Finding Adoption Success

Dear FSA Members,

As we strive to help couples learn ways to make an adoption more likely, we have decided to create a success blog. We would like to post “finding” success stories to motivate and guide couples who want to adopt. If your “promoting” or “finding” efforts led to an adoption and you are willing to share what you did, please send us an email (cutefamilyof5@gmail.com) with the following information:

- Your first names
- Family picture or picture of your child (This is optional. Our blog will not be added to a search engine and it will not be private, so it is up to you to decide if you want to add a family photo.)
- Date of approval for adoption.
- Date of placement
- What you did to promote your family for adoption.
- What you did that led to a connection with your child’s birth mother.
- How you feel about your experience with “finding”.
- If you used an adoption Web site to make the connection to your birth mom, please share the Web site name.

If you used printed material (pass-along cards, letters, etc.), please consider emailing those to us as well. We are always looking for examples to share with couples. We would like to add more ideas and examples to the familiessupportingadoption.org Web site.

Please limit your information to two short paragraphs. We welcome links to your family blog and Web sites so that couples can email you if they have questions or want to read your whole story. We are hoping to get the word out about the blog through other FSA blogs and FSA Web sites and networking tools. Our intended audience for this blog is all FSA members who are trying to adopt. There is nothing like a positive adoption story to give hope to those who are trying to build their family. We have seen many wonderful ideas come from FSA couples. We hope you will take the time to share your success with others!

Sincerely, Brad and Brenda Horrocks

FSA Co-Vice Chairs

FSA National Board

Adoption Alternatives Network

The Adoption Alternatives Network was created to make a personable network of LDS Families that will help children find the right match for their permanent home. It will help to assist adoptive families to prepare for and find children who will thrive in their home.

The Adoption Alternative Network is starting their monthly classes next Thursday, January 22nd. The following is more information about the network and their class schedule. This is a great way to add to your adoption options!

We believe that all home study qualified families can adopt. These meetings are established to help waiting couples to learn about adoption alternatives and to network with other's who have had successful adoption experiences. Even though the adoption alternatives topics listed below repeat, every meeting will be unique and will feature different guest speakers and different success stories about adoption to enhance networking and our understanding and knowledge about adoption alternatives.
Meetings will be held at the North Farmington LDS Stake Center, 729 West Shepard Lane, Farmington at 7:00pm. We have reserved the Relief Society room for our meetings.
All interested families adopting or considering adoption are welcome to attend. Meetings will be held every other month on the fourth Thursday of the month with the exceptions of July and November (see below)

January 22 Designated Adoptions
March 26 Working with other Child-placing Agencies & Attorneys
May 28 International Adoption Options
July 23 Summer Vacations/Holidays---No Meetings
September 24 State Adoption Alternatives and Foster Care
*November 19 Designated Adoptions

*November meetings will be held on the third Thursday

Different Trips To The Same Place...

Deciding to have a baby is like planning a trip to Australia. You've heard it's a wonderful place, you've read many guidebooks and feel certain you're ready to go. Everyone you know has traveled there by plane. They say it can be a turbulent flight with occasional rough landings, but you can look forward to being pampered on the trip.

So you go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for a ticket to Australia. All around you, excited people are boarding planes for Australia. It seems there is no seat for you; you'll have to wait for the next flight. Impatient, but anticipating a wonderful trip, you wait--and wait--and wait.Flights to Australia continue to come and go. People say silly things like, "Relax. You'll get on a flight soon." Other people actually get on a plane and then cancel their trip, to which you cry, "It's not fair!"

After a long time the ticket agent tells you, "I'm sorry, we're not going to be able to get you on a plane to Australia. Perhaps you should think about going by boat."

"By BOAT!" you say. "Going by boat will take a very long time and it costs a great deal of money. I really had my heart set on going by plane." So you go home and think about not going to Australia at all. You wonder if Australia will be as beautiful if you approach it by sea rather than air. But you have long dreamed of this wonderful place, and finally you decide to travel by boat.

