Hillside Children’s Center appoints Hansen-Walker as adoption homefinding specialist

Hillside Children’s Center has appointed Jody Hansen-Walker to the position of adoption homefinding specialist.

In this position, Hansen-Walker, of Pittsford, NY, will be responsible for the recruitment, training, support, and matching of prospective adoptive families with children in foster care who have been freed for adoption.

Prior to her appointment, Hansen-Walker was the program coordinator for Hillside Children’s Center’s Adoption Support and Preservation services in Western New York. Hansen-Walker has been a therapeutic adoptive parent since 1987.

Thank you to all

Everyone at Hillside's Adoption Services would like to thank each and every one of you that attended the 18th Annual Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children's Center Conference this year.

Hillside Adoption Services planning for National Adoption Month in November

By Lisa Maynard

It's that time of year again! The leaves have turned amber and scarlet, the air is brisk, and the skies are a steely gray. As all signs point to autumn’s arrival, plans for National Adoption Month kick into high gear.

Twenty-three years ago, I was trying to figure out how to have a family because the traditional method just wasn't working for me. I wanted to learn what the options were in adoption and to compare agencies to find the right fit. It was a daunting task because there was no central comprehensive resource. I used the newspaper, parenting magazines, the yellow pages and my doctor's limited knowledge and asked friends if they knew of anyone who knew anyone who adopted. I was fortunate to find an agency that felt right and helped us to build our family through adoption.

Today, the Internet is a rich resource–a one-stop shop for finding anything you might dream of or desire. Goggling "adoption" yields almost 60,000,000 results! Needless to say, there is plenty of information readily available in cyberspace. But, how on earth does one make sense of any it?

As a means of providing an answer to that question, Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children’s Center is presenting Creating Kin Week from November 9–14, 2009.

Creating Kin Week kicks off with Options in Building Your Family through Adoption on Monday, November 9, 2009 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This informational meeting will guide you through the maze of options in adoption, including International, Domestic Infant, and Waiting Child Adoption, debunk the myths (you can adopt if you are single, gay, rent an apartment rather than own a home, or have children already), and walk you through the adoption process with compassion and support. Visit http://www.hillside.com/Services/adoption.htm for more details and for a complete listing of the Creating Kin Week events.

Save the Date!
18th Annual Adoption Conference
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Bay Trail Middle School
Penfield, NY

Boss' Day brings out Believers at Hillside Adoption Services

On Friday, October 16, my entire staff paraded into my office and gathered around my desk. We have been quite busy with planning our week of Creating Kin Week events for National Adoption Month and I was concerned that they were there to tell me I had been pushing them to hard.

They stood there seriously for a moment, and then they all broke into smiles. Shari stepped forward and placed a small, sparkly gold gift bag on my desk and announced that they were in my office to say Happy Boss' Day. My staff presented me with a silver ring engraved with the word "Believe" in three languages. I was moved to tears! "Believe" is our staff mantra.

We Believe in the possibilities of creating kin and building family through adoption. We Believe in the right of every child to have a forever family. We Believe in the potential of every child to work through their trauma and find success in life. We Believe in the power of commitment of the families who adopt children who have experienced abuse and neglect. We Believe we can offer support to children and families on their adoption journey and throughout their lives. We Believe that together we can make a difference.

Thank you to my amazing staff who truly do Believe and demonstrate that every day through their commitment to families and children.

Lisa Maynard elected to NYSCCC Board

On May 7, 2009, Lisa Maynard, Hillside Children’s Center Adoption Services executive director, had the honor of being elected to the New York State Citizen's Coalition for Children's Board of Directors.

Lisa, a long time member and volunteer with the organization, said the New York State Citizen's Coalition for Children (NYSCCC) gave Adoption Resource Network, Inc.(now Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children's Center) the original grant to incorporate and organize in 1991 with the goal to provide information, education, guidance, and support to members of the adoption triad in Monroe and surrounding counties.

Incorporated in 1975, NYSCCC was organized to address problems in New York’s child welfare system. These problems had resulted in protracted foster care stays in what was intended to be a temporary system, but had, in fact, become the way of life for thousands of children in the foster care system. Coalition activities to address these problems over its 34 year history have been focused on:

• Administrative and Legislative Advocacy


• Community Education


• Parent Group Development and Support Services


• Recruitment of Families for Waiting Children

“I am proud to have been a part of NYSCCC for many years, and now have the good fortune to assist with their work in the coming years,” said Lisa.

National Association of Social Workers recognizes Hillside's Lisa Maynard

Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children’s Center Executive Director Lisa Maynard has been named as the Social Work Student of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Lisa was nominated for this award by the University of Buffalo School of Social Work, which Lisa is attending while working toward a Masters Degree in Social Work. Lisa received the award during the NASW awards dinner held on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at the Burgundy Basin Inn outside of Rochester, NY.

