The ARFO Summit 2023 registration page is now available!

Join us for an eye-opening and impactful event with the potential to change the lives of many children. 

ARFO Summit is a yearly event dedicated to promoting and sustaining adoptions and those in the process of adopting in Romania. It is an essential part of our mission. 

You will have the chance…
•    To learn from adoption and orphan care specialists
•    To connect with other adoptive parents
•    To gain valuable information about the adoption process

Whether you are just considering adoption or have already adopted, whether you are directly or indirectly involved with adoptions, this conference is for you!

Numerous adoption topics will be covered, from understanding the legal system to dealing with the emotional needs of your child and many others. There will also be opportunities to participate in Q&A and relevant discussion groups throughout the weekend. 

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to be INSPIRED, ENCOURAGED, and EQUIPPED. 

Register now for both the pre-conference and the main event. 

Let's get together again for the same great purpose: that every child in Romania would grow up in a permanent family fully devoted to their well-being.

This year we continued to provide and present the Trauma Competent Caregiving course, which includes a total of 18 hours training time. The participants appreciate this course because of the practical examples given plus the combination of theory with practice. Over 35 participants have attended two online TCC courses since the beginning of the year.

 Testimonials:

‘In the beginning, I considered the content of the course to be basic, but along the way you caught my interest. Additionally, you provided excellent resources that can be used when working hands-on with children. In my opinion, the course was adequate both in terms of information and organization plus I appreciate how adaptable the information is. It was very helpful for me to understand how focusing on connection will lead to behavior correction with traumatized children. I also appreciated the focus on practical application of the theories presented.’ – (Psychologist and TCC course participant)
 
‘What I appreciated most about this course was how the information was conveyed with competence, empathy, and professionalism. All of the information was useful to me. The practical focus placed on the relationship with a child or children with trauma was particularly helpful. Thank you!’ – (TCC course participant)

The TBRI (Trust Based Relational Interventions) training course for caregivers has been offered in Romania since early 2022. TBRI is a type of attachment theory approach for parents and professionals working with children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or other types of trauma. The course is designed to be interactive and is taught by certified TBRI Practitioner Trainers.
 
Three TBRI courses have already been organized this year: one in Sibiu, one in Brăila, and one online. Participants often request this type of helpful information which is one of the reasons we continue to offer these courses. Approximately 75 attendees in total attended the two in-person courses.

Testimonials:
 
‘It was a very clear course that helped me organise what I had been doing in a disorganised way plus it taught me elements that I didn't know. Most helpful of all was learning that my own self-awareness influences all my actions.’ – (Sibiu course participant)
 
‘The fact that the instructors spoke with such conviction convinced me that there is hope for every child and that even I would be able to apply these principles. The practical examples from the video clips as well as the exercises we practiced were very useful.’ – (Sibiu course participant)

We also continued to offer webinars this year with various topics that are relevant to those following ARFO’s work. Our attempt was to gather diverse specialists that could lead educational seminars.
Our themes helped both parents and specialists and included topics such as:
·      The Heart of a Mother
·      All About Sacrifice and Self-Care, with Ioana Todoran
·      Shame: A Silenced discussion theme, with Alina Muntean
·      How to Organize Support Groups for Adoptive and Foster Parents, with Mirela & Liviu Mihăileanu
·      The Circle of Safety, with Maria Mihali
Over 100 participants joined us for these webinars plus many more listened to the online streamed version.

Parenting a teenager is always a challenge, regardless of when or where you live. Family dynamics are turned upside down and you feel as if you are on a never-ending merry-go-round. Parenting an adopted teenager can be even more so. Children adopted during their adolescent years face additional challenges, while you as parent struggle daily to maintain connection and healthy boundaries. Because this requires so much effort, we continue to meet once every three weeks online so that parents of teenagers can discuss the diverse topics they are currently struggling with.
 
This online group has become a peaceful and refreshing oasis in the midst of daily turmoil. We talk about our failures and how to handle them, we talk about what it means to be the ideal parent of teens, and how close or far we are from achieving this. We talk about self-care and practical ways to care for ourselves. Everything we talk about helps us become more understanding parents and grow closer to our teens.
 
Our hope is that we meet parents where they are in order to provide them with support unique to their struggles and a confidential environment, encouraging them in the beauty of their relationship with their teens. 

