Thursday, June 29, 2017

We Need Your Help With Research On Transracial Adoption & Bullying: Take The Survey Today!

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Hello Families!

We encourage you to take advantage of the below opportunity to participate in this Northeastern State University research study regarding transracial adoption and bullying.  Consider sharing it with your social networks. As we all know, research on adoption is beneficial to understanding and serving children and families better.

Thanks!

“Dear Parents and Students,

I am conducting a research study to better understand the scope and effects of bullying on children (ages ranging from 9 to 16 years old) adopted into transracial families.  As a social work faculty member at Northeastern State University, I am interested in understanding this topic so that we can develop effective supports and interventions for children/adoptees who experience school bullying based on racial or ethnic differences.  I am requesting your participation because it will help us to do this.

Your participation is voluntary and your responses are anonymous.  If you will take about 30-40 minutes to complete our online survey, you will make an important contribution to this project that may lead to creating effective help for trans-racial adoptees who are facing school bullying.

Click here for the survey link.

If you wish to discuss the information above or concern you may have with this project, please do not hesitate to contact me, Eun-Jun Bang, Ph.D., MSW, at (918) 449-6564.  For questions about your rights while participating in this study, you may contact the Institutional Review Board at Northeastern State University at (918) 456-5511 ext 2965. Thank you so much for your attention and time.”

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Join Us!!!!! Hopscotch Adoptions Family Reunion 2017

It’s time for… Hopscotch’s 2017 Family Reunion!



Hi, Everyone,

The 2017 Hopscotch Reunion is less than seven weeks away.  Now’s the time to register.  Your registration form is attached and due, along with the per person reunion fee, on June 25, 2017.

The fee will cover a pizza party and dessert on Friday night, a catered al fresco breakfast at the park on Saturday morning, the rental of a canopy tent/tables and chairs to keep us shaded and comfortable at the reunion hub, as well as arts/crafts/activities for the children.  Depending on the number of attendees and final costs, the fee may stretch to cover a Sunday morning breakfast as well.

Hopscotch has generously sponsored a catered dinner at the park for Saturday evening.

Additional activities, such as a visit to the water playground at the park, boat/bike rentals, and a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo or other local attractions will be paid by individual families as they go.  If there’s interest to form a group for a Sunday outing, please let me know and I will gladly assist with the planning.

If you are flying to Cincinnati to attend the reunion, your closest airport is CVG.  You can also fly into DAY, SDF or IND.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions,
Viviane

Viviane Martini, Family Coordinator and Advocate
Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc
Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Morocco, Serbia and Ukraine
Pre & Post-Adoption Services available to NY and NC residents
Ph: 336.899.0068

This year’s reunion will be hosted at Winton Woods, Cincinnati, Ohio!

A blog about camping at Winton Woods

2017 Family Reunion Registration Form – Register Now (Word Doc)

Sunday, June 11, 2017

3 Reasons Traditional Parenting Doesn’t Work with Kids from Trauma by Mike Berry

Source: http://www.rainbowkids.com

The following article was graciously shared, with permission, by Mike Berry from the blog Confessions of an Adoptive Parent

feat_smIf you’ve parented a child from a traumatic past for any length of time, you already know that traditional parenting techniques do not work. But, have you ever stopped to consider why, or what you could do differently?

Kristin and I both grew up in traditional households, with parents who used traditional techniques in raising us both. There were rules and restrictions, guidelines and boundaries. And if said rules, restrictions, guidelines and boundaries were crossed, BAM, consequences were enforced. No questions asked. From all accounts, these techniques worked. We both grew up to be responsible adults who knew the difference between right and wrong. But, we also never endured significant trauma as children.

Continue reading.

Friday, June 9, 2017

Post Adoption Depression: Causes and Prevention


$20.00 ********FREE TO HOPSCOTCH PLACING CLIENTS!!!!!
Post adoption depression and parent attachment disorder are surprisingly common and seldom talked about. After all, since you’ve tried so hard to become a parent, many adoptive parents are ashamed to admit that they are struggling.

REGISTER NOW

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Books on Toddler and Older Child Adoption for Adoptive Parents

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Source: https://creatingafamily.org


Toddler Adoption
Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best. Great information. The author was interviewed on the Creating a Family radio show.


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Adopting Older Children: A Practical Guide to Adopting and Parenting Children Over Age Four by Stephanie Bosco-Ruggiero, MA; Gloria Russo Wassell, MS, LMHC; and Victor Groza, PhD. – This is a wonderful resource full of practical and hopeful tips for parents who have adopted a child over age four from foster care or through international adoption. The adoption therapist authors do not gloss over potential problems, but they don’t exaggerate them either. Listen to our interview with them on the Creating a Family Radio Show- Parenting Older Adopted Kids: A Practical Guide.


