What's Happening at AAI

AAI children who are now adults: We would love to hear your story and share it with our newsletter list. Please email us if you are interested! We can also set up an interview if you prefer.

VOLUNTEER FOR AAI

Interested in volunteer opportunities at AAI? Contact us to learn more!

We'd love to grow our team! Having a family that spans the nation is a huge asset and we'd love to find a way to have you support our efforts.

We are seeking:

* board members

* marketing professionals

* blog contributors

* help with volunteer program

APRIL 2013

Dear Friends,

Spring is upon us and we have a packed newsletter for you!

We'd like to introduce you to some beautiful waiting children, share Ethiopia volunteer trip news, a heartwarming homecoming, a Ghana volunteer trip update, respite need, an Independence Day invitation, a compelling AAI Adoptee story, a webinar featuring our own Marquita Thompson, a webinar on transracial adoption, and information on an adoption documentary coming to a theater near you!

FEATURED WAITING CHILDREN

This brother and sister pair are about 12 and 16 years old. The brother is HIV+, but otherwise both are healthy and developmentally on track. Both enjoy dance and spending time with their friends. We are hoping to find a family for these two before the sister is too old to be placed for adoption.

For more information, please contact Marquita.

FEATURED WAITING CHILD

This little girl was born in January 2011 to a very young mother. Her left leg was amputated just above the knee due to a severe infection that threatened her life. She is developmentally behind for her age and cannot sit up on her own. Due to her leg amputation, she has balance problems. However, it seems there is more to it than just the amputation; it is quite certain she has some form of cerebral palsy.

For more information, please contact Gay. Remember to take a look at our online Waiting Children page to see many other children currently waiting for their forever families!

WE VISIT ETHIOPIAN PARTNER ORPHANAGES

Kids VERY interested in the camera!

The recent volunteer trip to Ethiopia, led by board chair Chris Little and Susan Poisson-Dollar, was an opportunity to connect with our partner orphanages in Addis Ababa and to meet staff and the children they care for.

Our group was made up of volunteers, AAI parents, adoptees, grandparents, siblings, and staff. We had the pleasure of holding and playing with babies and children and getting a chance to add a splash of color to the childrens' room with a fresh coat of paint.

Continue Reading...

Another volunteer trip is already being planned for this fall. We'll announce the date and details soon. Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we post announcements and news about our work and opportunities. Your questions and comments are always welcome as well!

AMAZING ETHIOPIAN HOMECOMING

Mitiku Little

With the Ethiopian program in its 16th year there are plenty of stories to go around, and this one shared by Chris and Bob Little about their son Mitiku is a good one!

The Littles returned to Ethiopia a few years ago. Bob and Mitiku thought they would try to find Mitiku's family - which was akin to finding a needle in a haystack!

Against the odds, they were able to connect with family and capture this amazing homecoming for their son:

Mitiku's village celebrating his return.

FAMILIES NEEDED FOR ETHIOPIA PROGRAM

This is an exciting time for the Ethiopia program! This program is currently open for new applications for children of all ages and abilities. This program has seen new growth over the last few months and our waiting list is dwindling fast. If you or someone you know is considering adoption from Ethiopia, now is the time to apply.

To submit your application, visit our website and click on the Get Started button. For current waiting families who are working on homestudies or dossiers, we'd like to encourage you to move ahead because we'll probably be calling soon with a referral!

Thank you all to the wonderful families who have recently said yes to referrals and to those of you who are in the process. You are why we do this work!

ASHLEY'S STORY: MY LIFE, MY CHOICE

Ashley was adopted through AAI's Washington State Foster Adopt program in 2000. The following essay was written in her senior year of high school. She is now a successful college student who is giving back some of the love bestowed upon her by her adoptive family. This is a story of transformation that Ashley hopes will give courage, support, and hope to others.

My Life, My Choice: How I Succeed Where Others Fail Despite My Circumstances - By Ashley Royer

Ashley at age 9.

