Home/Safe Families for Children.

Week 3 explores mentoring an at-risk child in a local neighborhood school. Instructor: Staff from Kids Hope.

I encourage you to attend all 3 weeks. If you are an adoptive, foster or Safe Family, I especially encourage you to come on week two, when a representative from Lydia/Safe Families will be talking about the importance of adoption, foster care and Safe Families in our churches and communities. Please come and support this class and be available to anyone who might want to talk to someone who is already traveling this road.

For more information or to register, click here: https://classes.willowcreek.org/default.aspx?page=3258&profile=5153&eventid=5153&pageid=3241&sort=Date&pprofile=2.

Safe Families Mom's Coffee

2011-09-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Safe Families Northwest Suburbs invites all current & prospective Safe Families moms

to enjoy connection time and coffee together.

Tuesday September 13th 9:30-11:30

1315 W. Kenilworth Palatine Il (Sheila Applegate's home, just east of Roselle Rd and south or Palatine Rd)

847-323-0150

This month Susan Vrenios, lead case coach with Safe Families, will discuss what has been happening at

Safe Families for Children and their goals for the future.

Children are always welcome!!

Please RSVP to Sheila at sheila@applegates.com

Positive Parenting Classes at Willow Creek this Fall

2011-09-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Willow Creek Community Church is offering parenting classes on Monday nights starting this fall. I invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to grow in your faith and in your parenting.

What's even better is that we will have tables for adoptive, foster and Safe Families to attend these classes together and discuss the topics through the lens of being an adoptive or foster parent.

The upcoming sessions are:

Navigating Your Parenting “Buttons” taught by Beth Racine a Relational Consultant

7–9 p.m., Mondays, September 12 and 26

Do your kids seem to know exactly how to push your buttons? Do you find yourself losing focus and patience more than you would like? Learn practical solutions for dealing with behavior challenges and reducing power struggles in your home, while maintaining focus and composure as you lead your children.

Becoming the Parent Your Child Needs!

7–9 p.m., Mondays, October 3 and 17

Do you wonder why your parenting style might not be as effective as you hope? Learn to see each child as God uniquely created them to be, and custom-design an effective parenting style that fits each child in a way that honors his or her unique design.

Building Family Identity through Traditions, Moments, and Laughter, taught by September Vaudrey, Willow Creek staff

7–9 p.m., Mondays, November 7 & 21

Children develop a strong sense of identity through the culture created within their family. Learn the benefits of having a solid family identity and gain fun, practical methods for building family traditions, creating memorable moments, and developing a family culture that strengthens your child’s sense of identity. Walk away with simple, powerful ideas you can implement this holiday season—and beyond.

Childcare is available when you register.

For more information and to register for any of the classes, vist http://classes.willowcreek.org/default.aspx?page=3242&profile=9&sort=Date

We hope to see you there!

Former foster kid overcame odds, with help from many friends, to earn law degree

2011-08-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

By Donna St. George

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, May 7, 2010; B01

When Jelani Freeman came home after school one day, his mother was gone. Eight years old, he waited, realizing as the hours passed that she would not be back. She was mentally ill and in need of treatment. His father was in prison.

"I just knew that was it," he recalled.

By the next afternoon, social workers were involved. So began a way of life that he came to know as foster care, a world of in-betweens and stopgaps that brought six moves and inevitable questions about how to get beyond hurt and want and poverty.

On Saturday, against the odds, Freeman will graduate from Howard University Law School, where he has told few of his professors how far he came just to take a seat.......

To read the full article, click here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/06/AR2010050606345_pf.html

Orphan Sunday Campaign on a Roll!

2011-08-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

With the 2011 Orphan Sunday campaign just underway, myriad events are already brewing. Across the U.S, plans are being laid for city-wide concerts and multi-church gatherings….church services and Sunday School classes…more. Individual families making plans, too, including the Orphan’s Table meal, along with prayer and discussion.

Like never before, the vision is starting to spread around the world, too. The new Russian language website recently launched for Ukraine and Russia.

Additional new-language sites are in the works, too. And local campaigns are starting up from the Philippines to Romania to Kenya.

Orphan Sunday is a chance for anyone to spread the vision of God’s love for the fatherless in a church, community or family! Harness the many RESOURCES and easy-to-use EVENT IDEAS on the Orphan Sunday website, and then post your plans on the EVENT MAP!

For more information visit http://www.orphansunday.org/.

RUN, BECAUSE THEY CAN’T.

2011-08-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

What if you couldn’t run, not even if your life depended on it? Running from human trafficking is not as simple as it seems –

mental manipulation, physical bondage and threats keep Chicago victims from finding freedom.

Victims may not be able to run, but you can. By joining Traffick Free in the Freedom Run 5k, you are telling Chicago that human trafficking is not acceptable in our city. You are contributing to efforts to help free the supply and end the demand. You can do something about human trafficking. Join the Freedom Run 5k on 9.10.11. A few hours of your day will make a citywide impact.

