Selfless and Diligent Work of Foster Parents

Our friends at Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care asked us to share their thank you with you.

May is National Foster Care Month. This month we celebrate the dedication and hard work of the countless foster parents who have dedicated their lives to improving children’s lives.

At any given moment, hundreds of children across Massachusetts are in need of a loving foster home. They are in need of a home that will allow them to cope with what they have been through, while at the same time allow them to live out the wonder of childhood. Everyone deserves a place to feel safe and secure, especially a child.

Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care is a not-for profit agency that works with the Department of Children and Families to help children in need reach their full potential.

Devereux embraces foster parents from all walks of life. Our foster parents are single, married, and may or may not have children. They are diverse in culture, ethnicity and life experience. Most importantly though, Devereux foster parents are special people who possess an ability to reach out to children and show them that there is hope.

The selfless and diligent work of Devereux Foster Parents has made a positive impact on countless children throughout the state. Their ongoing work with children truly remains an inspiration to us all.

Devereux would like to applaud all of our foster parents and their families for their commitment, support and for the life changing work they do every day! Thank you to:
Michele A., Lisa A., Shirley B., Denise B., Michele B., Tina B., Jim B., Diedra C., Debbie C., Donna D., Antoinette D., Izabella F., Karen F., Sharon G., Carol G., Tammy H., Tina H., Marie L., Kathy L., Tina M., Barbie M., Kathleen M., Xuyen N., Karen N., Maryanne N., Janet N., Kelly O., Lida S., Marisol O., Rose O., Dante O., Melissa P., Yvonne Q., Carolyn R., Chris R., Maria R., Jackie R.., Bonnie S., Hilda S., Karyl S., Deb S., Linda S., Charles W., Nick W., Kelly W., Faith W., Cindy W. and Rachael W.

We greatly appreciate all that you do.

If you are interested in learning more about our program, or if you would like to join our team of foster parents, call us at (508) 829-6769 ext 219. You can also visit our website at www.devereux.org, or stop by our open house every third Wednesday of the month.

Jordan's Furniture Hosts Summer Adoption Mixer Saturday to Find Adoptive Home For Children in Foster Care

Jordan’s Furniture Hosts “Summer Adoption Mixer” to Find Adoptive Homes for Children in Foster Care. Summer Adoption Mixer – A free carnival for children in need of adoption and families approved to adopt a child or sibling group from foster care

WHEN: Saturday, July 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Assumption College, 500 Salisbury St., Worcester, (start in Laska Gymnasium)
WHO: Hosted by Jordan’s Furniture’s CEO Eliot Tatelman in collaboration with Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) and Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS)
ATTENDING: = 105 children currently in state foster care awaiting adoption
= 79 prospective adoptive families
= 174 social workers and staff from state and private agencies to facilitate connections

FEATURES: BBQ lunch, entertainment, carnival activities for prospective adoptive parents to meet waiting children in a fun, informal setting and orientation workshops for prospective parents, beginning at 9 a.m.

* In Massachusetts, 2,400 children currently in foster care have the goal of adoption
* 600 still have not been matched with families
* Older, school-aged children, sibling groups, children of color and/or children with special needs tend to wait the longest for families

“Jordan’s has been a part of the adoption and foster care community for over 10 years now,” says Jordan’s Furniture CEO Eliot Tatelman. “Once we saw how many kids, especially older kids, were looking for families, we started to do whatever we could to help. We are excited to see the magic happen at our adoption event. These connections can change the life of both the children and the families. It is what it is all about and is much more rewarding than just selling furniture!”
Last year, over 300 teens in Massachusetts aged out of foster care to fend for themselves. Adoption improves cognitive, educational, health, social, and economic outcomes.
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Mini Golf Fundraisers To Help Children Who Need Homes

The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange invites the public to play miniature golf this Sunday, July 13 and Monday, July 21 as a way to help children in foster care find permanent homes. Local mini-golf courses are donating 5% - 10% of their proceeds to MARE from designated Mini-Golf for MARE days, scheduled for:

