MissingPieces Books New Look

Our new look thanks to Amy at Designer Blogs. Amy did a great job on the look and feel of our blog and I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as we do. If you are looking for a cool refreshed blog Designer Blogs is a the place. Thanks Amy!!!

Thankful Thursday - One Good Thing

Thankful Thursday - One Good Thing! I know there are a lot of bad things going on out there. With the economy. With the government. Death rocking the neighborhoods. I could go on and on.

The one thing I always try to do, is see the good in everything even when not so good things are staring me in the face (literally knocking the door down). I know that in every bad situation there is at least One Good Thing.

One Good Thing - To love and treasure every moment in this all-too-short life, to hug, kiss, and laugh often, to always tell our friends and family that we love them no matter what—to enjoy and cherish what is and stop worrying about what should and shouldn’t be.

This is Thankful Thursday and I will be posting every Thursday One Good Thing. I ask all to look at your day, your week or even your month and join me on Thursday's posting One Good Thing:-) Pass this on we all can use One Good Thing!!!

Working Hard to Market my Children's Book

If you thought writing a book was hard, I might just say that's the easy part... with self publishing on the rise, you can have a finished book in no time.

I think of myself as a person that can create a story out of any situation, and being good at what I do (born to write, a writer by nature) you know the spill.

But here's the magic question. If I'm so good at what I do, then why can't I seem to get my book noticed?

In the paragraph above, I told you I was a writer, but I've never told you I was a marketer. So now, I'm here to tell you, that if you're giving any thought to self-publishing, and your hope is to actually make money, then you had better give a lot of thought to becoming a marketer too.

I found a really good website that give pointers on promoting. Promote your book in your own backyard. This has been a big help and needless to say I landed a news article in our local newspaper. Yahhhh!!!

News Article: Check it out here.

Am I now a marketer? By no means will I say that... but what I will say is that I have a really great story "Life sure feels different living in a separate house from my brother," and it is worth all the marketing time I'm putting into it. As long as you know you have a great story, do your best to market it. Then you too can land your first news article.

Good Luck fellow self publishing marketers, can't wait to see your book at the top, right next to mine :-).

Another Awesome Review

I would like the thank Angela, at Adoption.Suite101 for such a beautiful review. Camela shared her heartfelt memories of living with her brother. We are so grateful that so many people are enjoying her story :-)

Review: Book About Biological Siblings by Pamela & Camela Rollins Jul 5, 2010 Angela Krueger


Kid’s Adoption Book About Birth Siblings - Illustration by Kim Sponaugle/Halo Publishing Children's adoption book Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother gives insight into relationships between birth siblings.

With her youngest adopted daughter Camela, Pamela Rollins creates a gentle story that addresses the relationship between birth siblings, a topic in children’s adoption books that is often overlooked. In Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother (Halo Publishing International, 2010) the authors share insights into changes that occur and emotions experienced when siblings are separated through adoption.

A Story of Biological Siblings Living Apart

Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother is written in the voice of a five-year-old girl who no longer lives with her brother. She and their baby sister have been adopted by their foster family, while their six-year-old brother has moved to the home of his biological father.

The basis of the story is the telling of good memories of what the older brother did with the younger sister before they were living apart. From teaching her to tie shoes to sharing popsicles, the narrator remembers the little things her brother did for her.

Aside from using kid-friendly language to describe the loving relationship between siblings, the authors also address some difficult issues as well. In the narration, “Being sad about my real mommy and hearing my brother say, ‘Sis, I’m sad, too. But we’re gonna be ok!” readers can identify with the complex feelings they may have about their own birth family.

Children’s Book on Open Adoption Relationships

Despite how difficult adoption can be for children, this book creates a realistic but also positive perspective on how relationships can still happen between birth siblings living apart. As a first person narrative the book is very effective in helping 4-7 year olds relate to the story-teller.

The girl narrating the story understands that the nature of the relationship has changed, but that everyone is working together to ensure that she and her younger sister can grow up knowing their brother through open adoption. Near the end of the tale, the narrator tells readers, “Life is different for us now. We just need to build on the new things.” which gives families a natural conversation starter for how the sibling relationship has changed.

Story Helps Adoption Talks

As with many adoption books on the market, the biggest benefit of this children’s book is that it will help open up conversations about adoption in general. There is a Foster Care/ Adoption Guide for Families at the end of the book that highlights the following in navigating on-going relationships between siblings:

Arrange for regular visits
•Arrange for other forms of contact
•Involve families in planning
•Encourage sustained contact

Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother is a useful resource not only for foster and adoptive families, but also emphasizes to child welfare professionals the importance of contact with birth siblings. Although the focus of the story is on siblings who have been separated through the public system, this book could also be on the bookshelves of any adopted child who has siblings living elsewhere.

