Adoption Option - In the Know:
The Adoption Option Committee is a group of people who promote adoption as a loving choice for the children of unintended pregnancies.  Every day in Minnesota, 15 girls under the age of 19 give birth—most choose to raise their babies.  Studies show that children of young, single parents are more likely to be victims of child abuse and 83% more likely to also become teen parents. The In the Know campaign is an effort to recruit teens and train them as peer-to-peer educators.  When students understand adoption, more babies are placed for adoption. This effort is non-political, non-religious and provides unbiased, straightforward information about adoption.  Adopted teens would be particularly knowledgeable and persuasive in this role.
Teens who want to learn about and promote adoption among school friends can contact itkteens.org or call 952 944 0866.  Persons who need help immediately can call 1-866-694-BABY.

Now Available "Learning the Dance of Attachment" by Holly van Gulden and Charlotte Vick.  Click here for more information.

An opportunity for children adopted from China to discover their roots first hand up close and personal, through carefully designed tours for adoptees and their loved ones.

Crossroads Adoption Services, along with our Chinese liaison, Tu Yune, now offer a family-friendly trip back to your child’s country of birth. The trip includes visits to well-known sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Terracotta Warriors as well a rickshaw tour of traditional Beijing homes and stroll through Xian’s Muslim Quarter. If permitted, you will visit your child’s orphanage and “find spot.” Families will begin the tour in Beijing, travel to Xian, and from there visit either Chengdu and the Panda Preserve (an add-on experience) or proceed to their child’s province or city. The tour ends in either Shanghai or Guangzhou (depending on your child’s province).

Crossroads provides pre-trip planning for adults (trip details and discussion of how your child might react to the trip), as well as specifically designed child-friendly programs to prepare kids for this emotional adventure. Our Heritage Tour also includes a post-trip debriefing party to help your child create positive memories of their birth country and gain pride in their cultural heritage.

Camp Masala Indian Culture Camp
(sponsored by PIC, ICAN & SILC)  is a weekend camp for children of Indian heritage and their families. Our goal is to facilitate our children’s education about Indian culture in a fun environment. Your children will be surrounded by other children who look like them and other families who are built like theirs. The experience of being ‘in the majority’ is invaluable. We look forward to meeting your family and getting our beautiful Indian children together to celebrate their heritage!�www.CampMasala.org

Yinghua Academy is a new metro area Public Elementary Charter School with an Emphasis on Chinese Language and culture. The mission of Yinghua Academy is to provide a challenging and comprehensive learning environment that will nurture our students’ natural inquisitiveness and will prepare them to be engaged and productive global citizens. Yinghua Academy will be bilingual (Mandarin / English) and bicultural. During the 2006-2007 school year Yinghua Academy will provide immersion in Mandarin Chinese in Kindergarten and 1st grade and a significant introduction to Mandarin Chinese in 2nd and 3rd grades as well as Chinese cultural experiences in all grades. For more information visit www.yinghuaacademy.org

Minnesota Post-Adoption Resources Directory�Local adoptive mom Barbara Holmes has created the first-ever Minnesota Post-Adoption Resources Directory.  The booklet has over 50 pages of contact information for post-adoption support groups, cultural activities, restaurants, services for children with special needs, adoption services, and language resources, for international and domestic adoptive families in Minnesota.  The cost is $10.  Contact Barbara at bgholmes@earthlink.net or 651-308-5889.