Come Join Us

This group has transferred to a new name and a new Facebook page and a new blog! We would love to have you join us!

We are now United For Adoption (UFA) Houston! Here is the link to the Facebook page, United For Adoption - Houston:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-For-Adoption-Houston/383045171856281


Here is the link to the new blog, United For Adoption - Houston Chapter:

http://ufahouston.blogspot.com/


Also, the email address is houstonufa@gmail.com


Please reach out, we are here for you!


The national UFA page is:

http://www.unitedforadoption.org/

Questions About the Conference

Updated with location of conference!

Where is the conference?
                -Houston North Stake Center
                 16331 Hafer Rd.
                 Houston, TX 77090
               

What days is the conference on?

                -The conference is on Friday, November 9^th and Saturday, November 10^th

What time is the conference at?

-The conference on Friday, November 9^th is from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Saturday, November 10^th will start at 8:30am with registration and go until 4:00pm. (Please note the times have changed slightly from a flyer that was sent out earlier.)

What is happening at the conference?

-Friday, November 9^th at 6:30 is our kickoff and we will be having a carnival! There will be games for kids and adults. There will be prizes and food too!

On Saturday, November 10^th, registration will begin at 8:30 and go until 9:00 am. We will be giving you a folder with adoption resources and your program for the conference. There will be a light breakfast offered as well. The rest of the day will be filled with classes, panels and speakers. We will have lunch brought in from Jason’s Deli.

What is the theme of the conference?

                -The theme of the conference is “Blessed By A Miracle”.

Where is a nearby hotel?

                -La Quinta Inn & Suites

415 FM 1960

Houston, TX 77073

281-784-1112

                Sleep Inn

                222 Airtex Blvd.

                Houston, TX 77090

                (281) 872-6200

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

-Alysha Meacham will be happy to answer any other questions you have. Please email her at alyshameacham@yahoo.com

Blessed By A Miracle

"Blessed By A Miracle" is the theme for the Southwest Regional FSA Conference in November. As an FSA Board and with the LDS Family Services employees, we have been meeting in person and through conference calls regularly to plan the conference. We get more excited with each meeting and are anxiously awaiting November 9 and 10 to arrive!

We have planned a carnival for November 9. No matter what age you are, we promise you will have a good time! For November 10, we have classes, panels and speakers. There will be food both days and childcare will be provided. Registration is on the right hand side of the blog. Please let us know if you have any questions. You can email alyshameacham@yahoo.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Register for the Conference

Click on the link to the right that says, "Registration" to register for the Southwest Regional Conference on November 9 and 10. We can't wait to see you there!

Email Alysha at alyshameacham@yahoo.com with any questions or comments.

Southwest Regional Conference in Houston!!

If you haven't heard yet, there will be a Southwest Regional Conference in Houston on November 9th and 10th. Put it on your calendars and plan on being there because it is going to be great!

Registration will be up soon and this year it is FREE! We are very excited and will post more information soon. Email me at alyshameacham@yahoo.com if you have any questions or would like to help out.

Questions for Private Adoption Agencies

Here are some suggestions for questions to ask private agencies:


1) What will be the total cost?
            A) Who will pay the expectant mother’s medical expenses?
            B) What personal expenses for the expectant mother will we be required to pay?
            C) How will the funds for the expectant parent's expenses be managed?
            D) Will you give us an itemized statement of costs? When?
            E) What fees are expected to be paid right now? When are additional fees due?
            F) What will happen to our money if the adoption does not work out?


2) Will you accept a home study from LDS Family Services? Will this decrease our fees?


3) Was the expectant mother married when she conceived or during the pregnancy?
            A) Will her husband sign relinquishment documents?
            B) If not, how will the legal father's rights be terminated?


4) How will the putative/alleged father’s rights be terminated?
            A) When will that be done?
            B) Is there the possibility of more than one putative/alleged father?


5) Are there any Indian Child Welfare issues? If so, how will they be resolved?


6) When will we get a copy of the expectant parent’s social and health history?
            A) What do you know about the social and health history of the expectant parents?
            B) What race(s) are the expectant parents?
            C) What are their medical and emotional issues?
            D) Are they using or have they used drugs, tobacco, or alcohol?


7) Is the expectant mother a resident of this state, or is she coming to this state to give birth or place the child for adoption?
            A) What states are involved and which state laws will be used to terminate birth parent rights?
            B) When will she come to the state?
            C) What are the legal implications of this to us?
            D) Will the agency comply with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)?


8) How will ICPC be handled if it is an interstate placement? (LDS Family Services does not provide ICPC services for adoptions not completed through our agency).


9) Are there any other legal issues?
            A) What are they?
            B) How will they be resolved?
            C) What will the agency do if the adoption is contested by a biological parent?


10) When do we need to hire an attorney?


11) Who will do the required supervisory visits? (In some situations, after the placing agency consults with the appropriate adoption manager about the situation, and with the adoption group manager’s permission, LDS Family Services may be able to provide supervisory visits. These are charged at the current counseling rate per hour.)


