We are an adventurous and loving couple living in a friendly cul-de-sac in Gresham, Oregon. We enjoy camping at the beach, exploring the sand dunes in our dune buggy that Chad built, having game nights with loved ones, and playing with our beloved pets.
We are open to a single child between the ages of 3 and 10 who loves animals! We are open to children of all gender identities, religious backgrounds, races, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities. Our community of friends is diverse and Gresham offers many opportunities to connect with different cultures; we will celebrate our child exploring and growing all aspects of their identity. We will also support children to maintain healthy relationships with biological family members, siblings, and previous foster placements that are beneficial to the child. We feel comfortable supporting a child through moderate emotional, social, physical, and behavioral needs. We are open to any child that we have the resources to support regardless of their background.
Chad works for Boeing and is off in the early afternoon, perfect timing for school pick up and extra-curriculars. Sarah is an elementary school teacher and has taught all grades. Currently she's piloting a play based inquiry program in a local school district where she teaches and provides professional development for educators. Our child can attend the school where Sarah works so that she can be close by to offer comfort and advocate for their educational needs.
In our free time we get outside as much as possible! We love our big backyard and can be found gardening, playing with our dog, and eating meals on the deck. We also attend races at the Portland Speedway, hike at Powell Butte, and run or bike on the nearby Springwater Trail. When the weather is crummy Sarah relaxes by making jewelry, reading, knitting, or working on the children's book she is writing and Chad enjoys tinkering in the garage and building remote control cars.
We live in a cozy split level home with a spacious upstairs, basement, and private backyard. Our cul-de-sac is often filled with children playing outside...and our dog has made friends with them all! Recently Chad's mom moved into the house nextdoor and she is excited to have a grandchild pop by for impromptu visits.
Gresham has a splash pad, weekly farmers market, summer concerts, car shows, Friday night basketball, a STEM maker space at the public library, and community wag-n-walks for families and dogs. Portland is only a short drive away and has events we already enjoy attending like the Rose Festival as well as new ones we look forward to exploring such as a city wide scavenger hunt, a fair on the waterfront, and regular plays at Northwest Children's Theatre.
Sarah has her Bachelors in Community Psychology and her Masters in Teaching. Each of these programs included numerous psychology and child development courses. Sarah regularly participates in professional development to grow her understanding of childhood trauma, behavior as communication, sensory processing needs, and Trust Based Relational Intervention. Chad has been dubbed "favorite uncle" by our niece and nephew. He has visited them regularly throughout their lives and they often stay with us for weeks at a time.
As a couple, we have mentored three children long term spending at least 15 hours a week with the children. We learned about their interests and sought out activities where they could pursue these interests. For example, one child wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up so we built connections in our community and secured horse back riding lessons for her; she developed a long term relationship with a horse and found a sense of belonging at the barn. Another was very fearful of dogs and communicated her goal of overcoming this fear to us. Chad was especially attentive, following her lead as she gradually took risks and built comfort with our dog.
All of these children experienced significant trauma in their lives and their trauma showed up in a variety of ways. We see behavior as communication no matter how disruptive it might be. We are committed to continual learning.
Here are some trainings and resources we have accessed individually and as a couple so far: The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis, Pathological Demand Avoidance in children ongoing through PDA Society, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome resources through Stanford Children's Health, Child Trauma Academy resources for caregivers and parents, Impact of Food Scarcity on Early Childhood (school based), Brene Brown Parenting Intensive Workshop (applying her research to parenting), Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby, Stranger Care by Sarah Sentielles, Being Adopted by David Brodzinsky, Raising Resilient Children by Tara Grotto, The Highly Sensitive Child by Sheryl Paul, and Creating a Family resources.
Two of our close friends have adopted through foster care and will continue to be an invaluable support for us. Chad also has lifelong friends with children ranging from ages 2-18 who we see weekly and our large extended family mostly lives within 10 miles of us. As a whole we enjoy fun activities like barbecues, birthdays, and holidays and we also support each other through transitions and challenges.
Our therapist has navigated adoption in her personal life and is also an integral part of our support network; although Sarah is her primary client she offers us couples sessions often. Further, we have identified specialists at Eastside Child and Family Therapy like Jessica Rituzel-Schmidt CSW, MSW, PhD who specialize in play based therapy, adoption, behavioral supports, and trauma. Additionally, as a teacher Sarah is very familiar with initiating school based supports such as occupational therapy, behavioral interventions, communication services, and writing IFSPs and IEPs and she has connections with providers that serve the school district already.
We believe in children's innate worth as human beings. We desire to be a safe place for a child to mess up, feel vulnerable, and try again. We want to navigate the bumps with our child and learn alongside them and from them.
No matter what adoption is trauma. There is no way around the immense grief and loss associated with it. We are committed to supporting a child through the many ways their trauma might be expressed. We do not expect this to be an easy or predictable path. We have a strong community around us and are accustomed to reaching out for support as needed. Once we welcome a child into our home it is our job to create a sense of security. They belong no matter what.