Category - Support Services

Home   /   Support Services
28
Jun

Playing Games to Strengthen Attachment

by
in Support Services
Our family enjoys playing games together! We have even dubbed Friday evenings as “Family Game Night.” It’s so beloved by my children that it does not go over well when this has to be changed, even though we play games together as a family many other days throughout the week as well. Some of our ...
Read More
26
Jun

Minding Their Manners

by
in Support Services
I just spent a week caring for my 22 month-old granddaughter while her parents took a much needed anniversary trip. As her Mumzi, I was thrilled to do this because I simply cannot contain my joy when I am with her. However, this week of being her one-and-only caregiver has also given me a much ...
Read More
31
May

Traveling with Children: What Was I Thinking?

by
in Support Services
Ahh…the dreams of a big happy family riding blissfully over hill and dale in the packed-to-the-brim SUV, with each child melodically singing Disney songs together, and Mom and Dad glancing affectionately at their lovely travelers, knowing the beach vacation is not far away.  WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES! This NEVER happens in real life! True, but ...
Read More
17
May

Why Your Agency Harps on Post-Adoption Reporting Requirements

by
in Support Services
Post-adoption reporting requirements can be frustrating for families for several reasons. Post-adoption reports require planning and scheduling, have a cost involved, and can feel intrusive. The adoption process and the transition home can be overwhelming and stressful, you may not want to think about yet another thing to do. It can also feel intrusive to ...
Read More
16
May

The Benefits of a Post-Adoption Visit

by
in Support Services
The concept of a post-adoption visit can be overwhelming for families. Like the home study process, it is intimidating to have a social worker come into your home and evaluate your family. The goal of a home study is to approve your family to adopt. It’s important to share as much information as possible with ...
Read More
15
May

The Importance of Post Adoption Reports

by
in Support Services
When parents begin their adoption journey, they are usually overwhelmed by a barrage of paperwork they need to complete. One of these papers is a document whereby you agree to complete post adoption reports for the courts, international country, your adoption agency, the State of the child’s custody, and/or the Department of State. It can ...
Read More
26
Apr

Discovering Your Child’s Culture: From Good to Great

by
in Support Services
Adopting internationally gives you the opportunity to explore a culture and country which is often much different from your own. It leads you to learn what life has been like for your adopted child while in that country, and exposes you to a plethora of new tastes, smells, sights, and sounds. Going to visit your ...
Read More
24
Apr

Why Should I Choose MLJ Adoptions To Complete My Home Study?

by
in Support Services
Do you live in Indiana? Do you need a home study or family assessment for your domestic, relative, kinship, step-parent, international, or embryo adoption? Do you need a host home safety review for hosting an international orphan? Do you want professional services, experienced staff, a licensed and accredited agency, and timely responsive assistance? Do you ...
Read More
6
Apr

Make a Difference During National Child Abuse Prevention Month

by
in Adoption News, Support Services
Since 1983, we have officially been celebrating and publicizing National Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States. Designed to bring together families and communities to work to prevent child abuse and neglect, the month of April challenges all of us to promote abuse prevention within our cities and towns and to help strengthen the families ...
Read More
3
Apr

Teaching Your Adopted Child to be Resilient

by
in Support Services
Internationally adopted children have had their share of negative influences in their young lives, whether from separation and loss, abuse or neglect, loneliness and lack of affection, homelessness or institutional care, racism or rejection, or poverty and malnutrition. Whatever trauma they experienced, these powerful events have no doubt affected their well-being, self-esteem, views on life, and ...
Read More
23
Mar

Five Sensory Activities for Your Child

by
in Support Services
Does your child seem bothered by the tag in the back of their shirt? Are there certain foods that they avoid? Do they always seem to be fidgeting? These behaviors are an indication that your child may be sensory seeking or sensory avoidant. While helping your child understand their sensory needs could be an uphill battle, there are some ...
Read More
15
Mar

How Important is Post-Adoption Support?

by
in Support Services
MLJ Adoptions talks to many families each week that are just beginning to research adoption. Many of these families ask questions about current programs and process, length of wait for placement, and other questions that have to do with the past and the present, but I don’t think that I have had any questions about the ...
Read More
8
Mar

What are Post Adoption/Post Placement Reports?

by
in Support Services
After your child joins your family through adoption, you will likely still have an obligation to complete post adoption or post placement reports with your agency. Post placement reports can be required for a domestic adoption after the child has been placed in the family’s home, but prior to the final court date. If the ...
Read More
15
Feb

Getting Your Child to Ride in Their Car Seat

by
in Support Services
Most young children simply do not like their car seats at first. Especially when they are a toddler and mobile, they love the freedom that being unattached to Mom and Dad can bring. They are unrestrained and unencumbered and can do whatever they want. Confinement in a car seat takes away all of that newfound freedom ...
Read More
25
Jan

Four Reasons to Attend “Empowered to Connect”

by
in Events, Support Services
Whether you’re in the process of adopting, have already adopted, are considering adoption, work with children from hard places, or maybe just read The Connected Child book and still don’t completely understand how it works, the Empowered to Connect Conference is for you! This conference provides an introduction to research-based interventions for at-risk children, presented by ...
Read More
18
Jan

Facing the Bathroom Blues

by
in Support Services
Every parent seems to have questions about potty training, and new adoptive parents often wonder if their child’s behavior is “normal” or not. Recently, a parent contacted me about her child who had just arrived in the US. She was definitely experiencing the “bathroom blues” with her toddler- see if this sounds familiar: “Potty training has ...
Read More
11
Jan

Finding Help for Your Adopted Child through EMDR

by
in Support Services
Imagine that you’ve finally completed your adoption process and your child has joined your family. It has been a long, hard adoption journey; you’ve seen your child grow up in pictures, and now she is finally home. You’re so excited, but you also know that you’re about to begin the difficult work of parenting a ...
Read More
20
Dec

Meeting Your Child for the First Time

by
in Support Services
After a long and exhausting process, the most anticipated moment of your adoption is when you meet your child for the first time. This is an exciting, and probably nerve-wracking moment, and parents rarely know what to expect. Managing these emotions, as well as your expectations, are key to making this joyous meeting a smooth one ...
Read More
6
Dec

Rocking Your Way to Closer Attachment

by
in Support Services
In preparation for adopting, I read many books and blogs, and attended training sessions and webinars to learn how to form an attachment with my child once she finally joined our family. I knew that attachment wasn’t going to be easy, and that it would take a lot of work and time to form. Attachment ...
Read More
30
Nov

Dealing- and Playing- with Sensory Processing Disorder

by
in Special Needs, Support Services
If your kids are anything like mine they like to run, jump, climb and play HARD. We have sports equipment for nearly every sport (even lacrosse!), bikes, roller blades, pogo sticks, skateboards, hula hoops, a swing set, exercise balls and a gymnastics mat, and sometimes that’s still not enough to keep my kids busy and ...
Read More
21
Nov

Imus, Umus and Other Ways to Incorporate Birth Culture

by
in Support Services
While attending a luau in Hawaii, I heard a friend say, “If you go over there, you can smell our dinner cooking underground.” I was very confused by his statement; little did I know that I was about to witness the unearthing of our dinner for the evening. I had never heard of an “earth ...
Read More
Page 3 of 8

Recent Posts