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Announcements

February 4, 2012...Dillon Kansas Families Lunar New Year Celebration / 4:30 PM / Wichita, KS ....more info

February 11, 2012...DillonMO Families Annual Winter Fellowship / 4:30 PM / St. Louis, MO...more info
 

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Council on Accreditation

and member of:

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Dillon Regional News

Check out the events & educational opportunities being offered through Dillon's regional locations:

  

Adoption Info Meetings

2012 Live Meeting Schedule
Jan 30 . . . . Dallas, TX
Feb 7 . . . .   St. Louis, MO
Feb 7 . . . . . Tulsa, OK
Feb 11 . . . . Springdale, AR
Feb 11 . . . . Orange County, CA
Mar 13 . . . . Little Rock, AR
Mar 16 . . . . Tulsa, OK
Mar 19 . . . . Dallas, TX
Mar 31 . . . . Orange County, CA
Apr 3  . . . . . St. Louis, MO
Apr 10 . . . .  Little Rock, AR
Apr 10 . . . .  Tulsa, OK
Apr 21 . . . . Springdale, AR
Apr 28 . . . . Orange County, CA
May 8 . . . .  Little Rock, AR
May 14 . . .  Dallas, TX
May 19 . . . . Tulsa, OK
June 2 . . . . Orange County, CA
Jun 5 . . . . .  St. Louis, MO
Jun 12 . . . .  Little Rock, AR
Jun 12 . . . .  Tulsa, OK
Jul 10 . . . .  Little Rock, AR
Jul 14  . . . . Orange County, CA
Jul 16 . . . .  Dallas, TX
Jul 20 . . . . Tulsa, OK
Aug 7 . . . .  St. Louis, MO
Aug 14 . . . .Tulsa, OK
Aug 25 . . .  Springdale, AR
Aug 25 . . . . Orange County, CA
Sep 11 . . . . Little Rock, AR
Sep 15 . . . . Tulsa, OK
Sep 17 . . . . Dallas, TX
Sep 29 . . . . Orange County, CA
Oct 2 . . .  . . St. Louis, MO
Oct 9 . . . . .  Little Rock, AR
Oct 9 . . . . . Tulsa, OK
Oct 27 . . . . Springdale, AR
Oct 27 . . . . Orange County, CA
Nov 2 . . . . Tulsa, OK
Nov 5 . . . . Dallas, TX
Nov 13. . . . Little Rock, AR
Dec 1  . . . . Orange County, CA
Dec 4  . . . . St. Louis, MO
Dec 11 . . . .Tulsa, OK
Sign up Now!

 

 Pre-Adoption Workshop
Ready to take the next step in your adoption journey?
Attend Dillon's online Pre-Adoption Workshop.
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Best in America

Independent Charities of America Seal of Excellence AwardDillon International
(aka orphancare International)

has achieved the
Independent Charities of America's Seal of Excellence award.

 

One Child's Perspective

Click to view Anna's touching adoption story told in her own words:
"Anna's Story"
 

Building Families

A Rosalind Cook statue of Jesus Christ wth a group of children at His feet and in His lap

Matthew 19:14 . . . but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
Click here for a daily
devotional for families


 

To Contact Us:
OFFICE HOURS (CST)
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM...Mon-Thurs
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM...Friday

LOCATIONS:
In Oklahoma -- main office
3227 East 31st Street, #200
Tulsa, OK  74105
Voice: 918/749-4600
Fax:  918/749-7144
Email this office

In Arkansas --
4702 W. Commercial Dr., #B1
North Little Rock, AR 72116
and
1882 North Starr Road
Fayetteville, AR  72701
Voice:  501/791-9300
Fax:  501/791-9303
Email this office

In California -- 
18001 Irvine Blvd., Suite 101
Tustin, CA  92780
Voice: 714/734-8600
Fax:  NEW # 714 / 912-9583 
Email this office

In Kansas --
2420 West 76th Street
Prairie Village, KS  66208
Voice:  913/544-2805
Email this office

In Missouri --
1 First Missouri Center, #115
St. Louis, MO  63141
Voice: 314/576-4100
Email this office

In Texas --
5200 South Buckner Blvd.
Dallas, TX  75227
Voice:  214/319-3426
Fax:  214/319-3470
Email this office

In Indiana --
Voice:  765/965-1195
Email our Midwest Regional Coordinator

 

The following organizations recognize
Dillon International for its financial & organizational accountability:

Dillon International, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is classified as a public charity under the U.S.  Internal Revenue Code.

A proud participant of:

Combined Federal Campaign Logo
Combined Federal Campaign

New CFC #11823!

 
Agency operations powered by:

FamilyBuilder adoption database management software logo
Burns Data Control, Inc.
"Adoption Software Designed By And For Adoption Agencies"

 

 We're Listed On The Tulsa Business List

 

 


   

The following are additional adoption education resources that you may find helpful as you not only prepare for your child to join your family, but also as you parent an internationally adopted child. 

