It's back-to-school all year at OA&FS!

With the crisp air of September comes the excitement of back to school. Though at OA&FS, training and education continues year-round. OA&FS counselors are experts in the arena of all-options pregnancy counseling and open adoption. Their vantage point from the front lines of reproductive choice gives them valuable insight that public health employees, doctors, school counselors, hospital social service workers and other health professionals who deal with pregnancy are eager to access. 

Most recently, Counselor Jess Gibson trained 70 Multnomah County nurses  on pregnancy options counseling in partnership with Planned Parenthood.  And we're pleased that Caylx Doulas is recruiting their first cohort of doulas for a new program to work with women who are making an adoption plan.

Since these professionals may have just minutes to cover pregnancy options with their clients, they appreciate the talking points, print and online materials our agency provides.  When they refer clients to OA&FS for comprehensive counseling not only are they placing their clients in capable hands, they also save precious time in their often overloaded schedules.  We salute the 1,500+ outreach providers we've met in this last year.  And we're energized to meet, and educate, many more!

Announcements

July (We apologize that not all families were announced last month)

• Jeffrey Crouse and Jason Plowman of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
• Josef Dalaeli and James McHendry of Seattle, WA
• Amy Besola of Auburn, WA
• Taya and Porter Hall of Bainbridge Island, WA
• Jaime and Paul Gerber of Bellevue, WA
• Jenni McCain and Dan Gardner of Poulsbo, WA

August

• Ethan and Melanie Doak of Beaverton, OR
• Dennis Corsaro and Todd King of Seattle, WA
• Jocelyn and Kevin Ceder of Seattle, WA
• Jonathan Clements and Mark Mains of Florence, Kentucky
• Yoshi Kumara and Peregrin Sorter of Tacoma, WA
• Alarik and Jeff Fryling of Sammamish, WA
• Todd Jollo and Tessa Osborne of Portland, OR
• Sarah Luthens and Heather Gingerich of Seattle, WA
• Angie and Marc Carkeek of Seattle, WA

OA&FS News & Resources   

Coalition works to make adoption tax credit permanent, refundable.  

Scores of adoption and child welfare organizations, including the Adoption Institute, have formed a coalition to preserve the federal adoption tax credit. To support this effort, call your U.S. House members and urge them to co-sponsor the Making Adoption Affordable Act (HR4373). The bill would increase the tax credit to $13,170 and make it permanent and refundable, beginning in tax year 2012. Otherwise, the current $12,650 credit will not be refundable for 2012 and will expire at year-end; in 2013, only those adopting children with special needs would be eligible for $6,000 in qualifying expenses. There is currently no companion bill in the Senate. Find your representative's name, enter your zip code, then call 202-225-3121 and ask for his/her office. Tell the human services/child welfare staffer that you are a constituent (provide your mailing address if leaving a message) and encourage your congressperson to co-sponsor HR4373. Read the bill and see its status, (search by bill number). Learn more about the credit and the coalition. "Like" Save the Adoption Tax Credit.

 

Eugene picnic was a blast!

On August 11th, Open Adoption families gathered in Eugene at Bethel Community Park to connect, and reconnect, with our open adoption community. We enjoyed good weather, great company and yummy food as we visited, shared stories and caught up with one another. Thank you to all who attended and helped to create another wonderful OA&FS Picnic!  Check out more  Eugene 2012 Picnic pictures!

Official Adoptive Parent Gatherings will begin in October, but meanwhile, don't miss the Portland picnic fun.     

Portland Summer Picnic

Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 15 from noon-2 pm 

Location: Creston Park, Site D, SE 44th Ave. and Powell  

(Parking on 43rd)  

RSVP to info@openadopt.org  by Monday, Sept., 10  

Community Gatherings    

Check out the following community events and resources organized by other OA&FS adoptive parents in your area:

Salem

An adoption support group meets the third Tuesday of every month from 6:30 -7:30 at Pringle Hall in Salem.  For information contact Christie Van Winkle at  justaminion@gmail.com. 

Eugene

Karen Luks, adoptive mother, welcomes OA&FS families to join the Eugene-Springfield area Yahoo! Group, by sending an email to  EugeneOAFS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Seattle

Transracial Family Group  

For more information, or to be added to the group's email list, contact adoptive parents Terri and Mary-Pat at terriandmarypat@comcast.net. 

Gay and Lesbian Family Group

The Gay and Lesbian Family Group meets every other month on the second Sunday. To join this group, please email adoptive father Bill Soderberg at bjsoderberg@comcast.net.

Christa Richardson, adoptive mother, hosts a Yahoo! Group to arrange potlucks in Olympia. Join by sending an email to:

olyoafs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Kitsap Penninsula

Traia Wensel, adoptive mother, invites open adoption families in the Kitsap Penninsula area to join a Yahoo! Group for arranging get togethers and play groups. To join, email:

kitsap_oafs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Adoption Related Events 

Adoption Mosaic LBGTQ Monthly Support Group  

Common questions that prospective adoptive parents ask at different points in the process of adopting, with a focus on LBGTQ interests and challenges. 

- Thursday September 20, 6-8:00 pm    

Adoption Mosaic Adopted Youth Activity Group 

To educate others about open adoption and services available at our agency, OA&FS staff conduct outreach presentations and free trainings throughout the region year-round. In doing this, they form important relationships that benefit all who receive services from OA&FS.  

• On August 1, Seattle Counselor Courtney Gray provided a training for six professionals at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest (PPGNW), in Seattle. Participants gained updated information regarding open adoption and the services of OA&FS, asked wonderful questions, and learned new skills for providing options counseling. Attendees were very appreciative and active participants in role plays to practice their new skills as well.
• On August 2, Executive Director Shari Levine presented to a staff of 20 caseworkers at the Department of Human Services (DHS) in St. Helens, Ore. They were delighted to hear about our collaborative relationship with DHS, in which high risk moms can proactively place their children in an open adoption before their parental rights are terminated. The DHS caseworkers were pleased to learn about this alternate track.
• On August 16, Portland Counselor Katie Niemeyer met with ten physicians and nurse practitioners at Women Healthcare Associates in Oregon City, Ore. Katie discussed OA&FS' free, 24-hour, all options counseling services available for pregnant women and couples, and assured the providers that OA&FS counselors are able to meet with their patients at any time and any location. They were grateful to be able to provide us as a resource and to learn about the open adoption process.
• On August 16, Eugene Counselor Jan Jamieson spoke to eight staff members from Looking Glass New Roads, an advocacy program for homeless youth, to discuss OA&FS and its services.  Many thoughtful questions were asked and discussed and the open exchange was greatly appreciated by all in attendance. 
• On August 17 and August 21, Portland Counselor Jessica Gibson facilitated a training for seventy-five Multnomah County Community Health Nurses. The training was a collaborative effort between OA&FS, Planned Parenthood, and Multnomah County. The nurses especially appreciated refreshing their pregnancy options counseling skills, updating their clinical knowledge of abortion and contraception, and learning about open adoption (many for the first time!).
• On August 24, Eugene Counselor Jan Jamieson presented information about Open Adoption & Family Services to the Eugene Greeters, a branch of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce.  80 "Greeters" gathered at their weekly meeting to enjoy breakfast and to learn more about our program and our impact on individuals, families and the community.  Thank you to Eugene staff member Robin Francisco's husband Vaden Francisco for extending the invitation to OA&FS!