[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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