A Personal Message from the Executive Director of Thursday’s Child, Inc.

I welcome you and hope I will have the privilege of interacting with you in the near future.

This agency is here for many reasons. When my late first husband and I initially became adoptive parents, the process was trying and filled with obstacles. Many people we knew had also had multiple negative experiences with traditional agencies. Slowly we began to formulate and develop the concept of an agency that was more caring and more flexible than most and that was devoted to meeting the needs of all parties involved in the journey of adoption.

The idea of Thursday’s Child was born at a time in our lives when we needed to focus on something other than the misfortune that had befallen us. Kim, my first husband, was stricken with multiple sclerosis in his thirties and was no longer able to continue his job as a social worker for our state agency. We were parents of three young children at that time and had also been foster parents in the past. Our youngest son, just an infant, had only recently been placed with us. We went from being a young, active family, very much involved in child raising and child advocacy, to being people centered around trying to find new meaning and new ways to function within our severe limitations.

Soon it became apparent to us that we had an opportunity to take our own experiences and to weave them into something more positive. It was time to “give back” to the process of adoption. We established Thursday’s Child and became licensed by our State. We began with a focus on domestic minority, older and special needs adoptions. We gradually made international contacts and moved into that arena to help children from other countries, as well as from here.

Sadly, my first husband, Kim, did not live very long after the agency’s founding. He died in a fire that also took almost everything we owned. Though the next years were a joint struggle for our family and for Thursday’s Child, we were also blessed with the support and love of countless people. Thursday’s Child miraculously continued on a very small budget, with most of our professional services being donated during our early years of operation. Children from a variety of countries were united with our wonderful families, and all become part of our larger Thursday’s Child Family Unit.

As the agency family expanded, so did our own. When, as a single parent, I adopted my fourth child from the Dominican Republic, many of our families and our staff gathered to throw an enormous surprise shower for me.

My life has been deeply enriched by the global friendships I have made and through the expansion of my knowledge of other cultures. Although this work has been far from financially lucrative, there is simply no way I can place a value on the rewards and blessings I have personally received. I won’t lie and say that this kind of work comes without stress or aggravations. In spite of this, most of my experiences have been so positive. I take enormous pride in the many expressions of thanks and love which have come our way over the years. However, certain people and their words will remain forever imprinted on my mind and heart.

I will always remember the words of a birthmother who came to our agency in a complicated and “coincidental” manner. Her courage, love, faith and intelligence will continue to have a profound influence on me. She said, “I cannot seem to stop thanking God for bringing you and Thursday’s Child into my life. Next to (child’s name) I think you have been God’s greatest gift to me these past months. Aside from the deep impact of your love and concern for me, it is your selfless giving to others through your powerful vision of Thursday’s Child, and the integrity with which you live out your values, that will remain with me and inspire me always. This book of Shel Silverstein (The Giving Tree) is all about you. I hope you don’t have it, but even if you do, let me reinforce the message-you are a precious, giving person who has forever touched my life. Thank you, for you….”

The above words have been a long-term gift to me, carrying me through trials and tribulations. These words will also help me, as well as Thursday’s Child, continue to do our work in a manner that makes us feel both proud and very blessed.

I thank all of our special families, the children who have come home and the many friends we treasure whose paths would never have crossed mine without this wonderful work.

You may wonder why I am choosing to share the above information with you. The main reason is to increase your understanding of our agency, what we do and what is important to me and to our staff and board of directors. Though we work with many countries and clients in many states, it is important to all of us to remember our humble beginnings, our many blessings and that we are working for YOU, our families and for the children who wait.

Sincerely,

Iris Arenson-Fuller