SMALL WORLD NEWS
August, 2008
Dear Small World Families and Friends,
Many of you may have heard by now that Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri has recently undergone major transitions in their staff. I am here today to reintroduce our current staff to you and to promise you that SWAF is moving full force ahead in pursuit of our mission to bring home Eastern European orphans and to place them into loving homes and families through international adoption.
My name is Dana Martin, and I am your new Director of Operations. I have been affiliated with Small World Adoption Foundation since 1993 in one capacity or another. Many of you knew me previously as your homestudy social worker or your post-adoption coordinator. I have a masters degree and license in clinical social work as well as previous experience in managing social service agencies. I look forward to meeting you all individually and getting to know your families. I am also happy to be the person who will complete your homestudy if you are a new client who resides in the state of Missouri. I am so excited to join with Slava, Yelena, Mary Ellen, Katia, Bridget and Ron as we get back to the basics, dedicating ourselves to saving the children, building families, and providing our clients with all the attention, information, and support necessary to ensure their adoption experience is a positive one.
Mary Ellen Scheetz is our Case Manager responsible for walking through the entire adoption process with clients from beginning to happy ending. Mary Ellen has been with the agency for over two years and her own nephews were adopted from Russia with the assistance of SWAF, thereby giving her a professional as well as a family perspective. Mary Ellen is dedicated to being a resource to our clients, taking them step by step through the requirements of international adoption. She is there to listen, provide guidance, and answer any questions that may arise throughout the process. Mary Ellen has a big heart and a kind voice, and she will do anything in her power to support and guide our clients through their adoption.
Katia Johnson is our Case Manager and Foreign Country Liaison. She has been with the agency for over five years. Katia came to our agency after working in the adoption field in St. Petersburg, Russia. Katia is very knowledgeable of the international quirks that may occur in the foreign countries and she passes that knowledge along to us. She reviews all client paperwork for accuracy and communicates with foreign country representatives to insure the adoption process goes smoothly. Katia also assists the agency with registration and post-adoption tracking. She is a team player and we are so pleased to have her as a part of our team.
Bridget Luzecky is our Office Manager. She is a SWAF adoptive parent herself and is dedicated to our agency and our mission. Bridget previously worked with the agency as a Special Projects Manager for three years, and she is excited to be back with us. We are happy to have her as a valuable member of our team.
Ronald Trucks is our new bookkeeper. Ronald has worked as a bookkeeper for Small World Adoption for several years in the past. He is a qualified bookkeeper who has a great deal of knowledge and is very familiar with our agency’s business. He is eager to be a part of our team once again and is happy to answer any financial questions that may surface from our families.
Slava Platonov and Yelena Kogan continue to be the founders of Small World Adoption Foundation. Slava serves as the Executive Director and Yelena serves as the Director of Foreign Children’s Services. Slava and Yelena are eager to meet with every client and to share with them their passion for international adoption. Slava and Yelena continue to travel abroad several times each year in order to maintain our strong professional relationships with foreign authorities and orphanages. Slava and Yelena are also qualified physicians who assess all potentially adoptive childrens’ health to assess their appropriateness for adoption. Slava and Yelena are committed to the children, the families, and the agency. Out of their love for these children came their foundation of SWAF and now their mission to continue such humanitarian work for children and families.
Small World Adoption Foundation continues to be a not-for-profit organization that is licensed by the state of Missouri and accredited by the Council on Accreditation. SWAF is also accredited in Russia and recognized as an accredited agency through the Hague Treaty. We are very excited about our team and our combined passion to make all of our clients’ adoption experience the best that it can be.
We would like to thank all our clients for their outpouring of support. We have been overwhelmed with such genuine kindness during our time of transition.
On Behalf of All Small World Staff,
Dana J. Martin, MSW, LCSW
Dana J. Martin, MSW, LCSW
Director of Operation
Small World Adoption Foundation
Open House
August 14, 2008
 
