Kazakhstan Update

We continue to receive many calls and emails about our Kazakhstan program. While there has been a lot of interest, we only have two families who are actively completing dossiers for Kazakhstan at this time. If you are interested in learning more adopting from Kazakhstan, please contact Joyce Thompson or Brent Yoder at 619-294-7772.

Congratulations!

We have two families who have recently returned with their adopted children! One family adopted a little 20 month boy from Orenburg, while the other family adopted a 4 year old boy from Apatity.

We have several more families who have referrals and will be going on their first trip soon!

Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Holidays

Please be aware that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan will be observing the "Russian" holidays the first half of January. This typically means that the entire country will not be working as all governmental offices and agencies will be closed for the holidays.

Upcoming Adoption Options' Holiday Schedule

With the upcoming holidays, we wanted to give everyone advanced notice the days our office will be closed:

Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008

Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, January 1, 2009

Friday, January 2, 2009

We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for allowing our staff to take the time off to spend the holidays with their families. We will resume our normal office hours on Monday, January 5, 2009.

Hague Home Study Update

We are pleased to announce that we have received our third approval for a Hague convention country! While this may not be exciting news for some, for us it means that are home studies are being approved by the National Benefits Center. Based on these approvals and our work with other placement agencies, we have created our own Hague home study template. This will help reduce the "request for additional evidence" and also cut down on the approval wait time. It is the NBC's goal to reduce their processing time to 30 days, but to date, their processing time is still 90 days.

Newsletter Photos Needed

Adoption Options is in the process of completing our Winter Newsletter. Anyone interested in submitting photos of their family and/or children should email the photos to Natasha Oberg at natasha@adoption-options.org.

Hague Home Studies

Adoption Options is a fully Hague accredited adoption agency. Since the implementation of the Hague by the Department of State (DOS) on April 1, 2008, anyone who is adopting from a Hague convention country has had to undergo a different home study process.

While the general aspects of the home study has been the same, the approval by immigration is completely different and the approval time has temporarily increased.

As of November 17, 2008, the National Benefits Center of the USCIS has received a total of 1,419 I-800A cases. Of that, they have approved 245 cases, with 1,174 cases waiting for approval. The average processing time is 90 days, but they are hoping to cut down this processing time to 30 days once they get through the backlog of cases.

If you are adopting or thinking of adopting from Hague convention country, please be sure speak to us by phone so we can review all the things that you will need to do in order to get approved. Because this process is new, it has been a learning experience for all of us involved. So while it can be frustrating, we have had several families who have completed the new process and have been officially approved by immigration. Adoption Options will be able to get you through it!

Adoption Options' Thanksgiving Holiday Office Hours

In honor of Thanksgiving, our office will close early on Wednesday, November 26th, and will remain closed on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th. We will resume our regular office hours on Monday, December 1st.

Adoption Options would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families, current and past, for your continued support of our agency and the children we serve. We are happy to work with all of you to bring orphaned children home. We sincerely hope that you have a safe and tranquil Thanksgiving!

Reminder, Free Informational Seminar Tomorrow

Just a reminder that Adoption Options will be hosting a free informational seminar tomorrow, Thursday, November 20th, on international adoptions. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM and will be held at our office in San Diego. Any one interested in attending should call Natasha at 619-294-7772 to RSVP.

Tonight's Pre-travel Group is Cancelled

Please be advised that Adoption Options' Pre-Travel Group for this evening has been cancelled due to lack of RSVPs. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause any of you.

There will be no Pre-Travel Group in December. We will resume with this group starting in January 2009. Please review our Events' section on our website for information about upcoming meetings and events. We look forward to seeing you at our next event soon!

http://www.adoption-options.org/events.htm

No Internet or fax!!!

Please be aware that AO does not currently have internet or fax due to a down power line in our area. We are attempting to work with our service provider to get this corrected, but as of today, Tuesday, November 18th, we are not back online. We are available by phone. We are very sorry for this inconvenience and hope to be back online as soon as possible.

