2008 Schedule
May 3 . . . Orange County, CA
May 13. . .Little Rock, AR
May 13. . .Kansas City, KS /
Kansas City, MO
May 13. . .Tulsa, OK
May 13. . . Dallas, TX
Jun 3 . . . St. Louis, MO
Jun 7 . . . Orange County, CA
Jun 10. . . Little Rock, AR
Jun 21 . . .St. Charles, MO
Aug 5 . . . St. Louis, MO
Aug 5. . . .Kansas City, KS
Aug 12. . . Tulsa, OK
Sept 6. . . Orange County, CA
Sept 9. . . Little Rock, AR
Sept 16. . .Dallas, TX
Oct 4 . . . Orange County, CA
Oct 7 . . . St. Louis, MO
Oct 7 . . . Kansas City, KS
Oct 14. . . Tulsa, OK
Nov 11 . . .Dallas, TX
Nov 11. . . Little Rock, AR
Nov 15. . . Orange County, CA
Dec 2. . . .St. Louis, MO
Dec 9 . . . Tulsa, OK
Pre-Adoption
Workshops
2008 Schedule
May 10. . .St. Louis, MO
May 17. . .Dallas, TX
May 31. . .Little Rock, AR
Jun 21. . . Orange County, CA
Aug 9 . . . Tulsa, OK
Aug 23. . . Wichita, KS
Sept 6 . . .Orange County, CA
Sept 13. . .St. Louis, MO
Oct 11. . . Tulsa, OK
Nov 8. . . . Oklahoma City, OK
Dec 6 . . . Orange County, CA
Dec 6 . . . Tulsa, OK
Dec 6 . . . Dallas, TX
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: 714/734-8688 Email this office
In Kansas --
5934 East 10th Street
Wichita, KS 67208
Voice: 316/682-2595 Email this office
IIn Missouri --
1 First Missouri Center, #115
St. Louis, MO 63141
Voice: 314/576-4100
Fax: 314/453-9975 Email this
office
In Texas --
P. O. Box 2785
Coppell, TX 75019
Voice: 972/263-1539
Fax: 972/624-8241 Email this office
Below is a brief
outline of the steps in the search process if the search is
initiated by an adoptee. Sometimes the steps go smoothly and
sometimes they do not. We ask for your patience and
understanding as the search process can be very slow.
The time is
unpredictable and slow for a number of reasons. Eastern Social
Welfare Society (ESWS) in Korea receives a high volume of search
requests not only from Dillon International, but also from
several other placing agencies as well. ESWS has placed over
50,000 children and many of these children are now adults
wishing to initiate a birth search. Each search also involves a
significant amount of time reviewing the file, translating, and
contacting different people to try to get information.
Once an adoptee
initiates a search, he/she is welcome to check with Dillon
International anytime to check on the status of their search.
We will check with ESWS periodically for updates. Please
remember that if you, the adoptee, are uncomfortable in moving
forward, the process can be put on hold at any time. The fees
for each step are located in the next section.
Initial search inquiry
Adoptee contacts
Dillon International and expresses an interest in starting a
search. The reasons for initiating a search can vary
greatly. Sometimes adoptees wish to locate birth parents.
Sometimes he/she wishes to find out additional medical
information. At different points in their life, each person
will have different desires surrounding their birth story
and information. A post-adoption social worker will discuss
with the adoptee about their desire to start a search and
the hopes surrounding their desire. Dillon International
encourages adoptees, who live within a 60-mile radius of the
Tulsa office, to visit our office at this step in the
process for an initial session to explain the process.
Search packet to adoptee
After the initial inquiry, Dillon International will send
the adoptee a packet of information to get him/her started.
This packet will include an overview of the steps in the
process as well as documents that need to be completed to
start the search process. Download a search packet.
Initial search forms returned to Dillon International
Adoptee returns the completed search forms to Dillon
International. Dillon International contacts ESWS on the
adoptee’s behalf for initial review of his/her adoption
file.
ESWS reviews the file
ESWS will let Dillon International know any additional
information in the file that was not disclosed in the
original adoption papers to the adoptive family. They will
also let Dillon International know the likelihood of being
able to locate the birth family and if there is any contact
information for the birth family. Dillon International
will forward this information to the adoptee in written
form.