SIGN UP NOW AT WWW.TRAFFICKFREE.ORG/5K

Stop Traffick. Start Running.

Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011

7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Diversey Harbor, Chicago, IL

$25 registration

$35 with t-shirt

Group discounts available

Adoption Basics for the Classroom: Expert advice on how to educate educators

2011-08-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

You have been talking to your child about adoption since he came home. But what about the time he spends at school? What does his teacher know about adoption? About birth parents? Does she know how to help him answer why he doesn't look like his mom?

Join Debbie Riley, the Chief Executive Officer of The Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc. (C.A.S.E.), as she discusses how adoptive parents can educate the educators.

This webinar will help you:

* Talk to teachers about creating an adoption-sensitive environment

* Educate teachers on managing discussions about adoption in school

* Discover how much of your child's story to share

* Learn how to handle some standard school projects (family trees, baby pictures)

Your purchase confirmation email will include a link to submit questions to Ms. Riley.

This webinar will not be available for purchase after the event. You will only receive access to the recorded version if you register for the live event.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

7:00 - 8:00 PM Central Time

Q & A: 8:00 - 8:30 PM Central Time

(Start Time: 7:00PM Central, 8:00PM Eastern, 5:00PM Pacific)

Join the conversation on Twitter #abcwebinar

To register, go to http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/webinars/adoption-basics-classroom.cfm?utm_source=ABCJCICS1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ABCJCICSBLAST1

Debbie B. Riley is the Chief Executive Officer of The Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc. (C.A.S.E.), an independent pre and post-adoption organization in the Baltimore-Washington area and co-author of the book, Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens.

Since 1993, she has focused exclusively on the field of adoption, creating pre- and post-adoption programs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area; offering specialized counseling services to adopted children, teens, adults and adoptive families; and promoting health education, child advocacy and public policy development. Most recently, Ms. Riley leads the national initiative to create training standards for an adoption-competent certification for mental health providers.

Adoption Music

2011-08-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Becky Wright is an award-winning Christian singer/songwriter and Nashville recording artist from Oklahoma. In May 2008 she was named "Female Songwriter of the Year" at the Agape Fest in Texas. A gifted worship leader and conference speaker as well, Becky performs across the USA at churches, festivals, homeless shelters, and for adoption events. Singing and writing since childhood, her worldwide acclaim began with the writing of “Child of My Heart”, an adoption song which won her the title “Duo of the Year” and a Top 5 Female Horizon Award at the 2006 Agape Fest (TX). The song was recorded in Nashville with Tommy Brandt, CCMA (Christian Country Music Association) Male Vocalist & Entertainer of the Year, and is now used by adoption and related organizations such as the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (Adoption Services), Arkansas Adoption Coalition, Gift for a Child, ATTACH.org, and others. For more information about Becky's music, her orphan & adoption advocacy projects and conference/concert schedule, visit http://www.beckywrightsongs.com/.

International Justice Mission Benefit in Chicago

2011-08-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO BENEFIT DINNER

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Reception at 6:30 pm

Dinner and Program at 7 pm

Chicago Marriott Downtown

$100 per person

Business or Cocktail Attire

RSVP by October 11, 2011

www.ijm.org/benefits

BECOME A JUSTICE CHAMPION

* Host a table: Purchase 10 tickets
* Recruit a table: Fill 10 seats
* Sponsor the event: Multiple sponsorship levels available

For more information, contact IJM: events@ijm.org or 703.740.9923

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Featured Speaker: Gary A. Haugen, IJM President and CEO

Haugen, a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School, leads IJM’s global casework and groundbreaking structural transformation of public justice systems worldwide. Before founding IJM, he worked in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and served as Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations’ genocide investigation in Rwanda.

Mila's Story

At the age of 12, Mila+ was trafficked into prostitution in a Manila bar. Today, she is thriving in a safe and loving aftercare home. At the benefit, hear how IJM was able to rescue her, and other stories of freedom made possible by people like you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Host Committee

Chairpersons

Elizabeth and Eric Ha

Bonnie and Jay Knobloch

Mark Johnson

Teresa Nortillo

Cora Passis

Jennifer and Jim Quigley

Carole Wineman

Tiffany and Jason Wright

Webinar: Transracial Adoption: Becoming a Multicultural/Multiracial Family

2011-08-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Alliance Webinar Series

The Christian Alliance for Orphans Webinar Series is designed to help individuals like you create and grow effective adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry in local churches.

You're Invited....
Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 Time: 1:00 PM Central
Topic: Transracial Adoption: Becoming a Multicultural/Multiracial Family

Host Church: Bethlehem Baptist Church

Presenters: Maridel Sandberg, Bethlehem Baptist Church & Jaclyn Skalnik, Bethany Christian Church

This webinar will highlight both joys and challenges of expanding a family through trans-racial adoption—including social understandings of race, ethnicity, nationality and culture. We will explore both positive and difficult issues related to the life-long consequences of adoption, and offer tangible suggestions to help a church community embrace and support multi-racial families.

