[blindkid] alternative parenting guide

Sherry DeFrancesco sdefrancesco at optonline.net
Wed Jul 21 20:37:24 UTC 2010


Thank you Debbie. This publication sounds wonderful! Since all 
correspondance regarding our adoption is through email, is there an 
electronic copy available? I would also like to read it before sending.

Thank you.

Sherry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817 at att.net>
To: "Sherry DeFrancesco" <sdefrancesco at optonline.net>; "NFBnet Blind Kid 
Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 4:16 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] alternative parenting guide


>
>
> Dear Sherry,
>
> NFB has a brand-new publication that may be helpful to you.  It's called 
> Parenting without Sight: What Social Workers and Lawyers Should Know about 
> Blindness.  It is a small pamphlet with color illustrations of blind 
> parents and their kids, and contains a lot of basic information on how 
> blind people handle the challenges of parenthood.  There is even a section 
> about adoption, since the issues you're dealing with come up for many 
> prospective adoptive parents.  You can obtain it in print free of charge 
> from the Independence Market at the National Center for the Blind (410) 
> 659-9314. Hope this helps.
>
> Debbie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sherry DeFrancesco" <sdefrancesco at optonline.net>
> To: "holly miller" <hollym12 at gmail.com>; "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, 
> (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] alternative parenting guide
>
>
>> Hi Holly,
>>
>> Thank you for all of your suggestions, they are in fact good ones. We are 
>> way past the homestudy stage and in fact have received U.S. immigration 
>> approval. It is the country adoption officials asking for more info. We 
>> have provided pages and pages of resources and information about 
>> everything imaginable about blindness. They are requesting  are specific 
>> step by step parenting  skills that we need to provide. I was seeking 
>> something published to back up our letters.
>>
>> Again, thank you. It's so nice to hear that you got through the adoption 
>> process successfully. My hubby and I are totally blind and the country 
>> restrictions include blindness as a "NO," so we are requesting a waiver.
>>
>> Thanks again, Sherry
>>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>>  From: holly miller
>>  To: Sherry DeFrancesco ; NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of 
>> blind children)
>>  Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 12:48 AM
>>  Subject: Re: [blindkid] alternative parenting guide
>>
>>
>>  Hi Sherry!
>>  Our younger son is adopted from China & has Albinism.  I'm always 
>> thrilled to hear about more kids finding families!
>>  While no blind parent should have to jump through hoops to be allowed to 
>> parent, potential adoptive parents have a lot of hoop jumping to do, just 
>> the nature of the beast.  Even if you know what to do on your own, 
>> showing that you have taken the time to seek out resources, that you have 
>> a plan and have sources of support and advice to turn to will make for a 
>> good home study :smile
>>
>>
>>  You will do fine with some old fashioned common sense but you are right, 
>> the social workers and the paperwork pushers like to have reassurances. 
>> We had to provide specific examples of how we would handle Hank being 
>> blind and what resources we had available, both medical and educational. 
>> This is something they ask of all prospective parents (rightly so!)
>>
>>
>>  In my opinion, things a social worker will like to hear is that you are 
>> a NFB and/or POBC member and you have befriended other blind parents.  If 
>> you don't typically go to chapter meetings, try to get to some in the 
>> near future so you can say you attend.  If you are on close terms with 
>> another blind parent, use them as one of your references (assuming you 
>> know each other well enough for that)   Or perhaps see if another blind 
>> parent is willing to write a letter stating you are welcome to call on 
>> them for mentoring and advice.  Belonging to online groups like this can 
>> be phrased as being a member of a blind-parent and parent of blind 
>> children support groups.  If there aren't books out there specifically 
>> targeting blind parents, be able to reference the books on educating 
>> blind children like Carol's "Making it Work" & Joe Cutter's O&M book.
>>
>>
>>  Think about it like writing a resume.  You never want to lie but you 
>> certainly want to project the best image of yourself as possible.
>>
>>
>>  Best of luck!
>>  Holly
>>  aka Hank's mom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 12:07 AM, Sherry DeFrancesco 
>> <sdefrancesco at optonline.net> wrote:
>>
>>    Hi Steve and Laurie,
>>
>>    Thank you. We too feel confident in our ability to parent. I enjoyed 
>> hearing about your family. Best to the both of you with your upcoming 
>> bundle of joy!
>>
>>    Thanks for your good wishes.
>>    Sherry
>>
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> 




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