Progressing through Fall

October united just one baby with his forever family!

This is likely a direct impact from the slower birth 

mother intake during the summer months.  

In November, we have already been honored to come along side of 11 new women seeking out counsel about planning for her expectant baby's future. They each have a different story, a different reason for exploring adoption, a different vision for her baby's future, but they all have a courageous heart to do whatever they can to provide the best life they can for the little one growing within - which sometimes means letting go.  May each birth mother find what she needs for the coming months ahead!

TIP while you wait

Time to hold, cuddle and connect is crucial to your beginning bond and attachment once a baby is placed into your home.  Explore what adoption benefits and/or leave policies are available through your employer to optimize your time at home.  Now is the time to consider and research these questions:

* Are you eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid family leave under FMLA?

* Are you eligible for paid or unpaid family leave under state law?  How much time is available and when can you take it?

* How many vacation, personal or sick days have you accrued and are there stipulations on how they can be used?

* Can you take vacation days that you haven't accrued yet?

* Will you have to wait longer to be eligible for more annual vacation time if you take unpaid leave?

SEPTEMBER PLACEMENTS

FOR A TOTAL OF

55 PLACEMENTS

SO FAR IN 2010

Rounding out the Summer

Four baby boys and three baby girls joined seven families this August.  Six of their birth mothers choose just the right family for her baby through agency profiles, while one birth mother found her baby's adoptive family through a friend connection after she had given birth.

Summer sun is setting, but fall brings great hope as we typically find new connections with birth mothers who have been chillin' during the summer and a renewed vigor from organizations who are gearing up for a new season.  We encourage you to share your heart's desire to add to your family through adoption with those you know who are in touch with women in unplanned pregnancies:

pregnancy clinics * nurses * high school/college counselors * pastors

abortion clinics * youth leaders * OB/GYN docs * DHS workers

For suggestions on how to get your word out, check in with your caseworker.  She'll be happy to help!

J*U*L*Y*

Three placements occurred in July.

May the birth mothers find peace

with their decision.  

May the adoptive families experience the

privilege in parenting.

May each child know the fullness of two-fold love that they are enveloped in!

A Saved Life

Celebrating a life that was saved!!!  AAI responded to a new birth mother inquiring about ADOPTION after receiving our information at an abortion clinic appointment.  This happened just one week after we dropped off new materials at the clinic.  The clinic staff has now asked AAI to come and provide training for how to present adoption to their clients!  Take a moment to celebrate this baby's life and pray for many more saved lives!

Summer's Sunshine

    11 placements in june...

   9 matched + 2 designated

      6 caucasian + 3 african american + 

       2 caucasian/african american babies

5 boys + 4 girls

       SUMMER BLESSINGS!

Talking About Adoption

One of the most important issues in bringing an adopted child into your family is learning how to help that child and those around you understand that ADOPTION IS AN ACT OF LOVE.  If you can approach adoption with a clear and comfortable understanding of your own personal feelings you will have a much easier time explaining it to your child and to others.  Questions like "When is the right time to start talking to him or her?" "What's the right thing to say?" "How will I know it is the right time?" are very likely thoughts we all have had.  Please don't be afraid.  The more comfortable and open you are with adoption, the more willing your children will be to sharing their thoughts and feelings.  While you are waiting to be linked with a birth mother, please begin reading and feeling more comfortable talking about adoption.  Just like there is no best time (except for as soon as possible) there is no one best way except to be open and honest and never lie or mislead your child.

There are several books and articles written on the subject that will help you get started with your conversations:

Using Books to Open the Adoption Dialog - Jane Brown

Opening the Dialog - S.M. Macrae

Parenting with Narratives: The A, B, C's of Adoption Stories - Jean Macleod

The Backwards Lifebook - Joy Rees

Before You Were Mine: Discovering Your Adopted Child's Lifestory - Susan Tebos (AAI adoptive mom) and Carissa Woodwyk

Adoption Lifebook Do's and Don't - Beth O'Malley

Lifestory Work: The Next Level - Beth O'Malley

My Experiences with Lifebooks - Carrie Kitze

The Baby Lifebook

MAY miracles!