Each 60-minute webinar in this series will give local advocates access to the knowledge and experience of top Alliance member churches and organizations nationwide, covering key topics on adoption, foster care and/or global orphan care. Every webinar will be hosted by a local church orphan ministry and co-presented by one or more national experts on the subject matter. This pairing will deliver a combination of specialist information and resources alongside a “here’s how it works in a real church” perspective.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/resources/webinars/

Run for Chicago Kids in the Chicago Half Marathon or 5K

2011-08-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2011

When you join Team LYDIA, you can reach your personal fitness goals while standing up for children of Chicago who need your support through your pledges and donations to LYDIA. Join us by participating in the Chicago Half Marathon or 5K (official Team LYDIA race) or another area race of your choice.

Sign-up with a friend, family member or co-worker since it’s always easier to stay motivated when training with a buddy!

3 SIMPLE STEPS:

First, register for the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K (or another race of your choice) on the race website. Our Chicago Half Marathon & 5K coupon code for a $5 discount is: CHMLHA11 (case sensitive) please write this down and use when you register for the race.

Then, sign-up for Team LYDIA and create your own fundraising page (it's free).

Participate in the race to help change lives of kids in Chicago!

For more information, to register or to donate/sponsor a runner, visit http://www.lydiahome.org/Event.aspx?site_id=10086&event_id=225199

Illinois Town Hall Meeting to Combat Human Trafficking

2011-08-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by International Justice Mission

Join IJM inChicago on September 19 to stand up for victims of modern-day slavery – and show your elected policymakers that Illinois is passionate about fighting trafficking at home and abroad.

Featured Speakers:

•U.S. Congressman Peter Roskam, Illinois District 6

•Holly Burkhalter, International Justice Mission

•Lynne Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church

Invited Speakers:

•Senator Dick Durbin, United States Senate

•Senator Mark Steven Kirk , United States Senate

Event Details

September 19, 2011

7:00 p.m.

Park Community Church

1001 N Crosby

Chicago, IL 60610

Event Co-Sponsors include: TraffickFree, PROMISE, STOP-IT, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), the Dreamcatcher Foundation.

If you have any questions about the event, feel free to visit http://www.ijm.org/illinois-town-hall.
If you would like to carpool together from Chicago's western suburbs, contact Dina at vcministry127@gmail.com.

Step Forward for Orphans March

2011-08-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Step Forward for Orphans March from Both Ends Burning on Vimeo.

In a powerful statement of solidarity, key leaders of international adoption and members of their organizations have joined forces to participate in the "Step Forward for Orphans March," a unified event designed to bring global awareness to the current dysfunctional adoption system.

Parents who have been waiting for their adopted children to come home, adoption experts and advocates, and families who wish to provide a permanent home for a child in need will convene on August 26 in Washington, D.C. for the "Step Forward for Orphans March."

Visit bothendsburning.org for more information.

Louisville Courier on Adoption 2.0

2011-08-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Courier-Journal.com

Adoption 2.0

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Peter Smith

Cristi Slate, whose biological parents adopted eight children from Russia, might seem to be a natural spokeswoman for the burgeoning emphasis on adoption among evangelical Christians.

And she is — but not just in the familiar sense of Americans bringing home adopted children from overseas.
She’s also promoting a program to support adoptions of Russian and other orphans by families within their home countries.

"Americans coming in and putting in their programs is not the best thing," she said last week during a national conference, the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit, that drew about 1,500 people at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. It often leaves "nationals feeling disrespected," said Slate, grants manager for Doorways to Hope, which has supported such things as repairs and expansions to adoptive families’ homes in Ukraine.
She wasn’t alone. At the same conference workshop, others spoke up from countries as diverse as Ukraine and Uganda about efforts to recruit adoptive parents. Call it Adoption 2.0.

As we reported earlier this year, evangelical churches in Louisville and elsewhere in the United States have increasingly called on members to take care of orphans through adoption and other means. They see this as fulfilling two biblical mandates — to take care of the needy and to evangelize.

But the movement has expanded, and not just in promoting efforts to have children adopted by families in their home countries. It’s also emphasizing the need for foster parents in the United States itself, and on adopting children who have experienced such things as homelessness, disease, disability and exploitation.

“Early on, a lot of the movement was adoption cheerleading, kind of emphasizing the beautiful elements of adoption without also emphasizing the costliness of it,” said Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. “The movement is maturing.” Some of the titles at the workshops at this year’s Orphans Summit reflect the change: “The Plight of the Trafficked Orphan”; “Street Children in America”; “Attachment and Trauma”; “Adopting and Advocating for Children with HIV”; “Adopting the Deaf Child.”

The summit is the organization’s seventh annual conference. The first, Medefind said, drew 38 people.
Neither Medefind nor anyone else in this evangelical adoption movement have figures on how many adoptions it has promoted.

