| Welcome!
Zero Kids Waiting is the monthly eNewsletter of Minnesota Adoption Resource Network, a 33-year old organization that creates and supports lifelong nurturing families for children needing permanency.
As an email subscriber to Zero Kids Waiting, you will receive a monthly update about what our organization and others are doing to promote adoption of Minnesota children and teens.
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To learn more about Minnesota’s waiting children and our goal to reach Zero Kids Waiting visit State Adoption Exchange |
| Waiting YouthTreasure and Mary Love to Dance
Sisters, Treasure (9) and Mary (8), are dancers. Articulate and engaging, Treasure likes to be the center of attention with her singing and dancing. She enjoys drawing, reading and watching movies. Although generally friendly, she is slow to trust others. She is working on her social skills and learning how to make better choices with peers. She does well with positive feedback and praise.
Mary, like her sister, is an extrovert. Bright, articulate and astute, Mary is observant and is able to read body language well. She especially enjoys drawing. Mary is learning yoga, guided imagery and deep breathing to calm herself and to mange her anxiety.
The best family for this lively twosome would have an understanding of trauma and attachment issues. Interested families would need to be willing and able to work with multiple service providers at home, in school and in the community to support the girls. These delightful girls need a loving, committed family willing to devote time and effort to help them develop trust and support their healing.
To learn more about Treasure and Mary, please contact Theresa Brinkhaus at Hennepin County, 612-543-0011,
Theresa.Brinkhaus@hennepin.us |
| World / National NewsRe-homing
This past week Reuters ran an article about a troubling look into the world of ‘re-homing’, a practice where adoptive parents who feel they can no longer parent their adopted child(ren) seek and utilize alternate families to raise their child. This practice often includes no governmental or county oversight, guidance or support. Although thought to be present for quite some time, Re-homing is only now becoming more understood by communities and society at large. The term ‘re-homing’, which often is associated with individuals and families seeking new homes for pets, is becoming synonymous in adoption circles as the practice of adoptive families seeking alternate families for adopted children who are no longer wanted by the original adoptive family. This article highlights this troubling practice and is a must-read for anyone concerned for the safety and welfare of adopted children.
The Minnesota Adoption Resource Network has long been an advocate for this often under-represented population. Below is a link to a news segment investigating further the ‘re-homing’ issue as it pertains to Minnesota families. The MN ADOPT HELP Program, funded by Minnesota Department of Human Services, is an innovative, ground-breaking initiative specifically created to help adoptive families who may be experiencing parenting challenges http://www.mnadopt.org/HELP.html, was sought out by Fox 9 news to speak to this phenomenon.
For more information
Foster Care Film Gets Rave Reviews
Short Term 12, a modest low-bduget film, offers a window into the lives of children and adults in a short-term foster care facility. The movie is being shown all over the country to rave reviews.
For more information
Senate Immigration Reform Act Moves Forward
The reform bill passed by the Senate on June 27, 2013, that would grant citizenship to foreign adoptees is awaiting approval by the House of Representatives and then signed by President Obama. Citizenship would be extended to most adoptees not covered by the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 that gave automatic U.S. citizenship to foreign-born adopted children, but was not retroactive to include adoptees over the age of 18 on its effective date.
For more information
Planning Ahead for National Adoption Day
One hundred and seven thousand children and youth await adoption across the United States. To meet that need, dedicated courts, organizations and agencies hold celebrations and events on National Adoption Day, November 23, 2013. Minnesota counties and agencies organizing a National Adoption Day event can get assistance from the National Adoption Day Coalition. The Coalition provides online Toolkits, banners, artwork as well as discounted teddy bears and other merchandise. Groups that register at www.nationaladoptionday.org can be a part of national and local effort to draw attention to the needs of waiting children.
After 24 Foster Homes, Jed finds a Family
At 14, the residential treatment center where Jed resided decided he was unadoptable. A volunteer at the center who had spent time there as a troubled youth learned of Jed and, with his partner, signed on to be his 25th foster parents. Two years later they adopted him. Jed, 19, now has aspirations of attending North Carolina State. Jed says the success of his family is because “no matter how much I acted up, they said I wasn’t going anywhere.”
For more information
Study on Internet’s Impact on Adoption
The Adoption Institute is launching a new study seeking relevant information from adopted persons, adoptive parents, birth/first parents and adoption professionals. Please follow the link below and complete a private survey if you fit into any of those descriptions.
For more information
Actress Reunites with Identical Twin
Samantha Futerman has starred in the television series The Big C and the film Memoirs of a Geisha, but her most remarkable role was learning of her identical twin. Friends of Ansais Bordier, who had been adopted by a French family, noted the remarkable resemblance to Futerman while viewing her movies and alerted Futerman. A Facebook reunion ensued. A book collaboration is in the works about the twins both adopted from South Korea in 1987.
For more information
Transracially Adopted Study
Candice Presseau, a graduate student in the College of Education at Lehigh University is completing her doctoral dissertation research study and is seeking survey participants. It is her hope that with this study, she can contribute to the understanding of the experiences of adopted persons raised by parents with different racial backgrounds and experiences from their own.
In order to participate, you must identify as a member of racial minority group, have been transracially adopted by White parents or a single White parent, currently live in North America, and be 18 years of age or older.
For more information |
| Local News
Mental Health Professionals Need Training in Adoption
The Donaldson Adoption Institute has issued new research recommending that mental health professionals should receive more and better training on adoption-related issues. Researcher David Brodzinksy, Ph.D., said, “The negative experiences of some adoptive families in seeking help underscore the reality that therapists lacking adoption competence can, at times, do more harm than good.”
