#NationalAdoptionAwareness Month.

I is for #Internship.

While going to school for my two social work degrees (BSW & MSW), I was expected to complete a total of three years of Field Education (aka an internship). My final year of my undergrad education, I was adamant that I would intern in some type of adoption agency setting. I was lucky enough to experience a year-long internship my final year at Cleveland State University at Adoption Network Cleveland (ANC). ANC is a non-profit macro organization that provides services to many sides of the adoption (birthparents, adoptive parents, adoptees, foster care) but is not an organization where adoption placements happen.  ANC has done some amazing stuff for adoption in the state of Ohio, such as getting Ohio Senate Bill 23 passed which allows adoptees who were born between January 1, 1964, and September 18, 1996 to obtain their adoption file AND their original birth certificates which were once sealed when the adoption had been finalized. While I was at ANC, I interned within the Adult Adoptees and Birthparent Unit. I co-led monthly a monthly birthmother support group which had birthmothers who had placed in the 1960s up to 2013. In addition to leading this monthly support group, I attended monthly support groups that were open to the entire adoption constellation which was cool hear from adoptees and adoptive parents with their experiences. I helped organized the annual Birthmother’s Day Celebration which I was unable to attend as it fell on the same day as my Undergraduate College Graduation. I also got to sit in on some planning meetings on adoption reform in the state of Ohio. I loved every day that I spent at ANC and I made some great friends within the organization and it confirmed that I was meant to someday work within the adoption field.

To see others on Facebook & Instagram who are participating in this: Follow #LifetimeHealingAdoption to hear from amazing individuals that are opening their hearts this month! #bigtoughgirl #lifetimehealingadoption #birthmom #adoptioneducation #openadoption #adoptiontalk #talkaboutadoption #ownyourstory #womenempoweringwomen #photoaday #adoption #grief #healing #placed #motherhood #adoptee #adoptiveparents #adoptiontriad #loss #parenthood #adoptionprofessionals #adoptionagency #birthmother #adoptionrocks #adoptionishard