Keeping in Touch

Staying connected is vital to the life of our group. We use YahooGroups! as our primary avenue of communication.

Discussion forums abound on the internet! On-line adoption forums and email groups are a wonderful way for adults to find support, gain advice, and share information. I, myself, belong to five internet forums /email discussion groups. The Center for Adoption Support & Education (C.A.S.E.) has a Kids' Page for young adoptees (age 9+). Show it to your "tween" or visit the link yourself, and click on the "circle of feelings" words to learn what your child may be feeling and thinking about.

The Adoption Club House (created by the National Adoption Center) is another online place for middle-school aged adoptees to find support. But, remember our younger children need support, too! Until they are old enough to communicate on-line within an adoptee discussion group, they need to have friends who share the commonality of adoption, who share a similar history, and who understand what it feels like to "grow up adopted." Kids need to play, talk and connect in real life.

If you would like to join Familias y Amigos you must live in the tri-state region of NY, NJ and PA. To request membership, please visit our YahooGroups! homepage at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/families_n_friends/

Learning to Speak Spanish

In April, our group's parents decided to incorporate Spanish language games and activities into our gatherings. Spanish is the primary language of our children's birth countries and is an important part of their hispanic heritage.

During our parties, games like Simon Says or a lively Dress-up Relay Race are fun ways to learn the names for parts of the body or for items of clothing en Español. Games of Bingo and picture/word matching games are offered at our restaurant nights. So, while we wait for our meal, we learn the Spanish names for various foods.

Here are two websites to visit if you are interested in teaching Spanish to your kids (or learning it yourself).

Explore the website SpanishTown to find free printable worksheets, language games, Spanish vocabulary word puzzles and more. It includes audio links so you can hear the proper pronunciation of Spanish words and phrases, which is really helpful. LiteracyCenter.net is a fun interactive site for preschoolers. It features simple interactive online games with audio for learning the Spanish alphabet, colors, numbers, and shapes...

About Our Group

Families & Friends/Familias y Amigos is a social/support group for adoptive families in the Hudson Valley Area who have adopted children from Latin America.

The main purpose of the group is to provide opportunities for our children to build connections with other adoptees with Latin American heritage. The group provides opportunities for the kids to form friendships with other adoptees similar to themselves.

The group enjoys family gatherings with child-friendly activities, targeted at kids that are toddler to intermediate school age. These fun get-togethers are held at local restaurants, state parks, beaches & playgrounds.

Occassional parent meetings offer the adults opportunities to discuss adoption-related issues with other parents such as: heritage travel, travel health, searching for/meeting birth family, adoption and school assignments, creating lifebooks, etc.

There is no fee to join our group, however, parents are required to volunteer in some capacity (such as help set up, clean up, or lead an activity). Parents may be asked to contribute items (such as paper goods, or bring a food item to a pot-luck), or share their talents (like photography, foreign language, art, or music). Sometimes families will have to pay a fee to enter a park, or purchase a craft kit for their child.

If you live in Ulster or Orange Counties in NY; Sussex County, NJ; or Pike County, PA ~ perhaps you'd like to join us!

Click on my profile to send an email if you are interested in joining.