Community Connections: January 2005 Newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator -- January 2005

In this Issue:

The theme of this month’s issue is New Year’s Resolutions. You will find information on how to create healthy resolutions for your entire family. There is also information on how to have fun with family traditions and how to exercise with your kids. The article in this issue addresses how to change parent and child attitudes for a fresh start this year. The spotlights of the month are very special. One touches on the importance of opening our hearts and home to those less fortunate. The other spotlight helps us to think about something that so many take for granted such as independence while eating. If you would like to make 2005 a great year, this newsletter provides great resources on how to get your resolutions accomplished.

	Tip Sheet: 10 Building Blocks of a Happy Family
	Check out these ten great tips that discuss the importance of creating a happy family environment. Click here to view the tip sheet in full.
	Additional Tip Sheets:
	Top 10 Ways to Work Out with Your Child http://specialchildren.about.com/od/stressmanagement/tp/getmoving.htm
	Capturing the Moment: Creating Fun Family Traditions
	Article: New Year’s Family Resolutions
	Check out this article, which provides great ideas on healthy New Years resolutions for the whole family. To view the entire article click on the link below. http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/inside_pediatrics/new_years_resolutions.htm
	Additional Article
	Special-Needs Kids and Special Occasions
	Spotlights of the Month:
	Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. The Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides programs and services for adoptive parents and agencies that have children coming from foster care entering into the adoptive system. If you would like information on how to adopt children with and without special needs, or if you are an adoptive parent who needs help, Mrs. Hayes can provide you with the information and referrals to give your family a healthy start to the New Year.
	Dining with Dignity Mr. Robert Bayton has created beautiful functional silverware for people with disabilities. After being paralyzed in a car accident, Mr. Bayton realized the need to be able to eat independently and with dignity. He created silverware to help adults and children with a variety of disabilities to become and or remain independent.
	Recommended Websites:
	www.family-networks.org
	Spotlight a Welcoming Business:
	Community Connections would like to “Spotlight” businesses who are welcoming to children with disabilities and their families. If you would like to spotlight a business, please click on this link and we will post it free of charge on our website. Thank you.

Tipsheet

10 Building Blocks of a Happy Family
This tip sheet is an excellent resource for all families. Dr. Jim Burns of Homeword describes principles that will enhance your family’s life during this New Year. He points out that most families practice these ideas already. However, he wants to show the importance of the small gestures that parents can do to further bond with their children. Such topics include discipline, communication and affection. Click here to view the tip sheet in full.

Additional tip sheets:

Top 10 Ways to Work Out with Your Child
This tip sheet provides some great ideas on how to keep your entire family healthy. If you’ve ever thought of working out with your child, you will find cool and fun activities such as yoga, sensory integration play, exercise and dance. Take a look at the entire tip sheet for ideas and resources.
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/stressmanagement/tp/getmoving.htm

Capturing the Moment: Creating Fun Family Traditions
This tip sheet further provides ways families can grow closer through creating traditions. Fun ideas to create traditions through family fun nights, one-on-one time, and special o
o ccasions are discussed. Check out the entire tip sheet for further information.

Article: New Year’s Family Resolutions

This article will help you begin to think about resolutions for this New Year for your entire family. If you would like ideas on how to live healthier this article is for you. You can also find information about how to have fun family time and better communication. Parent and kid resolutions are also discussed. To view the article in full, please click on the following link.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/inside_pediatrics/new_years_resolutions.html

Additional Article – Special-Needs Kids and Special Occasions

Sometimes family outings can be very eventful. This article gives some great ideas on how to enjoy family time by being prepared for the unexpected. To view the entire article click on the following link.
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/inthecommunity/a/holiday.htm

Spotlights of the Month!

Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc.
1107 Dixie Bowie Way
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774
(301) 249-8622
Email: janhayes1@verizon.net
Jannie P. McNeil-Hayes, CEO

As the New Year takes off, many families are expressing a need to do things better. We set our resolutions and try to accomplish them throughout the year. As the spotlight of the month, the Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. inspires people to look at the world in a different light and open their hearts and homes to children who are waiting for a forever family. They also provide services to include children with special needs in appropriate school placements, community activities, and support groups.

Mrs. Hayes, the CEO of the Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc., has always had a yearning to help children. She attributes her strong bond with children to her sometimes difficult upbringing that she faced as a child. After raising one child on her own, Mrs. Hayes later married and adopted four children, two of which have medical special needs. Mrs. Hayes took the role of an adoptive parent very seriously. She became an advocate for her children to ensure that they had a better life in school and in the community. She also took on a leadership role in the One Church, One Child Adoption Ministry in her church. Through this ministry Mrs. Hayes saw the need to find loving and permanent families for waiting children. She also wanted to provide a means for community inclusion of children with special needs through advocacy and therapeutic services. Thus her company the Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. was established to work alongside her church’s ministry.

The Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides programs and services for adoptive parents and agencies that have children coming from foster care entering into the adoptive system. The Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. provides an array of services such as:

Home to Jannie’s Angels:
places waiting children with permanent, stable, loving families throughout faith-based communities
eases the burden that adoptive parents face when adopting children
serves as a liaison between families and agencies

Advocacy Services:
helps families with children diagnosed with developmental disabilities and chronic illnesses to advocate for their children
provides advocacy for educational and healthcare needs
helps to coordinate the child’s psychological and medical evaluations
facilitates meetings with parents and school administration
helps to develop child’s Individualized Education Program

Therapeutic Services:
provides a support group facilitated by a licensed social worker, which meets twice a month through the One Church, One Child Adoption Ministry.
ease parent anxiety by providing training on how to deal with situations
provides positive parenting skills and a listening ear when needed

Academy Awards Program:
Mrs. Hayes started this program five years ago. She said, “For many years I have been talking to families about adopting children. Many listen to me as I explained why the children need stability in their lives, and to take away the feelings and thoughts in their minds that they are not any value to anyone. The Academy Award of Adoption Program came about after a conversation I had with God. He asked me over fifteen years ago to help save the children, and I have been on the battle field for them every since. When He asked me to find a way to get more children adopted, I thought, how in the world am I to do that? Then He said to me, appreciate the families that have already adopted, and more will come”. That was over four years ago. She wanted to honor the people who had adopted children. She decided to give them a beautiful banquet, an Angel award, certificates of appreciation from the state, and a gift to show her appreciation of their huge contribution to children. She called it the Academy Awards Celebration of Adoptions Banquet. Each year inspiring stories of adoption are shared with the audience. To date close to 50 families have been honored in this program. The Academy Award of Adoption Program is celebrated in November, during National Adoption Month. If you know of families who should be honored in this beautiful community program, please refer their information to Mrs. Hayes and she will contact them.

If you have already adopted a child and need additional supports, please feel free to contact the Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. for further information on the services they provide. If you would like to consider adopting a child with or without special needs, the Coalition of Adoption Programs, Inc. can get you started in the process. Mrs. Hayes can be reached at (301) 249-8622.

Dining with Dignity, Inc.
101 Deerwood Drive
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 565-2452
email: diningwithdignity@cox.net
www.diningwithdignity.com/designer.html
Robert Bayton, President

After 16 years as a civilian working for the Dept. of the Navy, Robert Bayton took the opportunity to follow his growing passion for cooking. In 1993 he entered Johnson & Wales, working full time while attending school, and graduated with honors in 1995, as a chef. Working throughout Hampton Roads, Bob gained experience in some of the finest restaurant and continued to move up and gain the respect of his peers. In February 2001, a car accident changed his life, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Following six months of rehabilitation, a vision, a need and a passion arose in Bob. Enter Dining With Dignity.

Dining With Dignity, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is based in Williamsburg, VA. Under development for two years, the flatware is the realization of a dream for the company founder and former chef, Bob Bayton. This grasp impaired flatware design was developed out of his personal need after the automobile accident. "I love fine food and fine dining. After the accident, I had to rely on someone to feed me because none of the assisted living products available enabled me to eat independently. Mealtime became a simple feeding exercise; I had lost my dining experience. I had to recapture that portion of my life and, well, dine with dignity, independently...even in public. It is simple things like this that seem to help each of us feel better about ourselves. My task was clear."

Now Dining With Dignity Flatware is available and is being distributed nationwide. Take a look, call us and regain independence, enjoy dining out or give a gift that will change a life. If you have any questions, drop Bob a note. You will get a passionate and helpful response.

…..Excerpted from the Dining with Dignity Website.

Please note, Dining With Dignity website does not reflect their new lowered prices! They have also developed a smaller version of the flatware for pediatrics. To view this wonderful silverware, you can click on Dining with Dignity’s website at www.diningwithdignity.com/designer.html For further information you may contact
Mr. Bayton at (757) 565-2452

Recommended Websites

Family Networks

www.family-networks.org
This website provides an abundance of information for families with children with disabilities.

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Disclaimer
Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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Helping to Facilitate the Participation of Children with Disabilities in Community Settings