June, 2011

Taevon, Age 4

Taevon is an adorable boy who, despite multiple special needs associated with brain damage, is able to do many things. He vocalizes, smiles, and sucks his thumb. He is also able to roll over and he is able to turn and lift his head. He is able to reach for toys and holds them in his right hand. He can sit up with support. When he is excited and happy, he kicks his legs and vocalizes.

Taevon especially enjoys kisses and having his head massaged. Taevon loves interacting with playful, animated adults and is especially responsive to young children. He loves listening to music and having access to toys that light up.

Taevon requires 24-hour care. He has numerous weekly appointments for medical care and other treatment. It will be important for Taevon's adoptive parents to have ready access to a full-service children's hospital that can provide therapy and has access to a therapeutic pool.

Bulletin WA260

Qu'Ranah, Age 6

Qu'Ranah is a sweet and adorable little girl. She loves to hold hands and to have her arms and face stroked. This elicits both a smile on her face but also in her famous ''smiling eyes''.

Qu'Ranah appears to enjoy music as she is equally responsive to music and tactile stimulation. Qu'ranah has an extensive medical history. She was born with fetal heart block and successfully received the placement of a pacemaker as an infant. She will require follow up with a cardiologist to monitor her pacemaker.

Qu'Ranah suffered a blood clot in her left leg about a year later which caused a stroke and paralysis of her right side. This also resulted in the need for a feeding tube. She suffers from global developmental delays and currently has not achieved rolling, reaching or sitting up skills. She receives physical, occupational and speech therapies to address her developmental lags.

Qu'Ranah currently resides in a residential medical facility where she receives total daily care. She has evoked love from each of her caregivers. Qu'Ranah needs a very loving and committed family to help her to meet her challenges.

Bulletin NJ253

Trevjan, Age 7

Trevjan or TJ as he is known to all is a survivor! He is an extremely medically complex child who can do nothing for himself but who is very happy and interactive!

He loves attention and giving "high-fives" and holding hands. He can be fascinated by cartoons on television and his favorite character is Elmo. He loves clapping and swaying to music. He enjoys the freedom of rolling around on the floor and everyone hopes one day he will be able to crawl or maybe even walk.

TJ needs a very special family who will love him and care for him and stimulate him and who are prepared to do this for his entire life.

Bulletin FL387

Dylan, Age 5

Dylan is an adorable, sweet, endearing little boy, who loves to cuddle and being held close. He responds well to affection. Dylan enjoys adult attention and having people around. He responds to words and touch with a smile.

He does not have the full use of language, but he engages in babbles, grabs and smiles. Dylan seems to understand his name. He is medically fragile with multiple physical and cognitive limitations. Placement in a medical therapeutic home and educational program when he receives physical, speech, feeding, and occupational therapies.

He is making progress with motor skills and social interaction. In therapy, with hand over hand assistance, Dylan is beginning to reach and grab for toys. He requires assistance with all activities of daily living. Dylan requires full support to sit, stand, and uses a "stander" and a wheelchair for mobility.

A loving, committed family, who is able to advocate for his long term medical, physical and educational needs that he requires will be ideal for Dylan.

Bulletin NJ132

Jesus, Age 4

Jesus is often described as a "Miracle Baby" by his caregivers. He communicates by groans, cries, and minimal eye movements. Jesus receives many types of therapies including baby yoga and supported standing.

Jesus can become over stimulated when constantly touched, this can cause him discomfort. He can be soothed by secure cradling movements, soaking in warm baths, or receiving a baby massage.

During his extended sleeping periods, Jesus is most comfortable encircled by pillows, however is frequently awakened by seizures. Jesus is non-ambulatory and is unable to speak. Jesus' response is minimal to sound and sights. He has created bonds with his primary caregivers, recognizing them by their scent and their touch.

Jesus continues to function as a newborn requiring a lot of nurturing and hands on care from an adoptive family. He requires an family experienced caring for a medically needy child or one willing to be trained to provide the ongoing daily care that Jesus needs. An interested family will need to be willing to come to New Jersey for visitation and training.