Sunday, July 13 – Bogey Lanes, E. Brookfield
Monday, July 21 – Funway USA, Foxboro

“We hope everyone will brush up their mini-golf skills and visit these great facilities,” said MARE executive director Lisa Funaro. “Over 600 children in Massachusetts foster care right now are waiting to join a permanent, caring family. Thanks to the support of these golf courses, you can make this the summer you help a child find a home.”
The participating miniature golf courses include the following:

Bogey Lanes, “Where the FUN is,” can be found at 199 North Brookfield Rd., East Brookfield, , 15 miles west of Worcester and 35 miles east of Springfield. Bogey Lanes offers a variety of family-friendly activities, including candlepin bowling, 6 pool tables, ice cream bar, and a 17-game arcade, as well as an 18-hole miniature golf course. For more information visit http://www.bogeylanes.com/.

FUNWAY USA, “America’s Playground,” is located on Route 1, just a mile north of Gillette Stadium, at 2 Washington St., Foxboro. Funway features miniature golf, go-karts, batting cages, bumper boats, moon walk, rock wall, obstacle course inflatable, a bungee run inflatable and a bungee trampoline. Visit http://www.funwayusa.net/ for more info.

About the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange: The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) is a private non-profit agency, founded in 1957, to find “a permanent place to call HOME” for harder-to-place children waiting in foster care, including older children ages 6 – 18, children of color of all ages, sibling groups, and children with emotional, physical and intellectual challenges. MARE works in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS) and private agencies.
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To learn more about Mini-Golf for MARE or about adoption from foster care, call 617-54-ADOPT (617-542-3678), toll-free at 800-882-1176 or visit http://www.mareinc.org/.
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Become A Foster Parent Event -- July 16th

On Wednesday, July 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cornerstone Books at 45 Lafayette St., in Salem in conjunction with Dare Family Services is hosting an informational event on becoming a foster parent. For more information on this free event visit www.blogger.com/www.cornerstonebooks-salem.com
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Parenting Traumatized Children Conference & Retreat June 26-28th

The Attachment & Trauma Network will host a conference June 26-28 on Parenting Traumatized Children.
The Conference and Retreat will be held at the Franciscan Center in Andover. It is a uniquely peaceful location for parents and professionals to meet and rejuvenate as we learn more about traumatized children. New for this year's conference: "Feelin' Good Friday" - an entire afternoon of sessions on ways to nurture and rejuvenate yourself!
Organizers say it is the "most parent-friendly conference yet, with lodging and meal options within the registration fee."
The conference registration is $425. It is an all-inclusive price (three meals per day from Wednesday evening to Saturday noon.)
For more information call 240-446-9657 or e-mail lorraine@radzebra.org
The Web site for the event is http://www.radzebra.org/
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Summer of China in Boston

Twenty-one Boston-area civic, cultural, and educational organizations announced last week they are joining together to celebrate Boston China Summer. From June through October 2008, participating organizations will sponsor a wide array of activities and events that highlight Chinese and Chinese-American art and culture in the greater Boston area. As all eyes focus on the Beijing Olympics, Boston China Summer events showcase Chinese culture that is available right in this area. Boston China Summer activities offer something for all ages and interests. Events on China include several exhibits: film and television series; lectures; music, dance and martial arts performances; and lots of workshops and hands-on activities for the whole family. More information about specific events can be found at http://www.bostonchinasummer.org/

The participating Boston China Summer organizations have come together to enhance awareness of the depth and breadth of Chinese art and cultural activities found right here at home. With China ever more present in our lives, it is the perfect time for everyone to understand more about this ancient and modern country.