But its growth is evident in the current size of such conferences and orphan-awareness church activities.
International adoptions have stirred controversy, and not just when evangelical Christians are involved, because people in some poorer countries view it as an imperialist insult to their culture.
But “to me, there is no controversy,” said Ruslan Maliuta of the group Ukraine Without Orphans. “I approach it from a child’s perspective. It is very controversial when you’re talking about politics, when you’re talking about economic issues. But when you see a child that needs a family, … if there is no such home in country, I don’t care where that family comes from as long as they provide a permanent home for that child.”

Yet Maliuta’s group works extensively to encourage Ukrainian churches to adopt children.
In the past, they saw adoption as "sending kids abroad to rich Americans," he said. "But it has changed.”
More and more Ukrainian Christians are adopting, recognizing the act as “a spiritual concept," he said. There was a recent breakthrough when a couple adopted an HIV-positive child, he said.

In Uganda, despite extensive poverty, a church movement has prompted 13 in-country adoptions in the past eight months — a modest but promising start, according to Kenneth Rwego, a representative of the Loving Hearts Babies Home in Kampala. People’s “hearts were really moved” to get involved, he said.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates there are 163 million children worldwide who have lost one or both parents, but that figure doesn’t break out how many are actually eligible for adoption.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, approved by the U.N. in 1990, emphasizes putting the best interests of a child first, including the right to stay with family if possible, and having a firm legal structure to determine if no family that can safely care for him or her.

The convention says international adoption is an option but puts priority on finding solutions in the child’s home country and on the "desirability of continuity in a child’s upbringing and to the child’s ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background."

Medefind said the Christian faith, which teaches that God "pursued us when we were destitute and alone," offers a model for adoption. But, he added: "Regardless of your faith, when you come face to face with the needs of a child without a mother or father, that conscience within you cries out, ‘This is not right.’"

Together for Adoption Conference 2011

2011-08-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Together for Adoption: Providing gospel-centered resources to mobilize the church for global orphan care.

http://www.togetherforadoption.org/

As written in Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father, “To live missionally means to live each waking moment in light of the gospel so that it increasingly affects every part of our lives for the glory of God’s grace in our fallen world” (p 17). James 1:27 tells us that the practice of true religion necessarily involves caring for orphans in their distress. Therefore, to live missionally means that the Gospel is increasingly moving and empowering us to care for those who live on the razor-sharp edge of our world’s brokenness. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the Gospel is at the center of missional living and the evangelical orphan care movement.

Join us October 21-22 in Phoenix, AZ for Together for Adoption Conference 2011. Over 1,200 people will gather together at Redemption Church (Gilbert Campus) to explore the theme Missional Living, the Gospel and Orphan Care. One of our primary objectives for this year’s conference is to create a forum to consider the good news of the Gospel, explore its implications for how we think about and implement orphan care strategies, and discuss how we can move toward greater collaboration as the people of God for the sake of orphans worldwide.

General session speakers include: Darrin Patrick, Tullian Tchividjian, Tim Chester (coming to us from England), Bryan Loritts, Juan Sanchez, and Jeff Vanderstelt.

Early Bird Registration: $109 Per Person (good through August 31st)

Regular Registration: $149 Per Person (price from September 1 until October 21)
*Registration price includes two onsite lunches and afternoon snacks.

Note: Childcare is available. Infant through 6th grade is $25 per child for the entire conference.

Worship Leaders: Shaun Groves, Aaron Ivey, and Jimmy McNeal

For more information visit http://www.togetherforadoption.org/

Six Things to Know About the Expanded Adoption Tax Credit

2011-08-03T19:17:00.001-07:00

IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2011-10, July 27, 2011

If you are adopting a child in 2011, the Internal Revenue Service encourages you to familiarize yourself with the adoption tax credit. The Affordable Care Act increased the amount of the credit and made it refundable, which means it can increase the amount of your refund.

Here are six things to know about this valuable tax credit:

The adoption tax credit, which is as much as $13,170, offsets qualified adoption expenses making adoption possible for some families who could not otherwise afford it. Taxpayers who adopt a child in 2010 or 2011 may qualify if you adopted or attempted to adopt a child and paid qualified expenses relating to the adoption.

Taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income of more than $182,520 in 2010 may not qualify for the full amount and it phases out completely at $222,520. The IRS may make inflation adjustments for 2011 to this phase-out amount as well as to the maximum credit amount.

You may be able to claim the credit even if the adoption does not become final. If you adopt a special needs child, you may qualify for the full amount of the adoption credit even if you paid few or no adoption-related expenses.

Qualified adoption expenses are reasonable and necessary expenses directly related to the legal adoption of the child who is under 18 years old, or physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself. These expenses may include adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees and travel expenses.

