I am an established resource parent in Alameda County, I originally went through the county itself…read more(social services) to be certified for foster care etc and then we later adopted through the county. We now have been finalized with our daughter for 3 years and are ready to expand our family again through fost /adopt, but we decided that we wanted more input than we were allowed to have with the county. My daughters sister (who was also in foster care) ended up in a great home and that all came about through A Better Way, so we decided to look into their program and have begun our pride training classes. Since this is my 2nd time going through pride training (my last training was more than 5 years ago) initially I was not at all excited, but I have to say that I am really enjoying the classes. Being that I have been a foster parent, a concurrent planning placement parent and now an adoptive parent I am quite familiar with how things work, what the kids go through etc... and A Better Way does a really good job of balancing giving out that information (and not scaring people) along with presenting the lighter side of fost/adopt. I am very eager to finish the training and get to the next and so far so good. I would recommend a better way to anyone considering fost/adoption.

Please beware. I experienced the staff within the Another Road to Safety Program as being very…read morenegative and unprofessional. Please beware.

Adoption Connection helped us facilitate our required pre and post home study for the adoption law…read morefirm we hired in Los Angeles. It was both helpful and convenient to use Adoption Connection here in the Bay Area so that we could successfully meet, interact and take classes with them. The thing that I most appreciated about Adoption Connection were the 2 classes we took, Interracial Adoption and a Intro to Adoption. We learned more than anything we could have read in any book or blog....the classes were awesome and we had a chance to meet with families that had adopted recently. Martha L. helped us for the post adoption home study and she was a pleasure to work with, very organized and easy to talk with. It felt like she genuinely wanted to see our adopted son happy and comfortable in his new home!

We attended our first Adoption 101 class in 2020 and the official outreach program in 2021. In our…read moresearch for agencies, we were really drawn to Adoption Connection (AC) b/c of their commitment and fierce advocacy for Birth mothers. After speaking with other agencies, attorneys and consultants, we felt that they were the most transparent not only with adoptive parents, but also with offering Birth Mothers perspective, counseling, and a listening ear to make the most informed decision during the most difficult time of their lives. We were told from the outset that 3 years+ was a realistic estimate in terms of placement and though we hoped it would be earlier, we understood how delicate this journey was. We were sent quarterly updates with the number of times our brochure had been presented (over 40 by the end of our process), but we had never met a Birth Mother in person yet. It's very easy to go to dark places and play the blame game as to why it hasn't happened yet, but we decided to turn our sadness into a year of yes. Yes to the trips, yes to the dinners, and yes to adventures that came our way. We started therapy and really worked on being the best version of ourselves we could for whenever we got the call. In our research, the best advice we were given is that as adoptive parents, we have to be ok with being 4th place in terms of choices for Birth Mothers who are placing their child up for adoption: 1st is with a birth parent 2nd is with a family member 3rd is with a member of their community We were more than happy to be 4th place and it's with that mindset, we were able to wait (as difficult as it was) almost 3 years for a placement. Our Birth Mother was very confident in her decision to place her child up for adoption, but understandably had second thoughts once the child was born. Those first 30 days were so stressful and AC really stepped up and not only offered comfort, perspective, and options for the Birth Mother, but also coached us through the difficult time of having the child with us and the possibility of things not working out. It was very important to all of us that our Birth Mother felt secure and safe in whatever decision she made and in the end, she felt that we were the best option for her child. Adoption is not for the faint of heart, but if not for the expertise and advice of the team at AC, we definitely would not have been able to honestly tell our child that this decision was not made lightly and was made out of an abundance of love b/c he was so wanted by all parties. We're so thankful for the Adoption Connection Team and their continued support of Birth Mothers and Adoptive Families.

My husband and I were so lucky to have Nina involved in our adoption process. She prepared our…read morehome study, follow-up home study and post placement review. We have also utilized adoption trainings from her private practice. I can say nothing but good things about Nina. We were terrified when we began the process of adoption and her friendly nature and extensive knowledge immediately alleviated our fears and reservations. Any question we had, she could answer it. We felt completely at ease with Nina. She was so excited for us when our daughter was placed with us and that meant she was invested in the process with us. That was very important. If you are a family thinking about adoption, I would highly recommend you speak with her. She will give you not only knowledge and guidance, she will give you comfort. Trish and Francisco Gomez

Nina is an inspirational therapist! In 2012 I placed my daughter for adoption and I was very lucky…read moreto be referred to Nina immediately. She was my rock during a time of chaos and change. She motivated me to be strong and gave me the tools to heal. She is a fantastic listener and is able to read body cues and address core issues that need to be dealt with. I strongly recommend her!

