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.