12) If correspondence and boundary issues arise during and after the pregnancy, who will help us manage them?


13) What type of counseling has the birth mother had? How much? Do the birth parents have access to post-placement counseling? Is that part of our fee?

Online Adoption Training May 22

I apologize that this is such late notice. My family has been sick, so I have been a little behind. Here is information for some online adoption training:

The online adoption training “Entering the Adoption World” will be held on Tuesday May 22^nd from 6-7 pm. Connection information is provided below. To receive credit for adoption training hours, you will be asked to send an email to Amy Curtis curtisa@ldschurch.org at the conclusion of the workshop.  

There is still time for people to register so feel free to forward this invitation. If you have questions about the workshop or you want to register, please contact Amy Curtis and             (801) 240-6528       or curtisa@ldschurch.org.

CONNECTION INFORMATION:

Topic: Online Adoption Training

Host: Benjamin Erwin

Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Time: 5:00 pm, Mountain Daylight Time (Denver, GMT-06:00)

Session number: 924 022 902

Session password: This session does not require a password.

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To join the training session

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1. Go to https://ldschurch.webex.com/ldschurch/k2/j.php?ED=194546167&UID=1379563517&HMAC=b9700ef3503b772daa5ef58c9909f14a5b2fe74f&RT=MiM2.

2. Enter your name and email address (or registration ID).

3. Enter the session password: This session does not require a password.

4. Click "Join Now".

5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link

https://ldschurch.webex.com/ldschurch/k2/j.php?ED=194546167&UID=1379563517&ORT=MiM2&HMAC=b9700ef3503b772daa5ef58c9909f14a5b2fe74f

Waiting Infants

Spence Chapin is an adoption agency in New York. They have a waiting infants site for children that don't match with couples from their agency. Check the site as the available children change often. Here is the link:

http://www.spence-chapin.org/adoption-programs/b1h_waiting_children.php

Children from "Hard Places"

We talked a little about adopting waiting children or adopting through foster care at our mini-conference on April 21. Faline sent me a link to the Institute of Child Development at TCU. Karyn Purvis is the director of the Institute and there is a lot of great information on the website. Karyn Purvis also presented at last year's National FSA Conference. I put the link under Adoption Sites on the right of the blog. It is titled, "Karen Purvis".

Adoption Tax Credit

Here is the link to information about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit for 2012 and 2013:

http://www.nacac.org/taxcredit/taxcredit20122013.html

Also, check the post below for information on our new Facebook page! There is a link on that to a more detailed page on the tax credit.

Facebook Group

First off, thank you to everyone who came and participated in our first activity of the year! It was so great to meet everyone and we look forward to more events in the future.

I just created a group on Facebook titled, "Houston Families Supporting Adoption". I thought this could be an easy way to talk to one another and throw out ideas for activities we want to do. It is also an easy way to let me know what you'd like to see on the blog. So if you have a Facebook account, come on over and "like" us. I will start posting things and please feel free to post things too! I will keep posting on the blog as well so don't worry if you don't have a Facebook account!

Childcare for Mini-Conference

There will be childcare for this upcoming Saturday, April 21. We are very excited and looking forward to meeting many of you this Saturday at the Mini-Conference!

Childcare for April 21

I just wanted everyone to be aware that we are trying to provide childcare for our meeting on April 21. I will post as soon as I hear back from the Young Women I have asked. We hope to see you all there!!

Again, if you have any questions or comments please email me (Alysha) at alyshameacham@yahoo.com

Greetings!

Greetings,

As was already announced, we are having a conference on April 21st at 16331 Hafer Road in Houston. It will start at 1:30 and go until about 4:30. We hope you can attend to learn more about adoption changes and gain a perspective from those that have been through the process as adoptive parents, adoptees and birth parents. We hope it will be a meaningful and educational experience.

Additionally, we announce that Alysha and Nathan Meacham are the new chairs for the Houston FSA. We are both very excited to participate in such an important organization. Adoption touched our lives when we adopted our now 2 year old son and has remained an important part of our family. We welcome any ideas for activities or learning events that you may have. We also would appreciate any participation you may be able to give. For information or to give suggestions for activities please contact Alysha at alyshameacham@yahoo.com.

Thank you

Mini Conference - April 21

Saturday, April 21
1:30-4:30 PM

16331 Hafer Road
Houston, TX 77090

We will have three speakers and a panel discussion on various adoption topics.

Afterward there will be an ice cream social and we can all get to know each other! Bring your favorite ice cream toppings.

In addition, this can count towards training hours.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

If you have an questions, please email Alysha at alyshameacham@yahoo.com

Stepping Down

Today it became official. I’m stepping down as FSA Chair. A dynamic, energetic fabulous couple in the form of Ryan and Tawnee Johnson will lead FSA Houston where it needs to go. And I’m so excited!

The Johnsons are just the shot in the arm our chapter needs and it will be great to see and be inspired by the kind of passion that they both have for adoption.

I think you’ll be uplifted and motivated by their leadership! My gratitude to everyone who helped me out. Here’s to new leadership and a new year!!

