Video: Adoptive Family Event in Tupelo’s Fair Park

[bitsontherun zxZStyDF]

Tupelo’s Fair Park was the site of a very special family event Saturday. It was the annual picnic for adoptive familIes sponsored by New Beginnings adoption services. It was a chance for families with adopted children to eat and have fun. New Beginnings provides adoption services for domestic adoptions as well as for children from Tawain and Poland. They also conduct studies for families adopting from other countries and agencies.

Tom Velie (Vee-Lee),  President of New Beginnings, says it’s tough to adopt  international children right now, because of the perception that they need to remain in their own countries.

“When you’re talking about the choice being between a child raised for its entire life in an institutional setting versus trans-country adoption and the child having a permanent family there really is no choice. All the research and experience with children is that children need famlies.”

Velie says despite the demand for adoptions, domestic adoption availability is also unpredictable. New Beginnings does about 18-to-20 domestic adoptions per year.