Update amid Idaho Governor’s stay-at-home order, 3/26/2020
In response to Idaho’s Governor Little’s order to stay-a-home, A New Beginning will continue to work remotely for at least 21 days. Your adoption service will continue with the technology we have in place, in person meetings will be replaced with a video conference where possible and/or pushed to a future date. Families who hand deliver paperwork or fees to the office, please drop items in the secured lock box outside of the front door.
INFANT PROGRAM UPDATES
We continue to work with current and new birth mothers, including in person when necessary, in a secure, properly disinfected area located in our office. Adoption plans and hospital plans are still in process and will continue as normal, however, some adjustments may occur based on special hospital protocol during the COVID-19 outbreak. Our Adoption Specialists have connected to proper personnel and will advise adoptive families and birth families of any changes at the proper time.
To stay in front of county, state and federal daily changes, A New Beginning has converted infant family profile books to pdf files in an effort to exchange electronically with hospitals and/or birth families when/if in personal visitation becomes restricted or prohibited.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM UPDATES
Despite ban on international travel and the USCIS office being closed, we continue to work on the home study process and move it forward as much as we can. As of March 26, the USCIS office is still closed. The USCIS closure could cause significant delays in the adoption process and we understand that is frustrating and difficult. We encourage all international families to continue to complete their paperwork, so when offices and travel opens, we are ready to press forward as quickly as possible.
FOSTER-ADOPT PROGRAM UPDATES
Your adoption specialists continue to work as usual on your home study documents, inquiries, and post placement services. In person meetings will continue to be done via video conference and or postponed to a later date. We encourage you to continue searching and submitting your inquiries on the child listing websites. Due to various state’s stay-at-home orders and/or the impact of COVID-19 on their community, it’s realistic to expect some delays in response time from various child caseworkers.
TELE-MENTAL HEALTH now AVAILABLE
A lot is happening in our lives right now. It can be overwhelming. Our Wellness Center Counselor Becky Marquez, LPC, TBRI Practitioner has established TeleMental Health as an option for current clients and new clients. If you or someone in your family would like to schedule an appointment with her please call 208-918-1058. This service is available to individuals with Medicaid and private pay.
USING ZOOM
A New Beginning will be using the ZOOM platform for our video conferencing. We encourage families to go ahead and download the app ahead of time so you are prepared to login when it’s necessary. It’s a free app.
Other important notes to keep in mind
- If pregnant, or a hospital – please call 208-985-5617
- To schedule a TeleMentalHealth counseling appointment, call 208-918-1058
- All support group meetings scheduled between March 15 (Foster-Adopt and Mom Support Group) – until further notice, will be held via zoom. Please visit our website to get the contact information to become part of the group.
- The Adoption Information Seminar scheduled in April & May will now be a webinar instead of an in person seminar. If you have already registered via eventbrite, you will receive webinar credentials soon. If you are interested in attending the webinar, please email tina@adoptanewbeginning.organd you will receive webinar credentials very soon.
- The Peer Mentor Connections Group – March & April has been cancelled.
- Post placement visits will be conducted via FaceTime, Skype or Zoom. Your caseworker will work with you to schedule and set up.
- If we are unable to conduct your scheduled meeting via video, we will have postpone the meeting.
- If you need to contact your caseworker, we encourage you to email them first. Next, you are welcome to call 208-939-3865, select option 5 for the staff directory, listen for your adoption specialist’s last name.
- Keri, administrative assistant – admin@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Tina Kierce, Marketing – tina@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Becky Marquez, Counseling – becky@anbwellnesscenter.org
- Amy Longchamps, Adoption Specialist – amy@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Quincy Budell, quincy@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Cara Walsh, Infant Program/Birth Mother Coordinator – cara@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Amber Kidd, Foster-Adopt Program Coordinator – hopebegins@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Kaitlyn Judy, Adoption Specialist – adopting@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Laraine Merrill, Adoption Specialist- laraine@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Kara McAfee, Adoption Specialist – karam@adoptanewbeginning.org
- Caseworkers and adoption specialists are still processing paperwork, managing waiting list and working with birth mothers. We understand the importance and sensitivity that surrounds your adoption. We are fortunate to be able to work remotely.
- Note if you have paperwork to drop off, feel free to put it in the mail or place in the secure dropbox outside of our front door on Emerald. We have individual staff members who will be onsite several times per week to collect and process mail.
- Don’t forget, you can continue to work on your paperwork through the eAdopt portal.
- If you have fees due and would like to process those, please do so on our website, through this link. Select the “PAY FEES” button.
- SELF-CARE, SELF-CARE, SELF-CARE
We will continue to keep everyone updated on what’s happening at A New Beginning Adoption Agency. Stay Well.
A New Beginning Management