Decision to move forward
After receiving this initial information, the adoptee
contacts Dillon International regarding their desire to move
forward or not move forward with the search. If an adoptee
desires to move forward, Dillon International will contact
ESWS with the adoptee's request. ESWS will then attempt to
further locate the birth family and will let Dillon
International know of their results.
Birth family communication
If
the birth family is located by ESWS, Dillon International
will let the adoptee know and ask the adoptee to submit a
letter which will be sent to the birth family. Any on-going
communication with the birth family will be through Dillon
International and ESWS as intermediaries. At some point,
the adoptee may decide to visit Korea. ESWS can act as an
intermediary during the visit to Korea.
No location of birth family
We
are sorry to say that often the birth family is unable to be
located because of the lack of identifying information about
the birth family (especially for adoptees born between the
early 1970’s and early 1980’s). If ESWS is unable to locate
the birth family, the adoptee has the option of advertising
on ESWS’s website in Korea. Dillon International will send
the adoptee the necessary release and forms for
advertisement.
Advertisement attempt
After receiving the release and advertising forms, Dillon
International will forward the information to ESWS. ESWS
will use the information to list the adoptee on their web
site and other media outlets in hopes of finding the birth
family. If the birth family contacts ESWS through this
means, then communication with the adoptee may begin
through the two agencies.
At times a birth
family is the initiator of the search process rather than the
adoptee. If this is the case, the steps in the process are as
follows. Sometimes the steps go smoothly and sometimes they do
not. We ask for your patience and understanding as the search
process can be very slow. Please understand that if the adoptee
is uncomfortable in moving forward, the process can be put on
hold at any time. Rest assured that ESWS and Dillon
International will not share personal information about the
adoptee or their adoptive family without the adoptee's
permission.
Birth family contacts ESWS in hopes of locating their birth
child.
ESWS checks the adoption file to determine through which
agency the child was placed.
ESWS will contact the placing agency.
Placing agency will attempt to locate the adoptive family
and adoptee to communicate the birth family’s desire to
contact adoptee.
Adoptee will make the decision on whether to communicate
with the birth family.
All communication will be through Dillon International and
ESWS.
Due to the time each search request takes, it has become
necessary to establish guidelines for service fees. Dillon
International and ESWS make every effort to keep the fees
reasonable. A portion of the fees are forwarded on to Eastern
Social Welfare Society and a portion is retained by our office
for processing costs. If unable to pay the fees for any
reason, please contact
Dillon International about sliding scale
fees and scholarship applications.
Search Initial Fee*
Initial review of
the adoption file to determine possibility of locating
the birth family and any additional information
surrounding the adoption. Also includes initial
counseling session regarding search request
$80
Duplication Fee
Duplicate copy of
initial Social History and Medical report from the
adoption file at Dillon International (same documents
given to adoptive parents before placement)
$10
Search Location Fee
part 1
Attempt by ESWS to
actually locate the birth family (regardless of outcome
of the attempt)
$100
Search Location Fee
part 2
If ESWS is able to
locate the birth family, additional fee due
$200
Correspondence fee
Cover the
shipping/processing of each piece of correspondence sent
to Korea
$5
Translation fee
English to Korean
$15/page
Translation fee
Korean to English
$25/page
Counseling session
Professional
adoption staff provide counseling services to the
adoptee and adoptive families if needed
$75/hour
Conference call
Translation and
counseling services during a conference call between the
adoptee and birth family (adoptee will pay the phone
bill directly to phone company if initiating the call)
$75/hour
Visit to orphanage,
birth place, or foster home
ESWS will visit the
location with a social worker
$50
Facilitate meeting
(with birth family)
Adoptee, adoptive
family/birth family meeting with a social worker in
Korea
$65
Facilitate meeting
(with foster family)
Adoptee, adoptive
family/ foster family meeting with a social worker in
Korea
$25
* If adoptee has a medical reason for
initiating the search, the initial search fee will be waived.