Local programs including MN ADOPT HELP http://www.mnadopt.org/HELP.html and the University of Minnesota’s PACC http://cascw.umn.edu/pacc/ are already providing training and enlisting adoption-competent therapists statewide to provide services to families. Both HELP and PACC programs follow the Institute’s recommendations:
- Develop certification for adoption clinical competence, so clients know that the professionals with whom they are working have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to meet their needs.
- Expand training programs nationwide by replicating already effective models and through more use of technologies such as webinars, “flip teaching” and ” massive open online courses.”
- Develop outreach efforts to inform mental health providers about the need for adoption competency, the opportunities for enhancing their knowledge, and the benefits of doing so.
- Encourage graduate training programs and post-graduate clinical training centers to include more information about adoption and foster care in their curricula, since so little currently exists.
For more information
Relative Adoption – Who must complete a Home Study
Relatives may adopt a family member without a home study if they are within three degrees of a relationship. The relative adoption study exception applies to a spouse, a parent, a natural or adopted child or stepchild, a stepparent, a stepbrother, a stepsisters, a niece, a nephew, an adoptive parent, a grandparent, a sibling, an aunt, an uncle or legal guardian. Minnesota requires relatives to undergo a criminal background check that may include all adult members of the household.
Relative Caregivers Retreat Scheduled – October 5, 2013
A one day retreat for kinship caregivers is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 9 am to 4 pm in the Mt. Olivet Retreat Center in Farmington. Learn ways to relieve stress in a relaxing atmosphere. This event is sponsored by LSS Raising Relative’s Children. To register, contact Connie Booth at Connie.Booth@lssmn.org. ($12 for individuals or $17 for couples.)
SAVE THE DATE ~ November 16
Reframing the Adoption Discourse
Local Author Portrays Transracial Experience in Fiction
Shannon Gibney’s young adult serial novel, “Hank Aaron’s Daughter”, focuses on the life of a teen transracial adoptee. Gibney’s work reflects her life experience in a fictional format. Readers can read the first three chapters for free, paying for additional chapters in advance of the printed version that will available in 2014.
For more information
Historical Society Helps Find Adoption Records
Stepping up to the challenge of assisting adoptees in finding their birth information is the Minnesota Historical Society. The Society houses collections that include court records, orphanage records, birth records, and books and articles about adoption in Minnesota. If the adoption occurred 100 years ago or earlier, the information is public; if the adoption occurred less than 100 years ago the records may be restricted and require assistance through the Historical Society. The Minnesota Historical Society will look up information and, for a fee, copy and mail to those requesting information that fit state statutes.
Minnesota Historical Society Library
345 West Kellogg Blvd
St Paul MN 55102
651-259-3300
http://libguides.mnhs.org/adoption
Gophers Star Lives his Dream – “I want a family that will let me play football.”
Gophers defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman told Star Tribune reporter, Amelia Rayno, that in 1997 at a Hennepin County Christmas party for older foster children, he met Eric Hageman and Jill Coyle who would become his adoptive family. They later watched a video of him describing the family he wanted to adopt him, saying, “I want a family that will let me play football.” Today he has aspirations of being one of the Big Ten’s leaders and credits his family with much of his success.
For more information |
| Inside MARN
Circus of the Heart Donations Needed
To launch November as National Adoption Awareness Month, the state of Minnesota holds an annual Circus of the Heart Celebration. For 16 years this event has celebrated the adoption of children from foster care with the hopes to attract more families to adopt similar children. The free event is also used to encourage recruitment of new families for Minnesota waiting children.
Minnesota Adoption Resource Network 501(c)(3) is seeking contributions for the November 3, 2013 event. Donations are used as prizes that are awarded to families who have adopted children and to children who still await a family. We award separate prizes to teenagers (ages 13 and older), so we are looking for fun and creative prizes appropriate for boys and girls. You or your agency would be credited from the podium before the audience of 500+ and be included in all signage/print media leading up to the event.
Ideas for Gift Baskets
– School supplies
– Beauty products (lotions, makeup, hair items)
– Movie basket (DVDs, popcorn, soda)
– Sports basket (football, basketball, pro sports t-shirt/jersey)
– Game basket (card and board games)
– Music basket (iTunes, iPod, headphones)
Ideas for Gift Cards
– Target
– Best Buy
– Kohl’s
– Walgreens
– Sporting events
– Nickelodeon Universe
– Mini golf
– Science Museum
– And more…
To make a tax deductible donation, please contact Mary Martin Mason at mmason@mnadopt.org or Anne Johnson at ajohnson@mnadopt.org or mail items to: Minnesota Adoption Resource Network at 1221 Nicollet Mall, Suite #501 in Minneapolis, MN 55403
*Please include your name, contact information and the value of donated item.
Don’t Miss September’s Webinar: Transitioning from Foster Care to Adoption with Dr. Richard Delaney
Join returning presenter and author, Dr. Richard Delaney as he addresses the clear benefits of adoption from foster care, including the benefits to the child and to the adoptive family. The main issues to be covered include: how to talk with your children about what the transition means, how to help your child make sense out of their history, their past losses, their traumas, and their ongoing feelings towards important people. This webinar is slated for Wednesday, September 25, 2013 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Central Time). All you need is a computer with internet access and a telephone.
Fee
$18 webinar only
$30 webinar + CD
Training calendar
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