In This Issue:

• Message from Rachel Pratt, CEO
• AEA PaysTribute to Its Foutnders: Marilyn Panichi
• AEA's First Five Premier Members!
• Child Welfare Proposals in Congress
• Voice for Adoption Website is Up and Running
• Ellen W. Carey Scholarship Fund
• A New Way to Support AEA:  On-Line Shopping Through Giveline
• Event Gathers Nonprofit Leaders
• The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids-Material Available Now!

Member News

• West Virginia Builds on its Heart Gallery Through the Heart Project

Message from Rachel Pratt, CEO

Travels to visit members continue.  This past month I traveled to Chicago for three days.  On two of the days I had the privilege of working with the Standards Committee—Mary Jane Link (Children Awaiting Parents), Colleen Ellingson (Adoption Resources of Wisconsin), and David Wing-Kovarik (Families Like Ours).  The Committee is very excited about all that was accomplished during those two days, and we plan to have new Standards to share with you early this fall after the board reviews them this month.

The third day of my Chicago trip I met with staff from Adoption Exchanges in three states—Illinois (Adoption Information Center of Illinois), Wisconsin (Adoption Resources of Wisconsin), and Michigan (Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange).  It was fortunate for me that the three Exchanges had been planning to meet together, as they periodically do, and they were able to plan the meeting during my visit. 

One common thread through all three days was the optimism of everyone in this field—optimism that, despite all barriers, day after day and year after year, allows you to continue to find homes for children who need them.  I am honored to work with and for you as we together find new and better ways to serve children and families.

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AEA Pays Tribute to Its Founders:  Marilyn Panichi

In 1980, three dynamic leaders in the specialty of adoption exchanges observed a need to develop a national association.  Marilyn Panichi (IL), Phyllis Tourse (MA), and Mary Bohan (CA) dedicated their talents for the next three years to establishing the Adoption Exchange Association (AEA). As the AEA approaches its twenty-fifth anniversary, we want to pay tribute to one of its founders. The AEA was incorporated in 1986 in Washington, DC. Marilyn and her colleagues guided the fledgling organization through its early years.  Eventually, Mary and Phyllis moved into other professions, but Marilyn Panichi has continued to provide national and local leadership in the field of adoption. 

Today, Marilyn Panichi is the Executive Director of Adoptions Unlimited, Inc.   With more than 40 years of adoption and child welfare experience, Marilyn is a true veteran of this work.  Prior to establishing Adoptions Unlimited, Marilyn was the Executive Director of the Adoption Information Center of Illinois under the auspices of the Child Care Association of Illinois. She began her career with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a Child Welfare Worker and Adoption Coordinator. Marilyn earned her Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Science in Psychology degrees from the University of Illinois.  Marilyn is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy of Certified Social Workers.  She has served on the workgroup for the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids for the past five years and on her state’s Adoption Advisory Council for the past seven years.

Marilyn has continued her involvement with the AEA and currently serves as Board Member and Treasurer. Highlights of her volunteer work with the organization she founded include serving as:

• Treasurer of the AEA for the past five years. In this capacity Marilyn has guided the development of the organization’s fiscal management and has seen the AEA experience exponential growth. 
• Chairperson of the committee that drew up AEA’s first Standards of Practice.  Published in 1983, the Standards quickly became a guide to newly forming Exchanges and a reference for our industry.  Marilyn also served as Chairperson of the committee established to revise the standards ten years later.
• Chairperson of the 1989 AEA Conference Committee, and host of the conference. 
• A frequent presenter at AEA Conference workshops.
• Membership Chair for many years—from AEA’s inception—helping to grow AEA’s membership to more than 75 member agencies nationwide.

Says Marilyn of her nearly 25 years with AEA, “We have demanding jobs, and the stakes—for the children and families we serve—are very high.  AEA has given me camaraderie, a place to talk to peers, to hear from others ways to expand our services, a place to look for recognition, support, and solutions to the unique challenges we face as Adoption Exchanges.  And it’s been fun.  When other parts of your job are especially challenging, it’s great to have a network of people with whom you can connect and remember all that is important and exciting about this work.”
Though she does not seek the spotlight, Marilyn’s generosity and many contributions to the field have been recognized.  In 1984, NACAC awarded Marilyn the Friend of Children award, and her organization received the Angel in Adoption award in 2004. Marilyn has participated in numerous television interviews over the years, but she says the most exciting was appearing on the Phil Donahue Show in the early 1980’s with twenty waiting children and an adoptive family of nineteen.

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AEA’s First Five PremierMembers!