ESWS sets the age guidelines for
adoption searches. An adoptee can start a search at age 13 with
permission from the adoptive parents. After age 18, an adoptee
can initiate a search for his/her birth parents without the
adoptive parents' permission. ESWS also requires that the birth
mother be at least 40 years old before ESWS will initiate a
search.
We ask you to be mindful of the
consideration that a single birth parent may have started a
different life and may not have shared the story of her birth
child with her current family. In these cases, it may be
difficult for the birth mother to communicate with the adoptee.
Can I contact
Eastern Social Welfare Society directly to start my search?
ESWS requests that all adoption
searches be made through the placing agency in the US. Dillon
International will work directly with ESWS to facilitate the
search process.
Can I look at my
adoption file at Dillon International?
Dillon International would be
happy to share copies of your referral papers we received.
Other information in the file such as your adoptive parents'
application, home study, or other application documents are the
confidential information of the adoptive parents. Dillon
International will share these items with you if you provide a
signed release from the adoptive parents.
What if I was
not adopted through Dillon International? Can you still
help me with my birth search?
ESWS prefers that you work with
the agency through which you were placed. If you were placed
through ESWS and another agency in the US, Dillon International
will have to obtain permission from ESWS to help facilitate the
search.
I’m scared that
my birth family will not want to meet me. Should I start a
search?
The decision to start a birth
parent search is a difficult one. There is a possibility that
the birth family will not be willing to meet you. At other
times, they are overjoyed to meet you. Sometimes it takes time
for the relationship to develop. Dillon International
recommends that you be prepared for the possibility that the
birth parents may not be at a place in their lives where they
are able to respond to your wish for contact.
What if I start
my search but then decide I’m not ready to move forward?
At any time in the search process
if you are uncomfortable moving forward, you can put the process
on hold. Dillon International wishes for you to be open about
your true feelings about moving forward. Dillon International
will support your decision about this matter.
I just want
background medical/genetic information, but am not
interested in meeting my birth family. Can I still do
a search?
Dillon International will be
happy to contact ESWS to do an initial review of the adoption
file to see if there is any additional background information.
However, once a decision to locate the birth family to find out
more information is made, it is very likely that the birth
family may want to have contact with you if they are found. We
recommend that adoptees wanting to take the next step to find
out more information be also willing to have that contact with
their birth family.
Will you share
my search update information with my adoptive parents?
If you are under age 18, all
information related to the search will be shared with the
adoptee and the adoptive parent. If you are over age 18, Dillon
International will only share information regarding the search
with you directly. You can then make the decision about sharing
the information with your adoptive parents.
My adoptive
parents get very sensitive and emotional when I talk about
my birth search. Can you help me with that?
Some adoptive parents have fears
when adoptees talk about starting a birth parent search. They
may fear that their child will no longer love them or will want
to start a new life with their birth family. Sometimes they may
have insecurities about their role as your parents. Dillon
International will be happy to meet with adoptive parents
together or without their son/daughter to discuss these feelings
and work through them. Dillon International recommends that
adoptees share their birth search with their adoptive parents.
However, all information is kept confidential if you are over
age 18 so the decision to share about your search and the timing
will be entirely up to you.
The following individuals have participated in a search in the
past. They have agreed to speak with adoptees who are just
starting the search process about their search experience.
Please feel free to contact them if you are interested in
talking to them.
Shannon Adkins
Euless, TX
817-999-3986
shannond75@yahoo.com
Adopted as an infant in 1975
Initiation by adoptee
Todd Eichberg
Fredericksburg, VA
540-368-1097
eichberg_todd@bah.com
Adopted as a seven-year-old in 1978
Initiation by both adoptee and
birth family
Mindi Dodson
Lebanon, OH
513-404-4614
mindimouse@hotmail.com
Adopted as an infant in 1982
Initiation by adoptee
Kari Lee Erlien
New Hope, MN
763-544-6615
keiylee8@netscape.net
Adopted as a one-year-old in 1979
Initiation by adoptee
Jan Dunn
Tulsa, OK
918-836-1878 jan@dillonadopt.com
Adopted as an infant in 1980
Initiation by adoptee
Dawn Wells
Jenks, OK
918-298-4142
adwells@sbcglobal.net
Adopted as an infant in 1977
Initiation by the birth family
Mindy Roberts
Lavon, TX
972-853-0798
ivegotseoul@dptexas.net
Adopted as a 2 ½ year old in 1977
Initiation by adoptee
Books:
I Wish for You a Beautiful Life: Letters from the Korean Birth
Mothers of Ae Ran Won to Their Children,
edited by Sara Dorow List Price: (also available through
Dillon International’s bookstore) $18.95
Did
My First Mother Love Me? A Story for an Adopted Child,
by Kathryn Ann Miller
Addressing one of a child’s toughest questions to ask and an
adoptive parent to answer, this book explains why a birth mother
makes an adoption plan.