Siblings in Adoption and Foster Care
Siblings in Adoption and Foster Care: Traumatic Separations and Honored Connections by Deborah N. Silverstein and Susan Livingston Smith – This book is a comprehensive resource on issues facing siblings during foster care or adoption – both biological and adopted.


Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child
Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child by Trish Maskew


Adopting the Older Child
Adopting the Older Child by Claudia L. Jewett- Written in 1979 but still relevant.


Adopting a Toddler: What Size Shoe Does She Wear?
Adopting a Toddler: What Size Shoes Does She Wear? by Denise Harris Hoppenhauer – Offers great insight and practical advice for those preparing to adopt a toddler.


Nurturing Adoptions
Nurturing Adoptions – Creating Resilience after Neglect and Trauma by Deborah Gray – Anything by Deborah Gray is great. On our show she said this book was primarily written for adoption professionals, but I think adoptive parents will find a lot of useful information as well.


The Connected Child
The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine


Parenting Your Adopted Older Child
Parenting Your Adopted Older Child By Brenda McCreight – Good overview!


Another Place at the Table
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison – I loved this book. It is the true life tale of one foster family and is very well written. I couldn’t put it down.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

5 Tips for Parenting Harder to Parent Adopted Kids

Source: https://creatingafamily.org
By Dawn Davenport

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Sometimes parenting feels like we are soaring. Everything is clicking—we get the kids out the door in the morning without a major tantrum and we’re no more than 10 minutes late, we are eating semi-nutritious meals most days, and the little darlings are in bed with a minimum of fuss and teeth more or less brushed most nights.

Then there are times when it feels like we are slugging it out in the trenches. Often it is one particular child that puts us there. Perhaps this child was adopted at an older age after experiencing trauma, or maybe she has brain damage  caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, or maybe this child’s temperament is a really poor match for yours. Whatever the reason, some kids are simply more challenging to parent.

When you are in the trenches it’s hard to see a way out. It’s at those times that you need some “quick” tips and tricks to help you cope. Read over these tips every week until you start to climb your way out of the parenting depths.

Read more.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017


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The Georgian Association in the United States
Requests the Pleasure of Your Company at Its Annual Reception
On Monday, June 12, 2017, at 5:30 – 7:30
At
Baker McKenzie
815 Connecticut Avenue, 20006
Washington, DC
Please RSVP to  georgianassociation@gmail.com
Georgian wines will be provided by Georgian Wine House

Friday, June 2, 2017

STONEWARE WITH THE CHARM OF THINGS IMPERFECT AND SIMPLE by Christian Royal

Source: https://www.christianroyalpottery.com

home_welcome_image_grandeTHE POTTERY – Christian Royal Pottery is high-fired stoneware that is handmade using slab-building techniques. The stoneware incorporates the natural splendor of leaves or the artistry of beautiful laces, which are shaped into flowing designs and functional forms. The making of stoneware involves numerous steps over several days. Each piece involves Christian and his assistants in a collaborative effort, following many sequential steps. While some of the pieces may be similar, none are identical due to the process. Handcrafting produces variations in size, shape, color saturation, depth of impression, and minor imperfections that give each piece part of its appeal. Thus, the studio adage: Stoneware With The Charm of Things Imperfect and Simple

THE POTTER – Christian Royal is a young man with Down syndrome who struggles with single words and has yet to grasp basic addition or time.  However, since his teen years, Christian has shown an interest in, and aptitude for, working with clay. Christian was unable to “do” school as other students did and began making pottery as part of his homeschooling program.  Since his first lesson with Kris Neal of Fire And Earth Pottery, pottery has increasingly become the  focus of his life.  Over the years, through many providential happenings, kind-hearted people have offered their expertise and help at just the right time for each step of what is now Christian Royal Pottery. Foremost are John and Jan Myers, professional potters, who inexplicably offered to teach Christian the methods and techniques they had developed over thirty years. They made this offer the first time we ever met them. A week later we had unpacked our bags in their home and were sitting in their studio as John began to instruct Christian.  John and Jan’s teaching of Christian enabled him to produce a style of pottery that captures simplicity and charm in its essence.

Continue reading.

Model With Down Syndrome Challenges Beauty Stereotypes: BORN DIFFERENT

Source: https://www.yahoo.com

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THE first model with Down Syndrome to front a beauty campaign is hoping to shake up the industry and prove that “beauty belongs to everybody.” Katie Meade is the first to admit that people with Down Syndrome, as well as other disabilities, are largely absent from the beauty and fashion industries – and she’s determined to change it. The 33-year-old made history last year when she became the first ever model with Down Syndrome to be the face of a beauty brand and her career – both as a model and as an ambassador for people with learning disabilities – continues to grow.

See video.