America World Adoption News

New on the Website - State Offices

We are excited to announce a new State Offices section to our website. All fifty states and the District of Columbia now have their own page containing state-specific information.

Currently, America World is licensed to provide home study and post adoption services in 21 states, although we are able to facilitate adoptions nationwide. In most of our licensed states, we are also able to provide social services for families adopting through an agency other than America World. See your state's page to learn more about what we offer, how to contact us, what the costs are, and how to get started. For the states in which we are not licensed to do social services, we have either listed recommended home study agencies or tips on how to find an agency.

The link to the State Offices is found on any page along the header, to the right of "Testimonies," a new link containing client references and personal family stories. You will find several other minor changes to this header. 

On the menu of each state page are links to other state-specific information, such as local seminars and references. If you have questions about the home study or post adoption process, please use the contact information listed. If you have questions about the general adoption process, click the "adoption programs" link to learn more about the countries we work in, or call our corporate office at 800-429-3369. It is our hope that these pages will help make all aspects of the adoption process more clear to prospective adoptive parents. 

Upcoming Webinars

The Center for Adoption Support and Education, or C.A.S.E., is holding two webinars during February that will each include educational topics for a post adoptive family. The first, on February 2nd, is called "Same Family, Different Stories," and explores the challenges of encouraging positive sibling relationships when each child has a different story and background.

The second webinar on February 23rd is called "Parenting Adopted Children with Anxiety Disorders," and explores strategies of helping children cope who are impacted by anxiety. Both webinars are conducted by educated highly qualified individuals in the field of adoption, health, and child development.

More information and registration details can be found here: http://www.adoptionsupport.org/cal/index.php

Empowered to Connect Conference

The Empowered to Connect Conference, sponsored by Show Hope, is a two-day conference for adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals designed to help them better understand how to connect with children from hard places in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be.

Learn more about this valuable conference HERE, which is being held in Dallas on February 17-18, and Denver on April 20-21.

Upcoming Webinars

Holt International will be presenting two webinars this month, which will be open to all pre- and post-adoptive families who are interested in participating. The first webinar will be based upon Arleta James's book Brothers and Sisters in Adoption and will take place on Wednesday, June 15th at 4:30 pm PDT. The second webinar will take place on June 22nd also at 4:30 pm PDT and will help families who are adopting older children prepare for the transition home. Families can register for either webinar here (last on the list).

Expense Receipts for Adoptions Completed in 2010

America World’s finance department is currently working on receipts for families whose adoptions were finalized in 2010. These receipts will include an itemized list of all payments made to AWAA throughout the course of the adoption process.  Families who completed their adoptions in 2010 and who have not yet received their itemized expense receipts, will receive them by the end of January.

Walters Sensory Morning for Families- Free Event

 
             click image to enlarge

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is having a family fun morning with a special exhibit featuring Walter Wick, the creator of the I Spy children's books.  You can register for this event, happening on December 12th, by clicking here: Download Registration form. This event is sure to be a fun-filled morning as well as a great learning  experience!