Forum held on opening adoption records

By Lisa Maynard, Hillside Children’s Center Adoption Services executive director

On May 7, 2009, the Services Overview Committee of the Hillside Children’s Center Board of Directors hosted a special meeting to discuss the many perspectives on the controversial issue regarding opening adoption records and an adoptee’s right to access his or her original birth certificate. Respected ethicist, Maxine Vandewettering, served as moderator, with a panel of presenters representing different aspects of adoption. The panel was comprised of: Sally, adoptive mom to three children; Anne, adopted adult and adoptive mom; Ted, adopted adult; Mary, birthmother to a son born in 1946; and Pat, a former Hillside Social Worker in adoption.

The discussion was emotional and rich. Those in favor presented compelling personal stories and arguments for supporting access to birth records. The panelist against open records presented her thoughtful reasoning, and was equally compelling. The audience made wonderful use of the Q&A session, no doubt leaving the Forum with many more questions than answers.

National organizations are examining this issue, as well. A publication released in November 2007 by the Evan B. Donaldson Institute for Adoption for National Adoption Awareness month, (http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/research/2007_11_for_records.php) represents the most comprehensive examination to date of one of the most controversial, emotional issues in the modern adoption world: whether adopted people, once they become adults, should have access to their original birth certificates. This report suggests that all states change their laws so that the answer is "yes."

This policy paper is the result of the broadest, most extensive examination to date of the various issues related to state laws governing adult adopted persons' access to their original birth certificates. The information and recommendations in this paper are drawn from a review and analysis of past and current state laws; legislative history in states across the country; decades of experience on relevant issues; and the body of research relating to sealed and open records on the affected parties.

Among the findings in the report, "For the Records: Restoring a Right to Adult Adoptees," are:

• Prohibiting adopted people from getting their personal information raises significant civil rights concerns and potentially serious, negative consequences for their physical and mental health.
• In states that now allow access, there has been no evidence that the legal changes have caused problematic behavior by adopted persons or damage to birthmother's lives.
• Another assertion by critics of changing these laws - that abortion rates will rise and adoption rates will fall - is not supported by the evidence; in fact, it appears just the opposite occurs.

Using input from the Forum on Open Records, the Hillside Children’s Center Board and Hillside Family of Agencies Board of Directors will be making a decision on Hillside’s position to support a change in the New York State law.

If you would like to join this discussion, please email me at lmaynard@hillside.com. All voices are welcome.

Adoption interns make a difference

Over the last nine months, Hillside Children’s Center’s Adoption Services have had the good fortune to have four amazing interns serving children and families.

Erin Pena, Rebecca Coppenrath, and Leia Barkman, who are all Masters of Social Work degree students at Roberts Wesleyan College, took active roles in providing adoption services to children and families.

Erin primarily worked with Jacquie Morrison, assisting families in our International Adoption program. Rebecca and Leia primarily worked with Linda Harris, assisting families seeking to adopt through our Waiting Child Adoption program. Jennifer Castonguay assisted Mike Finn with AdoptMent and Lisa Petrosino with Wendy's Wonderful Kids.

The interns gained skills in interviewing, assessment, writing homestudies, navigating the child welfare system, group facilitation, and the intricacies of working inside of an agency.
All of us at Hillside’s Adoption Services are pleased to report that both Leia Barkman and Jennifer Castonguay have been hired as permanent staff members. Leia is a social worker with Hillside Children’s Center’s Monroe Region therapeutic foster care team and Jenn is a skillbuilder in adoption services. All four interns made valuable contributions to our program and services.

Pictured left to right in photo: Front row-Rebecca Coppenrath, Leia Barkman, Erin Pena, Lisa Maynard, and Jacquie Morrison; Back row-Mike Carroll, Shari Bartlett, Cecelia Spinelli, and Linda Harris.

Hillside staff member named Adoption Activist of the Year

Hillside Family of Agencies staff member Jody Hansen-Walker has been named Adoption Activist of the Year by the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).

Hansen-Walker is a member of Hillside Children’s Center’s Niagara County Team and serves as the post adoption coordinator with the Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP) service.

Hansen-Walker was nominated by her son Steven, who rallied a number of people in support of his mother’s nomination.

“Jody’s boundless energy makes me tired, and her commitment is truly inspirational. This is a very wonderful honor for Jody and for our adoption work at Hillside,” says Lisa Maynard, Adoption Resource Network at Hillside Children’s Center executive director.

Photo: Lisa (on the left) and Jody at the October 21, 2008 Adoption Excellence Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C. from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The award was for Hillside's work serving families, post adoption through ASAP.