AEA is pleased to announce its first five Premier members—Children Awaiting Parents, www.childrenawaitingparents.com (Rochester, NY), Adoption Advocacy of South Carolina, www.adoptsc.com (Greenville, SC), The Adoption Exchange, www.adoptex.org (Aurora, CO), Northwest Resource Associates, www.nwae.org (Seattle, WA),  and Three Rivers Adoption Council, www.3riversadopt.org (Pittsburg, PA).  Thank you, Premier Members, for your vote of confidence in AEA!

For a $500 annual membership fee, Premier Members receive all of the same benefits as other members at the $300 level:

• Monthly electronic AEA newsletter sent to your home or office (printed version available if preferred)
• One copy of all new AEA and AdoptUsKids publications (new members receive copies of past publications as well)
• Members only use of Adopt Air services
• Your organization’s link on the membership page of the AEA website
• 25% discount for one (1) attendee at the AEA Conference
• Opportunities to get out the word about your organizations through articles in the AEA newsletter
• The chance to participate in the planning of the AEA conference.

And only Premier members have:

• Your organization’s link on the home page of the AEA website
• 50% discount for one (1) attendee at the AEA Conference and 25% discount for up to four (4) more attendees
• The opportunity to enroll first in new organizational support features as they are developed, including shared purchasing and discount subscriptions.
• The chance to be the first to test new interactive members-only features on the AEA website! 

Whichever level you choose, join AEAor renew your membership!    2007 is an exciting year to be a member of the Adoption Exchange Association.  All membership levels include features and assistance to help you run your organizations and get more children adopted.    As a member, YOU are the Adoption Exchange Association and have a voice in shaping the organization and how it serves you. 

AEA Membership Levels

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Child Welfare Proposals in Congress - An Article by Alicia Groh, Voice for Adoption

Thanks to numerous dedicated members of Congress and the voices of many advocates, child welfare issues have been gaining attention on Capitol Hill this year.  Leaders in both the Senate and the House of Representatives have indicated that they are interested in examining a wide range of aspects of the child welfare system, and there are already many bills that have been introduced in Congress that would make significant changes to the way children and families are served through the child welfare system (see the legislative chart)

One of the key issues that will be discussed this year is the federal financing structure for the child welfare system.  Over the past few years, this issue has been receiving increasing attention, particularly as fewer and fewer children are able to meet the outdated eligibility requirements for Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance payments.  Because of the way the Title IV-E is currently structured, with a link to the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) that ended in 1996, it has become increasingly challenging for children to meet the financial need requirements for Title IV-E.  Nationally, fewer than half of the children in foster care are Title IV-E eligible.  Given the complexity involved in reforming the child welfare financing structure, it will likely be a slow process to change the Title IV-E program, but many members of Congress have expressed an interest in examining possible improvements.  The Adoption Equality Act (S 1462) a bill that would de-link Title IV-E adoption assistance from the AFDC eligibility requirements, has already been introduced in the Senate.

Another issue that has been gaining support and interest in Congress is kinship care.  Many children in the child welfare system are being cared for by relatives, often without the caregiver receiving any financial assistance or other support.  The Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S 661 / HR 2188), which has been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, would create a kinship navigator program, allow states to claim Title IV-E funds for subsidized guardianship payments to caregivers, and allow states to establish separate licensing standards for relative caregivers.

Many child advocates are optimistic about the level of interest in Congress in helping the child welfare system achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children and their families.  As we mark the ten-year anniversary of the enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, it is a prime time to take the next step in finding ways to help children achieve permanence.

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Ellen W. Carey Scholarship Fund

The Ellen W. Carey Scholarship Fund was established by the Adoption Exchange Association in 2004 to honor this remarkable advocate for children, friend, mentor, and colleague.  Ellen W. Carey, M.S.W., Director of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Division of the Children's Bureau, passed away on December 11, 2003 while recovering from surgery.  She had led the Division since its inception, having joined the Children's Bureau in 1992 as National Adoption Specialist. In both of these capacities, Ellen W. Carey was an integral part of the operations and successes of the Children's Bureau.

Throughout her thirty-eight year career, Ms. Carey worked on behalf of children in the child welfare system.  She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Howard University and a Masters in Social Work from Atlanta University.  During her long career, she served as a case manager in Baltimore City, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s County in Maryland, as supervisor in Montgomery County, Maryland, and as Resource Recruitment Coordinator for the Maryland Dept. of Human Resources.  She also served as Coordinator of the Consortium for Child Welfare in Washington, D.C.   Ellen W. Carey took a creative approach to recruitment and was truly committed to children of color and children with special needs. 

Ellen W. Carey was considered by her colleagues in the field to be one of the wise elders in child welfare, one who had risen in her profession to a point of enormous national responsibility and prestige, but who never forgot the reason for the work—to achieve permanency and safety for the nation’s children.  She was known for her passionate advocacy for adoption, foster care, and the prevention of child abuse and neglect.  Those who worked with Ellen considered her to be a lifelong mentor and feel a debt of gratitude for knowing her.

