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In 2001, Children’s Home came to SJA asking for churches to partner with them to encourage adoption, especially Waiting Children. Father George Wertin, pastor at the time, agreed and the SJA Adoption Ministry was formed.
Each year the Ministry gives two educational workshops, three to four family funs nights of pizza and conversation, the June picnic, a fall potluck with entertainment, and the Adoption Option for people thinking about adopting or just wanting to know more about how the system works.
The years Option started with a pick up breakfast and conversation. Mark Quinn welcomed everyone and gave introductions. Frances Spalding then gave a reflection on adoption, with poetry.
Continuing, we had “Various Adoption Opportunities” with a panel of professionals;
Anne Sinnott(right) from Crossroads and Mickey Harris from Children’s Home gave information about their agencies and the process they use to get to know each applicant. Every agency has mandatory classes you take that discuss the overall adoption process. After they are completed you fill out a home study. This is the document that will eventually link you to a child.
There is lots of paperwork, as they need to know everything about you in order to link you with the correct child. Liz Keller of Wellspring Adoption, which places domestic infants, says at the end you write a birth mother letter and then the waiting begins. Erica Dahlquist of the Homecoming Project, teens looking for permanent families, says you will be matched to a teen with the same interests as you. You get the information on the teen and decide if you want to meet.
After adoption, the agency has post placement interviews to help with any issues that might have come up. Overall, the agencies job is to be your best friend and make the process go as smooth as possible.
Next came a panel of four “People Who’ve Done It”. Flannery Dolan, as a birth Mom, gave up her daughter at seventeen and continues to have an open relationship with her. Now sixteen, her daughter is babysitting for Flannery’s two children. Gabrielle Dane(right) told of adopting her two children from Guatemala, an international adoption. Nancy Hardie gave her story of adopting her daughter from China as an older single parent. Lastly, James Brinker and his partner have adopted six children from the Children Waiting Program. Each told of the joy and the problems they had along the journey. All the stories were beautiful and inspiring.
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