Resource Thursday - February 3, 2011

Each Thursday, Hope Cottage - Dallas' oldest nonprofit, nonsectarian adoption agency, shares resources for parents and families - especially those families made through adoption.  We hope you find these offerings beneficial.  If you have a resource to share or suggest, e-mail it to Leslie Clay, Chief Development Officer at lclay@hopecottage.org.

New Year's Resolutions for Parents
     It's never too late to make a resolution for the year.  She Knows Parenting website offers these 
     suggestions.

From the 60 Second Parent - February 1, 2011 issue.  Food for thought. 

True Confessions and Adoption Angst
     One mother shares about her first post adoption meeting with the birthfamily. 

An article on Collaborative Problem Solving. 

Parenting Strategies When Bad Things Happen — Talking To Preschoolers About Tragedies

Learn more about Avoiding Mom Burnout.

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, non sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through counseling, education and adoption services.


If you have questions about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 214.526.8721.



If you are a woman facing an unwanted pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.

Article of Interest - Photographing your Children

Hope Cottage is sharing a link for another article, courtesy of Moms Blog from the Dallas Morning News about photographing your children.  Enjoy.

Hope Cottage is the oldest nonprofit, nonsectarian adoption agency in Dallas. 

Hope Cottage is Looking for the Most Joyful Baby

Dallas adoption agency, Hope Cottage, is looking for the Most Joyful Baby around. 

Post a picture of your child enjoying his/her most joyful self on the Hope Cottage Facebook page.  Children depicted must be age 3 or under at the time the picture was taken.  The  contest is free to enter and open to all.  Photos must be posted by 5 pm August 10th.  Winner receives a prize and all decisions of the judges are final. 

Since 1918, Hope Cottage has been building strong families through education, counseling and adoption. 

All the Little Babies

This is one of my favorite pictures from Hope Cottage - probably because it says so much about our rich history. It was taken in the 1940's and says much about Hope Cottage at the time because we have black and white babies in the same crib. While Dallas was segregated, Hope Cottage was not. The sign is thanking those people who made gifts to Hope Cottage through the Community Chest. For those of you who always wondered what Community Chest was in your Monopoly game, it is what is now the United Way. Hope Cottage is one of the original thirteen agencies in the Dallas Metro United Way and one of only three or four still in existence.

When I first came on board, I would joke about the picture saying "Oh, where was this? At Northpark right next to the SPCA booth?" (laugh and giggle) "Did we put our babies on display?" (giggle, giggle). You can imagine how my giggles stopped when I ran across the articles below. Evidently Hope Cottage DID put their babies in the window. Enjoy another piece from our history.

Hope Cottage Babies Shown in Window Display
(December 1, 1921) One of the most novel features of the Welfare Council campaign is the Hope Cottage window of the Goldsmith Company, corner Ervay and Elm streets. Real babies from Hope Cottage, in charge of nurses, were in the window all day Thursday and each day, including Friday and Saturday.

The purpose of the exhibition is to impress the public with the importance of saving the babies of the poor, as well as the foundlings, that are from time to time placed on door steps. Hope Cottage shares in the proceeds of the welfare campaign. The Goldsmith window is especially heated to take care of the babies, some of whom are less than three months old. Great crowds gathered and blocked sidewalk traffic all day long. The hours for the exhibition of children Friday and Saturday are from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Babies in Store Window Draw Big Crowds
(December 1921) Babies from Hope Cottage had a lark Saturday.

Hope Cottage is one of the 10 agencies supported by the Welfare Council, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. five bright looking youngsters asked the public to help them.

No, they didn't talk , for they can't. Only "nurse" could understand their language. But out in front of A. Harris large baby display window, men, women and children crowded up close, almost entirely blocking the sidewalks.

In the unusual surroundings, the babies seemed to think it great sport.

"We keep the window heated at the right temperature," said Issac. I. Lorch, secretary of A. Harris & Co.

The nurse heats the milk required by the babies at the lunch counter. The babies are delivered at the new playground by taxi. The girls in the store are "just crazy" over them. "They could pretty near have anything we've got," said Lorch.

On Christmas, the store will remember Hope Cottage babies, in addition to contributions from 50 cents to $5 made by employees for the welfare drive. "I think the babies are the most important of all," declared Lorch.

Each Christmas, the store gets its odds and ends together, dividing perhaps 50 dozens of children hosiery, baby garments and articles taken from broken lots. Last year 16 different charitable organizations, including Hope Cottage, each received a big box.

Hope Cottage Babies Do Their Bit for Charity in Windows of Store

(December 1921) Seven bouncing baby boys from Hope Cottage proved an attractive window display for Goldsmith's store Monday. Mrs. Emma Wylie Ballard, assisted by two undergraduate nurses, transported the tots in taxicabs to and from the home. They are advertising the charity drive.

The youngest boy in the squad was Ben Ward Duncan, born in July, and found three days after (article stops here)

(article continues) We are grateful to the Goldsmith management for making it possible for the Dallas people to see a few of our babies. We invite all interested to visit Hope Cottage and get acquainted with many other darling little ones.

Tours, Tours, Tours

Part of the job of the non-profit Development Office is reaching out to the community at large and keeping them informed of what is going on at the agency. Every Development Officer has their "favorite" - newsletters, blogs, tweets, press releases, special events, public speaking - you name it - we are doing it. One of the favorite things we do here at Hope Cottage is to give tours. And let me say, right up front - we don't have babies living here - which considering how much I love rocking babies, is a good thing. Hard to get any work done when you are spending the day nuzzling, rocking and singing! Lots of people want to visit us at Hope Cottage and learn what we do. Hope Cottage has been placing children in homes since 1918 and we are fortunate to have a plethora of historical documentation. Pictures galore and newspaper articles like you wouldn't believe. Reading newspaper articles from the 20's and 30's is fascinating because it provides a glimpse into a world that no longer exists. People find adoption intriguing. Lots of questions that start "I read in the newspaper..." or "I saw this movie on TV..." and we are here to answer their questions. We love sharing our story with our guests and a humbled and honored they take the time to see what we do. We average 2-3 tours a week and love doing them. Come visit us at Hope Cottage - "we'll leave the lights on and the door open."