In tribute to Ellen W. Carey, the Adoption Exchange Association created a scholarship fund. The scholarship will be given this year to a student studying social work at Howard University, Ms. Carey’s alma mater.   Organizations and individuals can contribute to the Ellen Carey Fund, both to honor Ellen Carey’s life, and to give hope and assistance to a promising young person entering our field.  Contributions can be sent to the Ellen Carey Scholarship Fund, c/o the Adoption Exchange Association, 8015 Corporate Drive, Suite C, Baltimore, MD  21236.

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A New Way to Support AEA:  On-Line Shopping Through Giveline

In May, AEA registered with Giveline.com.  Giveline.com is an online store created for the community-minded shopper, offering more than a million bestselling products including books, movies, music, electronics, housewares, gifts and more. Every purchase generates a substantial donation to Adoption Exchange Association – an amazing average of 16% of store sales, sometimes as high as 33%. Giveline has great products, great service, and great prices – the only difference between Giveline and other major online retailers is that every purchase earns money for our organization. Check it out today, and if you decide to buy, remember that the Adoption Exchange Association will earn funds in support of our mission!

Click the button below to begin shopping!

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Event Gathers Nonprofit Leaders

Craigslist Foundation: Nonprofit Boot Camp (link is http://craigslistfoundation.org/index.php?page=Boot_Camp)

Announced this month in the CWLA’s GrantStation Insider:  Nonprofit Boot Camp, hosted by Craigslist Foundation, is designed to educate and empower the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs.   One of our members thought that all of you might be interested too.  According to CWLA, the Boot Camp is a one-day event that offers workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, all focused on how to start and run a vibrant nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Boot Camp is designed to educate and empower the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs. The next Boot Camp will be offered in Berkeley , CA on August 18, 2007. Future Boot Camps will be held in the New York Tri-State area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Visit the website for more information.

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The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids—Materials Available Now!
Excerpted from this month’s Monday Morning Memos

New Book from AdoptUsKids is now available: Dollars and Sense: A Guide to Achieving AdoptionsThrough Public-Private Contracting. Authored for us by Madelyn Freundlich, this is the latest in our Answering the Call series. A mass mailing to child welfare folks around the country went out so look for your copy in the mail. Many thanks to Kathy Ledesma and the others at the Children’s Bureau for their input on this guide. This book was a long time in the making. We know you will like it and find it helpful!  To order this or any of the AdoptUsKids publications, e-mail Anastasia Edney, who will respond with an order form:  aedney@adoptuskids.org

ICPC Checklists.  If you have not received your copies of the AdoptUsKids ICPC Checklists, you
can access these at our website, www.adoptuskids.org for download. See direct access below:   

http://216.38.216.37/adoptusa/documents/ICPCReceivingStateChecklist.pdf

 http://216.38.216.37/adoptusa/documents/ICPCSendingStateChecklist.pdf

Or, contact the Baltimore AEA office (410 933 5700 or aedney@adoptuskids.org ) to request copies of the laminated version.

Did you know? All our AdoptUsKids PSAs are available on line: to access, go to: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=adoptuskids&docid=6423873395270879236&num=10&so=0&start=20

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The AEA promotes and supports interactive relationships among Adoption Exchanges and stakeholders to:

• Stimulate innovative solutions
• Eliminate interjurisdictional barriers
• Advocate
• Educate
• Actively share information, resources, and effective practices for the benefit of waiting children and families.

Voice for Adoption Website is in Up and Running!

Log on to www.voice-for-adoption.org to find resources and information for advocates, policymakers, and others interested in adoption policy.

MEMBER NEWS

West Virginia Builds on its Heart Gallery through the Heart Project

Mission West Virginia Inc. created the Heart Project as an innovate way to promote its Heart Gallery, an interactive photo exhibit featuring West Virginia children in need of adoptive families.  The Heart Project recruited artists, families touched by adoption, and individuals who wished to support the cause to create works of art.  Participants were given blank wooden hearts and were asked use them as the base for expressive art pieces.  Individuals across the state participated, contributing a variety of hearts in many different mediums.  Children featured in the Heart Gallery were also given hearts to decorate as an additional way to express their personality and increase the potential of matching them with adoptive families.   

West Virginia’s Heart Project debuted in May and Mission West Virginia plans to turn it into a travelling exhibit, stopping in several different locations throughout the State by the end of 2007. 

For more information on the Heart Project and to view the hearts, please see www.missionwv.org or contact Rachel Probst at 1-866-CALL-MWV. 

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