Children’s Adoption Book Inspired by Adoptee

The young narrator of the story is Camela Rollins and with the help of her adoptive mom, she wonderfully describes the relationship she has with her brother. The soft watercolour illustrations of Kim Sponaugle portray Camela and her siblings which are the perfect compliment to this thoughtful story about open sibling relationships.

With her husband, Pamela Rollins has eight children, four of whom were adopted. Rollins has also self-published Straight and Narrow (presently out of print), a teen novel on morals and beliefs.

The proceeds of the sale of Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother will help fund MissingPieces Books which aims to help reunite siblings who have been separated through foster care and adoption.

Filling a void in children’s books on adoption, this heart-warming and endearing tale brings to light the complexity and necessity of keeping contact between birth siblings separated by adoption.

Source:

Rollins, Pamela and Camela. Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from My Brother. Halo Publishing International, 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-935268-51-2).

© 2010 Angela Krueger

Happy Independence Day

From our home to yours... be blessed and stay safe:-)

Book Contest Giveaway Winners

"Life sure feels different living in a seperate house from my brother" 1st Book Contest Giveaway has come to a close....
And the winners are:
Ife Szadiak & Betty Clay - Thank you for entering and enyoy your book:-)

The Book Signing was a Success

What a wonderful time Camela and I had signing books. Lots of family and plenty of friends came out to support us.

We want to share our signing with you:-)

Book Signing Photos

Check out this wonderful blog

Here is a wonderful blog to check out, Black Oasis. Ola is a transracial adoptee and writes books for children to help with self esteem. Her books are her story... pure, truthful and honest.

Here is what she says... "A lot of children are being raised in communities around the world who feel like they don't fit in, sometimes even at home within their own family. My goal is... to provide all children with reading material that deals with topics they are either too afraid to comment on, or don't know how to."

1st Book Giveaway - Deadline June 30th

It is our pleasure to offer our 1st book giveaway. Two lucky winners will receive autographed copies of 'Life sure feels different living in a separate house from my brother.' Click on this link ' to be directed to our website. Fill in the Contact us form and remember to click "send" when you are finished. The winners will be selected at random. One entry per person and No email address will be shared.

Camela's teachers on a mission to purchase her book

Camela was outside riding her bike when two of her preschool teachers drive up. I'm sitting on the computer creating my blog post when Camela pops her head in the door yelling, "mommie, mommie my teachers are here." I lift my body from the chair and make my way to the front door rather puzzled, I don't remember scheduling a summer meeting, I thought. I kept my smile as I was truly ready and eager to greet them.

Hello Ladies, I welcomed.

"Do you have books for sale, and if so, can we get two with your famous autograph signatures?" they cut right to the chase.

"Of course we do, and we would be more than honored to sign them," I assured .

We talk briefly about the book, Camela and I sign and off the ladies go.

Now I'm thinking rats, I let them go without taking photos. I will do better next time as I would love for my blogging community to see all the wonderful people that go out of their way and even pop up at our door unannouced to get a copy of Camela's book or shall I say her story.

Follow us on our mission

When Camela and I first wrote the book "Life sure feels different living in a house separate from my brother," we didn't realize how much this would affect our hearts socially. We have come to realize that there are so many children in the same situation, separated from their sibling(s).

So now we are on a mission to create MissingPieces Books, connecting siblings one book at a time(see; www.missingpiecesbooks.com for our mission). We will post video's, pictures, personal stories, our goals as projects arise, and also show you how our vision intertwines with Social Service.

With that said, come back as often as you like to follow us on our future mission to connect siblings one book at a time.

Our Passion is now our Mission

Camela and I have become rather passionate about connecting siblings who have been separated. We are well aware that she is not the only one in her situation. We have been trying to come up with everything from using some of the proceeds from our book sale to selling cookies, lemonade stands and so on. We are eager to get the neccessary bucks to send at least one sibling group this year on a fun exciting, what we call adventure together.

The statistics are staggering: 85% of the youth in out-of-home care have one or more sibling, and of these, 75% are separated and placed in separate foster, kin or adoptive homes.

