CARE is once again partnering with River Run for Orphans (RRFO), but this year we’re having our own race right here in Pagosa! We would love to have you join us Saturday, September 29, 2012 at Yamaguchi Park. This is a great community event in which churches area wide can join in a fun day of activity and raising awareness and support for orphans worldwide.
Does your church already support an orphanage, missionaries that serve the fatherless, or another ministry that works toward ending the worldwide orphan epidemic? River Run is a great way for you to raise more financial support as well as community awareness and education about your project.

Here’s how it works.
• Find some friends, tell them about CARE, build a team, raise money and run.
• Your church or organization serving the fatherless can have a booth in our “Orphans Around the World” area to educate and inform the race participants about the projects on your heart.
•Volunteer at River Run for Orphans on race day, we have a variety of places to serve. 
• Come and enjoy the day with us!

We are so excited about this opportunity to bring our community together in “looking after orphans and widows in their distress”. We hope you will join us!
CARE, founded in the four-corners area, has been instrumental in supporting families for over 10 years through adoption scholarships, adoption resources and support groups, and most recently international Hope DIGGS, Discipleship & Income Generating Grows Sustainability, works with widowed mamas enabling them to raise their children.
Half of funds raised for CARE through RRFO will continue to provide scholarships to reduce the financial burden for adoptive families in our community.The remaining proceeds will support the efforts of Hope DIGGS.
Come and join us in serving the fatherless!  

Register Here!

FROM THE ADOPTION EXCHANGE FOR YOUR FAMILY'S BENEFIT!  THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU GROW TOGETHER, CREATING HEALTHY ATTACHMENTS. The Adoption Exchange is pleased to announce that we are changing the name of the Adoptive Families Program (AFP) to: Adoptive Family Resources (AFR) for Domestic & International Adoptions This name change will provide a greater understanding of the services offered and will allow us more opportunities to provide resources to families who adopted internationally or domestically outside the child welfare system.  In addition we would like to announce that Michelle Betsch will be taking over the role as program coordinator for the AFR program. She can be reached at 1-800-451-5246 ext 204 or atmbetsch@adoptex.org.   Upcoming Class!  Raising International Adoptees This 3 hour class presented by Dan Mills, MA, Senior Director of the Education Center at The Adoption Exchange, will provide an overview of issues faced by children who were adopted internationally. Dan brings experience both as an adoptive parent as well as from his 21 years of working in child welfare and adoption. September 8, 2012 9:00 am to 12:00 pm The Adoption Exchange - 14232 E Evans Ave, Aurora, CO 80014 This is a FREE class offered to all adoptive families. Contact Michelle Betsch at 303-755-4756 ext 204 Or Click Here to Register.

Hello!!  Below is some information from our friend, Deborah Caves at Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families.  Please review and see if it's something that can serve your family. We pray for all our families to experience God's amazing grace. Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families Newsletter Newsletter Supplement February 2012 Quick Links... Our Website     It's not often that we send out two newsletters in such a short amount of time, but the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) is offering two free webinars that we really thought many of the adoptive families would be interested in attending.  Both deal with adoption assistance for those who have adopted from the foster care system; be sure to attend even if you think your current situation is fine:  You never know when your situation may change, and knowledge is power. Hope your January ends on a high note and February warms your heart, Deborah Cave, Executive Director Deborah.cave@cocaf.org   NACAC Adoption Assistance Benefits and Eligibility Webinar January 31, 2012 1:30 p.m. Josh Kroll will present information about adoption assistance benefits, including which children are eligible and the benefits available. The session will be of use to prospective adopters as well as parents who are seeking to make a change in the child's benefits due to changes in the child's needs or family's circumstances. Click here to register.     NACAC Adoption Assistance Advocacy Webinar February 7, 2012 1:30 p.m. With state budgets continuing to be tight, adoptive parents, adoption professionals, and other child advocates will need to be vigilant in case legislators seek to balance budgets by reducing adoption assistance benefits. In this webinar, Adoption Subsidy Resource Center project coordinator Josh Kroll will explore advocacy strategies to maintain and enhance adoption subsidy programs. Click here to register.   Research on Dual-Diagnosis Children Steve Harvey, Esq., JD, MA, with Colorado Legal Services, is researching obstacles that families of dual diagnosis children on Medicaid face when trying to access mental health services. For instance, children with behavioral problems that are consistent with a mental illness diagnosis who also have a Developmental Disability, Traumatic Brain Injury, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, are sometimes denied services by the Behavioral Health Organizations and Community Mental Health Centers on the basis that the behavioral problems are due to the non-Mental Illness diagnosis and therefore not the responsibility of the Medicaid mental health system. Mr. Harvey would like to talk with anyone who has encountered this problem and learn your story, in order to inform his research and advocacy effort. In addition, if anyone has had any experience with Intercept Center at Aurora Mental Health or Colorado West Regional Mental Health in Grand Junction, Mr. Harvey would appreciate your input about your experiences at those facilities. You can contact Steve Harvey by phone at 303-866-9346 or by email atsharvey@colegalserv.org.    Surviving & Thriving  Finally Home Foundation Presents Surviving & Thriving, A Free Marriage and Family Wellness Event Saturday, March 3, 2012 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (check-in at 8:30 a.m.) 3920 South Shields Street   Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 RSVP by February 27th   This course is designed for foster and adoptive families.  Lunch and refreshments provided.  Childcare and activities available for children 0-12 years.  For more information and registration, contact Kristin Orphan at Kristin@finallyhomefoundation.net.   NACAC Income Tax Links Below are links to a number of resources for adoptive families. NACAC's fact sheet on adoptions finalized in 2011 NACAC's fact sheet on adoptions finalized in 2010 NACAC's fact sheet on adoptions finalized from 2003 to 2009 IRS Form 8839 for the adoption tax credit and the form to amend previous years' tax returns The IRS's frequently asked questions on the adoption tax credit (see question 13 for documentation of special needs) NACAC's resources focus on adoptions of children with special needs from foster care, but may also be of use to other adoptive families. .