My life as a small child was filled with life experiences no one should have to go through, especially a little child. I was deliberately and repeatedly abused and abandoned. I have been sexually abused, deliberately burned, stripped naked and beaten, had needles stuck into me like a pin cushion just for the kicks of the drug addicted friends of my mother. At age five, I was placed in the foster care system. By nine years old I had gone from foster family to foster family and had attended so many schools I lost count. No one wanted me.

Continue Reading...

GHANA - AIRPORT DELAYS - BUT MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Asikuma students

Tina Flores-McCleese left Ethiopia for Ghana with another volunteer trip. Jake Sullivan, AAI adoptive parent and frequent Ghana visitor, provided a welcomed shortcut to most travelers' difficulties - Thank You Team Sullivan! It was so lovely to spend time with everyone. Even though the group experienced some delays, we all agreed the trip was well worth it!

The group of twelve visited rural villages Asikuma and Kwahu, as well as the metro area of Accra.

Continue Reading...

FAMILY SEEKING RESPITE CARE

We are looking for occasional respite for a family in the Boulder/Denver, Colorado area for an eight year old boy. He was adopted from Ethiopia in the last year and is the only child in the family. The family would like to meet others in the area with children around the same age or gender for support and occasional respite. This young man likes soccer and does well when staying with others.

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Marquita and she will connect you with the family.

SAVE THE DATE

AAI's Annual Summer Gathering is coming up! Held at beautiful Confluence State Park in Wenatchee, WA, scheduled activities are set to kick off Friday, July 5 through Sunday July 7, but feel free to join organizer Chris Little as early as July 2. The Littles would love to see some early birds! Wenatchee's Fourth of July fireworks show can be watched right from the campground. We'll be having a barbecue Saturday and rafting on Wednesday - we can't wait to see you!

The registration form is available for download on our website.

RESOURCES4ADOPTION WEBINAR

Waiting Children

with Special Guest Marquita Thompson

AAI's own Ethiopia/Ghana Coordinator Marquita Thompson will be starring in Resources4Adoption's next live webinar! The program will focus on waiting children.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 11:00AM (Central Time). Read below to learn more. Space is limited to 100 participants, so be sure to reserve your spot today!

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Join us for this webinar with special guest Marquita Thompson from Adoption Advocates International. We will focus on particular waiting children, and on waiting children programs from Adoption Advocates International, a Hague-accredited international and domestic adoption agency.

Be sure to register and have your questions answered by Marquita Thompson and Cherri Walrod! Space is limited to 100 participants.

ADOPTIVE FAMILIES WEBINAR

Expert Q&A: Parenting in Transracial Adoption

with Deborah H. Johnson

Adoptive Families is an award-winning national magazine and an excellent informational resource for families before, during, and after adoption. AF will be presenting a free webinar that focuses on concerns and issues that can arise in transracial families.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 1:00PM (Eastern Time). Read below to learn more and reserve your spot today!

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When you adopt across racial lines, whether domestically or internationally, it takes more than just love and good intentions to raise a child with a positive sense of racial identity. Parents who adopt a child of a different race may wonder what life will be like as a conspicuous family, how to teach their child about his birth culture, how to find role models of their child's race, what resources exist for multiracial families, how to deal with and prepare their child for racism, and more.

Join transracial adoption expert Deborah H. Johnson to ask any questions you have. You can also submit your questions in advance.

STUCK: A LOVE STORY

STUCK is a documentary that follows the journeys of families and children navigating the international adoption system. Winner of the Audience Choice Award for a Documentary at the Heartland Film Festival, STUCK is currently on tour, visiting 60 cities in 80 days. Each premiere will be an all-day event, with luncheons, media appearances, and discussions for change, culminating with an evening showing of the film.

Check out the tour page to see when STUCK will be coming to a city near you. Visit the film's official website to view the trailer and buy your tickets today!