Please note that the views shared within this collection of articles, books, and websites do not necessarily reflect the beliefs and opinions of Dillon International.

Online Resources

Online Adoption Courses - Created by Adoption Learning Partners, these e-learning courses are provided as a public service to the adoption community.  The courses have been designed for families in the adoption process to help prepare them for parenting an internationally adopted child.  Dillon International requires all of its adoptive families to complete the first three courses while waiting for their child to arrive home.

After completing each online course, please apply for a Certificate of Completion and submit a copy of the certificate to your case manager or home study provider.

www.findingyourchild.com - radio talk show "Creating a Family" is live every Wednesday from 12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM EST on this website.  The show is intended as an educational resource for anyone interested in the topics of adoption and infertility.  Listeners can call into the show to ask questions; the call-in telephone number is posted on the website.  Individual shows are also archived and available after they air either by clicking the link of the archived show on www.findingyourchild.com or by downloading them as a free podcast from iTunes.

 

Adoption Articles

Pre-adoption Articles --

Post-adoption Articles --

 

Adoption Books

RAISING ADOPTED CHILDREN by Lois Melina
      Easy-to-follow advice on how to raise children who have joined their family through adoption with realistic insights for each stage of the adoptive family life cycle.

REAL PARENTS, REAL CHILDREN by Holly Van Gulden and Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb
      Offers practical advice for parents on how to talk with their children about adoption and how to help their children through the rougher times of growing up adopted.

TODDLER ADOPTION by Mary Hopkins Best, Ed.D.
      Provides suggestions and strategies to help parents undertaking the challenges of caring for newly arrived toddlers through the practical advice, personal insights, and shared experiences of other adoptive parents.

ATTACHING IN ADOPTION by Deborah Gray
      Proper attachment is the most fundamental issue in a successful adoption, but what exactly does the term mean? Attaching in Adoption answers that question thoroughly, and it provides solutions to a variety of specific attachment problem

 

Post-Adoption Audio Workshops
Victor Orta @ 2008 Guatemala Heritage Weekend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding the Differences
Between an Orphanage Culture and
a Family Culture

Orphanage Culture Family Culture
Survival/Self-reliance
  • Poverty, governmental policies, lack of staff education, lack of medical sophistication, etc. may cause an atmosphere in which the meeting of physical needs prevails.  Meeting psychological needs is not necessarily a priority.
Reciprocity/Trust
  • The parent's desire to have and raise a child within an environment of caring and sharing leads to the meeting of the child's physical needs and psychological needs.

     

 

Uncertainty
  • Caretakers may not provide nurturing.  They change with shifts, leave to pursue other employment, or may be a source of abuse.  Peers leave as a result of adoption, a move to a different orphanage or illness.  Peers may also be a source of abuse.  From this the child learns that people go away, those who should provide affection do not, those who should protect me do not --therefore, "I must rely on and trust myself."
  • Often there is less focus on the child's future due to the demands of meeting the day-to-day basic needs.  The child internalizes a one day at a time attitude in that he/she may see no need to care for possessions, complete homework, build friendships, etc. as tomorrow his/her caregivers, peers, and residence may be totally different -- in other words, nothing stays the same.
Predictability
  • Parents instill trust and safety through consistently meeting the child's needs.  From this the child learns that my parents behave toward me in predictable ways  -- therefore, "I can rely on my parents."  The child transfers this knowledge to other spheres of life such as "I can rely on my teachers, community members, etc."
  • There is an emphasis on the child's future and providing the education, funding, experiences, etc. to carry out career goals, marriage and family life, etc.  The child internalizes the family's values and views investment in the future as valuable and worthwhile.  As such, the child becomes a functioning member of society.



 

 

 

Needs - Routine
  • Orphanages often utilize a regimented routine to provide for children.  That is, children eat on a schedule, go to the bathroom on a schedule, sleep on a schedule, etc.  This schedule is based on a timeline created by the staff.  As such, the child does not learn to regulate bodily functions.  The child may thus not be able to express needs to other caregivers.  The child's belief of self-reliance may also be further ingrained as the child learns that he/she must meet his/her own needs in order to survive.

     

 

 

 

Needs - Internal Regulation
  • While families utilize routines to carry out daily tasks, the routines are more flexible and are based on meeting  individual needs.  For example, an infant is fed as the infant expresses a cry of hunger.  An older child may be provided three meals a day with snacks on request to meet his needs.  The family accommodates its members, rather than the members accommodating the routine.  From this the child learns many valuable life skills -- such as, reliance on parents, delaying gratification if parents are involved in meeting the needs of another family member, internal regulation of bodily functions, interdependence, cooperation, mutuality, etc.

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