Our first year at WCS is now over and I can confidently say that we have made a suc-

cessful transition! We have experienced a very busy winter and spring with several

birth parents having their babies, as well as many families being placed with infants

from other states. Several of our Project CT’s Children

families have recently had DCF children placed with

their families, too. As we now approach summer, we

are expecting this busy time to continue, since we will

be having about 23 families from Lutheran Social Services (LSS) transferring to our

agency. Sadly, LSS in CT will be closing their adoption program at the end of June after 142 years of

providing excellent services. We are working to help make the transition as smooth as possible for

these families. If you come to the annual picnic in July, you may meet some of these LSS families.

You might also meet Lynn Gabbard, the LSS adoption program director, who will soon be joining our

staff. Please join me in welcoming them into our “adoption circle”.

For those of you who came to our pool party in March, it was wonderful seeing you! I was sur-

prised at how many of you made the trip to Ledyard for this popular event. We had a record number of

attendees- 115! I could definitely tell that we all had a bad case of cabin fever after such a rough win-

ter. I hope you all will be able to make it to the picnic on July 12. If, for any reason, you did not receive

your invitation, please email me and I will mail you one.

Enjoy these beautiful summer days and see you soon.

Warm regards,

Sandra Couillard, LCSW

Director of Adoption Services

scouillard@waterfordcs.org

CT Adoption Services 2 Clinic Drive Norwich, CT 860.886.7500 www.ctadoptions.org

Don’t forget, if you’re a Facebook user,

to “like” the page. We now cover CT

Adoption Services news on this page.

You’ll share in the community of people

who care about foster care and adop-

tion.

Inside this issue:

A Letter from Sandra Couillard 1

Project Connecticut’s Child 1

Save The Date 2

New Faces & Staff Changes 2

Adoptive families enjoying pool

party

2

And Now we are a family of four! 3

CT Adoption Services News 4

Special Thanks to Our Donors 5

Resources & Support Groups 6

Project Connecticut’s Child:

We recently received two grants to work with residents of the City of New London who want to adopt

children from the state foster care system. If you or someone you know lives in New London and is

interested in this type of adoption, please contact Sandra at (860) 886-7500 x355. You will receive

personalized one-on-one services to help you navigate the state foster-to-adopt program.

Other grants are also available for families throughout Eastern CT. Please join us for our free Adoption

Information Sessions to learn more. The complete schedule of sessions is on our website:

www.CTadoptions.org

Spring 2014 Newsletter

A Letter from Sandra:

Connecticut Adoption Servicesa program of WATERFORD COUNTRY SCHOOL

Websites for you to bookmark!

CTadoptions.org

Wcsfostercare.org

Waterfordscountryschool.org

Welcome Erica!

Erica L. Pelaccia, MSW joined our agency in November of 2013. She studied

Social Work at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN and earned her MSW at Ford-

ham University. Her child advocacy work began in the mid 90's when she spent

a year working with institutionalized children in Romania between the ages 0-3

years. During her professional career Erica has coordinated multiple interna-

tional adoption programs and supported families through the home study and

post placement periods. She has worked alongside birth parents and adoptees

in the domestic search and reunion process. Erica's passion and commitment to child advocacy work is

rooted in the fact that it is the fundamental right of every child to grow up in a family. Erica currently

works with both birth and adoptive parents in the Greater New Haven area.

Dawn Caruso, MSW is now working for both our adoption program as well as the

Therapeutic Foster Care program at WCS. At the end of December, Dawn joined

the Family Training and Support team at WCS. She is now teaching PRIDE

classes for new prospective foster and pre-adoptive parents as well as licensing

and reapproving WCS foster families. She has taken over leading the book dis-

cussion and the Lifebook groups (see below). Dawn has been a familiar face at

WCS because she has been a foster/adoptive parent and PRIDE trainer for

years! For our adoption program, she continues to provide in-home support to

pre and post adoptive families who are in the process or have adopted through

DCF. Dawn has a Master’s Degree from UCONN in Social Work. She and her husband have 6 children

and a dog named Precious. We’re happy to have Dawn nearby most of the week now!

Camp Clio

-A serious fun place for adopted

children Ages 9 –12

*Our third year and growing fast!

All–day or sleep-away (one or two

weeks)

June 29-July 5, 2014

July 6-July 12, 2014

Lyme, Connecticut

Camp Clio...Old fashioned sum-mer camp where adopted boys and girls share fun and discovery with other adopted children and adopted teenage counselors.