In May we acknowledge the many ways that babies are joined with their families

Birth mother chooses a family from profiles about two months before she gave birth in March.  Birth mother relinquished in court in May.  Baby was home with family through temporary placement.  All paperwork is completed in May.

Birth mother calls from the hospital that she had given birth to a healthy baby and had found a family that she wanted to place her baby with.  AAI stepped in to facilitate the placement, which occurred in May. 

Birth mother relinquishes her baby boy through the Safe Delivery of Newborns Law in March...one happy family was able to meet their new bundle the next day. Court proceedings were completed in May.

After a couple of months of counseling with an AAI caseworker, the birth mother was coincidentally introduced to an AAI family through a friend and, therefore, a designated placement occurred this month.

A family called AAI in April to say that they had connected with a birth mother due in three weeks.  AAI completed the home study and the birth mother counseling; resulting in a completed placement with a relinquishment hearing in May.

Birth mother contacted AAI three weeks before her due, selected a family from profiles; however delivered early.  The birth mother and adoptive family met for the first time on the labor and delivery unit and found an instant connection - the birth of their baby.  Both birth mother and adoptive family signed paperwork in May making it official.

A hospital social worker called on behalf of a young woman who had just given birth and wanted to learn more about adoption.  AAI caseworker went to meet with her and presented profiles.  A match was made and the court proceedings were handled in May.

Relinquishment and adoption comes in many shapes and sizes.  We praise our God who weaves each story together in a beautiful way! 

Honoring Courage

Since the beginning of 2010, 48 mothers have been deeply transformed by the collision of emotion at the heart of adoption.

Love had brought heartache... and then from heartache grew love!

Pain has cried out for healing... and then healing one day replaced the pain! 

Loss gave way to hope... and then hope changed lives lost.

Honoring the courage of 24 birth mothers who selflessly gave of themselves out of love for their child!

Holly Jasmin Alicia Carri Dominique Pamela

Jennifer Sarah Gracie Abby Evelyn Charity

Brenda Amanda Crystal Brandi Aimee Angela

Alicia Jessica Kathleen Safe Delivery BM (2)

Erika  Katherine Rachael

Celebrating the journey of 24 mothers who have received a gift of love in a life-sized bundle called son or daughter!

Annette Wendy Lisa Susan Monika Sarah

Talia Nicole April Debra Jennifer Melissa

Theresa Cheryl Julie Carrie Renee Carlia

Sandra Deanna Brooke  Jamie Susanna Stephanie

For you all have been through pain, heartache, and loss, and as memories of days past fade, we pray that the healing, love and hope will multiply.

Take heart for those of you in-waiting... it is our prayer that you soon will be in the collision of emotion... moving from heartache to love, from pain to healing and from loss to hope again!

Thinking of all of you on Mother's Day.

4+1

Four domestic adoptions were signed and sealed this month through the relinquishment of birth mother's rights and the petitioning of four families to adopt these babies.  Plus... one more baby boy was delivered safely to his waiting family through the Safe Delivery of Newborns Act.  Our education and networking with hospitals and crisis pregnancy centers are enabling those professionals to bring the hope found in adoption planning.  

 

March Babies

Ten babies joined their families in the month of March!

Here are some interesting tidbits:

6 girls 4 boys

7 matches 3 designateds

8 Caucasian babies 2 Caucasian/African American

One of these placements was a baby placed through our Farmington Hills office through the Safe Delivery of Newborns Act.  

News: Adoption Tax Credit Extended!

There has been confirmation that the Adoption Tax Credit, which was scheduled to expire in 2010, was extended for one year (through December 31, 2011).

Here are the highlights of the Adoption Tax Credit changes:

*  The maximum credit was increased from $12, 150 to $13,170.

*  The Adoption Tax Credit is now retroactive.  This represents a potential increase of $1,000 for adoptive families.

*  The Adoption Tax Credit was made refundable.  If a family has no tax liability, the IRS will refund the amount due.

Note: The extension of the Adoption Tax Credit through 2011, was passed as part of the health care reform bill which was signed into law by President Obama on Monday, March 22, 2010.  There was some concern that the Adoption Tax Credit would be included in the reconciliation process, however we have confirmed that it is not part of reconciliation.  This means that the Adoption Tax Credit is law until December 31, 2011.

