560 Dunnell Drive, Ste 201
Owatonna, MN 55060-4798
tel. 507-446-8503
fax 507-446-8505

owatonnamn @downeyside.org

 

Current Staff

Claudia Fletcher- Family Life Advocate- Claudia and her husband Bart are parents of 12 children, born between 1986 and 1998, ten adopted domestically from the child welfare system and two adopted internationally from Guatemala. She is a former college administrator and has been working in the adoption field since 2002. She has served as a post-adoption support specialist for the State of Minnesota, an adoption worker for for Permanent Family Resource Center and still serves part time as an Adoption Specialist for the Adopt America Network. She and her husband published their first book in 2009: “Out of Many, One Family: How Two Adults Claimed Twelve Children through Adoption.” (www.outofmanyonefamily.com).

Downey Side in Owatonna is located in the West Hills complex, which was formerly the orphanage for State Wards. The main building of the complex offers a museum of the orphanage. The Downey Side office is located in what was once the sixth grade classroom of the State School. Since the office opened in 1999, the Owatonna office has placed approximately 50 children into forever families.

 

We offer Exploring Adoption classes four times a year. The schedule varies with each session, to best meet the needs of the families. The purpose of the Exploring Adoption training is to give families the information they need to make an informed decision regarding their commitment to adoption. There is no charge for the Exploring Adoption training.

Exploring Adoption topics include:

* Child Abuse; what is it and what affect does it have on the children
* The Foster Care System
* Grief and Loss issues of adopted children
* Attachment Disorders
* Creative Discipline
* Trans-racial parenting
* How to talk to your child about adoption
* We also have parents who have adopted through Downey Side come and share their adoption experience.

Downey Side Exploring Adoption Training

Downey Side…families for youth, invites perspective adoptive parents for Minnesota’s Waiting Children to attend MN Public Private Adoption Initiative Pre-Adopt Training on September 16th and 17th , 2011. Trainings will be located at Downey Side Minnesota’s Owatonna location.

There is no charge to families preparing to adopt children under state guardianship. Pre-Registration is required. To register, email owatonnamn@downeyside.org or call 507-446-8503.

Location: Downey Side Family Life Center, 560 Dunnell Drive, Suite 201,
Owatonna, MN 55060-4798

Please RSVP to owatonnamn@downeyside.org or call (507) 446-8503

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Downey Side Support Groups

There is a support group every second Thursday of the month. Please RSVP to owatonnamn@downeyside.org or call (507) 446-8503

Location: Downey Side Family Life Center, 560 Dunnell Drive, Suite 201,
Owatonna, MN 55060-4798

 

 

 

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