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NEW PARENTS NEEDED!


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I sure hope that new loving couples will emerge and get ready to meet and love the best kids in the world! Coming to Abrazo in March has forever changed our lives in such a wonderful way.

I pray these beautiful children will find their forever families. What a blessing!

We are so in love with our little Senorita.... smile.gif

Elaine

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We can certainly say that although this is not in the cards for us at this time - Matthew and Sarah are 15 months apart and yes it was a shock during the first month - but as we settle into month #2 and head for month #3 - wow - is it nice to have two at home and the 15 month separation is really quite nice - a lot of work - but all worth it when you reflect back at the end of each day!

So for all of you potential againers out there - think hard - then call Angela - you will not regret it!

Warm thoughts and best wishes to all of the potential new Mommys and Daddys!

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Elizabeth,

Sign us up for December! We will be ready for another abrazo babe come January. Austin is just too easy on us...We hope Windycity is right and having 2 under 15 months is twice the fun. Not to mention the great experience we had with Abrazo the first time around makes us dare to dream again.

God bless and may all those little angels find there way home.

Gabriela and Chris

Edited by BlessedinEP
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Hi, Elizabeth! We'll see you Saturday, but I had to post to let you know we'd do it again in a heartbeat if Katharine weren't just last week two months old! laugh.gif Give us some time to recover, and we'll be back!!

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Oh, I wish! But a 3 year old and 2 under the age of 1 might be a little challenging...

Anyone searching and haven't yet decided on Abrazo... It truly is not "if" but "when".

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  • 10 months later...

NEEDED: TEXAS FIRST-TIMERS!!!

We love having applicants from all over the U.S., of course, but lately, Abrazo has seen a strong birthparent demand for childless couples in the Lone Star State who are open to infants of Anglo and/or Hispanic descent, and at present, we have only three Texas families in our program still waiting to match/place (two of whom already have a child).

If you or someone you know in our state are well-suited to open adoption and ready to find an agency that's ready for you/them, please call Angela at Abrazo (210/342-5683) and holler "Yessirreeeee, Ang, sign us up!!"

(And then if you really want to score points, tell her you're available for our July orientation weekend if she can get the paperwork to you right quick... you never know what might could just happen between now and Christmas, for those who believe... it's not "if?" but "when!!!: wink.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...

Only if you can assure potential birthmoms who want their child raised Texan that you're moving back there! :P (Nice try! LOL.)

The issue, of course, is that for birthparents who are hoping for genuinely open adoption relationships that do allow for recurrent visits back and forth, out-of-state adoptors seem less likely to follow through... but I can think of some out-of-state families (Maury & Debra, Jim & Andrea, and Craig & Maralou, for example!) who have really "gone the extra mile" to ensure that their children and birthparents enjoy quality time together, despite the distance, and their birthfamilies have seen more of them than some Texas birthmoms who placed with Texas families, (sad to say)!

So, the moral of the story is: birthparents, don't count out-of-state couples OUT before discussing your hopes for contact with them, and adoptive parents, remember that planning for a genuine open adoption requires a commitment to creating ongoing opportunities for significant contact (and not just occasional phone calls or mail, way few and far between!) ;)

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Only if you can assure potential birthmoms who want their child raised Texan that you're moving back there! :P (Nice try! LOL.)

The issue, of course, is that for birthparents who are hoping for genuinely open adoption relationships that do allow for recurrent visits back and forth, out-of-state adoptors seem less likely to follow through... but I can think of some out-of-state families (Maury & Debra, Jim & Andrea, and Craig & Maralou, for example!) who have really "gone the extra mile" to ensure that their children and birthparents enjoy quality time together, despite the distance, and their birthfamilies have seen more of them than some Texas birthmoms who placed with Texas families, (sad to say)!

So, the moral of the story is: birthparents, don't count out-of-state couples OUT before discussing your hopes for contact with them, and adoptive parents, remember that planning for a genuine open adoption requires a commitment to creating ongoing opportunities for significant contact (and not just occasional phone calls or mail, way few and far between!) ;)

It never hurts to try, right? :D

I totally agree with you about not counting out out-of-state couples. I think it really all depends on the individuals more than the geographical distance, although I do see the logic. I suppose because I have lived in so many different cities, we both have traveled extensively with our jobs and the fact that Bart and I LOVE to travel, distance really isn't an issue for us. I hope all of us beginning this journey, BPs & APs, can be open minded and really communicate our expectations ~~ it would be a shame to miss an incredible match because of assumptions! :)

Edited by TheEnglishes
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Texas is a big state as I'm sure you know.

For example, there's less distance between Memphis and Dallas. than SA and Amarillo? :o

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  • 5 months later...

Hey! Angela! When are the Parents-of-Tomorrow orientation weekend dates for 2007? B)

Inquiring minds wanna know!

(Stay tuned, y'all! Our Family Services Coordinator doesn't fancy computer communications all that much but she's diligent about detail and she's bound to have the new dates up in no time, so you can plan ahead to join us in the year to come...)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, I'm not sure about all of 2007, but it seems to me I read on here somewhere there's an Orientation coming up this weekend - am I right?

So, the first Orientation of 2007 will be 1/26 - 1/27.....wonder when the others will be?

