Family to Family Adoptions Inc, Adoptive Families, Birth Mothers

Click2Houston recently did an interview with our staff and one of our birth mothers. This is a very informative piece and illustrates the work that we do and the way that we help our client families.

The adoptive family training workshop scheduled for Saturday, February 20, 2010, has been cancelled. If you have any questions about this or the required number of hours of training for adoptive families, please contact Family to Family.

The 2010 Family to Family Calendars are ready for sale! Prices start at $15 per calendar but if you order 5 or more than just pay $12 each and if you order 10 or more then you pay just $10 each. Please contact us at 281-342-4042 or via email at deb@fam2fam.org if you would like to place an order. The Family to Family Calendar is an annual fundraiser with pictures of our adorable children placed for adoption. Thank you for your support!

National Adoption Month happens at the best time of year. As you near the holiday season with your child, remember your birth parents and the gift that they have given you. If you have not sent pictures to your child’s biological parents, the holidays are the best time to do so. Your child’s birth parents will be thinking of you and your child so what better way to thank them than to send pictures over the holidays. As usual if you are an adoptive family with Family to Family you can mail these to our office or send them to us via email and we will have them printed and mailed. Thank you in advance for thinking of your birth parents and the staff at Family to Family wishes you all a wonderful holiday season.

Are you or someone you know experiencing an unplanned pregnancy? If so, first stop and take a deep breath and realize that you are not alone. Research has stated that every year 49% of pregnancies are unplanned, the highest percentage being among teenagers and individuals who do not have easy access to birth control.

If you are pregnant, you have several options to consider. These include parenting your child, having an abortion, or deciding to make an adoption plan for your child. This decision will be difficult and should not be made lightly. You will be forced to reflect on past events in your life that got you to this point as well as thinking of your future with a child and how that will affect your dreams and goals. If you are at a place in life where a child fits into your plan, then congratulations on your pregnancy.

It is important to immediately start receiving good prenatal care and taking care of you. If you are not at a time in your life where a child fits into the picture then you have a decision to make. Know that because you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and are considering not parenting a child does not mean that you do not love or want this baby. It just means that now is not a good time for you. Maybe you are in school working towards a degree, maybe you are on the fast track at a job, maybe you are not in a committed relationship and cannot raise a child on your own or maybe you just are not ready to have a child to care for at this time.

So now you must decide between having an abortion or placing the baby for adoption. If you are considering an abortion, you will want to consider all of the pros and cons of the process and talk to someone that handles abortions and get all of your facts first. You should also consider that there is an abortion alternative and this process is adoption.

The word adoption is becoming more widely used thanks to the many celebrities and high profile individuals that have announced their adoptions. Adoptions used to be a closed process but now they are more open. Open adoptions leave the birthmother to choose the family for her child and receive updates of the child after the placement. Meeting and getting to know your adoptive family will make your adoption experience much more enjoyable.

Finding the right adoption agency to work with can be overwhelming. There are so many agencies out there that it can be difficult to decide. Gather as much information about the adoption agencies that you can and then work with the agency that best suits your needs and that you are the most comfortable with. Having a relationship with the adoption professionals will also help in making this process easier.

An unplanned pregnancy is difficult and will change your life whichever path you choose. Making this decision will be one of the hardest decisions you will ever make, but by taking the time to research your options and listening to yourself, you will be able to figure out which path is for you. Your baby is counting on you to make the best decision for his/her life so let the idea sink in and then think of you and your future and your baby’s future.

Adoption Learning Partners just released a new training course called Ain’t Misbehavin’. It is a course in identifying factors that cause behavior problems and teaches adoptive parents the most effective ways to handle them. You can find the course information on the website for Adoption Learning Partners.

A reminder that as an adoptive family with Family to Family Adoptions, training hours are required and this course would count towards the required number. If you have questions about training please contact Family to Family.

Are you faced with an unplanned pregnancy and considering placing your baby for adoption? Making the decision to place your child for adoption is a very hard one but also a very loving one. Family to Family’s staff can help you through the process of finding the right home for your child. We have adoptive families that all have been carefully screened and are waiting to bring a child into their home. Visit our website or contact us and we can get you started in the process of placing your child for adoption. If you are considering placement but are not sure and would like someone to talk to give us a call and then you can make your decision. Whether you choose adoption or to parent your child we wish you the best of luck.

The training dates for 2009 and 2010 have been scheduled. Space is limited at each training so please notify us if there is one that you would like to attend. Training is required for all new adoptive families that are signing on with Family to Family. The last training date for this year is December 5, 2009. The dates for 2010 are February 20, May 22, August 14, and November 13. If you are a new family signing on or are already an active family and would like to attend one of these trainings please contact us. All trainings are held at our office in Richmond, Texas.

The next Family to Family conference will be held on September 19, 2009 from 10 AM to 3 PM. The conference will be at our office at 1000 Austin Street, Suite B, Richmond, TX 77469. The conference will be $10.00 per person and space is limited. Come and meet adoptive families and birthmothers and hear their adoption stories. To sign up please contact Maxine Seiler at 281-342-4042 or max@fam2fam.org.

The upcoming dates in 2010 for conferences are January 16, 2010; May 15, 2010; and September 18, 2010.

Family to Family’s annual adoptive family picnic will be held this year at Dewberry Farm in Brookshire, Texas on October 10, 2009. We will gather from 11 AM to 1 PM to eat together and have dessert. Food is sold at Dewberry Farm and no outside food is allowed to be brought in. Check out their website for directions (or click here for an interactive Google map), activities, and food selection and prices. If you have any questions or would like to RSVP for this event please contact us at 281-342-4042. Family to Family will cover the admission fee and wrist bands will be at the front gate. Hope to see everyone there.