The support group in Timișoara started at the end of 2019 and has been supporting 13 two-parent families and 4 single-parent families (2 of which are in the placement process). These families have offered (or are hoping to offer) a permanent environment of growth and development to a total of 14 children (2 of these children are still in the placement process). We have managed to meet consistently since 2019 even with Covid and other factors, continuing to offer emotional support, connection, and instruction in TCC and TBRI interventions. Alongside us have been two specialists:
·      Karina Velescu, a trainer psychotherapist at the Timișoara Areopagus Center
·      Maria Mihali, TBRI practitioner, psychotherapist at the Grow Center (specializing in emotion-centered therapy) and The Circle of Safety

We are thankful to have quite a few volunteers that come along with us and help by playing games and doing activities with the children outdoors in the fresh air. We are in the process of starting a second support group, thanks to the success of the first group plus the need that still exists. There are numerous families still in need of a safe and welcoming location where they can be cared for and grow in the abilities and knowledge needed to care for the children God has given them through adoption.

For many people, adoption in Romania can seem like a complicated and difficult process, but with each passing year, we see a growing interest, bringing us joy and strength to continue. This year we continue to come alongside and counsel future adoptive parents. We offer monthly information sessions about adoption and foster care along with other types of communication.
 
Since the beginning of the year to the end of this month, 70 people have contacted us for more information about adoption and foster care, 54 that attended information sessions and 16 that contacted us personally.
 
We can see the fruit of this past year from the messages we have received with delightful updates from new adoptive parents, wanting to share their joy with us. We know that these are the early success stories which is why this year, we want to continue to support them with all the resources they need.
 
Testimonials:

“I appreciated that the information session clearly responded to all my questions that I had, plus presented information that helped me decide to take a child into placement.” – (Info session participant)

“Most of all, I appreciated the sincere responses and the clear information, which helped me have realistic expectations regarding a child’s emotional age and the waiting during the adoption process. Thank you!” – (Info session participant)

ARFO is prepared for a year full of opportunities and accomplishments! We met in January so that we could evaluate last year and plan for 2023, plus we had a lovely time connecting as a team.
 
We are honored to work together to make sure that every child in Romania grows up in a permanent family that is dedicated to their well-being and to know their Heavenly Father.

Along with Sibiu Child Protection Services, we organized a 3-day Trust-Based Relational Intervention class. Approximately 40 people attended, including psychologists, foster parents, parents, teachers, and various NGO workers. It was a time of encouragement, support, and new hope. The course offered a chance to change and grow in how we view the troubles children experience as a result of their trauma.
 
‘I appreciated the fact that the instructors spoke with such conviction. They convinced me that there is hope for every child and that even I would be able to apply these principles. The practical examples from the video clips as well as the exercises we practiced were very useful.’
(Sibiu course participant)

We are excited to be a part of “The Child Next to Me” project, co-developed by the association Access to the Future and the primary school Mircea Eliade in Satu Mare.
 
Our trainer, Corina Caba, set up workshops and presented the intervention principles and techniques that create a connection based on trust with disadvantaged children while helping them feel safe.
 
We are honored to be a part of this initiative and we believe it will significantly benefit all the children in our lives. Thank you for supporting this project with us.

Sibiu without Orphans is starting to become a reality.

In March, we held two meetings in the town of Sibiu that focused on bringing together people who are able and willing to actually play a role in fulfilling ARFO’s purpose: a family for every child in Romania. The first meeting was on March 7 and around 30 people attended. We met at Gloria Deo Church where our director, Alex Ilie, explained in detail ARFO’s vision.

Our second meeting was on March 21, when participants received first-hand information regarding the situation for orphans in Sibiu directly from the adjunct director of Sibiu Child Protection Services. We were able to form a core group of people who will continue to meet regularly as they work on an action plan that will change the future for Sibiu’s orphans.

On World NGO day, ARFO’s president, Liviu Mihaileanu, attended ‘NGO MeetUp 2023 – Let’s Celebrate World NGO Day’ in Sibiu, along with over 70 other participating NGOs.
 
This was the second of these events organized by the European Institute of Social Impact (ESI), which focuses on facilitating better communication and interactions between NGOs that specialize in different fields.