For information and registration visit our website

Www.CampClio.org

Scholarships available

NEW FACES & STAFF CHANGES SAVE THE DATE!

Adoptive families enjoying our Annual Pool Party in March.

Page 2

CT Adoption Services 2 Clinic Drive Norwich, CT 860.886.7500 www.ctadoptions.org

A happy ending for another

Project CT’s Child Family

by Kathleen Kastrup, LCSW

As I pulled into the driveway of

the Sylvester home, the first

thing that struck me was the

decal on the back of the family

car: a mom, dad and two little

boys. Seems fairly ordinary but

this is NO ordinary story. It

does, however, have a truly

happy ending . . . or should I say

a happy beginning?

But let’s start back a few years.

Betsy and Craig met, fell in love

and married. After settling into

married life, they did what many

couples do—decided to start

their family. But things didn’t

go as planned as Betsy had a

hard time achieving a preg-

nancy and eventually suffered a

miscarriage. She and Craig

were devastated and eventually

made the decision to explore

adoption to have the family they

had dreamed about. It seemed

like an easy leap of faith: they

wanted children and there were

children “out there” who

needed a family. But where to

start?

In early 2010, the Sylvesters

spoke with a worker from Con-

necticut Adoption Services

(CAS) who told them about a

free community information

session that addresses private

adoption and adopting from

DCF foster care through CAS’s

grant funded program, Project

Connecticut’s Child (PCC).

Betsy and Craig attended a

session, mulled over the pros

and cons of both avenues,

asked more questions and

reached a life changing deci-

sion—they would adopt from

DCF foster care and use Con-

necticut Adoption Services as

their homestudy provider. And

so the process began. As Craig

states, “It’s a story like no

other!”

They Sylvesters were confident

in their decision to adopt and

were willing to be placed with a

child of either sex and of any

race. Right before Christmas in

2010, 10 month old Ameir was

placed with the Sylvesters. A

beautiful, curly haired infant,

Ameir warmed their hearts from

the moment they met him. The

Sylvesters formed a relationship

with Ameir’s birthmother and

his paternal grandfather and

Betsy and Craig brought Ameir

for visits to see them. But the

tide turned in 2011 when Ameir

was returned to his birth-

mother. DCF wanted to give her

a second chance to make a

home for her son.

Craig calls this the saddest day

of his life; Betsy was heartbro-

ken but understood the oppor-

tunity for Ameir to be with his

biological family. Nevertheless,

the heartache of losing Ameir

was painful and Betsy states

they could not have borne the

ache without the constant sup-

port of their caseworker from

Connecticut Adoption Services.

The Sylvesters continued to

stay in touch with Ameir’s birth-

mother over the next 8 months

and learned that she had given

birth to a second son, Aiden.

Despite birthmom’s best efforts

to care for her sons, she could-

n’t find the resources to do so

and eventually agreed to allow

both boys to be adopted by the

Sylvesters. Now Craig calls this

the “happiest day of my life!”

Ameir had no trouble at all re-

adjusting to his “old” family,

and Aiden, another beautiful

baby boy, followed his big

brother’s lead. The Sylvesters’

families were overjoyed to have

Ameir and now Aiden in the

Sylvester home.

Betsy and Craig marveled that

their wish to be parents came

true when their adoption of

Ameir and Aiden was finalized

in the state of Connecticut in

February 2014. The Sylvesters

have an open adoption and

have four visits a year with the

boys’ birthmother. They feel

that any connection to the boys’

birth family will eliminate ques-

tions as the children grow.

Ameir’s paternal grandfather,

Pop-pop, has remained in Ameir

and Aiden’s lives and Pop-pop

attended the adoption finaliza-

tion. In return, the Sylvesters

were guests at Pop-pop’s wed-

ding and Ameir was able to see

more of his biological relatives.

Although not biologically Aiden’s

grandfather, Pop-Pop has

“adopted” Aiden as his own

grandchild and loves both boys

equally.

After a story of twists and turns,

the Sylvesters have settled in to

a normal, busy, crazy family life

with soccer practice, Thomas

the Tank videos and toys, scuf-

fling between siblings, vaca-

tions, and visits with family

members. Each boy has his

own Lifebook in his bedroom to

look through and see pictures

of himself with his birthmother;

Betsy and Craig would have it

AND NOW WE ARE A FAMILY OF FOUR!

