Everybody loves to up-date their surroundings. We do it with our homes – we paint the walls, rearrange furniture, plant fresh flowers in our yards. The art department at Adoption World Publishing began by freshening the looks of their established products.

First to get a new look was the Positive Adoption Language flyer. Originally it was designed as a published piece to be used as a tool for productive discussions. In 2009 it was converted to a free download from the company’s website. To date, more than 350 downloads have been requested.

The One and Only Me life book kit has been a cornerstone of the Adoption World offerings since 1995. In 2009 the cover and title page received a fresh look. Graphic Artist Susan Readnour created new cover and title page incorporating the original book characters. The colorful illustration is perfect for the intended audience – children age 5-10. Late in 2010, the sticker packet that accompanies the book was revamped. Working with several of the original images, Readnour developed sticker sheets that will assist the child with the journey through the lifebook.

Like the Adoption World Publishing website which uses the images of photographed children, the front cover of My Adoption Workbook now is covered with photos of children. With diversity in mind, the new look helps to draw the child into the material of the book-all of which remains unchanged.

The most recent redesigned product is the Adoption Day button. It is included in the children’s version of the Foster- to-Adopt booklet series and marks the adoption milestone. The Adoption Day button can also be purchased individually and used for Adoption Day events.

In honor of foster care month coming up in May, the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Care Association is holding its 4th annual “Stride for Foster Care.” This fundraiser is a 3.2 mile walk that will benefit the 5000 children in Iowa foster care. Money raised from the Stride for Foster Care Walk will provide funds for children in foster care to get those special “extras” in life which they otherwise would not receive, such as musical instruments, senior pictures, sports participation, summer camp, etc. Funds raised will also help with developing new trainings for Iowa’s foster, adoptive and kinship parents.

If you are interested in this event, you can find more information on their website, IFAPA.

Can’t make it to West Des Moines? You can participate in their Virtual Walk, walk in your own community and still fundraise for your chance to earn great prizes!

We here at Adoption World Publishing, applaud the IFAPA for their great work.

Navigating through life is a challenge for all teenagers. Obstacles are everywhere. A teenager in the foster/adoption system encounters extra obstacles. A life book is a wonderful tool that can be used to assist youth in dealing with the issues they face.

In our 17th year of business, Adoption World Publishing continues to be a player in the lifebook market. Our  title, The Real Me teen life book was the company’s top seller in 2010.

Introduced in 2002, the chapter topics- Who I am Today, Where I Came From and What My Future Holds – remain as relevant today as they were when the book was written. Authored by the mother/daughter team of Theresa McCoy and Donna Barnes, their years of experience working with youth in the foster and adoption system contribute to the creditability of the book.

The Real Me teen life book is currently being used by agencies, families and organizations in at least 24 states and Canada. It is sold exclusively by Adoption World Publishing at 319-365-3454 or www.adoptionworld.net.

In September of 2010, HHS awarded $39 million to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing adoptions from foster care.

“All children deserve loving, safe and permanent homes,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “It is gratifying that most states continue to excel in promoting the adoption of children from foster care. I sincerely thank every adoptive family that has welcomed a child into their home.”

States received $4,000 for every child adopted beyond their best year’s total, plus a payment of $8,000 for every child age 9 and older and $4,000 for every special needs child adopted above the respective baselines. The year 2007 is the baseline.

“America’s communities benefit when children grow up in stable families,” said David A. Hansell, HHS acting assistant secretary for children and families. “We’re very pleased that the adoption incentives program is helping states improve their programs and place more children into homes that are theirs forever.”

The states will be using the funds from this adoption incentive award to improve their child welfare programs. Many of the states mandate life books for their children and will be able to use this money to purchase these much needed items.

We applaud Secretary Sebelius and the 38 states and Puerto Rico. With the economy still recovering, these federal awards could not come at a better time. Many adoption agencies have been trying to make do with “piece-meal” lifebooks, or no books at all. With this money, children will be able to get quality books in their hands.

Congratulations

For more than 16 years, Adoption World Publishing has been a trusted resource for the adoption life publications dealing with the adoption life books/foster life book process.

Adoption World Specialties was the brain child of a mother and daughter team committed to helping children through the foster and adoptive process.  Their unique experiences were an outgrowth of both personal and professional first-hand knowledge of the needs of these special children.

After the 2008 floods in Iowa devastated their operation, the team regrouped and made the decision to seek a caring company to nurture their cause and move their business into the future.  In May of 2009, Cornerstone Press purchased the business.   In March of 2010, the operation’s name was changed to Adoption World Publishing.