I was very pleased with Tamara's work; a combination of accuracy and speed at a reasonable price. I…read morewill certainly be using her services again.

From the owner: We develop deep background on individuals and companies related to assets, interests, activity,…read morepolitical and social associations, employment, litigation and business history, reputation and ownership. Tamara Thompson Investigations specializes in Internet, database and genealogical investigations. Tamara provides in-house trainings to law firms, financial service companies, and other businesses and speaks at conferences of professional associations. I have presented at the State Bar of California, the California Association of Licensed Investigators and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, "So You Think You Know Google?" and "Social Networking Sites: Investigating People On The Internet". My articles, "RESEARCH: Me, Myself & I" and "Cut to the Chase: A Primer for Using Public Records Databases", were published in Law Technology News. The Contra Costa Times profiled Tamara in a front page article titled, Privacy Predicaments Catch Gumshoe's Eye.

I was trying to buy a lot but it needs a Certificate of Compliance from the city. I applied for one…read morebut the city needs documentation and historical reports to support the legality of the lot. I hired Ramsey Law Group - Steven Judson to help me procure legal documents to support the lot so the city will approve from Certificate of Compliance application. Stephen Judson and Hussein Saffouri has been very helpful. They did the research and follow up with the City Planning department, finally after nine months of waiting the city approved my Certificate of Compliance and was hoping to get the signed certificate in a few days. I was able to finally buy the land. Thanks and more power to Ramsey Law Group.

From the owner: We specialize in Business transactional law and Business litigation.read more

I'll be honest--when I started looking for a lawyer, I felt overwhelmed. Searching for elder abuse…read morelawyers brings up a list of lawyers who seem to do everything. I worried about choosing the wrong person: someone who might be inattentive, inexperienced, or unwilling to truly fight for our case. I was concerned that our situation would be treated as just another case and not something important. I called multiple law firms only to have their assistants tell me that it would take six months before they would let me know if they would take our case. That was disheartening. Some didn't return my call at all. Susan was the only lawyer who reached out to me personally. Within minutes I knew she was the right choice. She expressed genuine concern. It was clear that she was deeply passionate about what she does and is committed to seeking justice for her clients. She intentionally takes on only a limited number of cases each year so she can give each one her full attention and she wanted to fight for us. Once I hired Susan, I knew I made the right decision. Whenever I had questions, Susan called me personally and took the time to explain everything every step of the way. She treated me with respect and made me feel included throughout the entire process. We had meaningful conversations about strategy and possible outcomes. Her knowledge of elder care and abuse is both broad and impressive. Her network of experts, attorneys, and judges is a tremendous asset. Her staff was kind, responsive, and helpful. I hope no one has to go through what we experienced. But if you do, you want Susan Kang Gordon on your side. She gave me a sense of protection and peace of mind. I stopped worrying because I knew I had someone I could trust, someone with integrity and honor. It let me focus on my loved one. Susan is professional, tough, and incredibly tenacious. She does not back down, and she is exactly the kind of advocate you want in your corner. My priority was protecting my loved one and seeking justice for them, and Susan exceeded every expectation. She achieved a settlement far above what I thought was possible. Even after the case was resolved, she continues to offer guidance and support. That's the kind of person she is. She truly cares.

Susan Kang Gordon and her team's attention to detail and thorough preparation were evident in every…read moreaspect of my elderly father's case, from gathering evidence to presenting compelling arguments in court. Susan's ability to be both commanding and persuasive, and her ability to articulate the nuances of the law was truly impressive. Moreover, my family deeply appreciated her compassion and empathy throughout this challenging time. She took the time to listen to our concerns, answer questions, and provide invaluable guidance and support, which meant the world to us during a stressful and uncertain period. Thanks to Susan and her team's tireless efforts and steadfast advocacy, we achieved a successful outcome that exceeded our expectations. Her commitment to justice and her dedication to protecting my father's rights were evident in the favorable outcome we received. I wholeheartedly recommend Susan Kang Gordon and her team to anyone in need of exceptional legal representation surrounding elder abuse and or negligent/poor care received by a care facility.