Adopting from Kazakhstan

We are thrilled to announce that we will now be accepting new clients and dossiers for this adoption program. The Kazakhstan embassy is now accepting dossiers, and we would like to send any interested and qualified families as soon as possible.

For details about this program please contact our office at (619) 294-7772 and asked to speak to Joyce Thompson, LCSW, Kazakhstan Program Coordinator. You may also reach her by email at joyce@adoption-options.org.

Adoption Options' Pre-Travel Seminar

Attention all Adoption Options' Placement Families!

We will be offering a free, Pre-Travel Seminar, to any of our placement families. We will have one family who has recently adopted 3 children from Russia come and speak about the adoption process and travel experience. Any family who is adopting from our Russian, Kazakhstan, or Kyrgyzstan programs are welcome to attend and learn key tips from a fellow adoptive parent.

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 19, 2008 at 6:30 PM

Location: Adoption Options' Office

411 Camino del Rio, South

Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

Please RSVP to Natasha at (619) 294-7772 or by email at natasha@adoption-options.org by Tuesday, November 18th.

Sensory Integration

On Wednesday, November 12 we had the opportunity for the fourth time to have Leah Taylor, an occupational therapist and adoptive parent, speak at the Adoption Options’ monthly parent support group. She educated the group members about Sensory Integration and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. She also discussed signs of sensory difficulties, sensory integration and international adoption, activities you can do at home with your child to help with sensory integration, and when you might want to get your child assessed for occupational therapy.

What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory integration describes our ability to take in information through senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, and hearing), sort that information based on previous knowledge and then make a meaningful or adaptive response.

What is Sensory Integration Dysfunction?
Sensory Integration dysfunction occurs when a child is not able to access or integrate these sensory experiences to achieve this “adaptive response”. The information is perceived by the individual as too much, not enough or disorganized. Sensory Integration problems, unless severe, are often subtle and easily mistaken for behaviors or explained as personality traits. Understanding a child’s sensory needs ultimately supports them in reaching their own greatest potential.

What makes children, post- orphanage at higher risk?
Sensory Deprivation
Poor Nutrition
Poor prenatal care
Premature birth
Limited opportunity for exploration
Minimal Opportunity for natural movement
Extended period in seated equipment (swing, excer- saucer)
Limited handling, caregiver contact

There is a positive outcome: Children who have experienced sensory deprivation tend to be highly responsive to sensory integration therapy.

What you can do:
*It’s a good idea to get a baseline Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment for all children who were institutionalized for longer than 6 months.
*Ask your MD for a referral for an OT evaluation (your child will need a prescription) or Request a “FREE screen for OT”
*Try some things at home.
*Work on creating a Sensory Diet (with the guidance of an OT)
*Keep a journal, look for trends and celebrate your family’s achievements
*PLAY, a lot- and then some more!

Things you can do at home:

Oral:
Drink from a straw
Sing
Eat crunchy or Chewy snacks
Chew gum
Blow whistles
Take a deep breath
Blow bubbles

Tactile:
Play-doh
Paint
Infant massage
Gently wrestle
Play gentle “contact” games (twister, make up your own)
Find many opportunities to invite your child to snuggle
Dig in the dirt
Sandbox
Walk or run in the grass or on the beach
Splash in waves
Carry your baby close to you (on your back, in a sling)
Hold hands
Explore nature: leaves, safe bugs, jump in puddles
Use a washcloth in the tub
Water table play

Movement:
Swing
Slides
Play upside down games
Sit and spins
Jump
Wiggle
Dance (don’t forget your instruments)
Roll like a log
Roll up in a blanket (or yoga mat) like a hotdog
Run, spin, and roll

Heavy work:
Sit with a heavy blanket on their lap-Sleepy Pete lamb (from Leaps and Bounds)
Wear a small backpack with “treasures” inside
Eat crunchy or chewy snacks
Drink through a straw