Boston China Summer is also celebrating the sister city relationship between Boston and its Chinese sister city, Hangzhou.
Boston China Summer is coordinated by Boston Children’s Museum, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About Boston China Summer: Boston China Summer is a collaboration of civic, cultural, and educational organizations working together to highlight Chinese and Chinese-American art and culture throughout the Greater Boston area. As the world looks toward the Beijing Olympics, we hope that you will join in our celebration of Chinese culture. Boston China Summer activities are held from mid-May through October 2008. For a complete calendar of events visit www.BostonChinaSummer.org

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CUTLINE: Take the shortest route to China via the Boston Children's Museum's new exhibit, Children of Hangzhou: Connnecting with China. More details available at www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org

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Spring Adoption Party

Prospective adoptive parent Patricia Ramirez, pictured left, of Dorchester takes some time to swing with 8-year-old Joab at the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange’s (MARE) Spring Adoption Party on Sunday, May 18, at the Hockomock YMCA in North Attleboro.

Adoption Parties give prospective families and waiting children, like Joab, the opportunity to meet in a fun and casual atmosphere. Last year, 23% of the Massachusetts children in foster care registered with MARE met their new families thanks to Adoption Parties. Founded in 1957, MARE exists to find "a place to call HOME" for CHILDREN in foster care, including sibling groups and children who are traditionally harder to place. So far, MARE has helped move more than 5,000 children from temporary care to permanent family life.

Photo by Jaclyn Mastromatteo.

June: Free Informational Adoption Meetings

Wide Horizons For Children, a non-profit agency, is hosting informational adoption meetings this month. The agency's goal is to help every child attain the birthright of a permanent and loving family.
Free meetings:
Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon in Braintree at Thayer Public Library, 798 Washington St.,
Thursday, June 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Needham at the Wide Horizons For Children Regional Office at 21 Highland Circle,
Advance registration is required at http://www.whfc.org/onlinereg/AdoptionInfo.htm or by contacting Hillary Mauro at 781-644-2353 or e-mailing hmauro@whfc.org.

About Wide Horizons: It is the the largest non-profit adoption and child welfare agency in the northeast. Since its founding in 1974, WHFC has placed over 10,000 children from> over 50 different countries. Visit www.whfc.org for more information.

Wide Horizons For Children Creates Emergency Fund for Earthquake Relief in China

Wide Horizons For Children, a leading non-profit adoption and child welfare agency, announced it is creating an emergency relief fund for earthquake victims in China.
The Waltham-based agency is seeking donations to the fund, which will be used to help children affected by the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck western China last Monday.
Reports show 50,000 people are dead, buried, or missing.
The impact on orphanages is not yet completely known as many of the most affected facilities are in hard-to-access areas. Wide Horizons is working with its partner in China to find more information on the status of children and to identify the most pressing emergency needs arising from the earthquake and aftershocks in western China.
The fund will provide both emergency and long-term relief to children in orphanages and children who have been separated from their families, orphaned, physically hurt and emotionally traumatized. Depending on the specific needs, funds could be used for food, trauma counseling, medical care and emergency shelter as well as to repair or rebuild institutions that may have suffered structural damage.

How to donate to the fund:
Online: www.whfc.org/aid/OnlineDonation.htm - write Earthquake Relief in comment box
Phone: Ali Crandall at 800-729-5330 x1340
Mail: Wide Horizons For Children, Attn: Earthquake Relief, 38 Edge Hill Rd, Waltham, 02451

About Wide Horizons For Children: It is one of the largest private, non-profit adoption and child welfare agencies in the United States. The agency has placed over 10,000 children from 53 countries with American citizens since its founding in 1974. WHFC's humanitarian aid programs have donated more than $10 million to build and support projects for children all over the world. For more information, visit www.whfc.org

Heart Gallery Looking to Match Children with Families

By Leslie Castillo
Like a magnet, the photos capturing the wide grins, smiling faces, and warm embraces of the children will draw you in.
This year's 2008 Heart Gallery features 34 children, ages 4 to 16, who are currently in the state's foster care system and have been waiting to find their forever families for at least a year.
Lisa Funaro, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, Inc. (MARE), hopes a visit to this display will serve as one of the inspirational first steps in the journey for many families planning to adopt.
"People can stop by, take a card with the child's photo and information, place it on their refrigerators, and call us when they are ready," said Funaro.
Thanks to the Heart Gallery, in conjunction with other MARE resources, two children found permanent placement in 2005; last year the number grew to 10, and this year an additional 30 children will be featured as the display travels to various locations throughout Massachusetts, with the hope of matching as many children as possible with loving, permanent families.

