Please enjoy this video from Colleen Marquez talking about her book “A Gift for Little Tree”. See how her struggles with infertility lead to a new perspective and changed her heart toward adoption.
International Adoption
Nightlight Christian Adoptions: Colorado State License Renewed
Congratulations to the Nightlight Colorado adoption agency professional staff!
On Tuesday of this week the state of Colorado adoption licensing division visited our offices for their annual review of our services. The licensing staff completed a thorough examination of our adoption services over the past year and makes note of any areas of deficiency needing correction or improvement. We a pleased to report that our Colorado adoption office was found to have zero, none, nada issues at this time, and we passed with flying colors!
Our Colorado adoption offices in Loveland and Aurora will continue to provide you with excellent domestic, international, embryo adoption and home study services. We also provide post adoption counseling services throughout the state.
New developments are also on the horizon for Nightlight. At the end of this year we are excited to announce that Nightlight Colorado will begin serving children in foster care.
Contact us here in Colorado at 970-663-6799 or email Liana@Nightlight.org.
Nightlight will continue its illustrious 54 year history of serving families in Colorado, South Carolina, California, Kentucky and throughout the nation for years to come.
Dark Past, Bright Future
Learning about a country’s history is often important and helpful when deciding where to adopt from. Even though many countries have a dirty and saddening past with their orphan care, it can still be inspiring and helpful in your search for adoption. A recent article published in the Scientific American focuses on Romania and a study that was conducted on infants and young children in their orphanages. The study group was able to split up children in to groups where one group was put into foster care while the other group stayed in an orphanage. The results in this study were amazing in the differences of foster care and the orphan system. Children placed into a foster home setting showed to have a higher IQ as they grew compared to children in an orphanage. Foster care children also had less anxiety and were able to attach to loved ones easier than children in orphan care.
To read the article visit the Scientific American website.
To learn more about Romania adoption with Nightlight Christian Adoption Romania Adoption Page.
FACING THE NATION’S FEEDING CRISIS ONE CHILD AT A TIME
The Following is a press release for the “Love Me, Feed Me” book written by Katja Rowell, MD.
St. Paul, MN August 14, 2012 – Feeding and weight worries are a significant source of conflict for families today, and fostering and adopting families face additional challenges. Love Me, Feed Me is a relationship-building, practical guide to help fostering and adoptive families enjoy family meals and raise children who eat a variety of foods and grow to have the body that is right for them. Grounded in science, but made real with the often heart-breaking and inspiring words of parents who have been there, Dr. Katja Rowell helps readers understand and address feeding challenges many foster and adopted children face, from simple picky eating to entrenched food obsession, oral motor and developmental delays, “feeding clinic failures,” and more.
Though written primarily for the adoptive and fostering audience, Rowell, aka, the “Feeding Doctor,” shares that her clients are all more alike than different. “This book is a distillation of the advice and support I provide all my families as they transform a troubled feeding relationship into a healthy one, and bring peace and joy back to the family table.”
If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Katja Rowell, please call 1-888-848-6802 or email info@thefeedingdoctor.com.
Part of the Extended Family
Have you come across a hard time of noticing difference with your adopted child? Your child may be at that stage where they are noticing biological differences or may be more curious about where they come from. What you can do to make your adopted child feel more included and apart of your family? This article has some great examples on how to help your family feel like you all belong together and always will. http://www.growbeyondwords.com/adoption
“The Best Russian…”
Best of Nightlight: Extraordinary Kids – Understanding Special Needs Adoption
“Focus on: Cerebral Palsy”
Many families pursuing international adoption are intimidated by the options, the process, as well as the potential challenges. So when a family hears about “special needs” adoption, they can feel completely overwhelmed.
But the truth is that most of these special needs are quite misunderstood and often can be corrected with minor treatments or training.
This week, we put a special focus on special needs adoption by taking a revealing look at cerebral palsy. The following was written by Joan Francis, an attorney whose expertise is in Family, Disability and Juvenile Law, and who has also adopted a special needs child.
“What is cerebral palsy (CP)?
Any situation involving any level of brain damage immediately before, during, or within about a year after birth is essentially by definition “cerebral palsy,” unless other diagnoses also apply. Typically this is due to deprivation of oxygen on a temporary basis or bleeding in the brain, which sometimes occurs in very premature infants. Injury to the brain after a child is one year old is usually called TBI (traumatic brain injury) —for example: a blow to the head, near-drowning, shaken baby, etc.
Many with CP may have great difficulties in one area (such as severe dyslexia) but display almost photographic memory, dramatic intuitive thought, and comprehension, as well as other unexpected gifts as well.
CP is a STABLE condition; it does not worsen, but can definitely improve over time. By itself it does not shorten life expectancy and so on. Continue reading
Incantation
The following is the first in a new series of posts by guest author Michael Hedges focusing on international adoption and life as an adoptive family. Stay tuned for further posts.
For when you are 18
People will say we rescued you
Took you from a place of terror
Stole you from sickness
People will say we’ve done wrong
Kindled the fire
Broken a culture
People will question
How do we do it
How do you feel
But we will say you are
Strong
Proud
But we will say Love knows no
Continent
Color
But Love knows
Love knows
You
by Michael Hedges
Sasha’s Thoughts: The Beginning – В начале
The following is part 1 of an ongoing series of posts that will be featured on the Nightlight Blog. Stay tuned for future posts!
For those of you who do not know who I am or where my story starts, lets start from the very beginning.
My American name is Julia Sasha. My Russian name is Aleksandra Aleksandrovna Tanina (Александра Александровна Танина). I am just a simple girl who has been privileged to live in two countries and experience the blessings of two very rich cultures.
Some facts to help set up my story:
Born in March of 1990 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Moved to California, America in July 1995
Finished K-12 in the South Bay in 2008
Finished University this past May 2012
Moving back to Russia September 2012!
It seems that Russia and America were part of the destiny that God had for me all along. I look into my past and am amazed at the small things that have transformed my life and prepared me for a bicultural life filled with extraordinary possibilities.
But I am getting ahead of myself… the story starts in a dark and gloomy but magical city on the Gulf of Finland 22 years ago on a day filled with floating premonitions about the miraculous future that would unfold in front of my very eyes.
So I think that I need to keep these posts short and sweet. I am excited to share with you many many thoughts on my own adoption, the impact it had on my own salvation, success and happiness and of course my small words of wisdom for both orphans, adoptees and their families and those with a heart for helping the lost generation of Russia…
Humbly yours,
Саша
Sensory Processing Disorders and Your Child: Part I–Description
This is a Part I in a three part series on sensory processing disorders. On Wednesday, I will address why children develop these disorders and on Friday, you, as a parent, can learn more about what you can do for your child.
Many children adopted internationally have what are known as Sensory Processing Disorders (SPDs). These children have problems processing and appropriately responding to stimuli, such as touch and noise. The SPDs can affect children’s behavior and emotions and may impact their ability to learn and socially function. SPDs are found in 5-10% of non-disabled children and in 40 to 88 % of children with disabilities. It is also more prevalent in children with ADHD.
There are different types of SPDs. Some children overreact to stimuli that most others do not find annoying. These are the kids who cannot stand tags in their clothes or being lightly touched; others may have a “melt-down” if their nails are trimmed or their teeth brushed. If the children have auditory processing problems, they may over react to the vacuum cleaner or other “normal” noises. Others with auditory processing problems can hear just fine but can have difficulty understanding what is being said. These are children who are told, “You are not paying attention.” Continue reading