Jewish parent mentoring needed

My name is Tina Rubin, single mom to Joshua age two, adopted from Tbilisi, Georgia (former soviet union), in April 2004. WE live in Oakland california and will probably be moving to San Diego within the year. I received the referral for, and video of, Joshua (2 weeks old and in foster care) from my agency on September 5, 2003 and on September 8, 2003 the country began a moratorium on international adoptions pending law changes. I should add that the papers that were sent with him were for a different child so I could not even sneak my acceptance of him through and get linked to him in the pipeline not until I had the correct papersŅwhich never came. To make a very long and gut-wrenching story short, by either a fluke or a miracle, I found out where Joshua was being fostered and was given the email address of the foster family. We began a warm and heartfelt correspondenceoften scary at timesŅespecially when the police came to their house and they fled with the two foster babies to keep them from being placed in the horrific baby houses, with incredibly high death and illness rates. The new law was passed on September 18th which put an end to private foster care and sentenced these orphan babies to mandatory orphanage stay and only available to the Georgian community for adoption and if not adopted, then to the international community. Currently the laws are being re-worked and adoptions are just now beginning to resume on a case by case level. My story continues the government was overturned in a non-violent but heavily political revolutionŅthey stormed the parliament building with roses in hand and the new and young government took over and has since tried to reform a very corrupt, ex-soviet way of life. Although the new adoption law was on the books and I had little chance now to adopt this precious baby boyŅ I felt that if I was to be his mother, then I had to do what a mother would do for her songo fight for him and be the voice that he did not have. I quit my corporate job and got on a plane to Tbilisi and stay over 4 months trying to negotiate his release and adoption. It was an uphill battleŅthe papers, the pipeline, the new law it looked pretty hopeless. BUT, I was with this precious angel of a baby day in and day out and was committed to staying there until I could get him outŅ in my heart, I was his mother. Without going into detail the next four months was a roller coaster of eventsŅups and downssteps forward and steps backwards. The U.S embassy was extremely supportive and helpful in moving us forward. Mid-way through, papers now in order, other parents came to join the fight as we were given approval to adopt based grandfathering these cases to the prior law. The courts denied us and we went back to square one. Finally, on April 8th 2004 after being denied once again on April 7th, the adoption of Joshua (and 19 other babies) was approved. Joshua and I came home as mother and son at the end of April 2004. During this time, I realized how important the connection between adoptive parents is. Professionals, agencies etc are what they areŅthey are not the parents going through the adoption process which can be extremely easy or like mine, extremely difficult. I also realized how deep the bonds are between adoptive parentsespecially the parents you go through the adoption with. The parents with me on the second half of my journey are in my heart and soul forever as they are a part of my sonŒs story and his history. One of the mothers, Mary Handel- my dear friend and author of the renowned and gorgeous adoption lifebook series, Hold ON Tight to Your Dream, graciously gave me publishing and marketing rights to the series to help tide me over upon my return home. The series includes China, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, universal international and domestic adoptions. Over the past year, we have opened a beautiful family gift shop featuring these exquisite lifebooks and I would like to extend a 10% discount offer on the lifebooks through January 2006 [url]www.thedreamkidz.com[/url] Coupon aaf1205 Lastly, we are trying to start a grass roots adoptive parent ӓsubject-based mentoring club called ԓThe Dream kidz Society. This is a private, membership based club that you will be able to mentor and be mentored on for and by different parents based on subject matter and experience. PRIVATELY!!! I will match people up privately based on subjects. If you are passionate about a subject and are willing to speak with as few as one person a month up to as many as you want toԅthen we need your help. This will involve very little time or as much as you want. [url]http://www.dreamkidzsociety.clubexpress.com/[/url] As I said, its grass roots and we are offering the first 200 members at no chargethen we will have to charge for overhead, maintenance and mentor matchingŅright now I am paying of everything. WE just started and I ask that you visit the front page of the site and read more about it. Why not join and look arounditsŒ free for the first 200 members. Once we have 200 members we will have a great system and foundation for mentoring each otherprivately. Plus there are other great features that will come as we grow in numbersŅplease come and read about it. [url]http://www.dreamkidzsociety.clubexpress.com/[/url] Adoptive parents all have a common denominator, and can benefit from sharing our experiences both privately and in a community forum with other parents in all stages of our adoptive families. Our issues and processes are something that few can understand unless you have gone through the experience. The adoption cycle is extremely intense and charged emotionally, physically, logistically, financially and or course there is the wait timeӔ which for some can be the most difficult part. We face many issues that few people outside the adoption community can really understand, including professionals, organizations and agencies although they each play an important role in our adoptive lives. The Dream Kidz society is built and based on parent-to-parent mentoring and networking in the adoptive community around the world. We are an exclusive group of prospective and post-adoptive parents, and an inclusive group that welcomes all family types and do not discriminate against anyone based on gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or sexual preference. The Dream kidz society is not divided by country of adoption, family structure, religion, gender, age or ethnicity. We are a broad based group with one thing in common our adoption hopes and dreamsŅour dream kidz. Once inside the society, there are resources and forums that are set up or can be set up for all different adoptive groups by country, family type etc. as well as groups for just simply adoptive parent issues. I am hoping to spread the word... we really want a broad representation of the adoptive community. GRandparents are also most welcome!