 
Thank you Friends For All Your Volunteer Time
PROGRAM INFORMATION
RUSSIA
Small World was granted NGO status in August of 2006. The NGO (Non Governmental Organization) status is a new requirement for all non-profit organizations working in Russia. Many of the regions in which Small World has programs do not require the accreditation of agencies, thus SWAF is continuing to send families to Russia. Currently, the time from contract to travel to adopt female averages from 11 to 17 months and the time to adopt male ranges from 9 to 13 months.
The Small World Foundation Directors who are both former Russian pediatricians continue to play a large role in assisting families to select children. They assist the families by speaking directly to orphanage, pediatrician staff about children offered to Small World clients and they review pictures, and video the prospective adoptive families obtain on their first trip. While families are in the orphanage, Small World’s Directors are available to speak directly to the doctors for answers to questions while the adopting parents are in the Russian orphanage. Many of the doctors with whom the Foundation works attended medical school in St. Petersburg with one of the Directors.
UKRAINE
Ukraine has finally completed it reorganization. The country is offering voluntary registration of international adoption agencies. Small World has completed this process and the Ukraine program has resumed for Small World. During the past six months, no families were allowed to travel to complete adoptions as the country worked through its reorganization process. Small World’s first family traveled in early December to kick off the resumption of the Ukraine adoption program. Currently, the time to adopt female averages from 11 to 17 months to adopt a female and 9 – 13 to adopt a male.
 
 
HOP, ROCK AND JUMPATHON
A SOARING SUCCESS!
The Jump-a-Thon, held April 13, 2008 at “The Pointe at Ballwin Commons was a resounding success! The St. Louis Cardinal’s inspired theme was a big hit with the kids, as well as the adults.
A special guest appearance by St. Louis’ own FREDBIRD® was the highlight of the event as he helped the children jump, hop and rock their way through the afternoon. Children were able to have their picture taken with St. Louis’ favorite mascot and get his autograph on baseballs, hats and shirts.
Children gathered either pledges from family, friends, school and neighbors or flat donations. Monies raised are used to support the orphanages with which Small World works in a project that the children decide on. An ENORMOUS thank you to everyone - SWAF families, new supporters and old, and especially, all our volunteers - who helped make this event a huge triumph!!
 
 
 
HEARTS OF HOPE IV
 Hearts of Hope IV took place on November 3rd, 2007 at the Chase Park Plaza.
600 guests attended Hearts of Hope IV dinner dance/auction and participated in a silent auction, live action and raffles.
Hearts of Hope IV proceeds go directly to supporting orphanages in Eastern Europe by providing the following: medicine, food, shoes, toys, washing machines, orphanage building repairs, building playgrounds, transportation for orphans for medical care, educational seminars for adopting parents, hosting of events for adoptive families, and much more. Small World could not provide such support without the benefits of it's Hearts of Hope dinner auction
We would like to thank our sponsors, guests, volunteers, board of directors and staff for makeing Hearts of Hope IV another success!
SPONSORS:
GOLD level:
Solar Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Combs
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Dressel
Mount Pleasant Winery
St. John's Mercy Health Care
The Lowenbaum Partnership, LLC
Navvis Consulting, LLC
Ronald McDonald House
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
SILVER level:
McCarthy Construction
J.F. Ahern Company
Discovery Group
Ernst & Young, LLP
C&R Healthcare Planning
Gateway Digital Press, Craig Fallon
BRONZE level
Pleus & Company LLC
Centerre Healthcare Corporation
Northstar Management
Smurfitt - Stone
Dr. David P. Diemer
Acropolis Investment Management, LLC
LANDCO Construction
Snyder Engineering, Inc.
KV Realty & Development
Voss Properties Corporation
Mercy Accounts Payable Shared Svc. -
Sisters of Mercy Regional Community
Duke Realty
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Dunne
Drs. Tom Fitzgerald and Mary Conti
Mr. and Mrs. Ric Hunsaker
Modern Business Interiors
SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY INFORMATION!
If you know of a class or item of interest in your area, please submit it for inclusion on the website as space permits. We’re always looking for information for families all over the country, particularly for events or groups activities.
Click on this link to email Staff.
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