Dixie van de Flier Davis,
Founder & President Emerita
I’m Smiling
If there are children and adolescents involved, Boondocks is a good place to play. With fun centers in multiple states, it has become a favorite of The Adoption Exchange.
There is something at Boondocks for everyone. And when you’re my age, it feels like all of those things are assaulting your senses at the same time. But no matter what the age, it’s a place to meet, and to play. Before you know it you find yourself having a good time. Even a kid like Edgar, who pretty much gave up on ever being adopted.
On April 3 Boondocks in Colorado will host another adoption networking party for children, youth, caseworkers, and prospective parents. It won’t just be fun. It will be life changing.
Early in the morning teenage employees of Boondocks will get up early and before they go to school they will come to the TV station to answer phones for A Day For Wednesday’s Child. Most are scarcely older than the children they volunteer their time to help.
Then…the party!! Pizza, games, prizes, and people who are dedicated to keeping the children safe while they meet families who just might become their own.
Last year five of the children who attended the party were subsequently adopted. I can tolerate a lot of noise and distraction for results like that!
I just found out that Edgar got adopted. With a family who found him at Boondocks. So I’m smiling.
Join us on April 3. It’s a big day in lots of ways.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis,
Founder & President Emerita
Treasures of a Different Sort
Today some of our staff begin to do some story telling. Faye Gardner agreed to write one of her favorite memories as a guest blogger here.
Throughout the year, The Adoption Exchange hosts adoption networking parties, which offer opportunities for prospective adoptive families, children, and caseworkers to connect while in a safe, relaxed, fun environment. In Colorado at the end of each party, every child who attends picks a toy from The Adoption Exchange’s treasure chests to take with them; this includes the birth children of foster or prospective adoptive parents as well as all of the waiting children.
A few years ago, I was helping with the adoption networking party at Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn. The children were having a wonderful time, and the prospective adoptive parents were enjoying many fun activities as they played, talked and ate pizza with the children. I had the enviable job of helping set up the toy chests and making sure each child had a turn to go to one of the five toy chests to pick out his or her prize.
I watched when a boy about 10 years old dug through all of the treasures in his assigned toy chest and pulled out a wooden photo frame with a large, plastic horse head glued to one corner of the photo frame. It was the kind of photo frame that most 10 year old boys like and most adult women do not.
With a big smile on his face, David went over to his mom and said, “Look what I got for you!” With a shocked look on her face, his mom replied, “Wow! Thank you so much!” His dad said approvingly, “That was really kind of you.”
Isn’t that what moms and dads and families are all about? Our children bring us gifts that express their thoughtfulness and even if they are not items we would pick out, we thank them and are pleased at their generosity. I still hang the Christmas tree ornament that’s supposed to be a small tree but looks like a bunch of oddly shaped grapes with red glitter on them that my son made for me in preschool. I possess colorful art projects made lovingly just for me by my older daughter when she was in elementary school. I still have the carved wooden eagle that was purchased especially for me in Mexico by my then nine-year-old younger daughter.
I want that opportunity for all of our waiting children—to be able to give mom or dad that “awfully” beautiful object they made or chose just for them, to see the love in their mom or dad’s eyes as they thank them for the gift, to carry that beautiful memory with them well into their adult years. Those opportunities and the memories they generate are the real treasures in all of our lives.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis,
Founder & President Emerita
What’s on Their Minds?
Sometimes when we watch Wednesday’s Child we wonder what the children are thinking about. Staff at The Adoption Exchange try to schedule an outing that will be fun. And the young people usually have a good time.
They know the purpose of the interview. And during the taping adolescents often let us all know what is on their minds. Here is a sampling of comments from some teenagers in Utah.
Brad (age 14): “I want parent would we treat me right – treat me like their son.”
Allen (age 12): “The would have to be caring and take it easy on me for a few days…like if you don’t eat all of your dinner, they’d still give you dessert.”
Terry (age 13): When you’re in a permanent home you don’t have to worry about moving.”
William (age 16): I was born into a family that wasn’t that pleasant. The other kids had families that would come to their football games. I didn’t have anyone to come to my football games.”
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
Thank You, Marty!
I wonder what Marty is doing today. She is 33 years old now. She lived in Idaho when she wrote a note and mailed it to our office in 1989, roughly 6,901 adoptions ago. This is what she said:
Dear Wednesday’s Child,
I hope you find homes for all the children. I have always wanted a little brother or sister from Wednesday’s Child. I am 10 years old. . . I like you a lot.