Bulletin NJ143

Ruvim Adoption Video

Click here to check out the video!

NEW Adoption Material Giveaway!

Check out the front page of our website to see this new feature. There will be a new giveaway each month!

This month: Free Listing of Adoption Photolisting Websites!

Do you spend hours searching for adoption photolisting sites? In an effort to assist our families we will be offering different tools (monthly) to assist you in your foster and adoption journey.

This month our tool is a list of over 70 current photolisting sites. Take advantage of this great opportunity to find a child that would be a perfect fit in your family.

AFFEC on Twitter

Donate to AFFEC

Would you like to contribute to AFFEC's cause for helping children? Any amount can have a lasting impact on a child. Click below!

Questions?

Feel free to call at 541-343-2856 or email: info@afamilyforeverychild.org

Some of our smallest, most precious waiting children need very special, medically experienced parents. Please take a minute to look at these special children!

Christopher, Age 2

Holding Christopher in your arms will be a precious joy as he engages you with a smile, and you gently cradle him, showing this adorable baby how much you love him. When he falls asleep on your lap, his soft cheek pressed on to your arm, you'll wonder how your life could have been sweet before this dear little boy entered it.

The daily struggles will be forgotten as you lay him down in his bed, and the world stills as you foresee all the happy memories he is sure to give you as you watch him grow up as your son.

Christopher readily interacts with people and is very cheerful. Cute and funny, he enjoys copying others behaviors! Christopher has recently begun to sit up for longer amounts of time, which means he'll want to sit on the couch and watch you do things around the house, as long as you're nearby. With his beautiful smile, he'll turn your bad day into a terrific one instantly.

Christopher needs adoptive parents who are willing to care for him throughout the day, so it is vital that adoptive parents understand how important it is to be there for him and also how to manage scheduling his appointments for doctors and therapy. But this endearing baby will reward you constantly with smiles and an eternal parent-child bond.

His Jumperoo is Christopher's favorite toy, as he delights in bouncing up and down in it in the living room. Adoptive parents will want to take lots of pictures of this cute little guy to show off to relatives, which are going to be an important source of emotional support for adoptive parents as they care for Christopher.

Christopher loves other adults and kids, so he'll be excited to have some adoptive grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins around! Respite care is also suggested for adoptive parents to use. Recently, he's also become a much stronger boy and has grown more muscle and an ability to move around better.

Sharing a life with Christopher will be both wonderful and challenging, but this affectionate, precious child will be worth it. Many of Christopher's caregivers, including his nurses, staff members that care for him, and social workers all report that Christopher has become attached to them. He really does love to be around people! It is likely that Christopher will quickly bond with his adoptive parents, too.

Adoptive parents who are skilled at understanding how sensitive developmental issues, such as cerebral palsy, can be properly cared for are especially encouraged to apply. It is important for adoptive parents to have high levels of patience, motivation, and commitment. Having experience with or desire to learn how to properly feed a baby with a G-tube temporarily until the baby can eat by mouth would also be useful for adoptive parents.

Knowledge of spastic quadriplegia and hydrocephalus is valuable for adoptive parents to have, and it is required that adoptive parents have proper medical training or agree to receive proper medical training so that they can effectively care for this wonderful little boy.

Christopher would do well if his adoptive family lived in an area where he can readily receive medical care when needed. It would also be beneficial to Christopher if adoptive parents continued valuable therapies, as speech therapy can be important and vital for language development in children.

Christopher will be a gift to adoptive parents, despite the challenges they will endure. This charming baby will bring joy into his adoptive parents' hearts and make them look at the world again with a sense of innocence and wonder. This treasured little boy is ready for his adoptive parents!

Bulletin WA848 

David Jr., Age 3

David Jr.'s foster mom reports that he has a "sweet temperament' and loves to be rocked or held close. He responds positively to gentle touch, soothing conversation and singing. 

David will not be able to eat on his own and it is unclear at this time whether he is blind. He will need skilled nursing care, possibly for the rest of his life. His prognosis for functionality is poor.

David can also startle easily although this is starting to improve with age. He responds positively to reassurance through touch, talk, or singing. David's adoptive family will need to help him reach his developmental potential and likely help him transition to adult care resources in the future.