Along with our colleagues from the Republic of Moldova, we participated in a conference for foster parents and caregivers in Chișinău. The conference was called ‘Our Children and Sexuality,’ and our psychologist, Ligia Apăscăriței, helped lead it. Some of the sessions included:
·      What is sexuality and how do we talk to our kids about it?
·      Consequences of Sexual Abuse of Children
·      Sexual Behavior of a Child: What’s Normal and What’s Not
·      Prevention and Help.
 
Over 30 participants were encouraged and grateful for this opportunity. Afterward, some of them came up to us and expressed their need for this conference because it focused on their actual needs and dealt with issues that no one else will discuss. We thank God for the chance to openly discuss such sensitive issues and for the responsiveness of the participants and their desire to support their children as equipped as possible in this area.

Along with the Diaconia Association, we organized and held a Trust Based Relational Intervention course in Brăila. We had attendees from the Diaconia team as well as volunteers and psychologists that work with Brăila Child Protective Services. Over the course of 3 days with 26 participants, we taught TBRI principles and how to efficiently use these interventions to meet children’s needs. People were encouraged to focus on personal development and a holistic approach to a child’s development.
 
‘I appreciated that the focus was on connection. I’ll try to remember this whenever I’m trying to correct my child without connecting with them first. This will really help to keep me grounded, if I can remember it. I also appreciated the vulnerability and kindness of the trainers, and how they put their hearts into everything they do.’ – (Participant from Brăila)

The European 2023 World Without Orphans Global Forum ‘Journeying Together’ took place March 15-18 in Bulgaria’s capital, Sophia. The event was a catalyst for the WWO movement in Europe, bringing together church leaders and other Christians that are working with vulnerable children and orphans. The purpose of the forum was to connect church leaders, organizations, and volunteers together. Some have experience, while others are newly involved, but all are focused on helping at-risk children, children in alternative protective services, and orphans.
 
255 attendees (representing 24 countries) took advantage of this in-person and online opportunity to connect, worship, refresh themselves, learn from the Bible, receive professional formation, enjoy art therapy, pray, and share.
 
31 participants represented Romania at the conference. 14 of the Romanian participants are part of ARFO (Romania Without Orphans Alliance) and many of them were able to provide significant contributions to both the workshops and the main sessions.

The experienced main session speakers have all had a major impact, either at a national or international level, working with vulnerable children and orphans. Additionally, some of the national teams shared successful practices, including strategies focused on creating local, grass-roots movements.
 
Among the speakers were:
·      Ruslan Maliuta, one of the starting founders of WWO and Ukraine Without Orphans
·      Tim Davy, a University Professor and resident theologian of care organization Home for Good UK
·      Susan Hillis, an excutive team member of World Without Orphans
·      Liviu Mihaileanu, the President of ARFO
·      Alex Ilie, the Executive Director or ARFO
·      Tania Bright, the CEO of Home for Good UK
 
The Breakout Sessions followed three main tracks, providing important information and activities intended to encourage, teach, and refresh the participants spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
 
The tracks were:
·      Training and Teaching (for individuals, organization and church leaders working directly with vulnerable kids)
·      A Refreshed Life (prayer and counseling for individuals, couples, and teams who work with orphans, who are tired and discouraged, or just at the end of their rope)
·      Miscellaneous Activities (teachings and activities based on fun and play)
 
We give thanks to God for this great opportunity to connect, rebuild, and be encouraged for the amazing work that we were called to do along with Him as we care for vulnerable kids and orphans.

All of ARFO’s work is sustained by our generous sponsors. 100% of your donations go directly to the ARFO initiatives, focused on bringing awareness, growth, and guidance to the efficient care of children.
 
If you would like to support ARFO’s vision you can give in the following ways:
·      One-time or monthly gifts
·      Another way to give is to create a birthday donation initiative #AnotherKindofBirthday #UnLaMultiAniAltfel
·      If you are in Romania, you can direct up to 20% of your company’s profit or up to 20% of your income from micro / small business owners to ARFO
 
Thank you for all the support and love and encouragement!
A child’s favorite dream is family. #arfo #donate #doneaza

‘Every Child deserves the love of a family!’
Keeping this thought in mind, we would like to invite you to take part in our ARFO Prayer Chain. Every first weekend of every month we pray, encouraging each other to be a voice for those that are crying out in pain.
Since January, we have had 93 people sign up for the prayer chain.
 
More information is available at the link below.