In This Issue:

• Message from Rachel Pratt
• First Keynote Speaker Confirmed for AEA Conference
• Call for AEA Conference Presentation
• AdoptUsKids Launched Latest Campaign on November 14th
• Help AdoptUsKids Find More Media Families Nationwide

In This Issue:

Member Highlights

Message from Rachel Pratt

At the AEA offices, we are busy planning the 2009 AEA Conference for you.  It will be held this year in downtown Chicago, at the historic Palmer House Hilton hotel.  The theme is “Flourishing in a Downturn,” which we hope invokes for members a spirit of pulling together and finding new ways to do the important work we do.  As you are well aware, the economic situation in our country will increase human need while at the same time shrinking state budgets and decreasing charitable dollars. We are just beginning to see the effects on child welfare and adoption services, and it promises to make the work of finding adoptive and foster families for waiting children even more challenging.

One very positive outcome of the slower economy is that AEA is able to hold its 2009 Conference in a magnificent hotel in downtown Chicago.  The Palmer House Hilton is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the United States, and recent renovations have restored the hotel to its original glory.  The downtown Chicago location offers easy access to shopping, cultural events, and parks.

March 12th—the deadline for early conference registration discounts—is quickly approaching. Members also enjoy additional savings.  If your membership is not current, now is a great time to renew or to become a member for the first time.  Click here to register now. Make sure to reserve your hotel room for May 27th through the 30th in the AEA block no later than Monday, April 27, 2009 by calling 877-865-5321 and mention Adoption Exchange Association to receive our negotiated discounted rate of $159 per night plus tax.

I look forward to the opportunities the Conference will afford to see all of you in person and learn ways to continue to strengthen our organizations and our work through the current economic climate.

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First Keynote Speaker Confirmed for AEA Conference

On Friday morning May 29, 2009, Peter Goldberg will address AEA Conference attendees with a keynote speech entitled, “Leading High-Performing 21st Century Non-Profit Organizations through the Whitewaters of Change.”  As the President and CEO of Alliance for Children and Families, Mr. Goldberg’s member agencies serve millions of individuals in thousands of communities across the United States.  He has been selected by The Non Profit Times as one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector six times since 1998.  Peter Goldberg has also authored articles on nonprofit and corporate social responsibility and serves on numerous nonprofit boards.

Mr. Goldberg is a perfect fit for the 2009 AEA Conference, which focuses on, “Flourishing in a Downturn.”  We are honored that Peter Goldberg will speak and lead what promises to be a stimulating and timely discussion. 

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Call for AEA Conference Presentation

March 2nd is the deadline for AEA to receive proposals from individuals and organizations interested in presenting at the 2009 AEA Conference.  AEA invites exchanges, agencies, adoptive families, change leaders, and others to submit proposals for workshops.  In keeping with our tradition of volunteering service, presenters who are AEA members do not have to pay registration fees, but are expected to donate their time and expenses as a contribution to the needs of waiting children.  All presenters are encouraged to join AEA prior to the conference.

All workshops will be 75 minutes in length.  We encourage proposals that are timely and responsive to the conference theme, and offer the following suggested topics:

• Creative revenue generation
• On-line and shared training opportunities
• Beyond photolisting:  new ideas for finding families for waiting children
• Cultivating corporate and foundation relationships
• Leadership sucession planning
• Operating with high staff turnover
• Recruiting, managing, and getting the most out of your volunteers
• Using technology to lower costs
• Tapping into unconventional funding streams
• Getting your message out through blogs, list-servs, social websites, and mass e-mails
• Other

For more information about presentations click here. 

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AdoptUsKids Launched Latest Campaign on November 14th
The Advertising Council and AdoptUsKids, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) to raise awareness about waiting teens. The newly launched PSAs are an extension of the previous campaigns which began in 2002 and carried the successful tag line "You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent." The full press release about the new PSAs is available online at: www.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/35825/

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Help AdoptUsKids Find More Media Families Nationwide

As you know, AdoptUsKids is dedicated to increasing the public awareness of children in foster care who are available for adoption.   Members of the Adoption Exchange Association are an important part of our national media outreach.  We receive many requests from radio, television and print reporters across the country. We have available spokesfamilies who are willing to participate in these interviews.  However, we still need more families!  If you know families who might be interested—families who speak either Spanish or English and who have experience with adoption and foster care— please ask them to contact:   

Please tell your families that they are the best voices for adoption!  We also understand that each family has many commitments and therefore may need to decline an invitation to participate in an event or interview. By agreeing to be a spokesperson, it is not assumed that they will be available to participate at all times! Please contact Kate directly if you have questions.  Thanks so much!          

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Because all children need families, the Adoption Exchange Association serves its members by stimulating innovative solutions, eliminating barriers, advocating, educating, and sharing excellent practice.  Our central goal is to assist and encourage our members nationwide as they find adoptive families for all children and youth who wait in foster care.

Member News

Member Highlights

Among its long list of events, The Adoption Exchange will this spring host  its 4th Annual Monopoly Tournament and Dinner (March 28th in Las Vegas), 4th Annual Heart Gallery Opening (May 6th in Las Vegas), A Day for Wednesday’s Child (all day April 8th on CBS4 in Colorado), and two Wendy’s Wonderful Kids events for teens (New Mexico).  Visit TAE’s website at http://www.adoptex.org/site/PageServer to find out about these and other events and to sign up for TAE’s electronic newsletter, eHeartlines.

The Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parent Association holds a legislative breakfast on Wednesday, February 17th in the Iowa State Capital’s Legislative Dining Room.  For publications and other information—designed to help resource families interact with their legislators—visit IFAPA’s website at http://www.ifapa.org/resources/legislative.asp

The 2009 edition of The Michigan Heart Gallery Exhibit opened on February 12th at the Library of Michigan in Lansing.  This year’s gallery features 104 children. Fifty-five of Michigan's top photographers donated their time and talent to create the photos of children and adoptive families in this year's exhibit. In addition to the new photos, 2009 brings other changes a video presentation as part of the main exhibit. the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) also added this year to the number of smaller "mini" exhibits, in an effort to reach even more people and locations.  You can view MARE's gallery on-line at www.miheart.org

Make sure AEA is on your mailing list so that all members can hear about your
upcoming events, promising practices, and successes.

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