Our heartfelt condolences go out to each of you who have lost family members, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. We wish you much love and peace in the coming days…

In conversations I've had with families over the past several weeks, many of you have asked how A.S.A. has been affected by recent events, whether or not expectant women and their partners have reconsidered their adoption plans in light of the uncertainties ahead, etc. At present, this has not been an issue of which the counseling staff has been made aware, however, we have processed the events and their repercussions with our clients during counseling sessions, and I believe everyone has been struck with a renewed sense of the fragility and sanctity of life.

In the hours and days immediately following the World Trade Center attacks, our office was bombarded with hundreds of phone inquiries from birth mothers and birth fathers who have placed a baby with A.S.A., specifically with adoptive families who lived in New York or the surrounding area, worked in the city or near the towers, etc. Though communication was difficult at times as a result of the damaged telephone lines and influx of calls being made across the country, our staff worked diligently to make contact with hundreds of adoptive families to ensure that they were safe from harm and relay this information to the birth parents who had made these inquiries.

Though this was an incredibly stressful time for our country, it was a heartwarming to witness the genuine connection and sense of compassion for each other that birth and adoptive families maintain through the years, even with little or no direct contact. In the past weeks we've heard our President and other leaders encourage us to get back to the business of living our lives; though this has undoubtedly been hard to do in many respects, life has certainly continued to go on in the world of adoption, and many babies have been born since the July/August newsletter was emailed to each of you. Though travel was precarious, many other children were brought home to the U.S. by their families from Eastern Europe. On that note…

Congratulations!

"Children are the purpose of life. We were once children and someone took are of us. Now it is our turn to care." -- Cree Elder

Several bundles of joy have arrived in the past month, and we're thrilled to welcome Victoria, Ricarda, Yasmina, James Carlos, Julian, and twins Kellie and Carmel to the A.S.A. family. Congratulations to each of the happy Moms & Dads of these little angels…we imagine that these little blessings have been a true ray of light in each of the families they've joined…

Many families have welcomed precious children into their homes and hearts recently via A.S.A.'s International Adoption Program, as well. Welcome to the United States Alexander, Katie, Patrick, Dasha & Daria, Ludmilla, Irina, and Saule. We're so happy you're here!

Meet our Staff…

In the fifth part of our series introducing A.S.A. staff members, I'd like to introduce Susan Webster, A.S.A.'s resident paralegal…

Hello! My name is Susan Webster and I am the legal assistant for Adoption Services Associates. I have been with the agency for thirteen years. I've been married for ten years and have two wonderful children, Camille who is eight years old and Taylor who is three years old. I received my paralegal certificate from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

My duties with the agency include processing the legal paperwork for your adoption, as well as working closely with the counselors in searching for birth fathers and addressing their legal rights. I will be the one you speak with to set up your court date for your adoption finalization. I look forward to working with you in the near future. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to call me…

The Heart of the Matter

In an ongoing effort to improve and refine our work of facilitating semi-open adoptive placements, as well as providing exceptional post-placement services, A.S.A. has recently made a few revisions to the Placement Agreement. (Note: The Placement Agreement is signed by adoptive families at the time they receive their baby in the domestic adoption program. This does not apply to international adoption). These changes became effective immediately, and the revised Agreement will be used at all adoptive placements occurring from this point forward. An attachment is connected to this newsletter (click here) so that you may download and review the document for yourself. If you have difficulty downloading the Agreement, please do not hesitate to email or call me so that I may fax or mail one to you directly.

Perhaps the most obvious change has been in regard to the number of photographs families will be required to send in during each month during the supervisory period and for five years annually thereafter. The number of photographs has changed from five to ten. This change occurred for several reasons, most importantly due to the significance these pictures hold for the birth parents who receive them. Contrary to what some may believe, these photos are not necessarily painful reminders of a loss, but rather cherished mementos and a verification that the child they so lovingly placed for adoption is thriving, surrounded with love and joy, and enjoying a full and bountiful life within the confines of a stable, nurturing family. Many of you who are already adoptive parents do a wonderful job of sending more than the minimum required number of pictures, and words can't express how meaningful this gesture is to your child's birth parents.

On another note, I wanted to take a moment to share with you news about upcoming events at which A.S.A. will be represented. Some of the following seminars may interest you, and, if they are being held near your part of the country, you may want to think about attending.

Resolve of Houston, Texas
Reaching for Resolution 2001: Infertility and Adoption Symposium
Sunday, October 28, 2001 Time: 8:00 AM-5:OO PM
Crowne Plaza Brookhollow, 12801 Northwest Freeway, Houston, Texas (713) 975-5324 http://www.resolveofhouston.org

Dallas/Fort Worth Families for Russian and Ukranian Adoption
International Adoption Fair (Includes all countries)
Sunday, November 4, 2001 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Grapevine Convention Center
For more information, email: sbukowsky@aol.com
ASA will host an information booth and staff will be there to discuss ASA's international adoption program.

Southern Piedmont Adoptive Families of America Presents:
The Fifth Annual Adoption Expo
Adoption is a Beautiful Way to Build a Family
Saturday, November 10, 2001 Time: 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Holiday Inn Center City and International Trade Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
For more information, please call Vicki Miles at: (704) 895-9494
A.S.A. will host an information meeting on our Domestic and International Programs at the Holiday Inn Center City in the Quorum Room
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM after the Expo.
Your are invited to come and meet and discuss adoption with Linda Zuflacht, A.S.A.'s Executive Director.

Adoption Resources Network, Inc.
10th Annual Adoption Conference
The Next Ten Years: Adopt a Vision for Families and Foster Change for Kids
Saturday, November 10, 2001 (All Day)
Sheraton Four Points Hotel Rochester, New York
Featuring six national speakers; for more information call: (716) 924-5295 or visit: http://arni.org
You can also email: infor@arni.org

In closing, I wanted to take a moment to share this sweet, simple poem I came across recently….thought you would enjoy it…

I never would have noticed
The first white snowdrop
Pushed through dirty snow…
A clothespin nested in the grass…
An ant within a flower…
The pertness of a chickadee…
Dust mice hiding in my closet…
That penny lost a week ago…
A hairpin lodging in the floor
(How many years?)…
The soggy pine cones tight and narrow…
The dirty rocks gathered by winter's plows…

They would have gone unseen
I would not have remembered
The coldness of fresh snow…
The delight of a sled ride…

The exuberance of spring's first day…
The sadness of day's end…
The hugeness of a house…
The longing in a rainy day…
The friendliness of a stray…
The kindliness of humanity…
They would have been forgotten,
If it were not for my child.
--Margaret Steele

Warm regards,
Denise Garibay
Director of Social Services
Adoption Services Associates
dgaribay@adoptionservicesassociates.org