Press Release 6/11/2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Beginning’s International Children’s Family Services
Tom Velie, LMSW
President
In the mid-1980′s Debbie and I adopted two baby girls from South Korea. They are now adults and Debbie and I have become grandparents. After many years of child welfare work in various settings, I joined New Beginnings as the President in 2002. In 2003 we made the decision to develop international adoption programs so that other children could find safe and loving homes…just as our daughters found with us.
While it seems that cases involving adoption often make the news, child abuse or neglect for any child, whether adopted or biological and whether it occurs in public or private situations, is tragic and deplorable.
We have provided safe and loving homes to over 500 children, provided help in crisis situations to birthmothers at the Erwin Maternity Care Center, and provided other adoption services to families throughout Mississippi.
New Beginnings remains committed to providing quality, professional adoption and home study services to the birthmothers and families of Mississippi. While, the average reader of the Daily Journal may have a false perception that certain portions of our work are optional, that perception is just that-false. International home studies include criminal background and child abuse registry checks, FBI fingerprinting, home visits that include viewing every accessible area, reference checks and several hours of intense interviews. Workers are instructed to complete a thorough checklist – I am proud of the work they do in sensitive circumstances.
The home study process, no matter how thorough, conscientious and accurate, covers only a space in time, and unfortunately, there is no investigative process that is perfect.
Sometimes our confidentiality guidelines are misunderstood or unappreciated, but they are necessary and required of licensed and accredited agencies. Nothing hinders us from doing our best for every case and every child.
New Beginnings has an excellent and well-trained team of social work service providers. Our workers are required (Hague guidelines) to have a minimum of 30 hours of adoption-related training every two years, in addition to their other social work training.
Adoption agencies work at various levels in each adoption case. International adoptions are especially complex and often involve more than one adoption agency, as well as facilitators, attorneys, government entities and others. International adoption agencies typically work in specific countries. The “top” agency in each case is usually referred to as the “Primary Provider.” The Primary Providers handle the entire process of adoption, and “hold the adoptive applicant’s hand” through the entire process. New Beginnings is a Primary Provider in Poland, Nepal and the Ukraine and has never been a Primary Provider in any other country, including Guatemala.