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Educational requirements for all other programs are listed here. |
Education is very important as you are preparing to adopt an institutionalized child from another country. It is our goal to insure that you are as prepared as possible for the changes in your life and that of your family as you go through the adoption and post adoption process. The education you will receive in addition to your homestudy consists of education classes and reading materials including web sites, books and articles. The education you will receive is not only an agency requirement, it is also a 'federal regulation' for anyone adopting internationally according to Hague Standard 96.48(b)(2). The Hague Convention is a program that governs the way international adoptions are conducted throughout the world. One of the major components of The Hague is the education of adoptive parents. Each prospective adoptive parent is required by Federal mandate, to take a minimum of 10 hours of education, in addition to the home study. The classes you will need to take at our office include “Attachment and Other Issues of International Adoption,” “Life Long Issues in Adoption” and “Medical Issues in International Adoption.” If your homestudy is being conducted by another agency please be sure that the education classes you take meet Hague requirements. Please review the websites provided. These websites provide information about the laws of adoption in the country from which you are adopting, information about each country and health information about international travel. Please review at least 4 sites that relate to your adoption plans and write a summary consisting of at least 4 sentences of what you learned from reading through that site. This information is also available in the Nightlight office in Fullerton, California for your personal review. In addition to the websites, there are also required books to read as part of your home study. After you have read each book, please write a paragraph summary, including what you liked about the book, what you did not like, identify a particular idea or intervention that you believe will help you with your adopted child and describe what you gained from reading this book. Please complete, sign and return the Parent Education Program check list that is included in your homestudy packet or dossier notebook as this will verify your completion of the education requirements. |
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Nightlight Christian Adoptions has always placed a high value on education. It is our belief that families who are well educated and prepared for the adoption of post institutionalized children helps to promote a successful adoption. Families who work with Nightlight Christian Adoptions make the commitment to complete the following education program. 1. Attend a 3 hour Nightlight Seminar where the following information is addressed:
2. Attend the Attachment and Issues of International Adoption Class, a 5 hour training class that covers:
3. Attend the Medical Issues Class provided by Dr. Gary Feldman, MD Miller Children’s Hospital, Stramski Clinic, Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Long Beach California. This is a 2.5 hour class that addresses:
4. Attend the Lifelong Issues Class, a 2-hour class, where the prospective parents hear about adoption from adults who have gone through the process. This class addresses the impact of having ‘two’ families and multi-cultural issues. Each prospective adoptive parent is required to have a minimum of 10 hours of education in addition to the actual home study process according to Hague Standard 96.48. Nightlight Christian Adoptions in its efforts to promote successful international adoptions has provided a supplementary learning program in addition to the home study process, for several years. In addition to the required 10 hours of coursework, families are also required to read the following books in preparation for their Intercountry adoption. |
REQUIRED READINGThe following books are mandatory reading to help you prepare for your adoption. Although we recommend that you purchase the books for your home library, they are all available for checkout through our office library. Holding Time : The Breakthrough Program for Happy Mothers and Loving, Self-Confident Children without Tantrums, Tugs-of-War, or Sibling Rivalry Martha Welch Parenting With Love and Logic : Teaching Children Responsibility. Foster Cline, MD and Jim Fay. Raising Adopted Children: Practical Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent. Lois Ruskai Melina You will need to read at least two of the following books, however all are highly recommended (you may want to discuss which books you should read with your social worker). Adopting the Hurt Child : Keck & Kupecky Attaching In Adoption : Deborah Gray Helping Children Cope With Separation and Loss, Revised Edition : Claudia Jewett Parenting From the Inside Out : Daniel Siegel Parenting the Hurt Child : Keck & Kupecky Touchpoints: Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development : T. Berry Brazelton Toddler Adoption, The Weaver's Craft : Mary Hopkins-Best With Eyes Wide Open: A Workbook for Parents Adopting International Children Over Age One : Margi Miller and Nancy Ward (Available at www.childrenshomeadopt.org) |
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If you are completing your home study through a different agency, please check with us to determine whether their education program meets the Hague standards. The programs listed below, do meet the Standards set by The Hague and are excellent alternative learning programs. However, if you are completing your home study through Nightlight Christian Adoptions, we require that you complete our education program. Please consult with your social worker and the person coordinating your adoption, with any concerns or issues. Adoption Learning Partners (ALP) www.adoptionlearningpartners.org Cost: $200.00 for package listed below, including certificates. With Eyes Wide Open (4 hours) The Journey of Attachment (2 hours) Finding the Missing Piece: Helping Adopted Children Cope With Grief & Loss (2 hours) Let’s Talk Adoption: A Lifetime of Family Conversations (2 hours) Conspicuous Families: Race, Culture & Adoption (1.5 hours) Medical Issues In International Adoption (2.5 hours) National Council For Adoption (NCFA) Prospective parents can register for The Intercountry Adoption Journey at www.hagueadoption.org. For more information about this training, please contact NCFA at 1-866-21-ADOPT or ncfa@adoptioncouncil.org. This training covers 8 out of the 10 hours of training required by The Hague. It does not cover the Medical Issues training. The cost is $95.00 per person or $175.00 per couple. Please enter our agency reference number when registering (4680). Boris Gindis Center – Post Adoption Leaning Center www.bgcenterschool.org Although these classes do not meet the criteria for pre-adoption Hague education, they are very helpful and highly recommended for families planning to adopt school age children. |
