Beacon House Adoption

Welcome to the Beacon House Post Adoption Center.

So...You are home with your infant/toddler/older child. Beacon Houses Commitment to Excellence does not end with the arrival of your child. We firmly believe that continued support is beneficial to adoptive families, and in some cases, necessary. BHAS has services in place to offer expert guidance and assist families in dealing with any social, emotional, developmental, or medical issues that may arise. Staff is available on call to assist you. While this is not an exhaustive list, questions and concerns are most often in these areas:

Transition
Early Days Together
Developmental Delays
Speech and language Development
Attachment and Bonding
Behavioral Issues
Assistance with accessing local resources

We can help: Call us today at 1-888-987-6300 or information@beaconhouseadopt.com

Mentor Support

Often new adoptive parents (and even experienced parents) have questions that only adoptive families can answer. BHAS has many post-adoptive families volunteer as mentors. Even seasoned adoptive parents can benefit from these exchanges. Post adoption support can be critical for new adoptive families or families in crisis. Parenting is never easy, and the social and emotional support provided by adoption support groups can be beneficial for families at every stage in the adoption process

Beacon House post adoption support network can be accessed at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beaconhousepostadoption
beaconhousepostadoption@yahoogroups.com

Local Support Groups

One of the most important benefits of a family centered support organization is that children can meet and interact with other adopted children. This is equally important for children who are Transracial or same race adoptions. Interacting with other adopted children may provide children with a more secure comfort level with how families are formed and provides them with a safe environment where they are the norm.

While peer acceptance may be more important as a child reaches adolescence, families often become too busy to participate or lose interest in support organizations. Because childrens needs and understanding of adoption change over time, it important that families dont overlook the importance of peer groups as children begin to understand the implications and social circumstances surrounding adoption.

To find adoptive parents groups see: the National Foster Care and Adoption Directory: http://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/

Families for Russian & Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA)

FRUA has activechapters and contacts across the US. FRUA focuses on international adoption support and resources for families who have adopted from Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries. Their annual conference brings together experts in many fields to address issues that may arise throughout the life of an internationally adopted child.

http://www.frua.org/

Online Support Groups

There are many groups to choose from. On-line support groups may be country or regional specific or cater to a special need. There are support groups for a variety of demographics: singles, Christian, divorced, and almost anything else you can think of. Parents can chat, ask questions, make friends, and often find families similar to there own, who have experienced what they are going through.

Beacon House- Open Group- https://www.facebook.com/#!/beacon.adoption

Beacon House Families - Post Adoption- coming soon

Beacon House Families - Single Parents- coming soon

FRUA Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_83837030440

FRUA Facebook for Teens: https://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=frua+teens&init=quick#!/group.php?gid=178668312663

Eastern European Adoption Coalition
http://www.eeadopt.com/support-via-mailing-lists-mainmenu-41/our-mailing-lists-mainmenu-75.html

Continuing Education

Adoptive families who attend adoption conferences or take online learning courses can learn about the adoption topics that are of most interest to them. There is also the added benefit of meeting other families, having questions answered by professionals, and learning about the most up to date or relevant events happening within the adoption community.

Organizations that have annual conferences with information beneficial to adoptive parents include:

Great Wall d/b/a Children of All Nations http://www.gwca.org

National Council for Adoption https://www.adoptioncouncil.org

University of Massachusets - Amherst http://www.umass.edu/umhome/events/articles/122506.php

Daniel Kids, Florida http://www.danielkids.org/sites/web/index.cfm

Southeast Adoption Coalition http://www.southeastadopt.webs.com/

Therapy

Any member of the adoption triad may find that there are issues that are best addressed with the help of a licensed, professional therapist. The ideal therapist should be aware of the complexities of adoption issues such as attachment, grief and loss, identity and racial issues, and Post Institutional Effects (PIE). BHAS may be able to recommend one in your area, but additionally, see

Selecting and Working with An Adoption Therapist
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_therapist.cfm

Post Adoption Depression

Ive waited all this time to become a parent, so why do I feel so blue?
Actually a number of parents do feel a degree of post adoption blues and some will develop post-adoption depression (PAD). The symptoms are the same as those for most forms of depression. They may include fatigue, irritability, loss of appetite, sadness, and a general sense of being overwhelmed. Individuals with a history of depression or experienced difficulties in the adoption process may be at higher risk for PAD.

Finalizing an adoption is an emotional climax and the stress may be replaced by the new stress of caring for your child. These feelings are not uncommon and will pass. However, because PAD can negatively affect attachment and bonding, it is important to seek help as necessary.

Post Adoption Depression Syndrome
http://www.adopting.org/pads.html

Post Adoption Depression: What to do if this happens to you
http://www.rainbowkids.com/ExpertArticleDetails.aspx?id=272&title=Post%20Adoption%20Depression

Post Placement and Post Adoptive Reporting

In both domestic and international adoptions, this piece of the process is critical to assuring that new (or experienced) parents are meeting the legal requirements that accompany their adoption process. Domestic post placement reports take place prior to finalization of the adoption, while international adoptions more often require post adoptive reports, which take place after finalization of the adoption in a foreign country.

The BHAS domestic adoption program generally requires four (4) post placement reports during the first 6 8 months after placement. These reports are generally completed every other month after placement, and require the presence of a social worker in the home.

The BHAS Russian adoption program generally requires a total of eight (8) post adoptive reports, at the following times: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24 and 36 months following the effective date of the final decree of adoption in Russia. All reports require the presence of a social worker, and parents should be prepared to discuss any issues that are arising with the child or the situation in general. The Russian Federation has specific information that is required on the reports done at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months, and the bi-monthly reports in the first year of placement allow BHAS to work with the adjustment of the child and/or family to ensure the best possibility of success for the future.

Additional Adoption Resources

Adoption Assistance by State:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_assistance/

Adoptive Families' guide to talking about adoption
http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/talking

International Adoption and Schools
http://www.internationaladoptionhelp.com/international_adoption/international_adoption_schools.htm

Families and Adoption: The Pediatricians Role in Supporting Communication
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;112/6/1437

Mothers with Attitude: Hot Links: Adoption
http://www.motherswithattitude.com/links/adopt.html

Parenting After Adoption
http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_parenting/

Post Adoption Information; Specializing in Eastern European Adoption
http://www.postadoptinfo.org/

Transracial Adoption
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_trans.cfm

Beacon House Adoption Services

Post Adoption Support