Families Through Adoption

Warm weather is on its way! And with that, comes the Annual FTA Summer Picnic. Join us at Millennium Park (located at 1415 Maynard Ave SW, Walker, MI 49534) on August 22nd. Enjoy the sunshine, time on the water, and celebrate our families! More details to come!

Proclamation 10998 is an issuance that went into effect on January 1, 2026 that suspended visas of varying types from various countries. We have linked the two Department of State articles about this here. Two of those visas specifically are the adoption visas, the IR-3 and the IR-4. This means that at this time, the listed countries are not able to have children arrive in the United States, halting adoption from these countries at this time.

Our hearts go out to the families that this affects, and if we can provide support in any way, we’re happy to do so.

If you feel led, one of the ways that we can change this is by contacting your state representatives. The National Council For Adoption (NCFA) has made this easy to do by providing the contact to your state representative, as well as a drafted letter to send them about this issue. You too can look up your state representative and contact them separately.

Again, our hearts go out to the families who are waiting for children to come home, and for the children who are now waiting too.

Included here is a link to the NCFA page. It is the second option on this list.

https://adoptioncouncil.org/advocacy/action-center/ #/

Our annual picnic is coming up on August 9, 2025 from 3-7 PM at Millennium Park (located at 1415 Maynard Ave SW, Walker, MI 49534). We would love to see you all there! There will be the opportunity to swim, be on the lake, access to the hiking trails, splashpad, and so much more! Some of these activities do have costs associated with them, which you can look into here: https://kentcountyparks.org/parks-trails/millennium-park/. We will have some games and other activities available as well.
If you’re interested or planning on attending, please sign up using the link below so that we can plan accordingly.
This event is not just for families who have already adopted. You are invited to attend this event, regardless of where you are at in the adoption process. Please also feel free to bring friends, family, and anyone else who may be interested in adoption.
Sign up using this link below!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9Gew6K5jHGRCo6DyenbflQHry_l-GH1sGkjRCJJ6zy4tYXg/viewform?usp=header

Wanting to try something new for Christmas dinner this season?
Here are some Christmas dinners and dishes from around the world!

19 Christmas Dinners from Around the World From fast food to a seven-course feast, here's what Christmas dinner looks like around the globe.

Happy December! The snow has begun falling and Christmas is approaching!
Here is a video that showcases the different traditions that countries partake in for celebrating Christmas around the world!

Christmas traditions from around the world | Englisch-Video für den Unterricht Weihnachten wird in vielen Ländern der Welt gefeiert. Dabei hat jedes Land seine eigenen Traditionen. In diesem Video lernt ihr Weihnachtstraditionen aus der...

The office will be closed starting tomorrow, November 27th. We will be closed for the rest of the week and will be open again on Monday, December 2nd.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November is National Adoption Month! It’s fitting that Thanksgiving and National Adoption month are in the same month! Our agency, Families Through Adoption, is a home study agency that works with both domestic and international adoption. We are so honored to be a part of the process of bringing many children to their forever families.

It’s the month of November! Thanksgiving is right around the corner! What are you and your family grateful for? Comment down below!

Don't forget to sign up for the Honoring Ceremony. It's coming up fast! It will be on Saturday, November 9, 2024! It will be from 6-8 PM at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
The Honoring Ceremony is a long-standing tradition within our agency to honor all the families and children who have come home in the past year, both domestically and internationally. There will also be lots of fun activities for your whole family to enjoy.
We would love to see you there, no matter what step of the adoption process you are in. The ceremony is a great opportunity to meet other adoptive families who may be adopting or already have adopted children from the same country you’re looking at. Additionally, we aim to connect you with other families in your community to allow for you to create your own adoption community for you and your family.
We will also be collecting shoes (gently worn, used, or new), for our fundraiser!

Just a reminder that Monday, November 4th will be the last day to sign up.
Here is the sign up form: https://forms.gle/fhScxk4gVcd1bXPa6 ]

We hope to see you all there!

FTA Honoring Ceremony 2024 Sign Up We are very excited for this year's honoring ceremony! Please join us for a night of fun, play, and celebration. The honoring ceremony will be held on November 9, 2024 from 6-8 PM at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. If you're planning on attending, please sign up here!

"The Kent ISD Parent Pulse is a newsletter designed with parents in mind to provide information and opportunities for parents who have children with disabilities within Kent County. We hope this newsletter provides you with a way to connect with Kent ISD and community resources and helps expand your knowledge around special education."

Kent ISD Parent Pulse The Kent ISD Parent Pulse is a newsletter designed with parents in mind to provide information and opportunities for parents who have...

The Honoring Ceremony is coming up on Saturday, November 9, 2024! It will be from 6-8 PM at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
The Honoring Ceremony is a long-standing tradition within our agency to honor all the families and children who have come home in the past year, both domestically and internationally. There will also be lots of fun activities for your whole family to enjoy.
We would love to see you there, no matter what step of the adoption process you are in. The ceremony is a great opportunity to meet other adoptive families who may be adopting or already have adopted children from the same country you’re looking at. Additionally, we aim to connect you with other families in your community to allow for you to create your own adoption community for you and your family.
We will also be collecting shoes (gently worn, used, or new), for our fundraiser!

Monday, November 4th will be the last day to sign up.
Here is the sign up form:

FTA Honoring Ceremony 2024 Sign Up We are very excited for this year's honoring ceremony! Please join us for a night of fun, play, and celebration. The honoring ceremony will be held on November 9, 2024 from 6-8 PM at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. If you're planning on attending, please sign up here!

Thanks to all those who have donated shoes so far!
Please continue to spread the word! We’re looking for all types of new, gently worn, or used shoes: sneakers, boots, dress shoes, sandals, athletic and casual shoes. We want them all!
We will be collecting shoes until November 9, 2024.