This is the most recent information we have on the children in Haiti whose lives have been upended by the devastating earthquake that hit that country. For some children—several hundred—adoptions were in the works at the time of the earthquake. The safety of those children is in question, and efforts are being made to locate the paperwork associated with their adoptions.
A group of 53 children was brought to Pittsburgh, PA. by Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell. They had been living in a Haitian orphanage run by two sisters, formerly from Pittsburgh. The children are now in custody of the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services and will be placed in foster homes after they leave Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital where they were taken from the airport.
Most of those children already have adoption plans in place. For the others, it will take considerable time to learn whether or not they have family alive in Haiti and whether they will eventually be available to be adopted. If they are to be adopted, prospective adoptive parents will need home studies which can be conducted by a licensed adoption agency.
Contact us for additional information or you may contact the Allegheny County Children and Youth Services—412-473-2000 or Three Rivers Adoption Council—412-471-8722 or jwilson@3riversadopt.org. Media may contact Gloria Hochman at 215-588-0506.
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Match Parties for Teens
“Family is very important because they’re the main ones you can look to when something goes wrong or you need a helping hand.”
“It would be really great having a home for the holidays, just sitting around and opening presents.”
“I need someone to be there for me.”
These are teens in foster care talking.
To help teens in Pennsylvania find “forever” families, we recently held two teen match parties (one in Philadelphia, the other in Pittsburgh), sponsored by the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN). The goal was to bring together in a relaxed, fun setting teens waiting for a family and families wanting to adopt an older child. Families who had already completed their home study were invited to participate.
Prior to the parties, two events were held in each city to prepare the teens. A facilitator led them through a series of activities designed to help them feel comfortable and to see both what they had in common and how they differed. They learned that it was okay to be themselves. In addition, the teens felt empowered when they were asked for their input on activities for their match party.
The pre-events helped the teens to relax and enjoy themselves at the match parties as they interacted with potential adoptive families. At the match parties, each youth was presented with a certificate and a t-shirt imprinted with a photo of a person the teen said had influenced him/her.
In Philadelphia, 18 of the 22 teens attending the match party received inquiries from families, Nine of the ten teens attending in Pittsburgh had inquiries. After the parties, teens were asked for their views of the day. Among the responses:
• It was great and wonderful to be around new people, both kids and adults.
• Awesome…there’s somebody who cares for you and wants to help you find a family. .
• You get to meet families and other kids in the same situation.
• It was fun and entertaining.
Families also had a good time. One family said, “We truly enjoyed our day and meeting the kids. Hopefully, we have found a match. It is so much better to meet the children in person, as opposed to a picture on a web site.”
“It would be really great having a home for the holidays, just sitting around and opening presents.”
“I need someone to be there for me.”
These are teens in foster care talking.
To help teens in Pennsylvania find “forever” families, we recently held two teen match parties (one in Philadelphia, the other in Pittsburgh), sponsored by the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN). The goal was to bring together in a relaxed, fun setting teens waiting for a family and families wanting to adopt an older child. Families who had already completed their home study were invited to participate.
Prior to the parties, two events were held in each city to prepare the teens. A facilitator led them through a series of activities designed to help them feel comfortable and to see both what they had in common and how they differed. They learned that it was okay to be themselves. In addition, the teens felt empowered when they were asked for their input on activities for their match party.
The pre-events helped the teens to relax and enjoy themselves at the match parties as they interacted with potential adoptive families. At the match parties, each youth was presented with a certificate and a t-shirt imprinted with a photo of a person the teen said had influenced him/her.
In Philadelphia, 18 of the 22 teens attending the match party received inquiries from families, Nine of the ten teens attending in Pittsburgh had inquiries. After the parties, teens were asked for their views of the day. Among the responses:
• It was great and wonderful to be around new people, both kids and adults.
• Awesome…there’s somebody who cares for you and wants to help you find a family. .
• You get to meet families and other kids in the same situation.
• It was fun and entertaining.
Families also had a good time. One family said, “We truly enjoyed our day and meeting the kids. Hopefully, we have found a match. It is so much better to meet the children in person, as opposed to a picture on a web site.”
Friday, January 30, 2009
FACE2FACE: Teen Match Parties
The National Adoption Center invites prospective parents who are interested in adopting older youth to join us for two exciting events:
Philadelphia, Pa.
March 28, 2009 – 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Pittsburgh, Pa.
May 9, 2009 – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Prospective adoptive parents who are approved by their agency will meet 25-30 teens who would like to be adopted. Families and youth will participate in fun activities, enjoy watching a hip hop dance troupe and eat lunch.
There is no fee to attend. Registration is limited. Sorry, children and relatives of prospective parents may not attend.
Please contact Julie Marks, project manager, with questions. She may be reached at 215-735-9988x367 or pateen@adopt.org
We'll have an online registration form available shortly.
Philadelphia, Pa.
March 28, 2009 – 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Pittsburgh, Pa.
May 9, 2009 – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Prospective adoptive parents who are approved by their agency will meet 25-30 teens who would like to be adopted. Families and youth will participate in fun activities, enjoy watching a hip hop dance troupe and eat lunch.
There is no fee to attend. Registration is limited. Sorry, children and relatives of prospective parents may not attend.
Please contact Julie Marks, project manager, with questions. She may be reached at 215-735-9988x367 or pateen@adopt.org
We'll have an online registration form available shortly.
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