Help with chores: push laundry basket, unload non-glass groceries
Garden together
Jump with two feet landing solidly on the ground
Pull a wagon
Ride a trike
Climb a “mountain”
Wrap in a yoga mat- make a burrito ( wrap below the shoulders only)
Build a sandwich out of couch pillows
Wear a tight knit cap

For a study on Sensory Integration and International Adoption:
The Research: Sharon Cermak, Ed.D., OTR/L, published “The Relation Between Length of Institutionalization and Sensory Integration in Children Adopted from Eastern Europe” in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy May/March 2005, Volume 59, Number 2. (Susan H. Lin, Sharon Cermak, Wendy J. Coster, Laurie Miller.)

Free Informational Meeting on Adoptions

Interested in learning about international adoptions? Please join us for a FREE, informational meeting that will cover all aspects of adoptions, but will focus mainly on International Adoption. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 20, 2008 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in our

NEW San Diego Office, located at:
411 Camino del Rio South
Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92108
Please RSVP to Natasha Oberg by calling her at (619) 294-7772 or by emailing her at natasha@adoption-options.org.

Upcoming Holiday Closure

Please be advised that our office will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th, in observance of the Veterans' Day Holiday. We will have our normal office hours, 8 am to 5 pm, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and 8 am to 1 pm on Friday. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Adoption Options and Home Study Services

This is a reminder that Adoption Options is licensed to conduct home studies in the following counties of California: San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Ventura, and Santa Barbara. If you are a resident of any of these counties and need an international home study, please contact our office at 619-294-7772 and speak to Joyce Thompson, LCSW for more information.

Baby Mine-The Story of Isabella

Please see this touching video made by Krygyzstan adoptive mother, Melanie, about her daughter's adoption.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=70b942e11c2b536ffef28c&skin_id=1604&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

November Waiting Families Group

This group is open to all families waiting to adopt. We know that it can be a long and sometimes trying wait for your child. This is a forum in which you can discuss issues with other families who are also in the process of adopting.

Please note that attendance of this group will count for 1.5 hours for the required 10 hours of parent education if you are currently in the home study or home study update process.

Date and Time: Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 6:30 PM

Location: Adoption Options Office

411 Camino del Rio South, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

Please RSVP to Natasha at (619) 294-7772 or

natasha@adoption-options.org.

AO November Parent Supprt Group

The Adoption Options' Parent Support Group is a great way to connect with other aprents, either currently in the process or parents whom have already adopted. This month's topic is on Sensory Integration and International Adoption given by an adoptive parent who is also an occupational therapist.

Please note that attendance of this group will count for 1.5 hours towards the required 10 hours of parent education if you are currently in the home study or home study update process.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Date and Time: November 12, 2008 at 6:30 PM

Location: Adoption Options' Office

411 Camino del Rio South, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 294-7772

Please RSVP to Natasha by November 10, 2008

as space is limited

natasha@adoption-options.org or (619) 294-7772

Adoptions from Kazakhstan

We are pleased to announce that our Kazakhstan program has "re-opened". While this program has never been officially close, the Kazakhstan embassy is now accepting and processing dossiers once again! Any families who are interested in adopting from Kazakhstan, please contact Kazakhstan Program Coordinator, Joyce Thompson at (619) 294-7772 or by email at joyce@adoption-options.org.

Adoptions from Kyrgyzstan Update

We are pleased to announce that 5 of our Kyrgyz children have arrived safely home to the United States. Congratulations to the 5 families who welcomed their children home!

Adoptions from Russia Update

Our Russian adoption program continues to move foward. We have had many families come home with their beautiful children in the last month, with many more who are scheduled to travel in November and December to pick up their children.

If anyone is interested in learning more about our Russian adoption program, please contact Brent Yoder at (619) 294-7772 or by email at brent@adoption-options.org.

