This article, written by Alexis Oberdorfer, MSW, Executive Director of CH/LSS, was originally published by National Council for Adoptable Children (NCFA) In 1948, white parents in Minnesota adopted a black child and were the first recorded transracial adoption in the United States. The following year, novelist and winner of the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes Pearl
Embracing and Teaching Advocacy as Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
As parents to three amazing kids, we’ve found many things to be constant over the years: going to music festivals, a yearly trip to Duluth, nightly walks (when the weather permits), spending time with family, enjoying the lake, and finding any educational activities that we can do to embrace the many cultures in our family.
Helping Adopted Children Cope With Grief and Loss
This content was originally published by childwelfare.gov Many children in foster care have experienced traumatic separations and losses. The emotions elicited by these traumatic experiences are rooted in underlying grief, which may complicate their adjustment to the newly formed adoptive family unit. Children’s response to grief may vary, depending on their age and stage of
Join us for Fidgety Fairy Tales, The Mental Health Musicals
Come join us Monday, April 8 for Fidgety Fairy Tales This year Minnesota Association for for Children’s Mental Health joins us again in their 11th musical where familiar fairy tales are re-imagined to raise awareness about children’s mental health. With great music and gentle humor, this hour-long musical is fun for the whole family. This
Tips for Blending Foster, Biological & Adopted Children
This content was originally published by Creating a Family, the national infertility education and support nonprofit. Blending a foster child with children already in the home is one of the biggest challenges many foster parents face. Regardless whether the kids already in the home are by birth or adoption, the addition of a new foster
Parenting the Easily Frustrated, Inflexible Child
This content was originally published by Creating a Family, the national infertility education and support nonprofit. Regardless whether our kids come to us through adoption or birth or foster care, some kids are more challenging to parent, and parenting the easily frustrated, inflexible child can test even the best of parents. Parenting these kiddos may
Family Voices | Connecting Families of Children with Special Health Care Needs
1 in 5 families has a child with special health care needs We just met with the Minnesota chapter of Family Voices, a national nonprofit that supports families with children that live with a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions. The organization implements a program that provides evidence-based training to volunteer families, then connects
The 8 Senses: How Your Child Interacts with the Environment
It’s a familiar situation: You are pushing a cart around the grocery store and suddenly your child collapses on the floor and starts kicking, screaming, and wailing. Thoughts race through your head: Could it be because you said “no” to the ice cream 10 minutes ago? Could your child be tired or hungry? Why are they
Fun Activities for Foster & Adoptive Families
As you may already know, all foster children and youth under the age of 18 who were adopted from Minnesota foster care are covered by state paid insurance. Because of this, these children and their families may be eligible for free and reduced admissions to many attractions around the state. Families in foster care who are
See, Hear, Speak: Are Kids’ Senses Ready for School?
When setting off for kindergarten or first grade, a child may feel prepared with a backpack loaded with crayons, pencils, and paper. But a good start in the classroom depends on more than just school supplies. Healthy hearing, vision, speech, and language are key to success at school. If a child has problems in these