The Adoption Triangle,
by Sorosky
A classic that delves into the major issues in adoption from all
sides of the adoption triad.
Lost and Found: The Adoption Experience,
by Betty Jean Lifton
This book outlines the internal and external journey an adoptee
takes in the search and reunion process.
Birth bond: Reunions Between Birth Parents and Adoptees—What
Happens After,
edited by Judith S. Gediman and Joan S. Dunphy, and Linda P.
Brown, contributor
A strong look at reunions and searches from the birth mother’s
perspective.
Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self,
by David M. Brodzinsky, Marshall D. Schechter, contributor and
Robin Marantz Henig
Recent studies have shown that being adopted can affect many
aspects of adoptee’s lives, from relationships with adoptive
parents to bonds with their own children. Using their combined
total of 55 years of experience in clinical and research work
with adoptees and their families, the authors use the voices
adoptees themselves to trace how adoptions is experienced over a
lifetime.
Who is My Mother, Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Adoptees
Talk About Living with Adoption and the Search for the Lost
Family,
by Clare Marcus
Searching for a Past: The Adopted Adult’s Unique Process of
Finding Identity,
by Jayne Schooler
The Adoption Reader: Birth Mothers, Adoptive Mothers, and
Adopted Daughters Tell Their Stories,
edited by Susan Wadia-Ellis
Adoption has always been a woman’s issue. With eloquence and
conviction, more than 30 diverse birth mothers, adoptive
mothers, and adoptees tell their adoption stories and explore
what is deeply emotional, sometimes controversial, and always
compelling experience that affects millions of families and
individuals.
“I am your Creator. You were
in my care even before you were born.” -- Isaiah 44:2a
(CEV)
“God doesn’t play dice.” – Albert Einstein
“You are not an accident.
Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke
of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did.
He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected
it.
Long before you were
conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of
God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor
luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very
moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! The
Bible says, “The Lord will fulfill his
purpose for me.”
God prescribed every
single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race,
the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He
custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also
determined the natural talents you would possess and the
uniqueness of your personality. The Bible says,
“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You
know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from
nothing into something.”
Because God made you
for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and
how long you would live. He planned the days of your life
in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death.
The Bible says, “You saw me before I
was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to
breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!”
God also planned where you’d be born and
where you’d live for his purpose. Your race and nationality are
no accident. God left no detail to chance. He planned it all
for his purpose. The Bible says, “From one man he
made every nation…and he determined the times set for them and
the exact places where they should live.” Nothing in your
life is arbitrary. It’s all for a purpose.
Most amazing, God
decided how you would be born. Regardless of the
circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a
plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents
were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two
individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to
create the custom “you” he had in mind. They had the DNA God
wanted to make you.
While there are
illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many
children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not
unplanned by God. God’s purpose took into account human error,
and even sin.
God never does anything
accidentally, and he never makes mistake. He has a reason for
everything he creates. Every plant and every animal was planned
by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind.
God’s motive for creating you was his love. The Bible says,
“Long before he laid down earth’s
foundation, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of
his love.”
God was thinking of you
even before he made the world. In fact, that’s why he
created it! God designed this planet’s environment just so we
could live on it. We are the focus of his love and the most
valuable of all his creation. The Bible says, God decided to
give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most
important of all the things he made.” This is how much God
loves and values you!”
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Copyright (c) 2008 DILLON INTERNATIONAL, INC. All contents of Dillon's website are copyrighted and protected under the United States
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