Happy National Adoption Month!

Program Updates

We received 3 more TA’s, this time for China Waiting Children families, so they will be joining the 8 other families leaving on December 1^st!  What a great holiday these families will have!

We also received 2 LOA’s this week.

New referrals went out through the regular China program for families with LID’s through May 23, 2006.  Since our next LID group is May 26, 2006, we did not receive referrals this time.

Special Focus Update

Two girls from our Special Focus program have families that have committed to them.  Congratulations to “Amy” and “Lexi” and their new families!

Other Information

November is National Adoption Month!  Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

From Radical by David Platt :
"...orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.
They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.
It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them
in your arms.
But once you do, everything changes."

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has launched a new resource page for adoption health issues on their website.  You can find this at: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/adoption

Continuing on with our 10 part series of sharing the Ten Things Adoptive Parents Need to Know:

#4:   It is important to Keep perspective beyond the child’s difficult moments -  Perceiving the mind of the child within and beyond the child’s behavior.  Only give a 30 to 60 second lecture (we generally lose their attention after that)…..addressing unacceptable behavior, stopping it, and providing acceptance beyond correction.  This sounds so simple, but can be very difficult to follow through with.  It may take some practice. 

Sometimes, it is best for Mom or Dad to take time and think before addressing unacceptable behavior.  It can also be better for your child.  If your child is very upset, she/he may be unable to comprehend what you are saying.  It is actually more effective to wait until your child is calm to discuss the behavior.

If you have any questions about the concepts presented or would like to talk in more detail please contact cscheller@ftia.org.   As a reminder, we will be hosting a webinar entitled Ten Things Adoptive Parents Need to Know at the end of this series (December 2010).