If you are interesting in one of the children highlighted in the Heart gallery or to read more of Leslie's article in the May issue visit Bay State Parent magazine's web site at: http://www.baystateparent.com/news/2008/0501/articles/026.html

ADOPTION NEWS -- Today is Hague Deadline. What Does that Mean For You?

By Sarah Mraz

U.S. adoption agencies must receive Hague Accreditation on or before April 1,2008 (today), if they wish to continue providing inter-country adoption services through countries that have signed and enacted the Hague Convention.
On Feb. 28, Wide Horizons for Children (http://www.whfc.org/) was among the first agencies to be officially approved by the Council on Accreditation (COA) as a national adoption service provider. Accreditation allows Wide Horizons for Children to work with families adopting from other countries that are party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children. This recognition demonstrates the organization's commitment to the children and families both here and abroad.
For Wide Horizons, these countries include China, Colombia, India, Philippines and Guatemala (which is in the process of altering their child welfare system to become Hague compliant).
Adoption programs in non-Hague countries are not affected by this accreditation.

So what happens if my agency isn't accredited by April 1?
Families working with non-accredited agencies who have adoptions pending in Hague countries that were started prior to April 1 can be"grandfathered" and processed to completion as a non-Hague case, as long as both countries agree (U.S. regulations already agree, but the other country could refuse).

What if I/We Start the Adoption Process on April 1 or later?
Families applying to an agency after April 1, 2008 would need to be sure their selected agency meets Hague requirements in order to do an adoption in a Hague country after April 1, 2008.

Accreditation is on-going, and therefore other agencies will be added to this list in the coming months.
Here is a list to the United States State Department's list of all accredited agencies: http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_4169.html
More info is available on the Wide Horizons for Children Web site http://whfc.org/adoption/hague.htm
or at The Council on Accreditation (COA)'s Web site: http://www.coanet.org/.

About Wide Horizons For Children: Wide Horizons For Children is one of the largest private, non-profit adoption and child welfare agencies in the United States. The agency has placed over ten thousand children from 53 countries with American citizens since its founding in 1974. WHFC’s humanitarian aid programs have donated over $10 million in support of children around the world. (www.whfc.org)

Sarah Mraz is program director for Wide Horizons for Children, whose central office is located in Waltham.
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April Issue is Here!!!

35th Annual New England Adoption Conference Scheduled for Saturday, April 5th

Many adoptive and pre-adoptive parents seek out the wide array of workshops at the annual New England Adoption Conference. And, as always, the 35th conference will have plenty to interest them, whether their children are tots or teens.
At this year's April 5 conference, however, there will be more workshops and information aimed at other groups affected by adoption, too.
"We're trying to reach out more and more to the other triad members - birth families and adopted people," said Nancy Harper, who is in her first year as executive director of the Adoption Community of New England, which sponsors the conference. Both groups will be part of panel discussions, for example. "We're hearing from birth families that they'd like to hear from and see adoptees at the workshops and vice versa."
The four workshop periods during the day-long conference feature adoption experts and advocates from across the country.
This year, more than 20 of the workshops will provide prospective adoptive parents with credit toward the new 10 hours of training mandated by the U.S. Government's Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoptions. Some of the qualifying workshops include "Medical Issues in Intercountry Adoption," "Birth Families in Intercountry Adoption Do Matter," "Grief and Loss Behaviors in Adopted Children," and "Complex Neurodevelopmental Profiles."
Harper anticipates the conference will attract more than the usual number of attendees because of the convenience of the Hague-qualified workshops.
While many of the presenters will be returning from past years, the conference will also feature many new workshops.
"Adoption has influence through one's whole life, whether for an adopted person, a birth parent, an adoptive family or an extended family. It has a long-lasting impact, and this conference is for all those touched by adoption. We definitely have something for everyone," she said.