To claim the credit, you must file a paper tax return and Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, and you must attach documents supporting the adoption. Documents may include a final adoption decree, placement agreement from an authorized agency, court documents and the state’s determination for special needs children. You can still use IRS Free File to prepare your return, but it must be printed and mailed to the IRS, along with all required documentation. Failure to include required documents will delay your refund.

The IRS is committed to processing adoption credit claims quickly, but it also must safeguard against improper claims by ensuring the standards for this important credit are met. If your return is selected for review, please keep in mind that it is necessary for the IRS to ensure the legal criteria are met before the credit can be paid. If you are owed a refund beyond the adoption credit, you will still receive that part of your refund while the review is being conducted.

For more information see the Adoption Benefits FAQ page available at http://www.irs.gov/ or the instructions to IRS Form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, which can be downloaded from the website or ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=242932,00.html

August Pot-Luck Gathering

2011-08-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

I hope you are enjoying the final dog days of summer. Although these hot, humid days remind us that summer is still in control, soon school & fall activities will be upon us, and these hot, sticky days will only be a memory. Enjoy while you can!

I encourage everyone to attend our August Pot-Luck gathering so we can re-connect and hear a fabulous speaker talk with us about interacting with the biological families we interact with through adoption, foster care and Safe Families. Grasping a biblical picture of race and poverty can often lead us to an understanding of some of the families we encounter as we foster or adopt their children.

Our guest speaker will be Joel Hamernick. Joel has been on staff with Sunshine Gospel Ministries since 1999 and is currently the Executive Director.

Joel and his wife, Paula, have 7 children of their own (and always a few “extras” around the family!). They live in the Woodlawn community on Chicago’s southside, and are members at Christ Bible Church.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Willow Creek Community Church
67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL

Room F150A (west wing/lower level/Promiseland room)

Guest Speaker: Joel Hamernick from Sunshine Gospel Ministries will talk about interacting with biological parents.

Please bring a dish to share. Dinner starts promptly at 5:00. Beverages will be provided.

Childcare is available if you r.s.v.p. with the number of children and their ages. vcministry127@gmail.com

He finds his calling to serve at Sunshine includes being a “bridge builder” within the body of Christ. Years studying and remaining in dialogue about many divisions within Evangelicalism over racial, theological and class lines have increased his passion to be an ambassador for reconciliation.

Orthodontist Brightens Smiles Of Adopted Children

2011-07-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Doctor Offers Free Services To Families

Mitch Jelniker, 7NEWS Anchor, Keely Walker, Producer

June 29, 2007

LITTLETON, Colo. -- Braces can improve someone's smile, self esteem and even job prospects, but they do come at a price. For one patient named David his smile may have never changed without the help of Dr. Jeff Haskins. He is providing all of the orthodontic work for free. He says he feels called to do it.

"In James 1.27 instructs us to take care of the orphans and widows and possibly try to take orphans into our homes. We can't all do that - so what can we do? So, we formed our own ministry Ortho 1.27," said Haskins. Ortho 1.27 is an off-shoot of the faith based non-profit called Project 1.27.

"Project 1.27 is a nonprofit that helps recruit, train, and support parents in the faith community to adopt or foster kids in the child welfare services in Colorado," said Rick Valore, executive director of Project 1.27.
The project serves nearly 170 families. Haskins serves all of them, providing free orthodontia to each family's adopted and biological children........

To read the full article & view the video click here: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/7everydayhero/28392175/detail.html

2011 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference

2011-07-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

You are invited to join us for the 2011 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference on Saturday, October 29th, at Irving Bible Church in Irving Texas. With more than twenty breakout sessions to choose from, this year’s conference promises to be the most informative and helpful Tapestry Conference yet.

Jayne Schooler will be the general session speaker for the 2011 Tapestry Conference. Jayne is the author of several well-known books for adoptive and foster parents, including The Whole Life Adoption Book, Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child and Wounded Children, Healing Homes.

Online registration for the 2011 Tapestry Conference begins on August 15th, but complete details about the conference are already available at http://www.tapestryconference.org/. As with past Tapestry Conferences, childcare is available for ages 0 through 5th grade with advanced registration, but space is limited so be sure to register early. Training certificates will also be available for foster and adoptive parents at the conclusion of the conference.

Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend for what is sure to be a great time of learning and encouragement at the 2011 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference!

Tapestry is a ministry of Irving Bible Church. For more information, visit our website at http://www.tapestryministry.org/.

D.C.F.S. PRIDE training offered at Willow Creek Community Church

2011-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Many of our families have expressed an interest in becoming licensed to become DCFS foster parents. One of the requirements to become licensed is to complete the DCFS Foster Care P.R.I.D.E. Training.

We are happy to let you know that this fall, a P.R.I.D.E. training will be held at Willow Creek Community Church, So. Barrington Campus. If you have been considering becoming a licensed foster care family, please contact a foster care agency that can help you through the process. I've listed three agencies below, but you are free to choose any other licensed agency. Please note that you MUST be referred by an agency in order to attend this training.

