Zero Kids Waiting Newsletter - October 2015 - MN ADOPT · also have a resource table to answer ......

IN THIS ISSUE...

Meet Carissa

MN ADOPT Honored As Angel in

Adop�on

Foster Care Numbers Increasing

Foster Care Success Story

MN ADOPT Trainings

Visitusatwww.mnadopt.org

CreatingPermanency,EmpoweringFamilies

ZeroKidsWaitingNewsletter,October2015

FEATUREDWAITINGCHILD

Carissa,16,BrightandFun-Loving

Zero Kids Waiting Newsletter - October 2015

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WhoisCarissa?Carissa is a bright and fun-loving 16-year-old girl. She has a beau�ful, so(-spoken voice

which accentuates a childlike sweetness in her personality. Carissa is crea�ve, cha+y,

insigh,ul, and she likes to catch you off guard with a hilarious and outlandish comment -

thrown out with a twinkle in her eye. She has a special love for poetry and has wri+en

some of her own dis�nc�ve poems. She appreciates the chance to try new things - at

least once! Her Na�ve American culture is important to her and she values her family. She

has several sisters, and is tender, protec�ve, and nurturing with them

AFamilyforCarissaA family for Carissa will need to be willing to learn how to provide a nurturing, open

environment for her to explore becoming an adult, while s�ll allowing her to be young.

Carissa grieves the loss of her childhood, and in a low moment will talk about how life has

le( her feeling old. In the past year she has thrived in an environment that offers her

structure and consistency, while s�ll giving her opportuni�es for new experiences that

feed her sensi�ve and high-spirited nature. There are two things that will never change


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for Carissa and that any family will need to be willing to support: 1) Carissa's involvement

in her Na�ve American community and culture; and 2) Her devo�on to her biological

family.

FormoreinformationaboutCarissa,pleasecontact:

Gail Swenson

Permanency Specialist

Ampersand Families

Phone: 612.605.1904 ext.6

[email protected]

MNADOPTNEWS

18thAnnualCircusoftheHeartwillbeheldNovember1

This year's Circus of the Heart will be

held on Sunday, November 1 at the Prom

Center in Oakdale from 1:00pm -

4:00pm. We have a fun a(ernoon

planned with great prizes, games, cra(s,

and ac�vi�es for kids of all ages. We will

also have a resource table to answer

ques�ons about adop�on and provide

informa�on about post adop�on support

services. This is a great opportunity for

those interested in learning more, as

well as those who have adopted.

We also plan to honor Joe Kroll and

Cathy Bruer-Thompson, two individuals

who are well known within the adop�on

community and who have made

significant contribu�on to the lives of

Minnesota children and families.

MNADOPTtobeHonoredasan"AngelinAdoption"

MN ADOPT has been selected as a recipient of

this years "Angels in Adop�on" award, an


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honor given to individuals,families and

organiza�ons that have made a significant

contribu�ons on behalf of children needing

families. This award is given by the Congressional

Coali�on on Adop�on Ins�tute and MN ADOPT

was fortunate to be nominated by both Senator

Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Tom Emmer.

We are thrilled and humbled to receive this

recogni�on! Director Rachel Walstad and HELP

Program Manager Emily Alewine will be

traveling to Washington DC from October

4th-8th to receive our award, meet with local and na�onal leaders regarding child

welfare issues, and network with others who share a common goal of finding homes for

children and suppor�ng families. See the link below to learn more about this award and

past receipients.

Learn more about Angels In Adop�on

NEWSANDINFORMATION

DonaldInstitutetoComplete

StudyonOptionsCounseling

The Donaldson Adop�on Ins�tute is

collabora�ng with the University of Texas,

Arlington on a new study to explore and

create recommenda�ons on best prac�ces

for op�ons counseling when working with

expectant parents considering an adop�on

placement for their child. This is an

important study that will hopefully create

strong recommenda�ons and standards that

consider non-coercive counseling for women

and couples that focuses on family

preserva�on the first choice.

Read More

NumberofKidinFosterCare

Increasing

The latest report from AFCARS (Adop�on and

Foster Care Analysis and Repor�ng System)

show that the past year saw a notable

increase in the number of children in the

United States in Foster Care. This annual

report from the Department of Health and

Human Services shows that as of September

30, 2014 there were 414,219 US children in

foster care. This change marks a shi( in

trend, as the foster care numbers had been

decreasing in recent years.

Learn More

MinnesotaTransracialFilm

Festival

GOAReportonRe-Homing


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AdoptSource will be hos�ng the 6th Annual

Minnesota Transracial Film Fes�val on

October 10 at the Parkway Theater in

Minneapolis. There will be films,

opportunity for conversa�on and ques�ons,

as well as food and an opportunity to mingle

with filmmakers.