The reasons children are separated from their siblings may include:
• Being part of a large sibling group. Large sibling groups are more likely to be split up because
of rules regarding the number of children allowed in a foster home

• Siblings that have a big age spread might lead to separation (some homes only take infants or
younger children and do not/can not foster older youth and teens)

• The needs of the children may require different placements

• Relatives and kin may take the kids they are biologically related to but not half-siblings or
step-siblings

• Behavioral issues, for example if one sibling is abusive to the other siblings

For children entering care, their relationship and bond with siblings can be a protective buffer to the hardships that led to their placement in out-of-home care. Research has shown that sibling relationships increase a child’s well-being and ability to attach in future adult relationships, and may also lessen the impact from the loss of their bio parent(s).

If you have ideas you want to share with us please do so @ pamela@missingpiecesbooks.com

My darling Camela

Camela is a very smart five year old little girl who sat next to me one morning before school and said, “Life sure feels different living without my brother, and if I had my brother one more day I would be nicer to him.”

This touched me and I didn’t know what to say, so after a short pause I asked her if she wanted to write a story about how she feels about her brother. She Jumped at the idea and immediately took charge, sharing all her personal memories of her brother, and the book was born… Life sure feels different living in a separate house from my brother.

This book has helped Camela tremendously. She is ever so happy with her story and hope to share it every chance she gets with other children throughout the Social Service System.

My first Book Review

My book is getting such wonderful feedback and I wanted to share with you my very first review... by Beth Kozan, she wrote:

Review: Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House from my BrotherShare. Yesterday at 5:53pm

There are few topics in adoption that haven’t been written about. Newly published authors Pamela and Camela Rollins have found one. Life Sure Feels Different Living in a Separate House From My Brother (Halo Publishing Company, 2010) highlights a unique situation: siblings separated through the foster care system. In the book, five year old Camela remembers the special times she shared with her brother, when they lived together. Now, her brother lives with his biological father and Camela and her baby sister have been adopted by a family that values ongoing contact between siblings. Illustrations by Kim Sponaugle capture the special closeness of siblings in a whimsical way.

This book could be used to help prospective foster parents understand the bond that exists between siblings, and to help them understand the advantage of keeping the connections alive between siblings. It would also help a child growing up in foster care to realize that longing for sibling contact is acceptable; it must be: someone wrote a book about it!!

Three Siblings Face Deportation

Three Siblings Face Deportation – Help Stop Perez Families Separation!
Submitted by Mohammad on April 12, 2010

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION AND HELP


On April 6, 2010, Laura Perez, and her two siblings, Camilo Perez and Natalia Perez. ICE came to her door asking for her parents, but they were not there. Then, ICE proceeded to ask for Laura, Camilo, and Natalia. After the children identified themselves, ICE detained them. The Perez family came to the U. S. in 2000, escaping violence from a guerrilla group in Colombia. Laura was 15; Natalia was 13; and Camilo was 11. On April 13th, 2010, Laura will be turning 25 in detention.

The Perez family regularly received death threats in Colombia from a guerrilla group. In their threatening phone calls, guerrilla terrorists regularly described what the Perez family was wearing and where they lived.

After having grown up in the United States, these three DREAM Act students are awaiting deportation in Broward Transition Center. Laura was a pre-med student at Broward Community College; Camilo was studying engineering on a full scholarship at Florida Atlantic University; and Natalia was studying interior-design at Broward Community College. But for her detention, Natalia would have graduated with her bachelor’s this May.

An Analysis of Sibling Visitation Rights

Posted on January 18, 2008
Filed Under Research Abstracts |

Studies show that approximately fifty-six to eighty-five percent of children placed in foster care have at least one sibling also in foster care.� These siblings are frequently separated due to the difficulty of finding foster care families willing to take multiple children.� Some studies show that up to seventy-five percent of siblings are separated when they are placed in the foster care system.� For most of these children, the separation from a brother or sister is devastating.� Children in foster care have reported that their relationship with their siblings is important and that separation from them is the most painful aspect of their foster care experience.� Such separation from siblings is perhaps the end of the only significant bond they have ever known.�

What options do children have when they are separated from their siblings due to foster care?� Does the Constitution afford rights to siblings when they are separated?� Does the state have a responsibility to protect sibling visitation rights?� Would a federal statute better establish uniform rights concerning sibling visitation?� These questions must be addressed if we want siblings to maintain relationships with each other after being placed in foster care.