Please pass along this information to anyone you know who may be interested.

9-week training:

Dates: Thursdays, August 25 - October 20, 2011

Time: 6:30 p.m.- 9:30 a.m.

Location: Willow Creek Community Church/So. Barrington

Foster Care Agencies:

Bethany Christian Services
708-385-4889
www.bethany.org

Evangelical Child and Family Services (ECFA)
630-653-6400
www.evancfa.org

One Hope United
Contact Margaret at mvergamini@onehopeunited.org

UCAN
Chicago: 773-588-0180
Chicago: 312-738-5944
Vernon Hills: Erin Ginn 847-932-4666 ginne@ucanchicago.org
http://www.ucanchicago.org/

Lydia House/Safe Families Benefit

2011-07-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

LYDIA/Safe Families

invites you to

Come enjoy the soulful sounds

of Shuree Rivera

Saturday, August 27, 6-9 pm

Deerpath Golf Club

500 West Deerpath Road

Lake Forest, IL

$50 per person

Music, dancing, silent auction beverages & hors d'oeuvres.

All proceeds will benefit LYDIA/Safe Families

Click here to register http://www.lydiahome.org/EventRegister.aspx?site_id=10086&event_id=253801

or contact Mary Gaskill (773) 653-2214

For more than 95 years LYDIA/Safe Families has been providing hope and support to children and families in need.

Residential home for severely abused and neglected children

Safe Families for Children

Foster care

Families First serving the Austin community

LYDIA Urban Academy (non-traditional high schools in Chicago and Rockford)

Preschool and after school programs

Graduate training program

Counseling for children, families and individuals

America's Invisible Children: Homeless Children in America

2011-07-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

An Exclusive CW Network Special!

There are over 1.3 million homeless children just in the United States. While many are struggling with their families just to survive, many of them are making an effort to get an education; often overcoming what seems like insurmountable odds.

In this show you will meet some of these remarkable children and see what they have to do just to go to school everyday so they can get an education.Most people don't think of children, when they hear the word homeless, but the number of homeless children in the U.S. is shocking. Not in some third world country, but right here in America, there are 1.3 million homeless children. They are not confined to one area of the country, homeless children are struggling to survive in every state, in rural, urban and suburban areas.

The children become homeless for many reasons, whether it is abuse, neglect, death, divorce, home fire, foreclosures, or medical tragedies, the number is growing.

Educating these children is the best way to solve the problem and end the cycle. The good news is these kids want to go to school and what they do to get to school will surprise you.

America's Invisible Children shares the personal stories of homeless children from elementary to high school, overcoming unimaginable obstacles every day, in order to get their education.

To view the program visit the following link: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/Family%20and%20Community%20Partnerships/Crisis%20Support/Homelessness/AmerisIvisible.htm

You can also check your local t.v. listing at http://americasinvisiblechildren.com/stations.html.

Illinois Catholics win initial court battle over 'gay' adoption

2011-07-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Bob Kellogg and Associated Press - OneNewsNow - 7/13/2011 7:30:00 AM

An attorney is encouraged that a circuit judge has granted three Illinois Catholic Charities a preliminary injunction, allowing them to continue their foster care services for 2,000 children.

Catholic Charities has refused to place foster children with same-sex couples, despite the recent legislative act that gives legal status to such partnerships.

In granting the injunction, the court ruled that the discontinuance of the contracts could cause irreparable harm to the families the organization serves. Peter Breen, executive director of the Thomas More Society, is encouraged by the ruling.

"What this means is that Catholic Charities can continue to do all of the work that it was doing previously -- serving children," he explains. "It means none of the 2,000 children under their care will have their placements terminated."

Diocese officials in Peoria, Joliet and Springfield sued to hold up enforcement of the law that would force them to place foster kids with "gay" couples, as Catholic Charities opposes on religious grounds the Illinois civil union law that allows same-sex couples to adopt children or provide foster care. Instead of violating the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, the Catholic group contends it is actually shielded by the law. And Breen points out that the sponsor of the act never intended to harm Catholic Charities.

"The problem is the governor of Illinois and the attorney general of Illinois took a different track and have tried to read the religious freedom protection out of the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act," the attorney concludes.

The matter is scheduled to go before Judge John Schmidt again in August for a final decision, but Breen says the judge's preliminary injunction is a positive sign.

Adoption Update: Russia

2011-07-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Sign Adoption Agreement

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security announced on July 13, 2011, that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed a bilateral adoptions agreement that will strengthen procedural safeguards in adoptions between our countries.

This Agreement will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions. Under the Agreement, only adoption agencies authorized by the Russian government will be able to operate in Russia and provide services in adoptions covered by the Agreement, except in the case of an adoption of a child by his or her relatives. This will largely eliminate independent adoptions from Russia and create a better defined framework for intercountry adoptions between the United States and Russia. The Agreement also includes provisions designed to improve post-adoption reporting and monitoring and to ensure that prospective adoptive parents receive more complete information about adoptive children’s social and medical histories and anticipated needs.