I joined AFS as a foster parent and was initially given 3 children who were a part of a family of 9…read morekids. Shortly after we were asked to take a fourth child. A few months later the parents of the 9 gave birth to a tenth child and we were asked to take him at 8 days old. My wife and I had the kids for 22 months. When the initial 3 arrived, the 2 elder ones were 11 and 9 years old while the third was 7. That 7 year old could sing the alphabet song but could no recognize A from B. When he left my home 22 months later he was reading at a Fourth Grade level. During our time one of the kids therapists (Katera) told us that she'd been in this field for 25 years and my wife and I were easily the best foster parents she'd ever worked with. Not only were we involved in every aspect of their lives which included participating in school activities. We were fierce advocates for their education and wellbeing. Bearing in mind that this was a family of 10 and we lived close to Discovery Kingdom I bought at my expense season tickets for all eligible children to that they could attend the park as a family. That meant the other foster parents dropping them off at the park and we took responsibility for the entire group. It was urging Tim's like these that we could see the love these children had for each other. My wife and I discussed it at length and decided we wanted to adopt the 7 youngest children as the older 3 were above the age of 12 and chose not to be adopted. At this point within the Child Protection Services the case was transferred from Foster Care to Adoption Care. Our home was visited maybe on 3 occasions by a Ms.Shipe who turned out to the a**hole of all a**holes. After her third visit she contacted AFS and asked them remove the children immediately from my home. I assume that the agency knowing that the children were at my home for 22 months without any problems waited for about 5 days before taking action then removing them on the sixth day. I tried to prevent this by asking AFS the reason for this, as was told they were removed because Shipe said "she knows there is a problem in that house but she just doesn't know what". Made a follow up attempt to meet with the VP of AFS with no results. Given the emotional investment we had in the kids being our family both my wife and I went into a state of depression and crazy thing is after 1 1/2 years AFS had the verbosity to call and ask us to take 3 more kids. They found no problems with our care for these children but did not defend us from Shipe leading me to believe they are in business not to help children but to make money. It remains to be seen if this is just the way THE SYSTEM WORKS or whether this was just a case that slipped through the cracks. I have sat on this for almost 5 years but it has always bothered me and I feel I need to get it off my chest.

Would not recommend working with this agency if you are a working parent. My partner and I filled…read moreout a form inquiring about the fost-adopt program and registered for orientation. Almost immediately we got a call from a woman named Lisa. Her first question was "so who is quitting their job to take care of the child?" I explained that we had good parental leave at our jobs (almost a year), and then we'd look into licensed childcare providers. She responded "foster kids can't go to daycare, because their brains are damaged! Anyway, NO child should be put in day care, even bio kids." Yikes! Definitely trauma affects brain development, but calling all foster kids "brain damaged" is misleading and creates stigma. I was also surprised about the daycare-for-bio-kids comments. That kind of shaming is bad for all families (bio, foster, and adoptive) - makes you wonder how they treat the parents trying to reunify! This woman also asked "why haven't you already arranged parental leave from your jobs?" It seems bizarre to expect that prospective foster parents have parental leave arranged before attending an info session. Most foster parents we know start talking to their workplace about leave as they complete training and can accept placements. The experience put us off applying to be foster parents for a while. We eventually did identify another agency that seemed a little more professional.

Saskia is a great person to have on your health and wellness team not only because she is so…read moreknowledgeable, but also because she is so wise. I don't need to hire someone to tell me to drink less alcohol or eat less sugar. I did need someone to remind me of why I need to change my diet (for my kids), and how to do it in a patient, sustainable way. For example, rather than cut out alcohol altogether, Saskia suggested that I only use half a shot of whiskey in a whiskey and soda so that when I ordered 2 drinks, I'm drinking half as much. Some ideas worked, and some had less success, but Saskia was always open to pitching ideas until they stuck. My numbers were on the brink of disaster, and I am much healthier now thanks in part to Saskia and her kindness, expertise and wisdom.

After a sudden diagnosis of kidney disease (GFR level 12), I was referred to Saskia by a medical…read morefriend. For the close to a year that we worked together, she helped figure out what to eat and when. She is an amazing source of all things dietary especially for people with specific needs. I only left when I finally had to go on dialysis. But I would recommend her to anyone searching for a dietary specialist.