CONFERENCE DETAILS & REGISTRATION:
The 35th Annual New England Adoption Conference will be held
on Saturday, April 5, at Westborough's Mill Pond School on Old Hickory Path.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m., with a cash breakfast bar.

Keynote speaker Jayne Schooler will be featured after an 8:30 a.m. Adoption Community of New England Annual Meeting.

Workshops will run through 4:30 p.m.

The bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Again, there will be a vendor area. Stop by the Bay State Parent booth.

Registration can be done online through April 2.
The cost is $150 (ACONE members pay $90).
To register, visit Adoption Community of New England's Web site, www.adoptioncommunityofne.org.
Walk-in registration will be permitted on April 5th as space permits.

EXCLUSIVE Interview with Lt. Governor Tim Murray & His Family

“People always call adoption a ‘leap of faith’ and that’s certainly true,” says Massachusetts Lt. Governor Tim Murray in an exclusive interview, inside the November issue of Bay State Parent magazine. “There are more unknowns than knowns. But anyone who’s gone through a process of having a child - whether it’s by giving birth or by adoption - knows it’s something you can’t fully appreciate until the child is in your arms. At that moment, everything else falls away and you understand it was all worthwhile.”
The Lt. Governor and his wife Tammy, in a rare interview, talk about the adoption of their two daughters from Guatemala and the bicultural experience the family is creating inside and outside their Worcester home.
The exclusive interview, inside the November issue, is part of the magazine’s 5th Annual Adoption Guide. The magazine can be found at more than 850 locations in Eastern & Central Massachusetts beginning today.
The Murrays brought home Helen Roowina, now 2 ½, in December 2005 when she was just nine months old. In May 2007, they welcomed Katerine Mariela, called “Kati,” at age 15 months.
The two sisters, with olive skin and dark features, share their permanent home and heritage – and sometimes even their toys. Like most American toddlers, they live in a world of Disney Princesses, Dora the Explorer, and Elmo. They love animals, trips to the zoo, reading books, and rocking out to the Wiggles.
Award-winning freelance writer Kate M. Jackson spent a morning with the family at their home. During the rare interview, Tim & Tammy, who is an occupational therapist for the Worcester Public Schools, talked intimately about their family, blending two cultures, and their personal decision to create that family through adoption.
“Kate did a wonderful job weaving vivid descriptions and candid conversations into a terrific profile of the Murray family for the adoption guide,” said Bay State Parent magazine editor Susan Scully Petroni.
The Murrays are not alone in creating a family through adoption.
Over the last three decades more than a quarter million children have been adopted by America families. International adoptions in the United States have more than doubles in the last decade. And in Massachusetts, international adoptions, as well as foster parenting and domestic adoptions, are on the rise.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month and Bay State Parent magazine's previous adoption guides have been feted with New England and national journalism awards. For its monthly coverage of adoption issues, the magazine was honored with the prestigious Friend of Adoption Award from The Adoption Community of New England (ACONE).

November Issue At the Printers

Oct. 19: Story Hour & Chinese Wishing Tree Craft Time in Cambridge

Barefoot Books at 1771 Massachusetts Ave., in Cambridge will host a Motherbridge of Love story hour & Chinese Wishing Tree Craft with author Xinran Xue on Friday, Oct. 19 at 10:30 a.m. Best-selling author and Chinese cultural correspondent Xinran Xue will speak to families about bridging the gap between eastern and western cultures, and read from her new project with Barefoot Books book celebrating international adoption, Motherbridge of Love. Afterwards families will have the opportunity to create a Wishing Tree.

