FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2002

Contact: Shannon Smith
(916) 368-5114 ext. 237
ssmith@sierraadoption.com

Local Adoption Agency Celebrates the Placement of Over 160 Children into Permanent Adoptive Homes

Sacramento - Sierra Adoption Services (SAS) will hold their annual meeting to celebrate the success of placing 160 children who were waiting in foster care for permanent adoptive homes. The event will also include the kick-off of the Champions for Adoption fundraising program, as well as the formal swearing in of the new board officers.

There are over 2,000 children in the greater Sacramento area waiting in foster care. Sierra Adoption Services' Executive Director expressed her excitement over the agency's success last year, "Our agency is committed to finding permanent homes for waiting children, because of that commitment 160 children now have a permanent place to call home."

The meeting also kicked off the Champions for Adoption fundraising campaign which involves dedicated individuals, organizations, and companies who each form their own teams and agree to raise or donate $5,000 - the cost to SAS to place a child into an adoptive home. The fundraising campaign will be chaired by Elfrena Foord, a partner in the firm Foord, Van Bruggen & Ebersole and also a board member of Sierra Adoption Services.

By chairing the program, Foord agrees to a 1 year commitment to leading the fundraising drive. Ms. Foord explained her commitment to the Champions for Adoption fundraising campaign, "This is an exciting project which offers individuals and companies a profound opportunity to make a lasting and positive difference in the life of a child."

The event will also include the formal swearing in of the new board officers for fiscal year 2002-2003. The new board officers include: Chuck Nicholson, President, Greg Finch, President-Elect, Elfrena Foord, Secretary, Gene Meyers, Treasurer, Skip Reynolds, Immediate Past President.

The new president of the board of directors of SAS is Mr. Chuck Nicholson, a partner in the accounting firm Nicholson & Olson. Mr. Nicholson has been on Sierra Adoption Services' board of directors for the past five years. Adoption is close to his heart as he has an 11 year-old adopted daughter. Mr. Nicholson said, "As an adoptive dad myself, it's easy to invest time to SAS and help children waiting to be adopted because I see the difference that SAS makes in the lives of children."

SAS is a nonprofit adoption agency with a unique mission. Unlike traditional private adoption agencies, SAS serves those children least likely to be adopted, children with tragic histories of abuse and neglect.

For more information about adoption please contact Sierra Adoption Services at 916-368-5114.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2002

CONTACT: Shannon Smith
(916) 368-5114 ext 237
E-mail: ssmith@sierraadotpion.org

Local Adoption Partnership Increases the Number of Children Placed Into Permanent Homes by 500%

Auburn - Placer County Children’s System of Care has increased the number of children placed into permanent homes by 500%. Placer County was able to increase the placements through their unique partnership with Sierra Adoption Services (SAS). During fiscal year 1996-1997 the number of children placed into permanent homes was 8, the number has risen significantly over the last 6 years to an all-time high of 48 placements during fiscal year 2001-2002.

PlacerKids, the name of the program that partners SAS and Placer County Children’s System of Care. PlacerKids is a virtual merger of all foster care and adoption activities in Placer County. SAS is a local, private, non-profit adoption and foster care agency whose mission is to find permanent homes for children waiting in foster care.

SAS Executive Director, Gail Johnson was ecstatic when she heard about the 500% increase in adoptive placements. “In our work, we see children everyday that are continuing to wait for forever families. This amazing increase in the number of placements is evidence that our community is stepping up and providing these children with the loving and stable homes that they so deserve,” Johnson said.

There are over 2,700 children waiting in the greater Sacramento area for permanent homes. Many of the children have tragic histories of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. All have one thing in common, they each are waiting for and wanting a permanent family.

The PlacerKids philosophy provides all children with stable, permanent homes that offer enduring relationships intended to last a lifetime. The program expands Placer County’s ability to serve children by developing a continuum of family-based services - from emergency care to longer term temporary care to adoption and post-adoption services. Training and long-term support for families playing a vital role for traumatized children is an essential part of this program.

For more information, please call Shannon Smith at Sierra Adoption Services 916-368-5114 ext 237.

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