From Adoption..........To Improve Adoption..........
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Contents
Mission Statement
About Us
Services Provided
Adoption and Foster Care Organizations
FAQ's
Individual Stories
Resources for Adoptees
Resources for Adopted and Foster Care Parents and Families
Current Projects
1) Adoptive Families Today -- Crossing the Color Lines co-faciliation of ongoing support group (Northwest Suburbs of Chicago) meets monthly at various locations.
2) Adoptive Families Today -- Empowering the Adoptive Family (Northwest Suburbs of Chicago) co-facilitation of children's group that deals with specific thoughts, feelings and behaviors of adopted children.
Past Projects
1) Panel Member -- Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Adoptive Families Today, Family Resource Center, and Lifelink Corporation.
2) In Home Family Counselor -- Lifelink Corporation.
Mission Statement
Derek is committed to assisting families and social service agencies by designing, implementing, consulting, and training of support groups involving adoption and foster care families, parents, and children. I use the latest advances in home based counseling, training and consulting services to provide assistance for group and training programs that are innovative, efficient, and effective. Not only do our services meet the needs of our clients they also provide results.
Derek started providing this idea after leading several groups and being on several transracial adoption panels and listening to what individuals wanted and needed to know to improve their adoption and/or foster care relationships. Most individuals wanted ongoing training and/or support groups, in addition to pre and post adoption services. Most of which were only being offered through traditional social service agencies. Our goal is to provide support, consulting, and counseling for ALL adoption and foster care families and individuals, but specialize in transracial and transcultural adoption and foster care.
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About Us
Derek Jeske, has over 30 years experience as a transracial adoptee and trainer, who has overcome several obstacles and issues associated with being transracially adopted. Derek provides counseling, consulting, and training for perspective adoptive, current adoption families, foster families, and to other professional individuals and groups who have concerns and issues with adoption. As a professional counselor in training, Derek, specializes in dealing with the issues associated with being transracial or transcultural adopted. We have also expanded our services to individuals and families who are interracial or biracial and whose children that are dealihng with being biracial, as some of the developmental issues are very similar to those children and families involved in transracial or transcultural adoption and foster care.
Derek has turned his personal experience into a learning tool to benefit adoptive families, children, and social services organizations. Derek was trained by The North American Council on Adoptable Children and has presented in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and other private social service organizations throughout the State of Illinois.
Derek's educational background includes Master of Science in Education with an emphasis in Counseling from Northern Illinois University and is currently working towards his Doctorate degree at Northern Illinois University in Counseling.
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Individuals are invited to share their adoption or foster care stories on our website, please contact us. All contact information will remain confidential to protect the rights of the individual and any identifying contents of the stories.
Derek's Story
Derek and his twin sister, African American children, were adopted from an orphanage in the Chicagoland area at the age of two years old, by a Caucasian family. They were the fourth and fifth children of this all adopted multicultural family, two older Caucasian girls, and an older boy of various ethnic backgrounds, all children are within three years in age of each other. They were all raised in predominately Caucasian rural Illinois neighborhoods during their childhood.
Derek realized at an early age that he was different from the other children, by the color of his skin. However, during this time his parents did almost everything within their ability to ensure that each child was aware of their biological and ethnic backgrounds. Much of what Derek went through during his early childhood was not only difficult for him to understand, but difficult for his family to understand and deal with on a daily basis. While he was young he faced racism, isolation, social, academic, economic, self-esteem issues, and physical adjustments issues that have provided him with a solid foundation by letting other transracial or transcultural adoptees know they are not alone with what they are feeling and thinking. The various communities that Derek was exposed to during adolescence, mainly rural Illinois, provided a challenge unlike no other. He had to overcome the racial name calling, as well as being one of the smallest children in the neighborhoods. He dealt with these issues by turning to violent behaviors towards family, other children, and teachers, which led to him being suspended from grade and secondary schools. On a couple of occasions his behavior led him not able to interact with some of the other children. Because of this, Derek's parents got him involved in sports, which provided an oulet for his aggression. They also sought out additional community resources to give him a chance to interact with other African American children and individuals. They got involved in the Big Brother Big Sister Program, which matched Derek with older African American males that were taking classes at the local university and community colleges. Although this seemed to fix some of the issues and problems at the time, other issues started evolving......If you want to know how the story ends please contact us: derekandtimi@wowway.com
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Services Provided
Are you concerned about or struggling with a particular aspect of your pre or post adoption decisions? We offer individual and group counseling, training, and consultation to all individuals and family members as a way to explore the lifelong impact of adoption on various aspects of life including relationships choices, identity problems and self-esteem issues. Groups are designed specifically to assist-adopted persons, adoptive parents, or parent wanting to adopt, in order for them to understand the impact of adoption at various developmental stages of life. The opportunity to learn about the experiences of others and the ability to make sense of being adopted, which rarely presents itself in life. If you would like to discover the missing voids or pieces associated with being adopted, then working with an individual who shares the same interests of all adopted children.
The groups will be educational and therapeutic and are designed to assist family members to understand and grow from their adoption experiences. If you are an adoptive parent seeking education, information, and support around the many facets of adoption, you are not alone. By attending a group, you will find answers to your questions. What are some of the emotional components that adoptive parents face by transracially or transculturally adopting? How can adoptive parents attend to their own questions and challenges separate from their children. You will gain support for yourself, the children, and the family in dealing with the challenges and celebrating the successes of creating a family through adoption.
Adoptive Support Groups
Education
Counseling
Mentoring
Consultation
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Adoption and Foster Care Organizations
North American Council on Adoptable Children
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Lifelink
The Cradle
Adoptive Families Today
Sunny Ridge Family Center
Adoption Together, Inc.
Midwest Adoption Center
Children's Home and Aid Society
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Resources for Adopted and Foster Care Children
Voices of Adoption
Pact, an Adoption Alliance
Transracial Adoption
Adoption Boards
Transracial Adoption Research, Information, and Consultation
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Resources for Adopted and Foster Care Families
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Hallmark Adoption
Fair Families
Adoption Institute
Adoptive Parents.com
AdoptionSites.com
Adoptive Families Magazine
Chicago Parent Magazine
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FAQ's
How do families or social service agencies use your help?
They contact us with specific issues relating to adoption or foster care. Once we determine the specific needs, we work with them to design, implement, and provide training and support for families and agencies.
What kind of information should we ask for?
We will help you figure that out. It is to our advantage that you feel good about the results of our work, so we try hard to provide information that assists you in finding answers to your issues or problems.
Can individuals and socail service agencies contact you on the telephone or via email about questions or comments associated with adoption?
No. We much prefer to speak with you about your needs or issues that are we related to adoption. We do not have all the answers to adoption or foster care issues, but will provide alternative services or arrangements in those instances.
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Contact Information
Derek Jeske
(224) 535-6071 telephone/fax
derekandtimi@wowway.com
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Last Revised: 10/16/2008
