Embracing improvement 

and changes.

Warm regards,

Marketing Update      

Ten stats to love

about OA&FS marketing.

• We're averaging 27 expectant parent calls per month in this fiscal year. That's 30% above our five-year average!
• Top two (by far) ways that expectant parents are finding OA&FS are via our website and outreach, (mailings and staff presentations to service providers).  Respectively, they bring in 45% and 33% of our calls.
• 18% of our expectant parent calls in this fiscal year have been from outside of Oregon and Washington.
• We passed 5,000 Facebook likes!  See how high we've come now. 
• The vast majority of our Facebook likes are via mobile - 80% in the past 30 days.
• Website page views of the waiting family section have increased 36% compared to this same time last year since we started promoting Facebook posts of our families in November.
• Our videos have been viewed more than 29,000 times since we started promoting them with YouTube advertising that began in November. See them for yourself. 
• On average, viewers watch 43% of the video.
• The top ten cities from which our website page views come from are, (in order): Portland, Seattle, Salem, New York, Beaverton, (not indicated), Eugene, Olympia, San Francisco and Chicago.
• Speaking of websites, as Shari mentioned we're launching a newly revamped version of www.openadopt.org in February. Okay, this isn't technically a stat but we're so excited and can't wait to tell you -- and show you -- all about it in the March Bulletin!!!

 Outreach News

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 January 10, Eugene Counselor Jan Jamieson presented information about open adoption to 20 students in a health class at Lebanon High School.  Several students in the class had been personally touched by adoption.  Their experiences and stories, along with additional comments from their classmates, contributed to a rich discussion.  
• On January 10, Southern Oregon Counselor Megan Prince spoke about OA&FS, open adoption, and all options counseling to 15 clinic nurses and maternal case managers  at La Clinica in Medford, OR. The presentation included a training regarding how to support expectant parents and strategies for broaching the topic of adoption. The staff was eager to learn new skills and provide support and information to expectant women and families seeking options counseling.

• On January 10, Executive Director Shari Levine met with 15 Child Protective Services (CPS) Hotline workers in Portland, OR. When child abuse or neglect is suspected, mandatory reporters call the CPS hotline to initiate a report. This process interfaces with the work OA&FS counselors do when a high risk mom gives birth and the hospital social worker calls CPS. OA&FS staff have trained DHS workers, CPS workers and social workers throughout Oregon about the agency's alternative open adoption track for high risk moms. Shari wanted these hotline workers to receive this information as well. They were very receptive and happy to hear there is a new option for these moms. 

• On January 16, Seattle Counselor Courtney Gray spoke to 23 students who act as Peer Mentors for other students at The Northwest School in Seattle, WA. The students watched a video to learn about the open adoption experience and process prior to Courtney's arrival. They were then ready to engage in the presentation! The Peer Mentors asked wonderful questions, participated in thought-provoking discussion, and participated in role plays to practice their skills in speaking with students about pregnancy options including adoption.

• On January 17, Portland Counselor Katie Niemeyer met with ten nurses and clinic staff at Every Woman's Health in Portland, OR. Katie discussed the agency's free, non-biased options counseling as well as the open adoption process. Everyone was grateful to receive more of OA&FS' information and materials. We look forward to continuing to build this connection to better serve the community of pregnant women and couples considering their pregnancy options.
• On January 18, Eugene Counselor Irie Hoffman provided information on options counseling and the services OA&FS provides to ten Planned Parenthood employees in Bend, OR. The participants appreciated the information they learned about adoption in general and the tips on how to speak with their clients who are facing untimely pregnancies. They also really appreciated the agency's brochures because they hand them out so often!

• On January 18, Eastern Oregon counselor Angie Lunde traveled to Hermiston, OR to present information to three home visitors for Umatilla County Healthy Start and nine family advocates and managers from Head Start in Umatilla County.  The information about open adoption in general and our services specifically was new for them.  Angie was able to pull from her experience  to talk about possible situations families find themselves and why they have chosen adoption as an alternative to parenting their child. Many stereotypes were dispelled and approaches to discussing the option of adoption were also covered during this one hour presentation. 