Our efforts in advocating for the extension and hopeful permanency of the Adoption Tax Credit have been many.  We thank those of you who have joined in these efforts for the benefits of the many children in need of families and families dreaming of children!

February - Twice Blessed

In February, five precious babies

received the selfless, sacrificial 

LOVE of a birth mother and the

unconditional, embracing LOVE

of an adoptive family resulting

in a double blessing of love that 

multiplies.

Relationships for Life and Adoption!

AAI staff is focusing on RELATIONSHIPS with those who cross paths with women in unplanned pregnancies for the purpose of communicating the message of LIFE and ADOPTION!  After a careful look at our referral sources we are certain that RELATIONSHIPS are key.  Many of those in the medical and public social service arenas shared that they struggle with how to professionally approach the topic of LIFE and ADOPTION with women who are weighed down by deciding how to proceed with her pregnancy.  We want to help! February proved to be a busy month of connecting with new faces and reestablishing our support and working, professional relationships with those at OB/GYN offices, abortion clinics, crisis pregnancy centers, hospitals, college and high school campuses throughout Michigan.  We are also in process of launching a new birth mother website to reach women throughout the United States. Do you have places in your community that we can connect with to share the message of LIFE and ADOPTION?  Contact your caseworker with any suggestions you might have!

Take ACTION!

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress. 

Working together is success.-- Henry Ford

Let's work together to help couples to continue to have the ability to adopt children and make forever families. The Federal Adoption Tax Credit is set to expire on December 31, 2010. In 2009 the tax credit was $12,150, and in 2010 the tax credit will be $12,170. We are urging everyone to contact their US Senators and US Representatives and let them know how important this is to the future of adoption. We would like to have the tax credit made permanent.

Attached is a form letter that can be used, or please pen your own letter. We also are including links to find your Senators and Representatives which service the area in which you live. Please send this email on to family, friends, coworkers, and church families to enlist their help to maintain this adoption assistance.

This link is to find and contact the US Senators: 

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators

This link is to find and contact the US Representatives:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

There is a bill, the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act, in the Senate (S.2816) and the House of Representatives (H.R. 213) proposed to make this tax credit permanent. This bill has been referred to committee and Senator Debbie Stabenow, Representatives David Camp and Sander Levin from Michigan are on these committees for this bill.

Dear (add the name of your senator or representative),

We are writing today to request that you will pass current legislation, the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act, which would make the Adoption Tax Credit permanent. (S. 2816 and H.R. 213) This Tax Credit is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010. A permanent adoption tax credit presents a win-win situation as it promotes adoption , all the while making good economic sense. The cost of adoption is prohibitive for many tax payers. The need for and appropriateness of a permanent adoption tax credit could not be clearer with the number of children needing permanent homes and families. Adoption benefits all society, not only those who adopt or are adopted, because children raised in loving, stable families grow up to be good citizens and productive members of their communities.

Please vote to make permanent the Adoption Tax Credit. This is positive for everyone.

Respectfully,

(Sign your name)

January Placements

A great start to 2010:

Five new little ones  ...  five happy families!

Multi-racial Families Being Built

We are connecting with an increasing number of African American women in unplanned pregnancies.  They are exploring adoption through Adoption Associates and preparing to find just the right home for their baby.  At the same time, AAI staff diligently works to prepare and ready prospective adoptive parents to receive these little ones.  

We have an urgent need for couples who are eager to become parents or extend their family through adopting an African American or mixed race baby.  We are seeking African American and interracial couples who are considering adoption.  Further, we are seeking homes that embrace becoming a multi-racial family and celebrate diversity!  Families would need to give attention to their child's first culture and heritage, commit to instilling pride in his or her ethnic/racial identity and be willing to learn the skills to navigate through a race conscious society as a multi-racial family.  If you have questions about what this means for your family, we have trained staff prepared to talk about these opportunities with you.

If you are home study approved or are interested in beginning the adoption process please contact us at 1-800-67-ADOPT.  We'd love to come alongside of you!

2009 Stats

72 placements

of which 68 were Michigan birth mothers

4 were out of state birth mothers

57 links through profiles

15 designated links (family found their own birth mother)

20 African American babies

6 Caucasian/African American babies

46 Caucasian and other mixed race babies

God is good!