[GNFrank]

Hi all,

My wife and I are looking for a support group in northern NJ. We live in West Paterson. If anyone knows or can recommend a good support group for adopting parents that would be great. We are willing to travel a bit, thogh I'd like to stay in the north Jersey or central area. Thanks.

Blessings,
Gary & Nancy . . .

[momm2be]

Gary & Nancy,

I am looking for the same!! Haven't had much luck connecting.. Hopefully more New Jerseyans will post soon.

JB

[maltesefalcon]

I am not aware of a support group either...how about attending the APC Conference in Mahwah NJ on Sunday, November 16th?This is a large conference that is supposed to be very comprehensive.

See http://adoptiveparents.org/ for more information. Maybe we can plan to meet there briefly and set up a date/time to have coffee or something??

[GNFrank]

Maltese,

I just called to get information on the conference. My wife and I were planning to attend the one on 11/1 down in Rutgers, but if this one has more and costs about the same, maybe we'll try to make this one instead of or including.

Thanks for the information. Maybe we can get a group from this forum and meet up to start our own support group.

Peace,
Gary . . .

[maltesefalcon]

I am open to forming a North Jersey Support Group...maybe at a local church.. does anybody have any suggestions. Can anyone start one?

[GNFrank]

I would believe, as long we don't affiliate ourselves with any organization, we can start our own support group. The only concern is any kind of "rules" that should be drawn up before hand, such as what kind of feedback is acceptable, not acceptable, "crosstalk", letting a person say their piece and not judging; that sort of thing.

I think with a "core" group of people we could jot some ideas down and go from there. Perhaps we could even bring in someone familiar with support groups to give us a way to start.

I'm just throwing ideas out here that may or may not work...

As soon as I get the info for the 11/16 conference, I'll let you know if we're going. We may just do both (the 1st and the 16th) unless we feel it's adoption conference overload!

Peace,
Gary & Nancy . . .

[GNFrank]

I just found, on Resolve of NJ's website that if we want to start our own support group, we can contact them and perhaps they'll give us some guidelines (that's what I was trying to think of instead of "rules") to go by.

G&N . . .

[momm2be]

I just checked out the APC meeting. Hadn't even heard of it. Most likely will try to go.

As for starting a support group.. maybe we can create an outreach of an existing group, just meet locally. I can check out my local library. I know they have a meeting room.

[JoAnnH]

Hi All,
I just found this website, I hope it will be VERY helpful!
I belong to an adoption support group in North Plainfield called CHATS, it's in the Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church at 7:00pm on the 4th Monday of the month. (tonight)

I have to caution, these meetings are sometimes very upsetting and dark, there is a lot of emoting happening! These meetings are for people who have adopted, are adopting, birth mothers and adopted children.

There is a meeting in Morristown, it's on a Saturday, but I don't know what time of month. Also I've been told it's mostly birth parents there.

My husband and I are in the beginning process of adopting in the Phillipines. We're about to start our homestudy.
Take care!
JoAnn

[GNFrank]

My wife and I are going to the APC conference at Ramapo College on November 16. If anyone's interested in meeting up for lunch or coffee/dinner afterwards, let me know. You can e-mail me direct at:

Worldwhispers@yahoo.com

We can make arrangements from there.

Peace,
Gary . . .

[momtamany]

1-800-222-0047
Foster And Adoptive Family Services of New Jersey