One of the first projects of the new owners was to write and publish a new life book.  In August of 2009, My Growing World written by Kathleen Carroll and illustrated by Lucy Cook Taylor was introduced to the market.  Its’ target audience is 6 – 10 year old children.  Not only has it been very well received, it was reviewed in the February 2010 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.  It was also designated as an Editor’s Choice in the Spring 2010 edition of foster families, a publication in the United Kingdom.

The Real Me, a teen life book, is a company staple.  Recently a therapist from Colorado sang its praises saying she really liked using it in her practice.

The recent tough economic times have made it increasingly difficult for the state and private agencies charged with assisting the foster care population to be able to afford the purchase of these valued tools.   Foundations as well as corporations with a special tie to the foster and adoption cause are helping to fill the financial void.

Tapestry Books and its deceptive advertising as it pertains to Adoption World Specialties.

One of our competitors, Tapestry Books, shows our books “The Real Me” and “My Adoption Workbook” on their website even though they are not an authorized reseller. They show a picture of our books with the caption “Product currently unavailable.” Our books are very much “available” and can be found on our website, www.adoptionworld.net.

At one time Tapestry did sell our books. However, over six months ago Mr. Shep Morrow was informed in writing that he was no longer authorized to sell our books. Since then, we have asked two more times for their removal from his site. Mr. Morrow says it will cost him money to change his website, yet he has recently added this phrase to the description of our book “The Real Me”,

Indefinitely Out of Stock

Contact us for alternate suggestions.

When we spoke to Shep about this, it was pointed out to him that this is a tactic known as deceptive advertising and it is illegal.

You have to go no farther than the Federal Trade Commission website for confirmation. “The Federal Trade Commission Act allows the FTC to act in the interest of all consumers to prevent deceptive and unfair acts or practices. In interpreting Section 5 of the Act, the Commission has determined that a representation, omission or practice is deceptive if it is likely to:

* mislead consumers and

* affect consumers’ behavior or decisions about the product or service.”[1]

We believe that what Tapestry Books is doing falls under this act.

Readers, what do you think?

Please blog and let us know your thoughts, or take your views to Tapestry Books directly, jmorrow@tapestrybooks.com and let him know what you think of his deceptive practices.

Keywords

Tapestry Books

The Real Me

My Adoption Workbook

Adoption World Specialties

“My Growing World” , a life book from Adoption World Specialties, features a character named Piper the Pig. Piper speaks to foster and foster-to-adopted children everywhere. This memory book is written for children ages 6 – 10 years of age.

“Hi there! My name is Piper. Your adventures in your growing world are so important that you are going to write them down in this life book. This is your story! You might have a caseworker, foster parents, or adoptive parents who can help you along as you write your story. They will also do their best to help you record information that you may not know.

As you work on your story, you might notice that you have a lot of different feelings. If the information is new to you, you might be excited to find out more about your life! However, there may be things that you think about and record that could make you sad or angry. Don’t worry! We’ll all help you on your journey. All of your feelings are important, and none of them are wrong to feel.

Enjoy the adventure of writing your story!!! If you need to skip a page, go for it! Try to take the time to come back to it later when you feel ready to work on it. It’s more important to think and feel through these pages than to complete each one quickly and in order. You’ll find that some of the pages are just for your enjoyment, and you might find some activities that you can do with other people too! Have fun creating your life book. Happy writing and drawing!”

Kathleen Carroll

Author of “My Growing World”

The month of November generates awareness for our special foster and adopted children across the United States. On November 14 at 1:30 p.m., Linn County in Iowa will be hosting an event at the Courthouse to bring foster and adoption advocates together. Please join Adoption World Specialties at this special “Adoption Friday”!

Kathy Mobley, Chuck Carpenter and Jim Ketchum will represent Adoption World Specialties. Our company aims to help foster and adoption situations by providing children with a lifebook and therapeutic, enjoyable guides to life. These life books and resources help children, parents, agencies and social workers document the child’s past and help engage, excite and educate the child about their adoption experience. Please visit our website for further information about our authors, our publications and meet our staff. We look forward to joining you on November 14^th function, in an effort to help facilitate a healthy transition for foster and adopted children.

www.adoptionworld.net

*If you are interested in adding a link to our page or if we could add ours to your page, please let me know! We can help more children if we reach out!

Ann Boland

aboland@cornerstonepress.net

Have you seen the new cover for The One and Only Me?

Susan did a fantastic job bringing these books to life with color! She stayed with the familiar theme of the book using Ricky the Raccoon. The new cover is so creative using a “ME” riding on a swing hanging from a tree. The simple leaves create a great canopy over the swing. The slight glow of a sunset or sunrise is in the background. Besides bringing a lot of creativity to the book, it now offers some real flexibility. On the previous cover there was a box marked out for a child’s 5 x 7 photo. If a child doesn’t have a photo or even one the right size, the book can look like it is missing something. This new design looks great even if the photo isn’t there.