Post-Adoption Resources
Portland/Vancouver Metro Area
*This list was created by our intern it is a great place to start.
Support
Groups
Parent support groups offer a community to encourage,
share, network, and learn from other parents who have similar experiences. Use
the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s National Foster Care and Adoptive
Directory to search for groups in your area.
Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center has a search
engine for support groups specific to your county.
Adoption Mosaic offers support groups and training for
both adoptive parents, as well as their children (http://www.adoptionmosaic.org/calendar/). Adoption Mosaic also offers individual consultation
in person (located in Portland, OR), over the phone, or via Skype (http://www.adoptionmosaic.org/services/individual-consultation/).
Join Adopt US Kids’ community of online support groups
and connect with other parents, families, and child welfare professionals.
The Northwest Adoptive Families Association is a
non-profit, volunteer-run support group for adoptive families and those
interested in adoption. They sponsor support groups, conferences, educational
seminars, and other social events.
Adoption Connections of Oregon is a group of adoptive
families who desire to support, encourage, and enrich each other’s adoption
experiences through events, conferences, and support groups.
Family and Community Together’s mission is to be a
family leadership organization for individuals and their families experiencing
disability, working collaboratively to facilitate positive change in policies,
systems, and attitudes through family support, advocacy, and partnerships.
Respite
Care
Respite care is short-term care of a child in order to
give the regular caregiver an opportunity to rest and recharge. Using the ARCH
National Respite Network, you can search for respite opportunities in your
community.
Create
Respite Care in Your Community
If there is not already established respite care in
your community, here are some online resources for starting your own:
·
Creating and Sustaining Effective Respite Services:
Lessons from the Field (http://adoptuskids.org/_assets/files/AUSK/respite-program/creating-and-sustaining-effective-respite-services.pdf)
·
Taking a Break: Creating Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship
Respite in Your Community (http://www.adoptuskids.org/_assets/files/NRCRRFAP/resources/taking-a-break-respite-guide.pdf)
Training/Information
Seminars
The Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center’s mission is
to provide support, education, information, assistance, and referral services
to adoptive families. One resource they provide is a calendar with upcoming
training and support groups for adoptive parents and families (some online, as
well as many in different communities throughout Oregon).
Adoptive Families provide interactive webinars (and
recordings on past webinars) on their website on all aspects of adoption and parenting
and have been serving families for over 30 years.
Providence
Health & Services (http://oregon.providence.org/our-services/s/swindells-resource-center)
Swindells Resource Center of Providence Child Center
supports parents and caregivers of children who have special needs,
developmental delays or disabilities. They provide resources, information, and
education to communities throughout Oregon and southwest Washington.
Adoption Learning Partners, founded by The Cradle,
seeks to improve adoption outcomes for all members of the adoption circle by
providing a vibrant, innovative, educational resource on the Internet. Online
courses about the adoption tax credit, attachment, life books, and talking
about adoption with children are offered.
Counseling
Services
The Children’s Program is a team of experiences
clinicians who provide diagnostic, therapeutic and educational services to
children, adolescents, and families.
Susan
Butler is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Among
her areas of expertise are Weigh loss counseling, Body image, Pre-Marital
counseling, Couples counseling, Infertility, pre and post Adoption counseling,
Trauma, Self-esteem and Second half of life issues.
General
Search the resources on Child Welfare Information
Gateway to find information and resources on topics such as helping your child
work through trauma and loss, general and specific information on parenting
after adoption, and lists of training opportunities for adoptive parents.
The Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center provides a
seasonal newsletter, called The Journey, with up-to-date resources for adoptive
families in the state of Oregon.
Adoption Referral & Information Service works to
connect families seeking adoption with the right resources, information, and
professionals. They also help families created through adoption to be as
successful as possible. Pre and post adoption resources available including
book lists, event calendar, and counseling referrals.
Tapestry specializes in adoption. They understand the
adoption process, are knowledgeable about the literature, and they are
committed to making it easier for families to find appropriate resources.
Tapestry is about organizing information and making it more accessible because
they believe that informed choices lead to successful family outcomes.
This blog offers information regarding adoption issues
and special needs related topics.
