June 25, 2011

Dear Nancy:

Thank you so very much for allowing the Post Adoption Resource Center to use the North Star program this Spring with our adopted girls’ group.

It lent the PERFECT perspective to the work we do with adopted girls – ALL of the themes that permeate our work with teen girls are perfectly addressed in the program and do, of course, address issues and challenges facing all adolescent girls.  In our work, however, we find these challenges very typically exacerbated in teen girls who joined their families through adoption, since their early life experiences frequently include significant trauma, separation and loss and they are frequently racially and culturally different than their adoptive families.

We were easily able to use the themes developed throughout the North Star program and sometimes modify or expand their perspective to fit and address the issues unique to adopted teens.  The adult facilitators of the group described the program as extremely effective and relevant to their work with the girls, and the teens thoroughly enjoyed grappling with the many issues raised by North Star.  The group was an extremely diverse one, ethnically and racially, and the girls fully embraced the backdrop and context of Native American culture and cultural themes throughout the program.

In summary, the opportunity to pilot the North Star program in our work with a group of adopted girls was an extremely valuable one and we fully intend to continue using North Star. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful program and for your help and good counsel as we adapted it to this unique and very receptive population of girls!

Sincerely,

Lynn G. Gabbard, MS

Director of Adoption Services