Picnic Reminder

Just a brief reminder that our Fall Reunion Picnic will be held this Saturday, October 18th, from 1 to 4 PM, at our regular location at Mission Bay Park.

We will be holding a silent auction, with the proceeds to benefit our adoption agency and adoption programs. Cash or checks will be accepted.

There will also be a pumpkin decorating activity for the children as well as face painting. We will also be having another Halloween costume parade, so please feel free to bring the children's costumes so they can show it off to everyone!

To RSVP or for directions, please call our office at 619-294-7772. See you there!

You Are Invited!!!

We would like to remind you about AO picnic and fundraiser that will take place on October 18, 2008 from 1pm until 4pm. You are invited!
There will be games and a silent auction. We will be accepting cash or checks for the items purchased at the auction. Also, we will have a Halloween costume parade for the children around 3pm!!

We are currently accepting donations and baskets to help us prepare for the fundraiser. We have received 15 baskets so far, but we are still in need for the following items:
- miniature pumpkins and pumpkins decorations
- folding tables for the auction (will be returned to the owners)
- medium size baskets- need before October 15th
- gift baskets
- monetary donations

If you have any questions or to RSVP, please contact Natasha at 619-294-7772.

We will see at the picnic!!

AO office hours

Please note Adoption Options' new office hours:

Monday - Thursday 8am-5pm
Fridays - 8am-1pm

Please note that we have staff meetings every Thursday at 10am-11:30am

Call to all Adoptive Parents of Russian Children

Joint Council Announcement

Program International Relations Initiative
Date September 11, 2008
Regarding Joint Council ACTION REQUEST - RUSSIA
In a proactive effort by Joint Council and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to promote a positive public and governmental image of intercountry adoptions, we are collecting 20 stories of successful Russian adoptees. These stories will be strategically forwarded by DOS to the Government of Russia and Russian media.
Stories should be approximately 500 words in length and, ideally, include a picture of the adoptee and his/her family. Submissions should also include a confidential information release from the adoptive family authorizing a release from all copyrights. Confidential information releases need to include the names of the family members, their address, phone number(s), and an email address. Please note that the story and/or photos will be shared with Joint Council, the US Dept of State, authorities of the Russian Government and members of the media.

Stories should be submitted to Rebecca Harris at rebeccah@jcics.org by September 26, 2008. Thank you!

Volunteers Wanted

We are looking for volunteers to help with our next picnic, to be held on October 18th. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Lori Weiner at 619-294-7772 or by email at lori@adoption-options.org.

We Need Your Help!!!!

Dear Families,

As some of you may know, November is National Adoption Month! This year, in efforts to create awareness and lend support to children in need, we will be hosting fundraising activities during the October 18th reunion picnic.

The funds raised this year will go directly to Adoption Options for the continued operation of our adoption agency and our adoption programs in Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

In order for us to achieve this goal, we need your help! During the October Reunion Picnic, we hope to hold several activities such as a silent auction, games, pumpkin decorations, professional face painting, and more. Adoption Options is in need of the following items for these fundraising activities:

- 15-20 gift baskets for silent auctions
- Monetary donations
- 5-6 foldable tables (will be returned to owner)

Also, if any of you would like to volunteer your time and supplies for any arts and craft activities that the children could do at the picnic, please let us know.

If your family or business would be able to donate or lend us the above mentioned items please contact Natasha or Joyce (619) 294-7772. Your donation is tax deductible!

We realize that this is a challenging time in the economy for all of our families as it is for our agency. We thank you in advance for your continued support of our adoption agency and programs. If your company/employer offers any donations to non-profit organizations, please let us know so we can contact them as well.

Sincerely,
Adoption Options

Next AO Parent Support Group, September 24th

The Adoption Options’ parent support group is a great way to connect with other adoptive parents, either currently in the process or parents whom have already adopted. This month’s topic is related to School and Adoption: How to talk to your children’s teachers about adoption, how to do projects such as family trees, and different school issues that can come about.

