THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 24, 1996 TAG: 9607240009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 33 lines
I was glad to read ``Parenting dreams coming true for couple who feared they'd never have a child'' (news, July 16).
All perspective adoptive parents and all parents who are blessed with an adopted child will be welcome at Families Through Adoption, a support group directed by parents that meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach.
United Methodist Family Services recently received special-needs-adoption funding from the Virginia Department of Social Services to assist in moving children from foster care and dependence on the public sector to permanency in adoptive families. A total of 383 children with special needs were placed for adoption by United Methodist Family Services during the past 10 years. Special-needs-adoption services are free for adopting families.
In addition to placing special-needs children, United Methodist Family Services also assists families that are adopting through open, parental-placement adoption, which is how the DeJiacomo family adopted two children. Many other families choose to adopt internationally; 32 foreign-born children were placed during the 1995 calendar year with our assistance.
United Methodist Family Services, phone number 490-9791, welcomes calls from anyone who wishes more information on adoption services.
MELINDA SPENCE
Adoption social worker
Tidewater Regional Center
United Methodist Family Services
Virginia Beach, July 16, 1996 by CNB