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Greetings!
Since the
last WCupdate Newsletter, many more children have been featured on the
Freddie Mac Foundation's Wednesday's Child TV programs and have been added to
the Website. To see photos, descriptions, and obtain ID numbers for the
children visit http://www.adopt.org/wednesdayschild.
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She Skated Into Their Lives!
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Tina met
her daughter-to-be at a roller skating party sponsored by the National Adoption Center.
Alma, then
13, had never gone skating before and was timid about taking her first step
onto the rink. But her social worker encouraged her, and before long, she
was smiling, slowly inching away from the rail. Tina kept watching her from
the sidelines. "She's sweet and beautiful," she thought,
"just the child we've been waiting for."
Tina and
her husband, David, had been married for three years when they began to
talk about adopting. Tina is a reading specialist and school counselor,
studying for her doctorate degree in special education. David is a
videographer and television producer. They were not interested in a baby;
they loved teenagers and felt that an older child would be better suited to
their lifestyle.
Alma had come to this country from Mexico when
she was three, and after living with her grandmother for several years,
became part of the foster care system. She had ricocheted among ten foster
homes and yearned for a permanent family, a family like Tina & David.
After
taking classes and filling in reams of papers, going through security and
background checks, David finally met Alma.
And for the second time in his life, he fell in love. "We went
swimming and I did a handstand in the pool to make her laugh," David
says. "I made a total fool of myself in public for her, but I didn't
care. I was so happy."
It took four months for Alma
to join their family and another six until the adoption was finalized. That
poignant moment was filmed by NBC10 and taped by KYWNewsradio. Both
stations had aired features on Alma
when she was waiting for a family. They were overjoyed to be part of her
success story!
Click
Here to Read More Success Stories!
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What's Happening - Adoption Fair
& Outreach Event!
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On Saturday, March 29, 2008, the
Adoption Center of Delaware Valley and Cheyney University
will host an Adoption Fair & Outreach Event. This event created
especially for families is made possible by the generous support of the
Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial Fund and will take place on Cheyney University's
main campus in Chester,
Pennsylvania.
Included in the day will be an adoption
fair with Delaware Valley area agenices, keynote address by Dr. Chuck
Williams of The Big Talker WPHT, and a panel discussion including adoption
professionals, individuals who have aged out of the system and families who
have successfully adopted older youth.
When: Saturday, March 29th, 2008
Time: 8:30am to 12:00pm
What: Adoption Fair & Outreach Event
Where: The Marcus
Foster Student
Center at Cheyney
University
1837 University Circle
Cheyney, PA 19319-0200
For more information, please contact The
Adoption Center of Delaware Valley at: 215.735.9988 ext. 311
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Book Review: Raising Our
Children's Children
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Raising Our Children's Children, by Deborah Doucette-Dudman with notes by Jeffrey
R.LaCure, addresses the issue of grandparents who take on the care of their
children's children. Much has been written about adoptive parents, but
there is very little literature about grandparents who take on the care of
their children's children. What special challenges do grandparents
encounter? In her compelling book, the author, who with her husband,
adopted her daughter's child, explores some of these issues.
Doucette-Dudman notes that "Society
as a whole embraces the concept of traditional adoption, but adoption
within families is still regarded as odd." There are also financial
barriers. Grandparents who want to adopt but have not gone through the
foster care system do not receive the same services or financial assistance
as foster care parents. But perhaps worst of all is the emotional toll of
battling their child for custody of their grandchildren. The author
presents intimate portraits of a variety of families in which the
grandparents intervened to ensure the welfare of their grandchildren.
Grandparents raising their grandchildren
is more than an urban problem, a minority problem, or a problem restricted
to the poor. It is an exploding sociological trend with far-reaching
implications for the future. The author hopes her book will find help for
these caregivers, raise public awareness of the problems, and change
society's views of what is in the "best interest of the child."
Grandparents raising grandchildren will find this book a valuable resource;
for others it will be a learning experience.
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Featured Children: Darnell &
Dasamere
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Fun-loving
and handsome, young brothers Dasamere and Darnell share a very special
bond. While both brothers share an interest in art they both have very
distinctive personalities and mannerisms that make them unique individuals.
Currently
in 5th grade special education classes, Dasamere gets extra support to help
him with several learning disabilities. His favorite classes are spelling
and math. Younger brother Darnell is in the 4th grade and has a specific
learning disability. Darnell likes art, reading and spelling. He
particularly likes to draw, color and paint and plans to be an artist when
he grows up.
Both
Dasamere and Darnell can be fun, engaging and a joy to watch as the love
they share is very genuine. While they have endured a traumatic past, there
is still great potential that awaits them with the loving support of a
family.
More on Other Available Children...
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