During the Christmas season, Gift of Life likes to bring some Christmas cheer to the hospital staff and social workers that do so much to help us throughout the year. As we hand deliver these treats to nurses stations and offices, we get to see the hospitals all decked out for the season. Tampa General Hospital -Tampa, Florida. Tampa General…
Every Thanksgiving the Gift of Life staff gathers together, as an office family, to celebrate all that we are thankful for and also to share a delicious brunch. The spread was impressive. It’s one of those things where everyone brings in a dish, and there is more food than our small office can possibly consume in one sitting. 🙂…
Last Friday, Meghan, Tim and I were able to volunteer at the 12th annual Adoption Day, at the Pinellas County Courthouse! It was such a fun event to be a part of. Adoption Day always occurs in November, as it is National Adoption Awareness Month. It was a wonderful day of celebrating adoption, and there were about 20 children whose…
This year three of our staff from Gift of Life had the pleasure of attending the annual Florida Adoption Council conference in beautiful, sunny Orlando. It was a great 2-day event that included distinguished speakers covering topics specific to our field. It served as a perfect opportunity to reengage with adoption professionals that we’ve come to know and respect, as…
We’ve mentioned before that, as we travel for the sake of adoption, we come across many different whimsical creatures in the form of local art. Different counties of Florida have claimed animal mascots. Jacksonville has manatees and Clearwater has dolphins. We have already introduced you to the Pelicans of Lee county and a gecko in Bradenton. While traveling in…
Gift of Life occasionally gets the opportunity to speak to groups in the community about the adoption process and adoption law. This is what I did last Tuesday for the Healthy Start Coalition of Manatee County at the lovely Manatee Memorial Hospital. We always love presenting to Healthy Start, because they are familiar with our clientele and, therefore, fully understand…
When I took the job as an adoption caseworker, I didn’t really understand the raw, emotional nature of adoption.  I didn’t know then that I would witness the best and worst emotional moments in people’s lives.  Or that I’d have to deal with how those best and worst moments often occurred at the same time. In one room I would…
Not all parents, that are working a case plan with the state, know that they have the option to choose private adoption. According to Florida law, a parent may place a child for adoption with a private adoption agency even if the child is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile dependency court and in foster care, and as long as…
In several Florida communities you can find fantastically decorated animal statues.  Different counties have claimed an animal as a mascot of sorts and turned them into beautiful statues painted by local artist. We stumble upon these whimsical creatures in our travels all around the state. They are found in many prominent areas in those counties and at most of the…
Having adopted children myself and being in the adoption field for so many years, I have often come across people who have asked me how a mother could “give up her child” for adoption. I always cringe a little when I hear those words. I think it is all the things associated with the word “giving up”.  The technical definition…