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TN Adoption Support and Preservation's monthly e-newsletter |
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Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) provides support for Tennessee's adoptive families. To make a referral, call toll-free 1-888-848-2727, or visit www.tnasap.org.
ASAP Regional Coordinator Contact Information
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Adoption Preparation Services for Tennessee's Resource Families
In 2008, ASAP's contract was extended to include the provision of adoption preparation services to DCS resource families. Eligible families may already have a child placed in their home for adoption, or they may be considering adoption but do not yet have a child in their home. Any resource parent who wants to learn more about parenting adopted children and nurturing healthy parent-child attachment will benefit from our pre-adopt services. ASAP has developed an innovative Adoption Preparation Training Curriculum to help families begin their adoption journey feeling well-prepared for their lifetime commitment. The curriculum is intended to help deepen parents' understanding of themselves, their expectations of adoption and motivations to adopt, and the needs of their adopted child. The curriculum is designed to give parents the tools build lasting bonds and provide nurturing, healing homes for children adopted through the Department of Children's Services.
ASAP offers its pre-adopt services both in-home and in a group format. The curriculum consists of 4-6 parent sessions, sometimes provided in a group setting, followed by 4-6 attachment-focused, child-specific sessions, always provided in-home. Covered topics include: expectations and motives, fears, understanding triggers for parents and children, attachment and attunement to the adopted child, understanding trauma and survival behaviors, attachment parenting, claiming and belonging, enhancing family communication skills, and increasing family fun and support.
For more information about ASAP's pre-adopt services, call our toll-free Help Line: 1-888-848-2727.
Kristi Kulesz, LMSW
ASAP East Co-Regional Coordinator
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Finding Our Children Unconditional Support (FOCUS)
Each month, ASAP's e-newsletter features children in full guardianship of the state of Tennessee, waiting for their forever families. There are hundreds of unclaimed children in Tennessee who currently have no family to call their own. Our calling is to find families willing to open their hearts and homes to these children. This month, we'd like to introduce you to Travis and Dominique.
What makes adopting in Tennessee unique? Our Adoption Support & Preservation program - ASAP - is a gift of comprehensive counseling and support services. We will walk with you through the challenges and joys adoption can bring. Will you be the promise of family for one of these children? Please visit www.parentachild.org to learn more about other waiting children in Tennessee.
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by Serena Pickle
NACAC Adoptalk
Winter, 2010
"By the time I was four, Scott and I had been through 14 placements. Some were with relatives, some with foster parents, and at times we lived in a Methodist children's home. Some placements lasted only a week. They tell me that my screaming and violent behavior, and the need to keep Scott and me together, caused a lot of the moves."
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"I'm Not Lazy": The Development of Initiative in Traumatized Adoptees
Part 1
Part 2
"'He is so lazy!' 'She has a whole room full of toys and she doesn't play with anything!' 'I have to tell him what to do all the time. Otherwise, he would just sit!' Such comments are common from parents who have adopted a child with a history of neglect, abuse and abandonment. Likely, the child isn't lazy; rather this adopted son or daughter has yet to develop initiative."
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ASAP Family Support Groups
Meeting in April, 2010
Knoxville: No meeting in April. Stay tuned for news of a
new location for our meeting in May!
Gray: April 15, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Crossroads Christian Church - 1300 Suncrest Drive, Gray, TN
Parents' group only. Light meal provided.
Cleveland: April 13, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church - 3405 Peerless Road NW, Cleveland, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
Hendersonville: April 8, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church - 1729 Stop 30 Road, Hendersonville, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
Brentwood: April 15, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Fellowship Bible Church - 1210 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
Lawrenceburg: April 13, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Lighthouse Baptist Church - 2350 Highway 43 South, Lawrenceburg, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
Memphis: April 13, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
White Station Church of Christ; 1106 Colonial Road, Memphis, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
Jackson: April 12, 2010, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Campbell Street Church of Christ; 1490 Campbell Street, Jackson, TN
Activities provided for all family members. Light meal provided.
For more information about ASAP Adoptive Family Support Groups in your area, contact:
East Region: Center for Adoption Research and Education: (888) 848-2727
Mid Region: Brenda McElyea, ASAP Family Advocate: (615) 352-3087
West Region: Anna Dempsey, ASAP Family Advocate: (901) 634-8199
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Kristi Kulesz, LMSW serves as Co-Regional Coordinator for ASAP's East region. Kristi received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Kristi's professional experience includes more than 10 years working with children who have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. Before joining the ASAP team, she worked with Columbus Home, Peninsula Lighthouse, and Foothills Care. Kristi enjoys music, reading, traveling, and spending time with her young son. She and her family live in North Knoxville.
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What is ASAP?
ASAP is designed to create and maintain a seamless state-wide system of pre- and post-adoption services in Tennessee. ASAP is an innovative program that supports children and families as they create and maintain connections and access services that support permanency. ASAP is working to develop the capacity of communities across Tennessee to better nurture their adoptive families.
ASAP seeks to increase the availability and accessibility of adoption support services in Tennessee, and to decrease the incidence of disrupted or dissolved adoptions. Motivated by the needs of families and children in all stages of the adoptive process, ASAP offers a comprehensive and coordinated continuum of services.
ASAP is a collaborative project of Harmony Adoptions of East Tennessee, Catholic Charities of Middle Tennessee, and AGAPE Child and Family Services of West Tennessee. ASAP is partnered with DCS for the cooperative implementation and further development of our program.
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