How ARW Saved My Day

Thank you to mom, Niki M., for sharing this post with us!

My husband and I were about to become forever parents to our two foster kids!  We were thrilled. There was so much excitement in our house as we counted down to adoption day. Our children attended a pre-school and we realized that other children may question why their last names changed. I needed a way to introduce adoption to three-year-olds in a way they would understand. I decided I would visit Barnes and Noble.

At the time, there were so many things on my plate, that I didn’t get to the book store until the week before adoption. Surely, I thought, that would not be an issue. Barnes & Noble is so large; I never doubted that they would have an appropriate book in stock. After visiting three different locations that day, along with one stop at Half Price Books, I came up empty handed. All of the children’s adoption books were about adopting an infant! This would not help my son and daughter’s classmates understand our situation. And now I no longer had time to order a book online. What could I do?

Then I thought about Adoption Resources of Wisconsin. I learned about the organization when they visited our final adoption class. The office was also conveniently located close to my home. I knew they had a library where you could reserve books online and have them sent to you. I called to see if I would be able to stop in the office and view the library myself, since the adoption was only days away. While I was there, I was blown away by the various books they offered! I was able to find the perfect book for my kids: Susan and Gordon Adopt a Baby (a Sesame Street book). Although the word “baby” is in the title, the child in the book is not an infant. He is a toddler and he comes to Sesame Street to live with Susan and Gordon forever.

The day after adoption day, my children brought cookies to their class, along with the book. The other kids learned what adoption was in simple terms from the Sesame Street characters and were able to celebrate our family’s wonderful day.

Adoption Resources of Wisconsin has many adoption resources. Whether you are adopting through foster care, adopting domestically, traveling internationally to adopt a baby, etc., Adoption Resources of Wisconsin has great information ready for you. You do not have to visit their office. They have tip sheets and documents on their website. You can also view their library online and they will mail materials directly to you! If you prefer to talk to someone, give them a call and they will happily take the time to listen to you and help find answers to any of your questions. Thank you, Adoption Resources of Wisconsin!

We’re happy we were able to help Niki and her family celebrate their very special day! They have remained connected to ARW since they finalized the adoptions of their children. Our thanks to Niki for sharing her story – and for giving such a lovely testimonial about our programs, services, and resources for families.

6 Stories from our In-box

We’re still digging out from under Winter Storm Rocky here in Southeastern Wisconsin – only this digging out isn’t snow; it’s email! Our offices were closed yesterday and my in-box was overflowing this morning with a plethora of resources, links, posts, and news items. Here’s the scoop:

• I have two offerings from Addison Cooper at Adoption at the Movies. The first is a review of the children’s book, The Red Thread, An Adoption Fairy Tale.
• The second is about the movie Monsters, Inc. Addison always does such a great job with his posts. Strong points, week points, and questions for discussion. Certainly worth reading and following. 
• Next, a couple of posts from Adoption Magazine. First, a great list of books for those who are or have adopted an older child. (Many of the books lists are available in our lending library, as well.)
• The second post is a list of seven Awesome Adoption links – good reads, all.
• There’s an article in the latest News from NACAC e-mail about eating issues that children and youth who have been adopted or are in foster care can face. You can read it here – Healing from Food Insecurity: Beyond the Stash.
• Finally, a very nice video by Betsy DuKatz on the Kid Hero blog about why she became a foster parent.

That should get you all caught up for now – have you come across some good reads lately? Share what you’ve posted or read in our comments!

New Library Materials Now Available!

We’ve just added some new items to our lending library! Here’s what is now available for checkout:

1. Help for Billy: A Beyond Consequences Approaching to Helping Challenging Children in the Classroom by Heather Forbes brings a compassionate voice to the thousands of children who attend every school in America who have been impacted by trauma, and the significant disadvantage that stress has on brain development. Heather clearly lays out the brain research and shows that we are trying to force square pegs into round holes.
2. Chaos to Healing. While many resources provide excellent theory on therapeutic parenting, many people still find themselves floundering day-to-day as they interact with their hurting children. Billy Kaplan, a Clinical Social Worker, and Christine Moers, a therapeutic parent, sat down one day to talk about some very practical ways to implement therapeutic parenting every day. They recorded that conversation, and invite you to listen in. (DVD)
3. In On It: What Adoptive Parents Would Like You To Know About Adoption. One adoption social worker called In On It “the adoption book for everyone else:” the grandparents and friends, neighbors and colleagues, aunts and uncles, teachers and caregivers of adoptive families. In On It contains helpful advice and instructive anecdotes from adoptive parents, adult adoptees, adoption professionals, and the friends and relatives of already established adoptive families. The author, an adoptive parent herself, has written an informative, friendly and very useful adoption guide that informs and enlightens readers even as it offers them a warm welcome into adoption.
4. Based on the hugely popular blog of the same name, Born This Way shares 100 different memories of growing up LGBTQ. Childhood photographs are accompanied by sweet, funny, and at times heartbreaking personal stories. Collected from around the world and dating from the 1940’s to today, these memories speak to the hardships of an unaccepting world and the triumph of pride, self-love, and self-acceptance.
5. I’m Adopted, I’m Special. Beth Ann is five years old and she is adopted. But what does being adopted really mean? Join Beth Ann as her colorful dream leads her to a better understanding of what adoption means in one simple message. (Children’s book)
6. Somewhere Between. In profiling Chinese adoptees in contemporary America, this deeply moving documentary from Linda Goldstein Knowlton (The World According to Sesame Street) illustrates that even the most specific of experiences can be universally relatable. Of the roughly 80,000 girls who have been adopted from China since 1989 a decade after China implemented its One Child Policy the film intimately follows four teenagers: Haley, Jenna, Ann and Fang. These four wise-beyond-their-years yet typical American teens reveal a heartbreaking sense of self-awareness as they attempt to answer the uniquely human question, “Who am I?” They meet and bond with other adoptees, some journey back to China to reconnect with the culture, and some reach out to the orphaned girls left behind. In their own ways, all attempt to make sense of their complex identities. Issues of belonging, race and gender are brought to life through these articulate subjects, who approach life with honesty and open hearts. (DVD)