The process of waiting to be matched with a child can be exciting, confusing and frustrating at times. To assist you through this process, the MARE Adoption Navigators are hosting a Waiting Family Forum. Join us and learn exactly what happens to your inquiries after you submit them on the MARE website at www.mare.org; find out what you can do to make the most of your wait time; learn ways to strengthen your inquiries; get tips on how to effectively advocate for your family; and meet other waiting families. 

Families who are approved to adopt and those completing their homestudy are all welcome to attend.

The next Waiting Family Forum will take place on:

Saturday, August 17, 2019
9:30am-11:30am

Location:
DA Blodgett-St. John’s 
805 Leonard NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 

*Park and enter at the back of main building and use glass doors*

If needed, you can contact Judy McNaughton the day of the event at 616-780-4875. 

Please save this information before submitting your registration. 
            
Pre-registration is required. Register here...https://forms.gle/uDzRRXjq2nNQT7229

If you have any further questions, please contact the MARE Adoption Navigator Supervisor via email at kimberly_wolowski@judsoncenter.org or by phone at 1-800-589-6273.

The process of waiting to be matched with a child can be exciting, confusing and frustrating at times. To assist you through this process, the MARE Adoption Navigators are hosting a Waiting Family Forum. Join us and learn exactly what happens to your inquiries after you submit them on the MARE website at www.mare.org; find out what you can do to make the most of your wait time; learn ways to strengthen your inquiries; get tips on how to effectively advocate for your family; and meet other waiting families. 

Families who are approved to adopt and those completing their homestudy are all welcome to attend.

The next Waiting Family Forum will take place on: 

Saturday, September 7, 2019
10:30am-12:30pm

Location:
Jackson Public Library
244 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201

This branch is located in downtown Jackson, Carnegie Branch. It is on the 3rd floor, they do have an elevator. Parking is in a lot behind the bldg. off of Pearl street and is free.

If needed, you can contact Kelli Ostrosky on the day of the training. Her number is 517-902-1025.

Please save this information before submitting your registration. 
            
Pre-registration is required. Register here...https://forms.gle/j3KTXYuGoLDqAFXW6

If you have any further questions, please contact the MARE Adoption Navigator Supervisor via email at kimberly_wolowski@judsoncenter.org or by phone at 1-800-589-6273.

Presented by the MARE Adoption Navigators

Understanding Attachment Styles~Why it Matters with trainer Laurie Nyquist, LPC

Laurie Nyquist is a therapist who works with families with attachment and adoption-related issues.  She is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner who received her extensive training in attachment from Karyn Purvis at the KP Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University.  Laurie is an adoptive parent and has been working at Families Forever Counseling since 2013.  In addition to her experience as an adoption professional, Laurie is part of a marriage leadership team and does premarital counseling with her husband at their church. She has been married since 1991 and has four children, including one adopted internationally in 2006.  She enjoys time with family camping and hiking.

Emily Nyquist is a junior at Northview High School.  She is involved in several organizations at school and in the community, including Student Council, National Honor Society, Young Leaders Against Violence, and Teen Charge. Through these organizations, she has had the opportunity to speak publicly on local radio and TV.  She is a passionate advocate for social justice and teen dating violence. Emily enjoys time with friends, reading, and watching movies. She will also speak on what it's like to be a biological sibling of an adopted child. 

Brief Overview of presentation:

If attachment is the most important predictor of a family's journey and our children’s outcomes then it's worth talking about.  This seminar will equip parents with an understanding of the different attachment styles, both our children's and our own.  We will explore encouraging research that reveals how having a secure attachment can help counter the effects of early trauma and enable a child to regulate his or her emotions.  In addition, we will take time to understand our own histories, and what we learned about attachment from our family of origin and how having a secure attachment ourselves can be what promotes deep healing in our child.

Objectives of presentation:

* Understanding Adult Attachment Styles and how they impact our significant relationships
* Understanding Infant/Child Attachment Styles and how they were formed
* Understanding how we can become more secure in our attachment relationships
* Understanding what it's like to be the biological sibling of an adopted child

WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 2019

WHERE:  Unison Church
                2010 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
                Grand Rapids, MI 49507
                                              
Registration and refreshments at 9:30am 
Training from 10:00am- 2:00pm

Lunch will be provided

Limited Child Care Available/snacks and lunch provided

Click here to register...https://forms.gle/NH1xkYRvpjn5nWmPA