Monday, August 3, 2009

LDS.org now linked to ItsAboutLove! Let's Keep It There!

Currently on LDS.org there is information at the top of the home page titled, “Crisis Pregnancy Help” with a link to itsaboutlove.org. We have been hoping for this for a long time and are excited to see it there. With it easier to find, it is our hope that more birthparents and families will get the help they need resulting in more birthmothers placing for adoption. We are not sure how long this link will be on the home page so please send them your feedback regarding how grateful you are to see it on there and have your family and friends do the same. Positive feedback has the biggest impact on what they do with the website.

Go to lds.org and click on “feedback” at the top of the page to send them your email, or click on the link below.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=3e920fd41d93b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Thank you for being an adoption advocate.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Online Seminar: Talking to your Children about Adoption

Infants placed for adoption usually do not have attachment and other emotional and behavioral issues associated with being in foster care or orphanages. However, children need to understand why they were placed for adoption and be allowed to ask hard questions.

If you have questions about how to help your children learn about adoption and their adoption story, join an online seminar is being provided by Nightlight. The seminar is on June 25th from 6:00-7:30 pm and registration is required. The registration fee is $15

Information about this can be found on adoptionvoices.com as well as through the Nightlight.org. To register, please follow this link: Nightlight.org.

If you have any questions, please send an email to laurag@nightlight.org

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

2009 FSA Adoption Conference

2009 FSA National Conference
'Letting Love Lead'


When: Friday, July 31 at 10:00am to Saturday, August 1 at 4:00pm
Where: Davis Conference Center
800 West Heritage Park Boulevard
Layton, UT
Registration Fee: $60 per couple, $30 per individual
free for expectant parents, birth parents and their families
More Information: go to http://www.familiessupportingadoption.blogspot.com

Click here to view the flier with details about classes, speakers and schedules.


CONFERENCE BASICS

July 31, 2009 to August 1, 2009

The conference will be held for a second time at the Davis Conference Center.


SCHEDULE

Friday, July 31st


Registration 9:00-9:30
Breakout session 1 9:30-10:30
Breakout session 2 10:40-11:40
Lunch on your own 11:40-1:10
Breakout session 3 1:15-2:15
Breakout session 4 2:25-3:25
Breakout session 5 3:35-4:35


Awards Banquet 5:30-7:00
(Semi-formal dress)



Saturday, August 1st

8:00-9:00


Registration 9:00-9:30
Keynote address by Troy Dunn 9:30-10:30
Birth Parent Panel 10:45-12:00
Lunch 12:00-1:00
Breakout session 1 1:00-2:00
Breakout session 2 2:10-3:10
Breakout session 3 3:20-4:20
Closing session and raffle 4:30-4:45


REGISTRATION

To register, CLICK HERE.

This is for registration and payment purposes only. Please disregard any information related to Temple Square events.

Adoptive parents and hopeful adoptive parents are invited.

We also are inviting expectant parents, birth parents, and their families again this year. A great amount of effort has gone into planning breakout sessions for them. They may register for free by typing in “itsaboutlove” in the special code field on the registration form.


HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

A few hotel rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn (762 West Heritage Park Blvd, Layton, Utah, 84041) are blocked out for a discounted event rate. You may reserve a room by phone or through the hotel’s Web site. Call 801-416-8899 and make sure to mention the group code, which is “LDS” and the group name, which is “LDS Family Services.” You may also register online here. In the group code field, enter “LDS.” In order to get the discounted rate of $89, you must be registering for the blocked date (July 31st). We will be posting other hotel options when the hotel is full.


CHILDREN'S ROOM

A children’s room will be available again during the conference and banquet. Please email Narda Emmett (imaemett@yahoo.com) to register your children. The cost will be $10 per day, per child. She will provide you with the details.


AIRPORT SHUTTLE

From the airport Express Shuttle - 801-596-1600.


QUESTIONS?

If you have general questions, please email contactus@ldsfamilyservices.org with “National Conference” as the subject.


This is always a fabulous event and can serve as such a help for all of us who experience the process of adoption in our lives. We encourage everyone to go if you can!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Chalk Art Festival

A wonderful event will be put on by the Utah Foster Care Foundation, a non-profit organization which aims to give every child a loving home.

The 7th annual Chalk Art Festival will be held June 19-20 along the Rio Grande Street at The Gateway in Salt Lake City. More than 100 professional, adult and student artists will transform the streets of The Gateway into a beautiful, temporary art gallery for the community to enjoy. This event runs June 19 from 4-9pm, June 20 from 10am-9pm and is completely FREE to the public! The festival also features a “Kids Korner” where children and families can create their own chalk art. This event helps the public to be aware of 2,600 Utah children in foster care and their need for loving homes and families. For more information visit www.chalkartfestival.org or www.utahfostercare.org.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Adoption Walk in Provo!

Join the FSA in Provo for the annual Birth Mother Walk held on May 9th at Provo High School! This will be held on May 9 at 10:00 am. Please come to raise awareness about adoption while honoring all of the sweet birth mothers out there! Click on the image below for more information!


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

View your Profile Visits

Recently it was discovered that it is possible to check the number of profile hits on your LDS Family Services adoption profile! Here is how you can do it:

1. Log into the Bluestep website.
2. Click on "Phase 4".
3. In the upper left corner choose "View Profile Statistics".

This is similar to what you will see:
Profile statistics since your profile was published.
Your Profile Message page has been viewed ____ times.
Your Photo Album has been been viewed ____ times.
Your Getting to Know Us page has been viewed ____ times.
Your Contact Us page has been viewed ____ times.


This information was found on ldsadoptioncouples.blogspot.com

A Beautiful Message

Temporary Housing for Babies Needed

The Sandy office occasionally has a need for a licensed foster home to take in a new baby for a limited time-maybe one night to a week or two. This happens only rarely and is usually due to some unusual circumstance between the time the birth mother signs the custody of the baby to the agency, and the couple is ready to take physical possession. This is a rare occurrence, but we have had three of these situations in the past year.
We can use homes that have been licensed for foster care by the State, but there is a problem if the State has a current placement in the home. We have one wonderful home in the South Valley area, but do not have one in the area of Sandy-Midvale-Murray-Draper-Cottonwood.
There is a somewhat involved process to get a home licensed and to update the home on an annual basis, but if this seems interesting to you, it would be well worth it. If you have questions, please call the Sandy office (801-566-2556) and talk to Connie Mason.

We'll Pay for HALF of your UAC registration fee!

The upcoming UAC conference is sure to be a great experience! The Sandy FSA would like to get as many of you there as possible! We will pay for half of the UAC conference fee for the first five individuals that contact Gail at 801-566-2556. Enjoy the conference, everyone!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Hep Needed at the UAC conference

The National FSA is setting up a booth at the UAC conference and needs help manning the booth on March 18th between the hours or 8:30 and 4:30. This can be an individual or a couple and can be done in shifts. If any of you can spare an hour or two, please contact us as soon as possible! Thank you all for your help!

Send an email to sandyfsa@gmail.com