[kiwi]

ADOPTION.COM FORUMS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Vol.1 No. 1 August 2005

Welcome to the premier issue of ADOPTION.COM FORUMS Monthly, bringing you the best and brightest from the Adoption.com discussion forums every month, and an invitation to join in. The support you have to offer or the story you have to tell may be just what someone else needs to hear.
http://forums.adoption.com

THIS MONTH:
* Announcements
* Chat Schedule
* Featured Forum
* Featured Posts
* Member in the Spotlight
* Favorite Stories of the Month
* Adoption Journals
* The Photo Gallery

Sponsored by
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Families.com Forums
Get a Free T-Shirt from the New Families.com Forums Families.com is a new site for building and strengthening families. It launched this month with its first feature, 100+ message boards on family-related topics such as marriage, parenting, travel, health, adoption, fertility, family fun, family life, and family entertainment. We invite you to help us get this site started by posting messages on the forums of interest to you. Anyone who posts 10 messages and invites three other people to do the same, will get a Families.com t-shirt. Once you have earned your shirt, just email nathan@families.com with your username, size, and address, and we'll be sure you get your shirt. Thank you for helping be a catalyst to start this new project to build & strengthen families.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please be patient as the forums are constantly being improved.
* Searches currently yield only 100 results, so be specific if you need specific results.
* Changes to your registered e-mail temporarily deactivate your account and require re-verification via a message sent to your new email address. Be sure that Admin@adoptionmedia.com is listed as a safe sender. If you are unable to activate, please send an email to admin@adoptionmedia.com from your currently registered e-mail address.

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CHAT SCHEDULE

* Fost/Adopt - Getting Started, 2nd & 4th Monday, 10 pm EST, with NDN in Hosted room

* International Chats, Mondays, 1 pm EST, in the international room

* Foster Adopt, Tuesdays, 9 pm EST, with Luv’mall in Hosted room

* Adoptees, Wednesdays, 9 EST, with mlassi in Hosted room

* International Adoption, Get-together, every Thursday, 9 EST

http://chat.adoption.com

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FEATURED FORUM

* Relationships with Young Adoptees
This forum is for anyone who knows a young person who was adopted. Every child who has been adopted has a unique adoption experience and a unique outlook on his/her adoption story. Talk with others about the ups and downs of young adoptees.
http://forums.adoption.com/forumdisplay.php?f=782

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FEATURED POSTS

* Who's Supposed to Provide for the Kids at Visitation?
A foster mother expresses her view, stating that bio parents need to come prepared (with diapers, etc.) to visit with their children.
Who's supposed to provide for the kids at visiation?

* Unsupportive Family
A couple's extended family does not support their desire to adopt.
Unsupportive Family

* Ahhh Panic! Why haven't I heard back from her?
An adoptee expresses her frustration as she waits to hear back from her birth mother.
Ahhh Panic! Why havent I heard from her??

* Birthparents: If there was one thing you….
A question posed to birth parents - what advice would you give if an expectant couple were considering adoption?
Birthparents: If there was one thing you…

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MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

* Volfe, Birthmother

Volfe joined the forums in late April 2004, after the 20/20 open adoption episode aired. 2450+ posts later, she is still an active member.

Volfe, whose real name is Maia, is a first mother in two open adoptions and a single parent to two daughters. Her oldest birth child is nearing 14 years old, while her youngest is almost 2 years old.

Having encountered the idea of the stigma attached to birthmothers on the forums and among the friends of the adoptive mom of her baby, Volfe has embarked on a quest to raise positive awareness for birth family and openness in adoption. In May 2005 she created a public display to honor first mothers and their children for Birthmother's Day - a huge eye-catching artwork sign - in New Orleans. Her plans for next year are already in the works.

Volfe is a frequent contributor to 'Chit Chat' and 'Adoptees Searching' forums.

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FAVORITE STORIES OF THE MONTH

* My Adoption Story, by Sis70
"The last time that I saw my son Aaron was Easter of 1999..."
My adoption story

* Good Reunion Story, by ChristiBender
"It all started in 1987 when I entered therapy to deal with persistent depression and almost uncontrollable moodiness..."
Short version of good reunion story

* Post-It Notes Can Change Your Life, by Crick "I got the mail one spring day and amongst the usual bills and junk was a letter from the adoption agency... "
http://forums.adoption.com/showthrea...403#post921403

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ADOPTION JOURNALS

Adoption journals are a great way to share family experiences of all aspects of adoption.

* Canadian Mom Adopting from Ethiopia, by Tenne
http://journals.adoption.com/?do=showjournal&j=113

* The Princess and the Pea, by sissyminsky
http://journals.adoption.com/?do=showjournal&j=164

* Could She Be Wearing Down?, by wenrl
http://journals.adoption.com/?do=showjournal&j=202

Create a journal of your own at
http://journals.adoption.com

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THE PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of placement ceremonies, adoption day, reunions, grandbaby's first steps - we've got them all.
This month:

* The Smile - posted by echaos
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=620
* Picture of My Birthmom - posted by Kevin1962
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=428
* Hold My Hand - posted by Mia's Daddy
http://photos.adoption.com/showimage.php?i=394

You're invited to share these moments and post your own photos.
http://photos.adoption.com.

Watch for ADOPTION.COM FORUMS MONTHLY each month and remember: the post that makes a difference in someone's life could be yours. Please join in!

'Til next month
The ADOPTION.COM Forums Team
http://forums.adoption.com