It is a long trip, many months over many rough seas. No one pampers you. You wonder if you will ever see Australia.

Meanwhile, your friends have flown back and forth to Australia two or three more times, marveling about each trip.

Then one glorious day, the boat docks in Australia. It is more exquisite than you ever imagined, and the beauty is magnified by your long days at sea. You have made many wonderful friends during your voyage, and you find yourself comparing stories with other who also traveled by sea rather then by air.

People continue to fly to Australia as often as they like, but you are about to travel only once, perhaps twice. Some say things like, "Oh, be glad you didn't fly. My flight was horrible; traveling by sea is so easy."You will always wonder what it would have been like to fly to Australia. Still, you know God blessed you with a special appreciation of Australia, and the beauty of Australia is not in the way you get there, but in the place itself.
By Diane Armitage printed in the April 21, 1995 "Dear Abby" column.

National Adoption Month

A big THANKS, to all those who helped out with the Halloween Carnival and those who came.  It was a big success.  We hope that with this kind of turnout we will be able to plan more activities like this one.  I hope every one had a blast!  

Don't forget National Adoption Month is this month, (November).  As we go throughout the month let us all reflect on the blessings of Adoption.   Here are a few great ideas to make this month special:

Create a new family tradition that celebrates your family and how you came together each year. 

Send an email to all of your friends and family about National Adoption Day. 

Reach out and share your adoption story with others. 

Talk to your place of worship about having a service that delivers a message on adoption. 

Create a family tree that incorporates both birth and adoptive family members 

Catch up on scrapbooking projects that celebrate your family 

Give thanks to those who helped you build your family by sending Thank You Cards. 

Write to your local and state representatives about adoption and issues that concern you. 

 We will be taking off a few months from activities for the Holiday's and such, but please come to our activities next year.  We will have some fun activities in the upcoming year.  We hope to see you all there.  We will keep you posted with any new happenings.  Have a great Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Family Halloween Carnival

Family Halloween Carnival

October 25th 2008

The Fort Lane Chapel
1402 N Fort Ln, Layton Utah

Another chance for your kids to wear their adorable Halloween costumes (and you too). There will be lots of fun activities for the kids plus lots of treats, prizes, and cotton candy!!

  

If you have any questions you can call or email Criscell at 801-556-4391 Criscell@gmail.com or Natalie Scottandnatalie2@yahoo.com

Farmington Agency Moving to Layton

The Farmington Agency will be moving north to Layton and will now be known as the

LDS Family Services - Layton Agency

The grand opening for this agency will be in October with the Adoption side holding a grand opening on

October 20, 2008

The new address for the agency is:

930 W Hillfield, Suite A

Layton, UT

Feel free to stop by and say Hi and check out the new space!!

If you can't make it in Oct. thats okay...We will also be holding a special open house for adoptive couples soon!

FSA Fireside

The Internet:

A New Era in AdoptionA Marvelous ToolWith the advent of the Internet, the world of adoption has been transformed. Computers and email reduce the time required to prepare and transfer documents. Birth parents seeking to place their child for adoption can go to dozens of Web sites to see profiles of parents wanting to adopt.

Day and night, the Internet hums with the activity of many people engaged in adopting. They meet online to ask questions, discuss issues and share their hopes and fears.

The Internet will not replace face-to-face meetings between birth mothers and adoptive parents, court dates to sign papers, nor travel to pick up your adopted child. Nor will it replace you adoption caseworker who counsels birth mothers, screens for potential fraud, prepares your home study, and provides post-placement visits.

However, the Internet is a tool that can help you to search for your child.The Internet has changed the way adoptions are done. More and more people are becoming reliant on the computer. Without the Internet, many families would not have found their children.

(quote courtesy of West Valley FSA Blog)

Adoption and the internet Davis County FSA Fireside

September 28, 2008

6:30 pm

The Fort Lane Chapel1402 N Fort Ln, Layton Utah

Come see the new "It's about Love" website and the new features available to FSA couples!!