This fragile little boy needs a skilled and knowledgeable family, who can commit to providing him with all the necessary care and supervision he requires, in a loving and stable home.

Bulletin WA188

Jasmine, Age 2

Jasmine (pronounced ''Yazmeen'') is a darling little 2 1/2-year-old girl with big, observant brown eyes and a contagious smile. She is a content baby who seems to happily accept what life has to offer without much complaining. She loves people and loves to be where the activity is, especially if there are children in the mix. She flourishes with one-on-one attention and is most animated -- physically and verbally -- when she can respond to others' expressions and reactions.

Jasmine is just now sitting up with very little assistance, and can roll over on her own. Jasmine can stand with assistance, and she loves being praised for her efforts.

Her three oldest siblings had already been placed adoptively and a fourth child was living in foster care at the time of Jasmine's birth.

The birth mother's parental rights were terminated in January 2011, and DHS is in the process of terminating the birth father's rights as well.

At 2 1/2 years chronologically, she presents more like a 9-month-old infant. She smiles, laughs,makes eye contact, and babbles, but is not yet able to sit up for prolonged periods of time or walk. She does reach out, grab toys, and bring them to her mouth.

Jasmine receives Physical Therapy two times per week, once in home and once at a clinic. In addition, her foster mother is a registered nurse and is very accustomed to providing on-going, daily interventions to children with global developmental delays. Jasmine's current goal is to continue developing her core muscles so she has enough strength to sit up for long periods of time. Her physical therapists are also working with her on learning to walk.

At this time, Jasmine's future is quite uncertain. It is reasonable to assume that she will require extensive medical and developmental services for the rest of her life.

In spite of this sobering reality of her medical conditions, Jasmine is a living, breathing child who deserves to experience life to her fullest capacity just like any other human being. She deserves to see new things and have adventures and learn about the world around her. She deserves to experience affection and develop relationships and trust that her needs will always be met. Most importantly, she deserves to belong to a family and know that she is wanted for whatever length of time she has left.

Her adoptive family will need to be very comfortable with uncertainty and will need to strike a very careful emotional balance between investing wholly in Jasmine's growth and development while simultaneously preparing for her to prematurely leave their lives. They will need to have experience caring for medically fragile and/or significantly developmentally delayed children or at the very least will need to be able and willing to learn a new specialized skill set.

They will need to work cooperatively with doctors, therapists, and special education teachers on a regular, frequent basis and will need to be proactive and creative in advocating for her needs. Jasmine will require a lot of patience and a lot of acceptance but also a lot of hope and confidence that she can overcome the odds of her physical challenges and lead a long, happy life.

DHS will be looking for a family who is willing to provide on-going contact with her older brother. He is very much connected to his younger sister and frequently talks about her during the week andmakes little drawings or art projects for her. It is in the best interest of both children to have the opportunity to develop a relationship with at least one of their birth relatives. Neither parent hasrequested on-going contact at this time, but DHS will be looking for a family who is open to contact nevertheless. Additionally, Jasmine has a younger sister who currently resides in the same foster home with her.

The younger sister is six months old and although she was born premature, appears to be developing at a normal rate. It would be ideal if Jasmine and her little sister could remain together; however, it is early in the legal time line for Jasmine's younger sister. Parents need to have experience with Medically Fragile children. Jasmine may be eligible for an adoption subsidy.

Bulletin OR13200

Marvin, Age 5

4-year-old Marvin is a sweet and loving little boy, who will capture your heart with his smile and spirit. He has spent most of his life in medical foster care, where he had successfully recovered from open heart surgery and other serious health issues.

Though he recently moved to another foster home, Marvin is not yet out of the woods, medically, and will continue to need ongoing care from his treatment team, but, his upbeat, happy demeanor demonstrates this little boy's resiliency.  

Due to physically injuries to his head, prior to entering foster care, Marvin is developmentally delayed, but since his move, he began to walk and now runs up to his foster Mom for a hug.

