NEWS & INFORMATION

In Need of a SPECIAL FAMILY 3/2/2010

Sometimes, a family dreams a dream to add to their family through adoption……..and they follow their dream. And, the dream doesn’t turn into a ‘happy beginning’ but becomes a ‘ a stepping stone’ in the lives of children…….we have two little girls that recently made their life journey to the USA and to what we all had hoped would be a happy homecoming.

However, it has become clear that this is not their forever home and they need a new family to step forward to help them complete their journey to THEIR family. They are biological sisters, age five and six, with some delays: they will need a family with experience and time to help them become all that they can be.

We can provide full medicals from their birth country and a fair amount of history. We have recent test results and educational input from pre-school and Kindergarten. We have solid information from their adoptive family who has tried very hard to be their forever family. We have pre adoptive video and can share many photos. This will be a domestic adoption and we must make absolutely certain that the new family understands this MUST be a permanent forever commitment much like a marriage “life time commitment to a person with no biological relationship to you”. They will do best in a family with no children younger than they are and perhaps in a family where they are the youngest by quite a lot so that they are ‘the babies’ of the family.

There will be fees associated with interstate commerce and meeting the parameters of both the girl’s state of current residence and the state in which the new family resides. There will be attorney fees.

Please, please, do not inquire if you have no ability to be a family who can be very seriously considered. This is an immediate situation which must take place with the ‘right’ family in a very very timely manner. While some families are ‘thinking about adoption’ and might see a domestic adoption such as this situation as a way to avoid the costs of international adoption and travel, this is not an opportunity for a ‘new to adoption’ family. These little ladies are fragile in that this ‘journey to your family’ will need to be explained and a life book made with them to assist them in understanding that this is not their ‘fault’; it is a path which we as adults wish we could have prevented but instead it has opened a door for them to find their forever family.

It is our preference that ONLY families with a home study (even if for international purposes) in hand contact us; you will need experience with children who need time and a place to heal and to grow well to meet their potential. Love will not cure the baggage; it will certainly help but their family will need to have a support system, educational opportunities at hand, experience with hurt, and with testing behaviors. Their new family should know this is going to be a full time job to help the girls find their path through this experience and find their footing along with finding ‘their place’ in their new family. A full time parent at home is a must as they can not be sent to day care or placed in full time school until some established routine and consistency can be established.

These are lovely children and their adoptive family wants ONLY the very best for them; they have tried to be the family the girl’s need and they will be very supportive to do all they can to help the girls make this transition.

Please email Kay Montes at kay@toladopt.org for initial contact; we will be screening families and providing information on a very personal basis as a support to this family and these little girls. If you feel that you may indeed BE their family, please contact Kay as swiftly as possible. Thank you for considering these little ladies.

"There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are BLESSINGS given to us to learn from." -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Bulgarian Ministry of Justice Visited Oregon

It is with great pleasure that Tree of Life welcomed several members of the Bulgarian Minister of Justice to Portland! As many of you are aware, Mrs. Ilonka Raichinova, has worked very hard to find families for the Bulgarian orphans: it is with her support that she had authorized this contingent of representatives to honor us with a visit. Since taking over as the Minister of Justice, she has streamlined the matching process and removed many restrictions that made Bulgarian adoptions cumbersome and it is with this support that we have planned to receive these officials.

This group made a rare trip to the United States and their visit in part consisted of continued talks on streamlining the adoption process in order to place more children into adoptive homes, as well as a social visit with many of the families that have adopted from Bulgaria through Tree of Life. You can read more about her visit in our Summer 2009 Newsletter.

NEWS

1/13/2010 Haiti earthquake: relief effort

7/14/2009 - Download our Summer 2009 Newsletter

11/26/2008 - Download our December newsletter

6/17/2007 - Download our June Newsletter

3/5/2008 - Download our March Newsletter

3/5/2008 - Download interview with Deputy MOJ in Bulgaria

1/13/2008 - Download our January / February Newsletter

12/6/2007 - Download our December Newsletter

10/6/2007 - Download our October Newsletter

9/7/2007 - Download our September Newsletter

8/6/2007 - Download our August Newsletter