The United States is committed to working with the Russian Federation on implementing the provisions laid forth in this Agreement as soon as it enters into force.

The Department of State will publish criteria, procedures, and clear guidance related to the Agreement on adoption.state.gov prior to the Agreement’s entry into force.

For additional FAQs on the agreement, please visit http://adoption.state.gov.

Book Review: Orphanology

2011-07-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've purchased this book, but have not had the chance to read it yet. I came across this review from Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/july/quicktakes-jul11.html

Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-Centered Adoption and Orphan Care
by Tony Merida and Rick Morton (New Hope Publishers)

Christians do not approach orphan care as mere humanitarians but as people adopted by God through the work of Jesus Christ. Orphanology provides the burgeoning orphan care movement with a gospel-centered theological foundation as well as a comprehensive plan for getting involved at many levels, including adoption, orphanage restoration, foster care, and transitional assistance. Between adoption stories, Tony Merida and Rick Morton offer a compelling picture of how the gospel motivates us to action on behalf of the fatherless.

The Fresh Air Fund

2011-07-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund has been giving inner-city children the joy of a summer vacation with volunteer host families and at Fund camps, creating unforgettable memories and fresh possibilities.

Currently, they are still in need of 850 host families for this summer. Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and homes to children from the city to give them a Fresh Air experience that can change lives. . It's only for up to two weeks, but it's an experience that can change their lives forever. If you live in the green colored area on the map, and are interested in hosting a child, please call 1-800-367-0003 or visit their web site at http://www.freshair.org/.

W.I.S.E. Up Workshop for Adoptive Families

2011-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, July 23, 2011
Location: Sunnyridge Family Center, Bolingbrook, IL

Most adopted children are frequently asked questions about being adopted, yet few are equipped to respond. WISE Up! is a unique and interactive workshop that provides a simple but powerful way for adopted children (and families) to handle comments and personal questions about their adoption journey. It also teaches children that they have the power to decide if and when they want to share their story. A parent workshop that teaches adults how to practice this program at home will run concurrently with the children’s workshop.

WISE Up was developed by the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.).
This workshop offers practical tools for both adoptive parents and adopted children (both internationally and domestically) to guide them in making choices on how to respond to uncomfortable or personal questions about their adoption. Workshops for children will be divided based on grade: 1st-3rd and 4th-6th.Space in each Workshop is limited to 10 children and 20 adults, so early registration is recommended.

Registration fee: $100 per family, or $75 for adults attending without children.
Payment for the Workshop is accepted by major credit card at the time of your registration, or by mail to Sunny Ridge within five business days of your registration. Please note: No refunds are given for cancellations. A Workshop credit will be issued which is good for one year from cancelled date.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.sunnyridge.org/.

Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit Recap

2011-07-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

If you were at the Summit, relive the richness and re-engage actions you intended to take. And if you missed it, catch a glimpse of what the excitement was all about. (And make plans for May 3-4, 2012 at Saddleback Church in southern California!)

(Be sure to mute the blog music at the bottom of the page before starting the video)

Adoptive Family Counseling

2011-07-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Adoption-Competent Counseling Available

Adoptive families and adoptees can benefit from professionals who understand the unique challenges adoptive families and adopted persons face. Sunny Ridge Family Center, in Bolingbrook, IL provides post adoption counseling to individual adoptees, adoptive parents, or adoptive families. Services are available to everyone, whether your adoption was facilitated through Sunny Ridge or not. To schedule a private consultation, or for more information, call Pam Shepard, LCSW, Supervisor of Parent Training and Adoption Counseling Services, at (630) 754-4522.

http://www.sunnyridge.org/

How To Adopt Without Debt

2011-07-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Gumm Family

It's possible! Julie Gumm tells you how her family did it.

from daveramsey.com on 21 Jun 2011

Recently on The Dave Ramsey Show, Dave interviewed Julie Gumm, author of the new book, Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption. Julie and her husband have adopted two children and didn’t go into a dime of debt to do it.

Click here for some of the highlights of that interview.

Should the Marriage Battleground Shift to Religious Freedom?

2011-07-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to an article in today's Christianity Today. It addresses the issue of the rising dilemma over how governments that approve gay marriage will treat those Christian agencies that decline on the grounds of conscience to place children for adoption with unmarried or homosexual couples. As adoption, foster care & orphan advocates, let's pray that God will be glorified in this important debate.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/julyweb-only/gay-marriage-religious-freedom.html?start=1

Comments

2011-06-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to allow comments on the blog. I welcome your thoughts on any of the posts!

End Child Sex Trafficking at Wyndam Hotels

2011-06-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

From 2006 to 2011, Crips gang members in San Diego ran a child sex trafficking ring out of area hotels that destroyed the lives at least 16 girls.

