ADOPTIVE FAMILY EDUCATIONS FORUMS
Sat.,Sept. 11 & Oct. 2, 2010 –Parent Training.
Presented by Bettye Jo Bell, LMSW, of the Lakeshore
Attachment Alliance (LAA).
Event location: St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1025 3 Mile Rd N.E.,
Grand Rapids, MI49505
Please register at registration@afsn.org
Sat.,Sept. 18, 2010. – Respite Provider Training.
Presented by Joe Kohley, LMSW, of the Lakeshore Attachment
Alliance (LAA)
Event location TBD
Please register at registration@afsn.org
Thurs.,Oct. 12th–Jan. 18th- Advanced Parenting for Challenging Children (APCC).
Presented by, Betsy Boggs, AFSN Executive Director.
Group will meet bi-weekly for eight sessions
Event location: Central Reformed Church, 10 College Ave., Grand
Rapids, MI 49503.
Please register at registration@afsn.org
ADOPTIVE FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS
“Special Needs Adoptive Parents” Support Group.
Meetings held monthly on the 3rd Mon., of the month. Group is
open to families who have adopted through D.A.Blodgett for Children. New members are invited to join the September Meeting!
6:00-8:00pm.
Please register at registration@afsn.org
“Raising Healthy Families” Parent Support Group.
Meetings held monthly on the 3rd Tue. of each month at St.
Andrews Episcopal Church,1025 3 Mile Rd N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49505
6:30-8:30pm.
This long time “ongoing” group is led by an adoptive parent and
AFSN volunteer.
Please register at registration@afsn.org
“Parenting of the Challenging Child” Support Group.
Meetings to be scheduled monthly.
Dates: beginning in mid October 2010
This group will be open to parents that have attended the
Advanced Parenting of the Challenging Child training in the past.
Please register at registration@afsn.org
ADOPTIVE FAMILY FUN EVENTS
Adoptive Family Support Network’s Fun Events are social, celebratory, networking activities for the whole family held 4-5 times throughout the year.
Sun.,Aug. 22, 2010 from 1:00 – 4pm “Picnic in the Park”.
Event to be held at Millennium Park as a kickoff to getting back to
school and AFSN fall programs.
Millenium Park, 1415 Maynard Ave. S.W., Grand Rapids, MI 49534
11:00a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Open Shelter A
Families may decide to visit the beach/”sprayground” for a fee ($Adults $4, Seniors $3,Children (3 to 15) $2, Children(under the age of 3 are free)·
A lite lunch and soft drinks provided
Crafts,Games and Give-a-ways
Please register at registration@afsn.org
**NEW RESOURCES for ADOPTIVE FAMILIES**
Creating a Family
is a non-profit providing education and resources for infertility and adoption. Check out their website www.creatingafamily.org for the link to their weekly radio show. Details:
Previous guest include: Deborah Gray (Attaching in Adoption), Sherrie Eldridge (Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents knew), Mary Hopkins-Best (Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft) etc.
Show airs every Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. to1:00 p.m. EST.
Past Shows are available for listening at the radio page of www.creatingafamily.org. We just listen to the show titled “You’ve Adopted…now what…” it was very informative!
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The Michigan Adoptive Resource Exchange (M.A.R.E.)needs area teens for a Youth Advisory Board, ALT (Adoption Leaders of Today).
Youth boards are a way for youth to meet other youth who are in similar situations as themselves. ALT members work together to help improve Michigan’s adoption and foster care systems by creating recruitment activities and media campaigns and giving their opinions on policy and programs. ALT members will receive leadership,communication, and team building experience in a safe environment with other like-minded youth and young adults. Details:
MARE is looking for youth aged 12-22 who:
Are currently waiting to be adopted
Have been adopted
Aged out of care waiting to be adopted
Interested?
Contact Loren Sanders of MARE, 734-528-1692 ext. 23254, 800-589-MAREorloren_sanders@judsoncenter.org
Calvin College is conducting a study and needs volunteers…
Description of Study
You and your child are invited to participate in a study that hopes to learn more about how children develop following international adoption. We would like to learn more about what changes occur in children’s thinking skills (such as language),behavior, and emotional adjustment after adoption. The goal is to better understand how children change over time and use this information to understand when interventions would be helpful. We also hope to better understand what things predict good adjustment following adoption and what things might be early warning signs that help us intervene sooner, when necessary. Therefore, we are hoping to include both families whose children are developing well and families who have concerns about their child’s development.
Participation Requirements
If your child has been adopted in the last 3 years and is younger than 16 years old, you are eligible to participate. If you choose to participate in the study, you and your child will be doing three things:
1. Completing a consent form and several parent rating forms looking at your child’s behavior and emotions.
2. Completing an interview that will ask questions about your child’s developmental history.
3. Your child will participate in a comprehensive assessment of his/her thinking skills. The skills assessed vary widely depending on the age of the child. You will receive feedback regarding your child’s performance on the assessment.
Contact Information
Emily Helder, PhD
Psychology Department, Science Building 326
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
616-526-6396 (office)
616-526-6537 (fax)
emily.helder@calvin.edu
Brief Bio
Dr. Helder received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Calvin College and her M.A.and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University. She completed her clinical internship at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Her specialty areas within clinical psychology are neuropsychology, focusing on the relationship between the brain and behavior,and child development. She has been engaged in research with children who have been internationally adopted since 2004, both in Detroit and Chicago. She has multiple, peer reviewed journal publications and conference presentations focusing on the development of children following adoption. For a list of these publications please visit: http://www.calvin.edu/academic/psych/faculty/helder/