About Motherbridge of Love: This beautiful poem celebrates the bond between parent and child in a special way. Through the exchanges between a little Chinese girl and her mother, Motherbridge of Love offers a poignant and inspiring message to parents and children all over the world. Text royalties from the sale of this Barefoot book will be donated to Mother Bridge of Love, a charity that reaches out to Chinese children all over the world in order to develop a connection between China and the West, and between adoptive culture and birth culture.

For more information visit www.barefootbooks.com

Oct. 18: Multicultural Event at Barefoot Books in Cambridge

Barefoot Books at 1771 Massachusetts Ave. in cambridge invites families to join them for an evening celebrating diversity! The Multicultural event features a lecture by best-selling Chinese author, and cultural advocate Xinran Xue, as well as music, drinks, snacks, and some early-holiday shopping to benefit The Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center! The event will held on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Best-selling author and Chinese cultural correspondent Xinran Xue will speak about bridging the gap between eastern and western cultures, and her new project with Barefoot Books book celebrating international adoption, Motherbridge of Love. A portion of sales to benefit the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center

ADOPTION SEMINAR: International Options

International Adoption Options: How to do it, Where to go seminar presented by Dale Eldridge, LICSW and Raquel Woodard, LICSW of Adoption Choices, Framingham and Kate Ingalls Maloney of Children’s Home Society and Family Services of Minnesota on Monday, Oct. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Adoption Choices, 75 Franklin Street, Suite 101, in Framingham.
Contact Woodard at 1-800-872-5232 or e-mail deldridge@jfsmw.org to register.

Bay State Parent Named One of North America's Best

Bay State Parent magazine was named one of the best parenting publications in North America by Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA). The magazine earned third place for “Best Parenting Publication” in SNA’s 2007 Advertising & Promotions Contest. Entries came from both the United States and Canada. Columbus Parent magazine in Ohio took first place and Country Kids in Ohio took second place. Magazines were judged on advertising, editorial contest, layout, and promotions, as well as a letter submitted by editor Susan Scully Petroni on why the magazine is a success in he community and how it is distributed. Bay State Parent magazine, part of the Holden Landmark Corp, submitted its November 2006 issue. Inside that issue was the 4th Annual Adoption Guide. Bay State Parent magazine was named best parenting publication in North America in 2004 & 2006 by SNA.
This year, the magazine has won 30 awards.
Bay State Parent has won 76 national and regional awards in the last three years. We truly are Massachusetts' Premier Magazine for Families.

May Issue, Featuring Mother's Day - Family Dining Guide - Adoption Guide, Is Off to the Printers

We shipped the May issue to the printers this afternoon.
Inside the issue is our inaugural Family Dining Guide. More than 75 restaurants are included in the kid-friendly dining guide chart. Freelance writer Leslie Castillo called local and chain restaurants and compiled 6-pages worth of information for families -- which restaurant has a kid's only menu, which offers free or discounted meal nights, which provide entertainment for children, which give free drinks or desserts, which have birthday or kids clubs?
Consider the chart a work in progress. I'm sure there is a restaurant that is a favorite of your family that may not be on it. Feel free to e-mail me at editor@baystateparent.com with additions or tell me about eating establishments that you didn't think were family-friendly.
Also inside our first Family Dining Guide, freelance writer Marguerite Paolino explores why families are trying to revive the tradition of eating dinner together and a second report on how to teach your toddler through teenager basic table manners.
Finally, our May issue would not be complete without a few Mother's Day articles.
Being a mom comes with a lot of titles. One title that always gets a reaction - be it positive or negative - is Soccer Mom. Freelance writer Michelle Xiarhos Curran, in her first article for Bay State Parent magazine, talked to moms who are proud of the title, and reported on the debate surrounding Soccer Moms and the stereotypes attached to the title.
Also inside the issue is a report on the trend of helicopter parenting and an interview with I Love You Like Crazy Cakes author Rose A Lewis. Lewis, a Needham resident, in a Q&A with me talks about adopting her daughter from China, motherhood, and her latest book Every Year on Your Birthday.
The issue should be at your favorite location in Eastern & Central Massachusetts next week.