Learn more and sign up

The Government Office of Accountability has

completed a report on the prevalence and

reasons for re-homing, or "unregulated child

custody transfers". The results are not

surprising and very much in line with what

we at MN ADOPT have seen-that families,

especially those who adopt interna�onally,

need far be+er pre-adop�on prepara�on as

well as post-adopton support. The hope is

that posi�ve change will come from these

findings. The links below provide more detail

about this report.

Summary Ar�cle

Report Highlights

Full Report

STORIESANDEXPERIENCES

MinnesotaWoman'sInspirationalStory

Esther Mulder spent a large por�on of her youth in

the Minnesota Foster Care system. She transi�oned in

and out of mul�ple homes and care facili�es and

faced some pre+y steep odds. But through these

experiences, and with the support of some key

people, she was able to focus on her future and went

on to successfully complete her undergraduate degree

and earn a post graduate degree in law from Harvard.

Her success story is truly an inspira�on!

Read Esther's Story

GETINVOLVED

GivetotheMaxDayisNovember12,2015

November 12 is the day Minnesotans

will come together to support the

causes that are important for our


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state and our communi�es. This is a

great opportunity to think about

what you can do to help support MN

ADOPT's mission to promote and

support successful adop�ons for

Minnesota children and families. By

choosing MN ADOPT as one of the

organiza�ons you support on Give to the Max Day, no ma+er the size of your dona�on, you can

directly have a posi�ve impact on outcomes for Minnesota children. Please bookmark the link

below to learn how your monetary dona�on can help.

MN ADOPT's GiveMN Page

EDUCATIONALOPPORTUNITIES

Below are current educa�onal opportuni�es being offered by MN ADOPT through

October. To learn more about more MN ADOPT trainings or to register for a training,

please visit the training page of our web site.

WORKSHOPSERIES:ReactiveAttachmentDisorder:HowtoThrive&

SurviveBeyondtheDiagnosis(RADLABS)PresentedbyDeenaMcMahon,MSW,LICSW&KristaNelson,LICSW,LMFT

5 Session Series - Wilder Founda�on, St. Paul

Monday, September 21, 6:30pm-8:30pm; Monday, September 28, 6:30pm-8:30pm; Monday,

October 12, 6:30pm-8:30pm; Monday, October 19, 6:30pm-8:30pm; Monday, October 26,

6:30pm-8:30pm.

Join Deena McMahon and Krista Nelson during this 5 session LABS Series (Learning Alterna�ve

Behavioral Strategies). This training is specifically designed to address the support and educa�on

needs of those paren�ng children with significant impairments and/or trauma issues with an

emphasis on good self-care and humor! This training explores the unique experiences going on in

your home and implements role play scenarios and class par�cipa�on.

WEBINAR:"What'stheMeaningofThis?"GettingaNewPerspective

onYourChild'sBehaviorPresentedbyBonnieHarris,M.S.,Ed.

Thursday, October 8, 2015 (12:00pm - 1:30pm) - OnlineEver wonder where your child came up with

their behavior or those words? Does it seem like nothing you do stops the behavior you hate? Does

the behavior exhaust you? If so, then your child is trying to tell you something but does not know

how to express themselves outside of their behavior. When children think that you "just don't get it,"

their behavior o(en becomes louder and more drama�c for you to pay a+en�on. This workshop will

teach you the meaning of Childology and how to shi( your perspec�ve and find the words so that

you can connect instead of react. You will learn the steps of Connec�ve Communica�on so your child

learns how to use their words instead of reac�ng drama�cally and so peace can be restored in your

family.


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WORKSHOPSERIES:BeyondConsequencesTraining&SupportPresentedbyBrendaBenning,MSW,LICSW

4 Session Series - Sawmill Inn, Grand Rapids, MN:

Friday October 9, 6:30pm-9:30pm; Saturday October 10, 8:30am-3:30pm; Friday October 23,

6:30pm-9:30pm; Saturday October 24, 8:30am-3:30pm

Please join adop�ve mother and skilled trainer, Brenda Benning, as she offers new perspec�ves

into your child's behaviors, while offering real life techniques that can help regulate these same

behaviors. This is a specialized training for families who are or may be paren�ng children with

trauma�c histories and/or a+achment issues. This 20 hour series follows the model and book by

Heather T. Forbes, "Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control." Parents and caregivers will have

the opportunity to safely share their own experiences and build a support system with other

families who are living with the same unique experiences o(en found in adop�ve, foster, and

kinship families.

WORKSHOP:IntentionalParenting:Race&CulturePresentedbyRobertO'Connor,MSW

Thursday, October 20, 2015 (6:30pm-8:30pm) - Lutheran Social Service, Minneapolis, MN

Whenever a child joins a family through adop�on from another culture, the family becomes a

mul�cultural family. In our mul�cultural, mul�cultural families, workplaces and communi�es we

tend to leave much to chance versus choice when it comes to crea�ng suppor�ve and peaceful

environments. This session will help families examine how parents can become posi�ve agents of

change to create strong, thriving communi�es and families. Par�cipants will also learn the

following objec�ves:

WORKSHOP:HealingTrauma:AGuideforParentsPresentedbyChristinaCorwin,LMFT

Thursday, October 22, 2015 (6:30pm-8:30pm) - Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN

Join Chris�na Corwin, co-owner of Cedar Valley Center for Child & Family Therapy as she provides

par�cipants with informa�on about how trauma impacts a child's development. This training will

focus on how parents can understand a child's behaviors as a form of communica�on and why

tradi�onal paren�ng strategies may not work. This workshop will also provide tools and

techniques in handling behaviors through a trauma-informed lens and give par�cipants specific

ac�vi�es to reinforce healthy a+achment rela�onships.