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Page 3

no other way. Asked if they would

do it again, Betsy and Craig en-

thusiastically say “YES!” Despite

the setbacks in the unpredictable

journey for Ameir and Aiden to

become their sons, the Sylvesters

remain grateful to their Connecti-

cut Adoption Services social

worker and the agency in general

who offered consistent, patient

and kind support.

Project Connecticut’s Child is a

grant funded program that under-

writes homestudy and support

services such as the ones pro-

vided to the Sylvesters. Clients

incur no expenses during either

the pre- or post-placement proc-

ess. At present, Connecticut

Adoption Services/Waterford

Country School has funds for New

London residents, as well as resi-

dents of Eastern CT, who wish to

adopt from Connecticut Foster

Care. For more information,

please call Sandra Couillard,

LCSW, at 860-886-7500, ext.

355. With just a little bit of luck,

you may meet the Sylvesters and

their two handsome sons at one

of our family events.

CT Adoption Services 2 Clinic Drive Norwich, CT 860.886.7500 www.ctadoptions.org

Thank you to our “retiring” foster families!

*Kim & Tim Paul of Gales Ferry

*Kate & Tom Hodgkins of Voluntown

Both of these families were with CT Adoption Services for about 4 years and provided excellent care to our newborns awaiting adoption

placement. They also did a wonderful job supporting both the birth and adoptive parents during the foster care period. Given the high

level of emotion during this time, this was not always an easy task! We are grateful for your dedication. Thank you for being such a vital

part of the adoption team here at CAS. We will miss having you as foster parents!

Welcome to our new infant foster parents Kathy & Butch Rizer of Plainfield:

The Rizers are new to CT Adoption Services, but they are not new to WCS. Kathy & Butch have been therapeutic foster parents for many

years and have also adopted a young girl from the TFC program. So far, the Rizers have fostered two newborns from the adoption pro-

gram. They have done a fantastic job and we look forward to working with them more in the year to come.

CT ADOPTION SERVICES FOSTER CARE NEWS:

Page 4

CT Adoption Services 2 Clinic Drive Norwich, CT 860.886.7500 www.ctadoptions.org

One of our adoptive families recently applied for and received a grant from this organization. Show Hope provides grants

to families in the adoption process so that more children can have loving homes.

Please check out their website for more information.

www.showhope.org

The Adoption Expense Tax Credit, which was made permanent in 2013, will increase in accordance with the cost of living, reports the

American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. The maximum for 2014 will rise from $12,970 to $13, 190 per child adopted or adoption

attempt. Taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $197,880 or less can claim the full credit. The credit phases out

completely at MAGI of $237,880.

For more information visit:

www.nacac.org

or www.irs.gov

Adoption Tax Credit Increasing

On June 6th, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a bill to make original birth certificates available for adult adoptees who were adopted on or

after Oct. 1, 1983. The Act is called “An Act Concerning Access to Original Birth Certificates and Certain Health Information for Adopted

Persons”. Once the adoptee turns 18, they will be able to request a copy of their original birth certificate from CT Vital Records at the

Dept. of Health. The first birth certificate can be requested after July 1, 2015. This will allow time to notify birth parents that they can

file a contact preference form and/or health history before July 2015. DCF will be handling the contact preference forms and health

forms. The contact forms will allow the choice of no contact, contact through an intermediary, or direct contact. Approximately 24,000

adoptees should now be eligible for their birth certificates. Connecticut joins 14 other states in the U.S. that have passed similar laws.

Information provided by Carolyn Goodridge, President of the CT Council on Adoption

New Adoption Law Signed into Effect on June 6, 2014:

New Grant Opportunities:

$5,000 TO $15,000

Community Foundation of SECT

Dominion

Frank Loomis Palmer Fund

Chamber of Commerce Eastern CT Foundation

$1,000 to $4,999

Pfizer

Dime Savings Bank

Shea Perpetual Trust

George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation

Atkins Foundation

Altrusa Foundation of NE CT

Rotary Club of Mystic

Huisking Foundation

New Alliance Foundation

Bodenwein Foundation

Eastern Federal Bank Foundation

Charter Oak Credit Union

$100 to $499

Groton Rotary

Colchester Lions Club

Up to $99

Suisman, Shapiro, Wool, Brennan, Gray & Greenberg, PC

Greater Hartford Community Foundation, Inc.

$1,000 & up

Joseph C. Sheffey Jr.