Your friend,
Marty
P.S. Wednesday’s Child – I like you!
Marty’s mom enclosed a check for $1.00, representing Marty’s gift from her own allowance.
If you’re reading this, Marty, I want you to know that your gift helped us find families for children waiting in foster care. It arrived just when we needed it. And we needed the inspiration and the love that came with your donation.
We like you a lot, too! Thank you.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
What Chris Wanted
Chris was 12 years old. And these are my notes from his Wednesday’s Child television shoot:
Reporter: What kind of family would you like?
Chris: Just a loving family.
Reporter: A family who would take you to gymnastics and football games
and baseball games?
Chris: Whatever they can do, I’m fine with.
Yep, we got the point. So did the viewers. And Chris got his wish.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
A View Over Time
I recently got another opportunity to see life from a long view. I got to meet a woman who discovered Wednesday’s Child on television when she was just a child herself. She couldn’t imagine life without belonging in a family. And so she saved a part of her allowance every week, and regularly asked her mom to bring her to the office where she made a donation to give other children a chance for a future.
That little girl has grown up into a woman in her thirties with a husband and a plan to be a mom herself. And she hasn’t forgotten the children who captured her heart when she was in elementary school. It is quite possible her family will be formed through adoption. And here comes the next generation.
My friend and poet, Willa Beach once penned, “Life ripples out from the center.” That’s for sure. It ripples out from the heart.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
Inspired by Jean Patton
Jean came into our Colorado office to volunteer at least one day a week for over 18 years. That’s a lot of hours — 5,616 to be exact.
She knew every one of the waiting children by name. And she exercised uncommon patience when families called with questions.
Some weeks she arrived for an additional day of work unexpectedly. “I knew there would be more phone calls than usual when I saw the sibling group on Wednesday’s Child. So I thought I’d better come in an extra day this week to help answer those phone calls,” she said.
Except for a few minutes of relaxation over lunch, Jean was focused on her purpose, scarcely putting down the phone.
Adoption parties were one of her favorite places to be. Waiting children come to these parties with their caseworkers. They’re hoping to have a good time. And they hope to meet someone who might eventually become their adoptive parents.
Prospective parents come to the parties hoping to meet children. And they arrive with lots of questions. Jean always sat at the information table giving each inquirer as much time as was needed. She knew the parents. She knew every child by name. And she surely loved the children.
A lot changed over the years. Jean adapted when we moved our offices. When I asked if driving across town to the new location would prevent her from volunteering, she reminded me that she volunteered because of the needs of the children – not because of the location of the office. Her commute was just a little longer, and she didn’t complain.
She didn’t complain when one staff member left to attend graduate school or later when another moved out of state. Instead, Jean took a deep breath, ignored plenty of chances to criticize and graciously worked beside our disorganized and organized staff alike.
Grateful for her help and for her inspiration, we said goodbye to Jean today.
Except for a coffee mug or expression of thanks, during those eighteen years her only pay check was satisfaction of knowing when another child was adopted.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
Rosalie Answers a Question
Rose is part of a busy, happy family that was recently featured on KSL TV.
After this short spot appeared on television Rose and her mom agreed to a radio interview. The broadcaster asked Rose a question: What would you say to someone who is thinking about adopting?
Rose answered, “Think about two!”
Click here to view waiting children
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
Good Job!
Just as I sat down to write, an incoming email told me that for one teenager the wait is over.
A sixteen-year-old New Mexico young man who has been on his high school football team has scored a special touchdown: he has an adoptive home!
Right this minute hundreds of us are cheering for a young athlete whose family has claimed him. Now he can take driver’s education classes and he’ll have family to attend his games and whoop it up at his high school graduation.
A few years ago an employee in our New Mexico office got a hand-written note from a former “Wednesday’s Child.” The note said, “Dear Mary, You’re doing a good job. So far.”
When I read today’s email I remembered that note. We stop for a moment to cheer. And then we need to get back to work because we aren’t done.
Good job. . . so far.
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Learn more about Dixie.
Dixie van de Flier Davis, Executive Director
My Bonus
I get goose bumps when former “Wednesday’s Children” get in touch. Some send emails. Others leave notes.
Some drop into the office to say hello and look for their photographs on the office walls.
Now and then I get a chance to hug their children, born into a safety net of extended family members that our waiting children have yet to experience.
They all make me extremely glad for the way I spend my time.
One day the pictures of the children you see in the Children’s Gallery will be on the dressing tables of moms and dads who claim them.
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Learn more about Dixie.