WEBINAR:HandinHandParenting-SimplePracticesthatHeal

ChildrenwithTraumaPresentedbyMayaColeman,Ph.DandPattyWip)ler

Thursday, November 5, 2015 (6:30pm-8:00pm) - This webinar will introduce parents and

professionals to some simple but highly effec�ve prac�ces that you can use to help your adopted or

foster child heal from emo�onal hurt. The training will follow the Paren�ng by Connec�on approach,

and bring you simple ways to support your child's strong ins�nct to heal. Maya Coleman and Pa+y

Wipfler will use anecdotes from their extensive personal and professional experience to illustrate the

five "Listening Tools" that are the backbone of the approach. There will be plenty of �me for

ques�ons and ideas that apply to your family.


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WORKSHOPSERIES:BeyondConsequencesTraining&SupportPresentedbyBrendaBenning,MSW,LICSW

4 Session Series - Minnetonka Community Center, Minnetonka, MN:

Friday November 6, 6:30pm-9:30pm; Saturday November 7, 8:30am-3:30pm; Friday November

13, 6:30pm-9:30pm; Saturday November 14, 8:30am-3:30pm

Please join adop�ve mother and skilled trainer, Brenda Benning, as she offers new perspec�ves

into your child's behaviors, while offering real life techniques that can help regulate these same

behaviors. This is a specialized training for families who are or may be paren�ng children with

trauma�c histories and/or a+achment issues. This 20 hour series follows the model and book by

Heather T. Forbes, "Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control." Parents and caregivers will have

the opportunity to safely share their own experiences and build a support system with other

families who are living with the same unique experiences o(en found in adop�ve, foster, and

kinship families.

WORKSHOP:Tools&TechniquesforImprovingAttachment

RelationshipswithAdoptedChildrenPresentedbyDeniseLacher,MA,LP

Monday, November 9, 2015 (6:30pm-8:30pm) - Children's Home Society, St. Paul, MN -

Join Denise Lacher of the Family A+achment Center for a training that encourages parents think

outside the box and have fun in order to improve a+achment connec�ons and behaviors with

their child. Bring your stories and ques�ons! Early a+achment rela�onships, trauma�c life events

and developmental disrup�ons influence a child's belief about themselves and others in the

world. This internal working model sets a pa+ern for future rela�onships. It drives challenging

behaviors and can cause problems in the family, school and community. This workshop will

present tools and techniques to be+er a+une to your child, understand the meaning of your

child's behavior, and shi( nega�ve models or beliefs. This interac�ve training will explore

techniques to repair and improve a+achment rela�onships, such as parent-child play techniques,

regula�ons tools, and therapeu�c stories.

WORKSHOP:BeyondPickyEating:EndthePowerStrugglesand

SupportNutrition&HealthyGrowthKatjaRowell,M.D.

Monday, November 15, 2015 (6:30pm-8:30pm) - Evolve Adop�on & Family Services, Edina, MN

-Roughly one in ten American children eat so li+le variety or amount that it interferes with

physical, social or emo�onal development. With diagnoses and labels like "failure to thrive,"

selec�ve ea�ng, ARFID (avoidant restric�ve food intake disorder), sensory disorders and just play

picky...families are struggling. Foster and adopted children o(en face addi�onal challenges with

difficult beginnings. This workshop will help parents understand why children are struggling and

importantly, share rela�onship-building strategies to move forward and support their child's

appe�te and intake.

Formoreinformationonanyofthesetrainingsortoregister,gohere


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Visitusatwww.mnadopt.org

MN ADOPT (formerly know as Minnesota Adop�on

Resource Network or MARN) was founded in 1980 by

a group of adop�ve and foster parents. Their mission

was focused on advoca�ng for the rights of every child

to ensure they find permanent and nurturing

families. Today, MN ADOPT con�nues to fulfil this

mission, while also providing ongoing support and

educa�on to all Minnesota adop�ve families.

MN ADOPT welcomes inquiries about how to begin

and prepare for the adop�on process, adop�on

assistance, expenses and how agencies and coun�es

facilitate adop�on of Minnesota Wai�ng Children.

Contact us at 1.866.303.6276 or email us.

© 2014 MN ADOPT. All Rights Reserved.

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Zero Kids Waiting Newsletter - October 2015 - MN ADOPT · also have a resource table to answer ......

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