$99 to $999

Jake & Amanda Shanks

Tiffany Silva

William & Clarissa McDonough

Douglas & Heather Yarnall

Alan & Nancy Cohen

Up to $99

Michelle Coope

Atty. Jeanette Dostie

Carolyn Payne

Phyllis Shedlack

Our Sincere Thanks to all who donated to Project Connecticut’s Child in 2013:

Page 5

CT Adoption Services 2 Clinic Drive Norwich, CT 860.886.7500 www.ctadoptions.org

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

Adoptive Parent Support Groups in SE

CT:

Lifebook/Scrapbook Group:

Dawn Caruso meets with adoptive, pre-

adoptive, and foster parents every month

at Clinic Drive to work on Lifebooks/

Scrapbooks and to discuss the ups and

downs in their families. Therefore, it is not

only a Lifebooking session but also an in-

formal support group. The group meets the

3rd Saturday of every month starting at

5p.m. and it usually lasts for a few hours.

Participants usually order food to be deliv-

ered (each person pays for their own meal).

Each participant brings her/his own sup-

plies but the members also share supplies.

Contact Dawn at (860) 886-7500 x185 or

dcaruso@waterfordcs.org for more informa-

tion on this support group.

Book Discussion Group:

Dawn Caruso leads a book discussion

group at the Clinic Drive office. Due to sum-

mer schedules, the next meeting will be on

Oct. 28 and the book to be discussed is

The Woman Who Raised Me by Victoria

Rowell. This group usually meets on a quar-

terly basis. Books the group read in the

past year include: Three Little Words, Or-

phan Train, The Boy Who Was Raised as a

Dog, The Language of Flowers and Another

Place at the Table. This group has been

very popular and is open to all foster and

adoptive parents. Dinner is provided so an

RSVP is appreciated. If you’re interested in

learning more, email Dawn at

dcaruso@waterfordcs.org or call her at

(860) 886-7500 x185.

Medical Insurance for Adopted Children

- if you recently had an infant placed in your

home through private adoption and your

insurance company has denied coverage

from the date of placement, read this article

for more information: “It’s the Law: Why

Your Health Insurance Company Must Cover

Your Children” by Mark T. McDermott

[http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/

articles.php?aid=248]

The Connecticut Adoption Community

Network (CACN) recently updated their list of

all the adoption support groups and adop-

tion-competent therapists in Connecticut. If

you are interested in learning more, see

their comprehensive website:

www.ctadoption.org

Touched by Adoption in Fairfield offers

many groups for children and counseling-

see www.touchedbyadoption.net

Kate’s Online Support Group:

If you are not part of Kate’s group yet, it’s

not too late! Kate Hodgkins is one of our

past adoptive parents and was also one of

our foster parents for infants. She has been

volunteering by helping other parents with

their adoption journeys for over 12 years

now! Kate has given encouragement and

information to 100s of families. The group

is confidential and is not monitored by any

CAS staff members. If you are interested in

joining, please send Kate an email: sim-

plired1@snet.net and put “adoption group”

in the subject line. She will then send you

an invitation to join the group.

Other Support Groups in SE CT:

Hearts, Hands, and Homes sponsors a

group that is held at our office once a

month. This group is focused on families

who are adopting children from the state

foster care system. See their website at

www.heartshandsandhomes.org.

Questions: Alana Jones (860) 710-1593.

Parent Support Group

3rd Wed. 6:30-8:30pm, WCS 2 Clinic Drive,

Norwich (childcare available, RSVP)

Support Groups throughout CT:

If you are seeking a group in other parts of

the state, please visit the Connecticut

Adoption Community Network website for a

full schedule: www.ctadoption.org

Resources and Support Groups

2 Clinic Drive

Norwich, CT 06360

Phone: 860-886-7500

Fax: 860-886-0500

E-mail: CTadoptions@waterfordcs.org

ABOUT CONNECTICUT ADOPTION SERVICES

Connecticut Adoption Services (CAS) was established in 1989 to

help the Dept. of Children & Families find families for the many

foster children waiting for adoptive parents. CAS was fully licensed

as an adoption agency in 1994, at which time services were ex-

panded. Since then, CAS has been helping with the adoption of

children of all ages and races throughout the United States. We pro-

vide home studies, educational training, and post-placement services

for all types of adoption. We counsel pregnant women considering

placing children for adoption and we place infants born in Connecti-

cut into adoptive families. In April 2013, CAS joined with Water-

ford Country School and now operates as one of their many commu-

nity programs.

2014 Newsletter