He speaks a few words and is learning sign language, but his love of play is clearly communicated with laughter. He is captivated by toys that make noise, and he particularly loves playing catch with his foster Mom, who says Marvin is just beginning to blossom.

Marvin needs a loving and committed family, who can put his needs above their own. He needs a family with some knowledge of medically fragile children, who are willing to work with Marvin's treatment team to help him thrive. With a family, who can focus on his strengths and appreciate his capacity to love, Marvin will be a joy to raise.

Bulletin OR12773

Volunteer Opportunities

State Representative for outreach to case workers/agencies/Heart Galleries and potential partners, in each state. This Volunteer can live anywhere in any state, all work is done on the web/email.

Logo/Linking Partner volunteer: We are only as strong as our searches, so to drive traffic to us we need to be linked from as many websites/partners as we can. We have a template and logo that we give our outreach volunteers to use to help us increase the web hits and, therefore, families. This volunteer can live anywhere in any state, all work is done on the web/email.

Child Search Specialist: Searches national sites and compiles a list of kids that fit the criteria of our families and produce a list for each family once a week. We provide a large list of sites to search and sample templates for the list. This volunteer can live anywhere in any state, all work is done on the web/email.

Child Listing Volunteer:

We are currently working to partner with photo listing agencies from other states to list more children on our websites.

We need volunteers who can help list these children in our database and on our sites. All training is provided. This volunteer can live anywhere in any state, all work is done on the web/email. If you can pay attention to detail, this is the job for you! Any number of hours a week would be great!

We Can Use Your Partnership!

The difficult work that goes into working with foster kids and finding them "Forever Families" is demanding and never ending, only made easier by the great partnerships we are able to develop with "like-minded" agencies. We came across your website and your wonderful efforts and were hoping we might be able to help each other by linking each of our websites.

In today's world of technology and web pages, external links are an important part of getting web visitors and expanding their education and awareness, this is one way we can help each other.

We were hoping that you might consider linking to our site and invite you to review our site at your convenience.

A Family For Every Child

If you determine that a link to our site is appropriate, please add it at your discretion, or we might suggest the following link and description:
 

Our Kids Page

Our Main Page

A Family For Every Child, a nonprofit organization, began dozens of dedicated, passionate volunteers. Founded in 2006, AFFEC developed into an organization focused on finding permanent and loving adoptive homes for Oregon's waiting children. We have developed programs that assist special-needs/challenging-to-place foster children in finding their own Forever Families.

Please send us information about your website as you would like it to appear on our Partners Page.

Please take a minute to check out our website and get back to us if possible. I look forward to hearing back from you and hopefully to collaborate!

Questions? Christy@afamilyforeverychild.org

Papa's Pizza Fundraiser

Please join us at the Coburg Papa's Pizza on Monday, July 11th to raise money for A Family For Every Child. Print this flyer and take it with you and 50% of the cost from your purchase will go to help kids in foster care find forever families! You may also buy Fundraiser Bucks and 25% of that purchase will also go to this great cause. We will have brochures with more information about our organization and photos of kids awaiting their forever home.

Please help them and enjoy some great pizza while you're at it! See you Monday, July 11th at the Coburg Papa's Pizza in Eugene! Don't forget, just print out the flyer to remind yourself to bring it! 

AFFEC is the proud recipient of Bi-Mart's Willamette Country Music Festival's generosity!

Sign up NOW

They are making available to us 100 tickets for our Mentor/Mentee matches and foster/adoptive parents, we work with, for a weekend of fun. Please submit your interest to christy@afamilyforeverychild.org.

Thank you Bi-Mart! The Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival welcomes an exciting lineup of performers!

The Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival is an exciting 3-day outdoor country music and camping event located near the historic community of Brownsville, Oregon. The 2011 dates are August 19, 20 and 21. This fantastic event is the Pacific Northwest's fastest growing concert and camping experience featuring more than a dozen of country music's biggest stars!

Besides star studded music, the Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival also offers RV and tent camping just steps from the grand stage. We are also excited to welcome Radio Disney, for the best in kids' entertainment and family fun! Make your summer concert and camping plans now. We look forward to seeing you in August!