• On January 19, Eugene Counselor Irie Hoffman presented general information about OA&FS and our collaborative relationship with Department of Health Services (DHS) in particular, to a group of ten Child Protective Service Supervisors and Case Mangers at the DHS office in Madras, OR. Irie received an extremely warm and appreciative reception and all employees remarked that they were excited to know about a new option for their clients. The supervisor also asked Irie to come back and speak at a manager's meeting later this year in an effort for more departments to learn about OA&FS' services. 

• On January 30, Executive Director Shari Levine presented to 17 attorneys at Youth, Rights and Justice. They often represent birthparents when their parental rights are being terminated in court by DHS. They were eager to receive information on our alternative open adoption track that birthparents can now access proactively before their parental rights are terminated. 

Gatherings 

Attending gatherings is an important way to be better equipped and prepared for adoption.  Plus you get the benefits of developing friendships within the OA&FS community!  We look forward to seeing you.

Seattle 

Date:  Tuesday, February 5, 2013, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Topic: Hold on to Your Kids - and Their Birthparents

Where:  2100 Building, 2100 24th Ave S.  

Please RSVP to kstallman@openadopt.org

Portland

Date: Thursday, February 7, 2013 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Topic: Attachment in Adoption. We're honored to have Melissa Smith-Hohnstein join us to talk about building healthy attachment with your child, whether you adopt when your child is a newborn or two years old.

Where: Portland OA&FS office, 5200 SW Macadam Ave., #250

Please RSVP to lori@openadopt.org by Wednesday, February 5.

It will be a snack and drink potluck, so bring something to share if you'd like.

Eugene

Date: February 13, 2013, 7-9 p.m.

Topic: Adult Adoptee Panel: Reflections on Their Open Adoptions

Where: Eugene OA&FS office, 315 W. 10th Avenue, Eugene

Please RSVP to  lori@openadopt.org

Eugene Birthparent Event

Date: February 20, 5 p.m.

Topic: Birthparent Gathering

Where: Cozmic Pizza

All birthparents and their children are welcome to attend. Pizza and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Please RSVP to the Eugene OA&FS office, 541-484-2302.

Community Gatherings

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

Portland

Prospective adoptive parents Deb & Corey Omey have started a potluck dinner group for OA&FS waiting families in the Portland area to meet and socialize! This will be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month unless noted otherwise.

When:  Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30 pm
Where:  2105 N Webster Street, Portland

Announcements

Welcome to the Pool: 

Congratulations:  

Adoption planning with expectant parents, Colin and Sam and adoptive parents, Mike Garlick and Shawna Walls kicked off with a magnetic moment as they each unraveled their layers to reveal their T-shirts - all from the same website. They bonded over a plethora of mutual interests inluding fantasy and sci-fi, video games, technology, computers and TV shows. Terran Dale Raynor Garlick was born over a week late on January 27, 2013. He gave everyone a quick scare, needing to be delivered via C-section, but arrived a beautiful, BIG, healthy baby boy. The hospital kindly gave birth parents and adoptive parents rooms right next to each other.  Sam breastfed and they mutually cared for Terran over the next two days as they shared jokes and played computer games. Terran is a lucky guy, surrounding by infinite love! They are all looking forward to dinner at Mike and Shawna's house in the next two weeks and countless memories in the future. 

Adoption Related Events                      

New Webinar!

Building Bonds of Attachment: Practical, Expert Advice   

Tuesday,  March 12, 2013  

7:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.  Central Time

Q&A: 8:00 p.m.    

Secure parent-child attachments are essential for children. Often, adoption can pose challenges to the attachment process. Circumstances prior to adoption, either in utero, in an orphanage or in foster care, can create serious barriers to attachment.

Join us for a webinar with Deborah Gray, an adoption therapist specializing in attachment, grief and trauma issues in children.  Deborah will provide practical steps that move parents toward secure attachments with their child.