Thanks Houston! I enjoyed my ride.

So those changes I mentioned...

Remember when I said change was in the air? Well, you can find out just what changes await pertaining to LDS Family Services on Saturday morning at 9 am when Eric Fernelius speaks. I am reposting what Julie wrote in her email just as a little reminder:

As many of you know, LDS Family Services as been in transition for the last year or so. While many of you have not felt the effect of these transitions, it has been an interesting adventure for others. With my departure, Children’s Services will be managed from the Carrollton, TX office and Eric Fernelius will be the Adoption Manager for the state of Texas. He will be in Houston on March 26^th and would appreciate the opportunity to meet you face to face and get to know all of you. While I know this announcement raises questions, perhaps anxiety, this meeting is scheduled to address those concerns and questions. Please do everything you can do come and meet Eric on March 26^th at 9 a.m. at the church on Hafer road.

We hope to see you there!

Whi

Up Next...

This morning I discovered a lovely surprise HERE

 images via Central Region FSA blog

Let's plan on getting together and 

doing this next for our chapter...would you like to?

Comment below or email me at 

sylviasudeth{at}gmail.com if you are interested. 

In case you don't want to click on the link, the idea is to put together a public relations folder for social workers at hospitals which has a sticker on the front announcing what is inside "Adoption:  It's About Love." On the inside left pocket there is a stats page, brochures {from LDSFS and other agencies} and I think I'll include copies of "Nobody Gets Married Anymore Mister," and the editorial from USA Today Have you read these? The first news article is profound and thought provoking. Bookmark them and read them when you get a chance. I think they'll be great outside voices to help increase thoughts about single teen parenting not being the solution.


In the center clear pocket will be pass along cards from couples in our chapter, stories from birth moms, adoptees and adoptive families.

And then in the right side back pocket will be agency information and IAL.org sheet.

Do you LOVE it yet?

From a public relations standpoint this is a great way to get information into the hands of decision makers. It will look professional, be helpful and get our couples out there even more. It is better than a couple doing it on their own.

Such an awesome way to promote adoption and our adoptive families--

Thanks to the Central Region FSA. Love it!

March Message {from the chair}

Change is in the air...can you feel it? As winter melts away into the muddy, rich browns and greens of spring I'm reminded of how few things ever stay just as they are. We both love and lament this. We love it when things that are hard ease up and shift to become more bearable, comfortable. We lament changes that place us in uncomfortable, awkward places or that signal our lives will never be the same {unless it means a child being placed in our home and then it's funny how we are able to joyfully embrace change, difficult though it may be}.

The change of paths from medical treatments to adoption was a transition that took me a long time. As I prepared to speak with Ariane at an LDS Family Services training meeting I thought long and hard about the events that brought me to my Path of Promise. The shift for our family from LDS Family Services to using a private agency was another shift I didn't think I was ready for but we made it and enjoyed the private experience. Though this is not the time or place to wax extraordinarily personal, I can honestly say that traveling this path of pain, disappointment and trial taught me that I can trust the Savior and his plan. I have learned that the power of the Atonement is real and everlasting. Would I go through this again? If it meant knowing what I know now, Absolutely!

We enjoyed the opportunity to represent those among us who have struggled with infertility. It was an effort to help ward members and leaders understand what they can do to help those who face this challenge. I hope we provided some useful information.

Here are a few of the sources we used, if you are interested in taking a minute to look at them:

For Those Who Mean Well by Krista Oakes

You're Like A Mother by Ardeth Kapp

Just the Two of Us -- for Now by Ardeth Kapp

Encircled in the Arms of His Love by Elder Neil A. Maxwell

Changes are afoot, my friends. We will see many of those materialize in the coming months.
And if you need something to help you through...HERE.

P.S. Please don't forget about our Saturday Seminar 10am at the Hafer Building.

The Road to International Adoption

Did you know any of the following?

• If you want to adopt from Korea, you cannot weigh more than 30% over the normal weight for your height when you work with certain agencies.
  
• If you are single, male or female, forget about adopting from Armenia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka (among others). No single adoptive parents allowed.
  
• If you want to adopt from St. Lucia, you don’t have to be a resident but you do have to own property on the island.
  
• If Slovakia is your country of choice, you must maintain long-term residency in-country, and stay there during the entire adoption process, which can take a year or two.
  
• If you want to adopt from Indonesia, a two year in-country residency before an application will be considered, and a belief in God are required.
•  

You can find out more about these by clicking on this link:

Restrictions and Requirements for various countries

And if you want to know where to start click HERE

Also adoption.state.gov is also a great place to find out which countries are more favorable toward adoption. You will NOT be able to adopt from Canada, Australia, or Western Europe if you are American. Fascinating.


Also LDS Family Services is working with Gladney and they are a great resource for information as well so click on this link if you would like to see information about Ethiopian adoptions.

I had hoped to include an account from someone who adopted internationally so you could hear their family story first hand but they weren't able to post this month...maybe next.

Also...don't forget about 12 March. Sister Samayoa will be worth the effort! I'm sure!