Written in memory of our brave daughter, Katie Janae Cramer, who went to Heaven January 6, 2011.   TO THE HOUSE OF THE KING Continued from A Journey of Hope- Part 1 It was January 2007, and our family would spend the next three years, three months climbing out of the valley of childhood cancer. We emerged - battle-fatigued and scarred - but we had emerged! And no one enjoyed being out of that valley more than our daughter. Katie seemed to have a renewed vigor for life. The battle hadn’t dampened her spirit - it energized it! She was ready to put her ordeal behind her and get on with life. She enjoyed her friends, being involved at church, and continued to excel in school. In February

Written in memory of our brave daughter, Katie Janae Cramer, who went to Heaven January 6, 2011. FROM THE DOORS OF AN ORPHANAGE: As the butterfly alights on my arm in the dingy industrial city of Liuzhou, China, our hopes for our newly adopted daughter are high. Life in a Chinese orphanage has been perilous for her, her tiny body telling a story of deprivation through her bloated tummy, pale skin, weak muscle tone, and dry, sparse hair. But a butterfly will soon to emerge. My husband and I return to Sacramento in May 1995, exhausted but elated at being home with our daughter. What was once only a tiny black-and-white picture is now an in-the-flesh baby dressed most often in pink. Alrea

My long lived neighbor and companion, Timothy Murray, adopted his first dog "Maxwell Smart" from a shelter none other than God's SPCA, Church of Christ. Un doubly he has never needed him more each day. After two years with this special companion; the wired haired terrier and him has never felt more an item. It was no non-sense considering an adoptive pet request program offered by the little church of Rio Linda. Evidentiary, the Pet Programs were suitable for SPCA torts reform and due process; because it was easy to cleave to dog repair and salvation. I welcome those opinions of who maintain advertising still is needed in this system to keep a steady and consistent draconian function. A

This eight-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix is both sweet and friendly. He is fairly typical of his breed in that he is very smart, confident and independent, but he’s also a big lover! Positive reinforcement training would help him focus his energy and learn even more commands than he already knows. Mr. Smokey would do best in a somewhat active home with experienced adult owners (older kids and other dogs ok). He is eligible for our Senior for Senior Program in which adoption fees are waived for adopters who are at least sixty-years-old and adopting animals over the age of five.   *Join us on Black Friday and during the weekend for some very special adoption deals! All black (and mostly

Raymond and Sylvia Munoz did not know what they were getting into when they first signed up to be foster parents. They nearly called it quits after helping 30 foster kids then the arrival of Sean opened their hearts to the possibility of adoption. "It's been 13 years of bliss," said Sylvia recalling the day. When Sean's adoptive father, a military veteran and Americorp volunteer passed away in 2010, Sylvia was left on her own to raise a teen. She was at the adoption orientation for National Adoption Awareness Day at the State Capitol on Nov 3 to find out how to adopt two older foster siblings. It's a hard knock life for 60,000 foster kids living in California. Though, 25,000 of these c

November is National Adoption Month.  As the nation recognizes this important social issue, counties and communities across California will promote adoption and permanency awareness through activities and events that bring attention to the needs of the over 25,000 children and youth living in foster care throughout the state waiting for families to love and adopt them. November 3, 2011 is National Adoption Awareness Day.  On November 3, 2011, the month-long effort will kick off, raising awareness about the thousands of children in California waiting for families, celebrating those special people who have provided a loving home to children in foster care, and inspiring others to come forw

Q: I just found out I am pregnant. I told my boyfriend and we both agreed that we are not ready to be parents, but there is no way I would consider getting an abortion. I know that I could put the child up for adoption, but I feel like that is going to be really hard after carrying to term. However, I know I am not ready to be a mother, and I don't want to lose my boyfriend over this. I don't really know what to do. A: Wow. You have many hard decisions and a long road ahead of you. First of all, I applaud your stand on keeping the baby to term even though you are not sure about what will happen after that. Secondly, I would suggest that you do not make a rash and uneducated decision ab

Waste Connections, Inc. sponsored and helped fundraise $145,000 during Sierra Forever Families’ seventh annual Golf Classic for Kids tournament at Serrano Country Club on Sept. 12. The funds raised during this year’s tournament will help more than 20 children living in foster care find permanent placements with loving families. This tremendous success of the 2011 tournament would not be as significant without the gracious support of Ron Mittelstaedt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, along with Jerri Hunt, Vice President of Employee Relations, of Waste Connection, Inc. Hunt, who retired from the Board of Directors of Sierra Forever Families in July, served as the four-time Chair of t

Q. My stepdaughter just turned 18. We wanted to do a stepparent adoption, but her  father wouldn’t permit it. She doesn’t get along with her father (it’s a long story) and now that she’s 18, we heard that we can do an “adult adoption” without his permission. Can we do this? How would we do it? Fred A. Adult adoption is possible. In fact, it’s a pretty common question here at the law library—so much so that we created a step-by-step guide called “Adult Adoption in California” with instructions and sample forms. An adult adoption is when someone adopts a person who is 18 or over and not related to them. It changes the legal rights of both of you, and severs the existing relationship with

Pet-a-Palooza, a pet lovers dream, was held today at Rusch Park in Citrus Heights. The event, which started at 10 a.m. and lasted until 4 p.m., featured live music, animal obstacle courses, water jumping dogs, police dogs, food vendors, pet adoptions and much more. The event seemed to be a smashing success with many fans staying around to hear the musical acts. ‘He is We’ started the afternoon off with a nice set and was quickly followed by ‘Andy Grammar’ and then ‘Whiskey Dawn”. Finally, to finish of the bands and the event itself, ‘Michelle Branch’ came on stage and performed an amazing set. For an event that is touted as a fun day in the park and a way to educate people on the needs o

Saturday, Nov. 20 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. A coalition of local and statewide organizations will celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month on the West Steps of the Capitol with a rally and reading of names of children awaiting adoption. About 200 people are expected.  

