OPAN

Do you want to make contact with other OPAN members in your area?

Ian — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:09:33 +0000

We’ve received a number of email requests from people wanting to make contact with others in their area. To avoid the potential privacy complications of posting personal details on the site, we have set up an area of the Forum: Meeting Other Families in Your Area, where you can post a request to make contact/meet up with others in your area. There is an example post up on the Forum at the moment. (If you don’t want to leave your email address/contact details in your forum post, then read on…)

In addition to making contact on the Forum, you can also communicate directly with other Forum members (and if you want, share your contact details) via the “Send PM” (Send Personal Message) option on the Forum toolbar:

OPAN Summer Picnic – February 19th

Ian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:57:14 +0000

The OPAN Summer Picnic is being held at Coyle Park in Pt Chevalier, next month. Everyone is welcome. Bring your picnic blanket, sun-screen and picnic lunch and we’ll see you there (look for the OPAN Gazebo).

It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the sun and catchup with/meet your fellow OPAN members. We will also have a selection of OPAN Library books available for loan.

WHEN: Sunday 19th February 2012, 11.00am – 2.00pm.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Technical Difficulties

Ian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:18:44 +0000

We were experiencing “technical difficulties” last week and as a result the site was offline for most off the week. Sincere apologies to all visitors who found us not home last week.

Merry Christmas!

Ian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:21:08 +0000

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year…

The OPAN team.

December Coffee Group at Western Springs Park

Ian — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:31:31 +0000

Please come along to the next coffee group at the playground at Western Springs Park.

WHEN: Thursday 15th December 2011, 10.30am -12.30pm.

Please contact the Coffee Group Coordinator at astrickland@vodafone.co.nz if you are planning to come and for more details.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Wellington Family wanted for article on Adoption in NZ

Ian — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:16:40 +0000

A journalist from stuff.co.nz has contacted OPAN regarding a feature she is writing on adoption in New Zealand.

The feature will look at adoption in depth and will focus on many different aspects – from open adoption and inter-country adoption to adoption legislation.

She would like to talk to a Wellington-based family about their experience with open adoption. This would include meeting the family and their child and also the birth-parents of the child, and speaking with them all about their experience with open adoption.

This is a great opportunity to share your story with New Zealanders and help demystify adoption for many readers.

The feature will run in late December/early January on stuff.co.nz and possibly in a number of Fairfax papers, including The Dominion Post and The Press.

If you are interested in taking part, please contact Michelle.Cooke@stuff.co.nz.

November Coffee Group

Ian — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:43:24 +0000

Please come along to the next coffee group at Natalie and wee Ethan’s house in Hillcrest on the North Shore in Auckland.
WHEN: Thursday 3rd November 2011, 10.00am -12.00pm.
Please contact the Coffee Group Coordinator at astrickland@vodafone.co.nz if you are planning to come and for more details.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Birthmothers Wanted!

Ian — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:56:25 +0000

Nelly from AUT is making good progress with her project about the experiences of adoptive mothers and birth mothers in open adoptions. But she still requires 2 or 3 birthmothers from open adoption arrangements for her study.

Birth and adoptive mothers will not be matched (i.e. birth and adoptive mothers of the same child) in the study. She is simply seeking 2-3 birth mothers in open adoptive arrangements.

Each participant will be interviewed individually and the participants will not be brought together, nor will information about participant experiences be shared with others.

If you can help out by taking part in this valuable study, please contact Nelly.

Recommend your Lawyer/Solicitor

Ian — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:28:43 +0000

It helps if you have a good lawyer to get you through the legal stages of the Adoption or Home For Life processes.

If you have used a great lawyer or solicitor for your Adoption or Home For Life legal requirements over the last few years – and you would like to recommend them to other OPAN visitors/members, please let us know their details in this forum topic.

Important: Recommendations only please – no horror stories (seriously – we don’t want to get on the wrong side of anyone who knows how take legal action!)

Coffee Groups Need Love Too

Ian — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:09:59 +0000

The OPAN Coffee Group numbers in Auckland are starting to dwindle… Where are the 20 lucky families from the last couple of years? We’d also love to meet some Home For Life families too.

We understand that mums (and dads) have to return to work eventually and Coffee Groups aren’t always a priority. But please help us out by voting in the New Poll on the right and letting us know if there’s a day you may be able to make it along to. (Anybody keen for a Saturday or Sunday Coffee Group? – maybe at a child-friendly cafe near you?).

UPDATE: Please see Angela’s comment (to the left) – if you are a parent in the Wellington area (or if there are any existing Adoptive/Home for Life Coffee Groups in the area?).

We’ve had a few emails from readers wanting to make contact with others in their area, so I’m planning to come up with a way for people to make contact without me putting personal details on the site – possibly set up an area of the Forum for this? Look out for this in the next week or two. Thanks Ian.