Please RSVP soon if you plan on attending.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 @6:30 PM

Topic: School and Adoption

**NEW: Adoption Options’ Office

411 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 294-7772

Please RSVP to Natasha by September 19, 2008 (there is limited space)- natasha@adoption-options.org OR

Call 619-294-7772

Informational Meeting on International Adoptions

Interested in learning about international adoptions? Please join us for a FREE, informational meeting that will cover all aspects of adoptions, but will focus mainly on International Adoption. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2008 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in our NEW San Diego Office, located at:

411 Camino del Rio South

Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

Please RSVP to Natasha Oberg by calling her at (619) 294-7772 or by emailing her at natasha@adoption-options.org.

Russia Update

Our Russian program continues to do well despite concerns that there would be changes to the program due to the recent situation between Russia and Georgia. We have continued to receive referrals for both boys and girls of all ages. Families interested in learning more about our Russian Program should contact our Executive Director, Brent Yoder, LCSW at brent@adoption-options.org or (619) 294-7772.

Kazakhstan Update

Kazakhstan remains open for international adoption. However, due to changes that have occurred at the Kazakhstan embassy, no dossiers are being processed at this time. The Kazakhstan embassy is requiring all agencies working in Kazakhstan to be Hague Accredited, though Kazakhstan is not a Hague Convention Country. We should find out more information from the Kazakhstsan embassy regarding the adoption process after September 15th and will provide an update here.

Families interested in finding out more information about the Kazakhstan program may contact Kazakhstan Program Coordinator, Joyce Thompson, at joyce@adoption-options.org or (619) 294-7772.

Kyrgyzstan Update

Due to changes in other countries' program, we have seen a surge in interest in the Kyrgyzstan program. We have temporarily stopped taking new applications from any families, but are taking names and contact information for families who want to be placed on our waiting list to apply with our agency. If you are interested in finding out more information about Kyrgyzstan or would your name added on our waiting list, please contact our Kyrgyzstan Program Coordinator, Joyce Thompson, at joyce@adoption-options.org or at (619) 294-7772.

We are officially in the new office!

We officially moved into our new office this last weekend, and are up and running. Please be sure to update your contact information with our new address:

411 Camino del Rio South, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 294-7772 Office

(619) 294-7771 Fax

www.adoption-options.org

info@adoption-options.org

Our telephone and individual email addresses have remained the same. As a reminder, our office hours are 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Thursday and 8 AM to 1 PM on Fridays. We are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Call out for blog links

Hi families with blogs! We are looking to add more adoption blogs to our list...if you are interested in allowing to place a link of your blogs to ours, please contact Aline Kalebjian at aline@adoption-options.org. We have many families who would like to her personal stories about their adoptions, and this would be a great way for them to find yours!

Please feel free to add our blog to your blog rolls as well!

AO Parent Support Group on August 13, 2008

Adoption Options' August Parent Support Group

Date: August 13, 2008

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: AO Office

5353 Mission Center Road, Suite 303

San Diego, CA 92108

This month’s speaker is Dr. Michelle Dern, a local pediatrician with a special interest in the care of internationally adopted children, to speak about International Adoption Health Care.

The Adoption Options’ parent support group is a great way to connect with other adoptive parents, either currently in the process or parents whom have already adopted.

*Please note that attendance of this group will count for 1 ½ hours towards the new requirement of 10 parent education hours if you are currently in the homestudy or homestudy update process.

Please RSVP to Lori Weiner at lori@adoption-options.org as soon as possible if you plan on attending.

We are moving!!!

Effective September 1, 2008

Adoption Options will be at a new address!

411 Camino del Rio South, Suite 200

San Diego, CA 92108

619-294-7772 Phone

619-294-7771 Fax

877-542-7772 Toll Free Number

New Blog

Due to technical difficulties, we have had to re-do our blog. Unfortunately we lost the messages from our previous site, but moving to this site will allow us more flexibility and creativity over how we present our information.

Stay tuned!