And for those of you hoping to attend an Abrazo Orientation this year (or sometime in the future), be sure you check out this thread on the forum Waiting on a future orientation weekend where you're sure to meet some new friends who are waiting, just like you :)

And....here's the latest I've read on the forum regarding Orientation dates beyond January - just in case you were wondering how it is that most Abrazo parents waited a year or less for their bundles of pink and blue :)

I've taken the liberty of changing this topic title, because we won't know for sure whether there's going to be a March orientation (or what type of clients it'll be geared towards) until we see what kinds of families get placed and what kind of homes we're needing in the next six weeks; this is also why we don't confirm anyone for upcoming orientations more than a month in advance.

For example, if we got most of our current "Againers" placed in the next month and a half, then the next orientation would need to include more families-with-kids, in their place. If most of our couples waiting on Anglo-only babies continue to wait, there would be less need for the agency to admit more Anglo-only couples. If in the next six weeks, the majority of our birthparent intakes are expecting children of African-American descent, then the next orientation would necessarily be geared to couples open to such placements.

By doing so, we try to ensure that we are only accepting as many parents-in-waiting as we can generally anticipate placing with, within a year's time, and that we have appropriate families available to meet the needs of the birthparents who are placing with us at any given time.

But we're looking forward to seeing you whenever we see you! ;)

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  • 2 months later...

If you're ready to open your hearts and home to a child (not just a baby) or siblings who truly need a loving family right away, look beyond our website!! because there are literally thousands of American children in foster care (today's version of the orphanage) who are in desperate need of adoption right now.

For starters, check out:

Children Awaiting Parents

Waiting Kids in San Antonio

Search the Possibilities: USKids

3500+ photos of American kids needing homes

A Child is Waiting: Victims of Disrupted Placements Need Loving Homes

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Thank you so much Elizabeth. I have wanted to post these websites for so long but did not know if I should. Keith and I look at these every night and wonder if one (or two,or three) of these wonderful children will be ours soon. There are thousands of children who need a home and all you need to bring them home is love and a homestudy.We are working on ours right now. It is so sad to look at these kids pictures and see them there day after day(some have been there since we first started looking almost a year ago) and all they want is a family. How sad that people say all they want is a child to love but they put resrtictions on who they will give that love to.Not all kids in foster care come from terrible backgrounds. Not all these children are the horror stories that you might think. Just as most of you had to educate yourselves on open adoption maybe some need to educate yourselves on the joys of parenting older children too. After all that precious baby you adopt doesn't stay a baby forever they too grow into toddlers and preschoolers and as most of you know who have children this age they are more fun than you can imagine and so imprsssionable and so eager to please. I just don't understand how ANYBODY can turn down a child who NEEDS them. It really upsets me that people say they want to open their heart to adoption,but really what they are saying is "I will open my heart on my terms and an older child isn't good enough". Every day an older child or sibling group sits in foster care(that are available for adoption) is another day they are reminded that nobody wants them.How sad for them and how sad for all of you.

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Jada,

I think you hit the nail on the head. We all need educating when it comes to new, untread territory. I find that Marcelo and I have been able to grow so, so much through education. It's so hard to just jump right in when the water is so cold, but I hear what you are saying. EVERY child deserves love and stability without having to feel rejected. I hear your passion and thank you for your honest words Jada.

Best wishes on your journey,

Claudia

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  • 4 months later...

Until further notice: please be aware that Abrazo will necessarily be slowing down the processing of applications from those who are already parenting, except for those who are open to children of any race. Much as we love "againers," we are mindful of the fact that most birthparents do prefer to place with childless couples, which makes for a longer waiting time for those with one child already in the home. (The wait for placement becomes incrementally extended as the number of children in the home increases.) Those "with kids" who may still be granted priority processing are those open to any race and prior Abrazo adopters who have demonstrated consistent loyalty to the agency and its program through regular attendance at Camp Abrazo, philanthropic involvement, frequent Forum participation, and ongoing dedication to their children's birthfamilies.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to others outside this definition, but we trust you understand our need to devote our best efforts to those who are doing their best on behalf of the children we serve.

We do, however, continue to have a consistent need for childless couples open to full Hispanic children, and particularly those from Texas... we'll keep you posted as our placement needs change across time.

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Until further notice: please be aware that Abrazo will necessarily be slowing down the processing of applications from those who are already parenting, except for those who are open to children of any race.

As hard as this information may be for some of us to hear, I personally appreciate you being honest with us and not taking on more than can be matched with :(:)

Cathy

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To those who are disappointed by this news...we received the same news when we were ready to add to our family...So we went elsewhere - and then we came home to Abrazo and have the boy of our dreams. (Trust me...all agencies are not created equal and we are so grateful to have been welcomed back with open arms!) Good luck and God Bless!

Edited by Paul and Michelle
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Much as we hate being the bearer of bad tidings... we'd always rather admit our limitations than oversell our abilities! So we err on the side of caution, but do so with all the best of intentions! Thanks for understanding.

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Those "with kids" who may still be granted priority processing are those open to any race and prior Abrazo adopters who have demonstrated consistent loyalty to the agency and its program through regular attendance at Camp Abrazo, philanthropic involvement, frequent Forum participation, and ongoing dedication to their children's birthfamilies.

So I truly hope that all those Abrazo againer families will consider the above. We are proof positive that the blessing will be reciprocated! Look at our darling daughter Nicole!!! Hopefully, when we are ready to parent a third child, it will all work out too!

Keep the faith,

Claudia

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Love your avatar, Kristin B)

Cathy

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We do, however, continue to have a consistent need for childless couples open to full Hispanic children, and particularly those from Texas... we'll keep you posted as our placement needs change across time.

We are againers, BUT we do live in New Mexico only 20 miles from the Texas border! That has to count for something! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

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