Many professionals in the area of child development have noted that aside from the parent-child relationship, the sibling bond is the most vital relationship in a child’s development.� These experts have stated that the sibling relationship allows a child to form healthy social skills, develop proper personality traits and understand suitable gender roles.� Courts have also echoed the significance of the sibling relationship:� “A sibling relationship can be an independent emotionally supportive factor for children in ways quite distinctive from other relationships, and there are benefits and experiences that a child reaps from a relationship with his or her brother(s) or sister(s) which truly cannot be derived from any other.� Those of us who have been fortunate enough to experience a sibling relationship are aware of these basic human truths.” L. v. G., 497 A.2d 215, 221 (Ch. Div. 1985).� Since thousands of siblings are separated into different foster homes each year, it is imperative that courts and agencies understand the importance of the sibling relationship to a child’s development and emotional well-being.

The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled that siblings have an unwavering constitutional right to visit one another when separated because of foster care.� In 1999, the Court was given the opportunity to settle this question in Hugo P. v. George P., but they rejected to hear the case. Hugo P. v. George P., 526 U.S. 1034 (1999).� In that case, Hugo, a minor child in foster care, had lived with his sister, Gloria, and his sister’s adopted mother, Enid, for two years.� Enid was Hugo’s foster mother, and when he was placed for adoption, she asked for the opportunity to adopt him so that he could maintain a relationship with his sister.� However, an aunt who lived in another state and had no involvement in Hugo’s life stepped forward and declared her intention to adopt him.� Rejecting Enid’s arguments that Hugo had already developed an emotional bond with his sister and that by separating them he would be harmed, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts ordered that Hugo be placed with the aunt instead of with Enid.� Since the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, it remains unclear whether siblings have a constitutional right to maintain their relationship when separated by foster care.

There is also considerable variation among individual states as to the rights of siblings when placed in foster care.� Although the tendency has been to recognize the significance of sibling relationships, court opinions have not been consistent in their holdings.� State sibling visitation statutes can vary widely from state-to-state.� For instance, some states spell out the time of sibling visits—monthly, bi-weekly or weekly—while others simply state that visits should be common-place.

With the inconsistency found in state statutes and with children’s lives at stake, it is time to enact a specific federal statute that would establish uniform sibling visitation rights.� After analyzing each individual state with a sibling visitation statute, here are the main suggestions for consideration:

·� � � � � � � Expand the classification of sibling visitation beyond the minimum contact requirements.

·� � � � � � � Improve the training of foster care parents concerning the significance of sibling visitation.�

·� � � � � � � Incorporate children in the process of arranging and planning visitation with siblings.

·� � � � � � � Improve training for administrators and caseworkers on sibling visitation rights.

·� � � � � � � Assist with sibling visitation for those children who are not in foster care.

·� � � � � � � Increase the opportunities for younger siblings to visit older siblings.

·� � � � � � � Facilitate visitation with step-siblings, half-siblings and adopted siblings.

There are many more factors that must be considered; however, the ones listed above should be the foundation upon which a federal statute is enacted.� In addition, one thing should be clear:� siblings in foster care do have a fundamental right to visitation and a uniform law would protect such a right.� � � � �

36th Annual NACAC Conference

http://www.nacac.org/conference/conference.html

Book on Sale Now @ http://halopublishing.com/bookstore/

Foster Care/Adoption Guide for Families

Children who are in foster care or adopted may find themselves separated from existing or future siblings. Despite agency policy or a caseworker's best efforts, a number of situations may lead to sibling separation. This can lead to permanent separation and be extremely devastating for a child, even more than losing their parent.
With sibling separation, facilitating regular contact is critical to maintaining healthy relationships and them being healthy human beings.
Arrange for regular visits. There is no consensus on the frequency of face-to-face contact; however, a minimum of twice a month has been recommended by some experts in the field. Most states require weekly visits.
Arrange other forms of contact. If the distance between siblings is great, workers need to assist foster and adoptive families in maintaining frequent contacts through letters, email, cards, and phone calls. Make sure that children have full contact information for all their siblings. For instance, providing older siblings with calling cards may facilitate sibling communication.
Involve families in planning. The adults in the siblings' families should be involved with developing a plan for ongoing contact. This meeting should include working through any barriers to visits.
Encourage sustained contact. Sustaining sibling contact often requires a unique understanding and commitment from parents. Many adoptive parents recognize the importance of their adopted children having contact with siblings living with their birth families or other adoptive families.
The more we can keep these relationships intact, the more children can use these opportunities to work through adoption identity issues that may arise, and can develop truly meaningful relationships with others.

Sibling Quote of the Week

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.~Clara Ortega

An Adoption Separation Story