An 18-month FBI investigation discovered that the gang was able to use two Wyndham-owned hotels (Travelodge and Howard Johnson) regularly for child prostitution with the knowledge and even assistance of staff.

After hearing about these cases, San Diego native Tim Rosner started a petition urging the Wyndham Hotel Group to sign an international child protection agreement for travel and tourism companies, which could have saved those 16 girls from sexual exploitation.

In California, the staff at a Howard Johnson in Escondido, CA, refused to stop sex trafficking -- and at the San Diego Travelodge, staff actively facilitated and profited from the sexual exploitation of children.

Travelodge staff knowingly rented rooms to Crips gang members for use in child prostitution -- and demanded higher rates for these rooms in exchange for cooperation. They even set aside specific areas in the hotel for sex trafficking.

Members of the staff also allowed the gang members to use the hotel computer to post online ads advertising sex with minors and agreed to warn the Crips if police were nearby.

Although Wyndham has a child protection policy, it has failed at least 16 children -- with more cases emerging.

Just last week in Alexandria, Virginia, a grand jury indicted a MS-13 gang member for selling sex with girls as young as 15 on another Wyndham property, a Super 8.

Two major American hotel chains -- Hilton Worldwide and Carlson Companies, an entity that includes Radisson Hotels and other chains -- have already signed the international child protection policy, as have 945 other companies across 37 countries.

Click here to make sure Wyndham is next to sign the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children and call on the company to implement this stricter child protection policy in order to prevent future instances of child sex trafficking:

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-wyndham-hotel-staff-from-supporting-child-sex-trafficking-in-wyndham-hotels

Empowered To Connect Conference: Nashville, TN

2011-06-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

"Empowered to Connect" is a fantastic resource started by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Michael & Amy Monroe. Their purpose is to equip families with post adoption resources. They started a web site with all kinds of empowering resources, including a study guide that is designed to help illuminate the biblical principles that serve as the foundation for the philosophy and interventions detailed in Dr. Purvis' book called "The Connected Child".

Another resource is the "Empowered To Connect Conference" The next conference will be on September 23-24, 2011, in Nashville, TN. Empowered To Connect, together with Show Hope, will host the next Empowered To Connect Conference on September 23-24, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee at Brentwood Baptist Church.

Registration for the conference is now open! Visit www.etcconference.org for more details and to register online. ***For a limited time, 1/2 off registrations discounts are available due to a generous grant from Focus on the Family. Simply use the code FOCUS when registering online to receive this discount.***

ETC Conference in Nashville, TN (Sept. 23-24, 2011) from Tapestry on Vimeo.

Book Review: Somebody's Someone

2011-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

I recently read a book called "Somebody's Someone" by Regina Louise. It is a memoir of her childhood growing up unwanted, moving from home to home until finally aging out of the foster care system. This brilliantly written book has made a profound impact on me. Never before have I read a book that so powerfully gave me a glimpse into the life of a child who is unwanted and unloved. It has given me a greater heart of love and compassion for vulnerable children. Regina becomes a voice for the half million children in foster care in our country. My only disclaimer for a Christian audience is that the language is raw and disturbing. But the language toward her is part of her story, and needs to be told.

The following review is from Regina Louise's web site, www.reginalouise.com.

This is the true story of one child who makes it against all odds, whose resilience shines through each attempt to break her, and whose sheer will to not only survive, but to thrive, is a beacon to us all.

Regina Louise's mother abandoned her at birth, her father barely knows she's alive, and even the state isn't there to protect her because she's been dumped in an illegal foster home. Within the walls of this tattered home, untold horrors happen. At eleven-years-old, this young child makes a pact with God and puts fate into her own hands by running away. But the attempt to free herself only lands her in the unloving hands of her mother, her father, and finally the state. Now in the "system", she is sent from foster home to temporary shelter and back again, until she's lived in too many places to count. With no parent willing to claim her, Regina is finally pronounced a Ward of the Court and sent to a children's shelter that's one stop short of a mental institution. But, in this most unlikely setting, Regina finds something so powerful and so transcendent that her Job-like trials all seem worth the price: Regina finds that she is loved.

This remarkable memoir shines the light on the plight of children with no parent to wake them up with a gentle kiss, to send them off to school with a packed lunch, to read them a bedtime story as they fall off to sleep. These are nobody's children who, due to their cruel circumstances, are rarely able to climb out of the shadows of society and are left to fend for themselves in an inhospitable world. But while Somebody's Someone exposes the extreme trials these children endure, it is also a triumphant story of how one small girl makes it out alive.

Never before has the voice of an abandoned child been so perfectly rendered, intimately captured, and lovingly portrayed. With Somebody's Someone, Regina Louise emerges as an extraordinarily gifted writer whose voice is filled with raw emotion, shocking honesty and pure lyricism. If Twain and Dickens were alive today, they would surely admire Louise's gift for not only deftly retelling this age-old story, but also for having lived it and survived to tell the tale.