In recognition of national “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month”, all October the Animal Shelter is holding several informational and training sessions to raise awareness of the often misunderstood group of dogs known as pit bulls and related breeds, which make up a large percentage of adoptable dogs in almost every shelter. The shelter has already offered several sessions throughout the month and on October 30 will celebrate the positive aspects of the breed with a showcase of several pit bulls that are Certified Assisted Therapy dogs. “We are pleased to be holding this first time event to attempt to provide factual information and dispel stereotypes and myths about pit bulls, and to highlight wha

As Harriet Tubman once said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” On September 11th, as over 200 Sacramento community members gathered at the California Museum to celebrate the 30 years that Lilliput Children's Services has been serving the state's most vulnerable children and their families, Lilliput was humbled to remember exactly who they are helping and why.   Founded in 1980, Lilliput is committed to building families and making dreams come true, and has completed over 4,500 adoptions for California foster children.  Throughout the evening, guests enjoye

Who:  Author Marci Bridgeford and Sierra Forever Families What:  Launch Party and opportunity to meet Sierra Forever Families Where:  Antiquite Maison Privee located at 2114 P Street, Sacramento, California When:  July 29, 2010 from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Why:  Celebrate “Zachary’s Story” to show new ways of looking at old stereotypes that can accompany adoption and blended families and replace them with feelings of self worth, power, love of self and family. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Sierra Forever Families. Background “Zachary’s Story” is a conversation between a mother and child that celebrates the joy of being an adoptive family. The book was released by AuthorHouse p

If you are interested in adopting a child, the first step is to educate yourself about adoption and become familiar with the various types of adoption available to you. The most common types of adoptions are: Foster adoptions – The children were placed into child protective custody for their safety and cannot be returned to their birth parents or cared for by extended family. Domestic private adoptions – The children are not in foster care and the adoption is typically handled by a lawyer and the two parties; birth parents and adoptive family. International adoptions – The children are from a foreign country and, again, the adoption is typically handled by a lawyer or international adop

No one aspires to be a foster child. No child wants to live in a stranger’s home. No brother or sister likes having their family torn apart; losing contact with siblings. No teen chooses an unknown future. Yet, every month, over 2,000 children statewide are placed into protective custody through the foster care system. Over 150 of these children are from Sacramento County. Foster care is designed to be a temporary safety net for children who are unable to live safely with their birth families. Children enter foster care because they have been abused or neglected or have experienced other family problems such as substance abuse, mental illness or a parent’s incarceration. A primary goal

National Public Radio "Weekend Edition Saturday" host Scott Simon presented “Covering War and Peace, Sports and Celebs” at the Crest Theatre Monday evening. This was the premier of a new lecture by Simon.  The presentation was part of the California Lectures 2009-2010 season.  It was a nearly full house of Simon's adoring fans.  He began by acknowledging and praising Capitol Public Radio.  When Simon started in public radio in Chicago, there was only one national program from NPR, “All Things Considered.”  He joked that when someone called WBEZ to ask what time “All Things Considered” was on, the station would reply, “What time would you like to listen to it?”  He spoke to what a valuable

Sierra Forever Families Elects Retired Attorney and Child Advocate Dee Hartzog to the Board of Directors. Sacramento, CA – April 1, 2010 – Sierra Forever Families, Northern California nonprofit and industry leader in youth permanency, elects Dee Hartzog to its Board of Directors. Dee joins the 15 member board led by Eric Ratinoff, partner with Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff. Dee Hartzog is a retired corporate attorney, having practiced 23 years with Weintraub, Genshlea & Chediak, a Sacramento law firm. Even before retirement, she began to realize the importance for a child to grow up in a loving and caring environment, both for the child and the community. “I am extremely motivated by Sier

"You are super cute," said Lesley Kirrene, as she walks past bright-eyed animals waiting for homes. "Once the animals are on the adoption floor we have made a commitment to them that we will find them homes," said Kirrene, director of public relations for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The shelter is keeping its promise. Cage after cage proudly displays the blue sign reading "On hold," which means the animal is waiting to be picked up and brought home. The lucky dogs for the day were Dorris, Roscoe, Rockie, Dot, Brindle, Fred, Conan, Bob and Kasey, who wagged their tails excitedly, knowing that they were about to go home. The shelter is not considered a "no-kill"

November is National Adoption Month – Sacramento Shows its Commitment to Our Children November 12 - Sacramento, California – Nationally, November is recognized at National Adoption Month. With nearly 500,000 children and youth living in foster across the country there is a tremendous need for families to come forward. In California, there are over 62,000 children and youth living in foster care and, of that, over 4,000 lived in the Greater Sacramento Region. As the capital of California, Sacramento is committed to the children of our state who are living in foster care and are awaiting a permanent family. For many of these children, they have been removed from their birth families due to