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The following books are not required however you may find them useful as you prepare to complete your adoption or once you are parenting your adopted child(ren). **Indicates that there is a copy of this book in the Nightlight Library. |
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Child Development: American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child's Symptoms Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk Talking With Young Children About Adoption : Mary Watkins & Susan Fisher** The Myth of the First Three Years : A New Understanding of Early Brain Development Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five
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Adoption:Adopting After Infertility : Pat Johnston** The Complete Guide to Foreign Adoption : Barbara Bascom Can This Child Be Saved? Solutions for Adoptive and Foster Families: Foster Cline Our Own! Adopting and Parenting the Older Child : Trish Maskew Real Parents, Real Children ; Parenting the Adopted Child : Holly Van Gulden** The Primal Wound : Understanding the Adopted Child: Nancy Verrier |
Culture, Language and Ethnic Differences:Chinese at a Glance by Scott D. Seligman ( New York, Barron's Educational Series Inc,) Chinese Phrase Book and Dictionary (Oxford, UK, Berlitz Publishing Co. Ltd., rev. ed.) Cross Cultural Adoption : How to Answer Questions From Family, Friends and Community : Amy Coughlin, Caryn Abramowitz** Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Multiracial Children . Donna Jackson Nakazawa** Easy Russian Phrase Book : Over 690 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use ( Dover Books) Russian Song Book : Dover Books Please to the Table : The Russian Cookbook: Teach Me Russian (Teach Me More Series): book/tape combo |
First Thousand Words in Russian (Ukrainian; Chinese etc)(Picture Word Books) Kinki Kreations : A parent’s guide to natural black hair care for Kids: Jena Renee Williams I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla : Raising Healthy Black and Bi-Racial Children In A Race Conscious World. Marguerite Wright** Inside Transracial Adoption : Gail Steinberg and Beth Hall** The New Oxford Picture Dictionary English – Russian (Chinese; Spanish etc) Ukrainian : A complete course for beginners Olena Bekh, James Dingley Russia (Eyewitness Books (Trade):
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Developmental or Behavioral Issues:The A.D.D. Book : New Understandings, New Approaches to Parenting Your Child The Bipolar Child : The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder: Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos Building the Bonds of Attachment : Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children : Daniel Hughes The Challenging Child : by Stanley Greenspan Childhood Speech, Language, and Listening Problems : What Every Parent Should Know : Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi The Complete IEP Guide : How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child: Pete Wright Facilitating Developmental Attachment : The Road to Emotional Recovery and Behavioral Change : Daniel Hughes. Help for the Hopeless Child : A Guide For Families by Ronald Federici I Hate You – Don’t Leave Me : Understanding The Borderline Personality: Jerold J. Kreisman, M.D. and Hal Straus** Love is a Start... The Real Challenges of Raising Children with Emotional Disorders: The true story of a mother raising children, adopted domestically, with neurological differences |
The New Language of Toys : Teaching Communication Skills to Children With Special Needs The Out of Sync Child Coping With Sensory Integration Dysfunction : by Carol Stock Kranowitz Raising Great Kids : Dr. John Townsend (Christian based parenting book)** Relationship of Learning Problems and Classroom Performance to Sensory Integration : Sensory Integration and the Child. Jean Ayres Stop Walking on Eggshells : Taking your life back when someone you care about has Borderline Personality Disorder: Paul T. Mason, M.S. and Randi Kreger ** Therapeutic Parenting : Deborah Hage Troubled Transplants : by Richard Delaney and Frank Kunstal When Love is not Enough : by Nancy Thomas |
Children’s Books:A Mother for Choco : Keiko Kasra Chinese Eyes : Marjorie Waybill Families Are Forever : Deborah Capone www.simpleasthat.com Favorite Russian Fairy Tales ( Dover Children's Thrift Classics): Horace (Reading Rainbow Book): Holly Keller I Love You Like Crazy Cakes : Rose Lewis Is That Your Sister : Catherine and Sherry Bunin (for families with children who are adopting transracially) The Keeping Quilt : Patricia Polacco |
Little Miss Spider : David Kirk. The Little Snowgirl : An Old Russian Tale: A Little Story About A Big Turnip : Tatiana Zunshine Over The Moon : Karen Katz Seeds of Love : Mary Ebejer Peteryl Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born : Jamie Lee Curtis. Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! (Children's book) Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies : Kristine Wise |
Additional Internet Resources: Adopt Shoppe, Unique Adoption Gifts, Books & Resources Eastern European Adoption Coalition Joint Council on International Children’s Services, affiliation of non-profit international adoption organizations Tapestry Books, devoted to selling books on adoption. |
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, is a great resource for families in any stage of the adoption process as it provides publications and links on many adoption topics. Post Adoption Information, specialized in providing information for families who have adopted institutionalized children from Eastern Europe.
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