INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There are many routes you can take as an adoption counselor. You might consider working as a counselor for adoptive parents or as an advocate for the birth parents of the child. Your previous field work and supervised work experience should be your guide in selecting specific positions for application. Birth parents often experience a range of emotions during the adoption process including grief, fear and loss. Helping your clients cope with these emotions will be an important component of your work. You might also consider working with birth mothers or birth parents who are unsure if they want to pursue adoption. You can inform them of their options while also providing them information on the process of adoption. Governmental departments such as Health and Human Services and non-profits like Planned Parenthood often help connect these adoption counselors to birth mothers. As a counselor in this role, you will help adoptive parents navigate the often long and complex process of adoption. You will need to make sure they are aware of the many options they have in pursuing adoption (with public, private or international agencies) as well as preparing them for any potential obstacles during and after the adoption process. By working with a public adoption agency, you will be helping children in the foster care system who are sometimes older. You will also work as a counselor to both the parents and the child as they transition from the foster care system to the adoptive home. If you work in a private, licensed adoption agency or an international agency, you are more likely to work with infants and parents who are interested in adopting infants. If you are working as a consultant with an adoption agency, you might be required to visit the home of the prospective adoptive parents and assess it according the state guidelines and/or the requirements of your licensed private agency. In addition to assessing the physical condition of the home, counselors conducting home studies will also need to evaluate the emotional state of the adoptive parents, including their concerns and anxieties as well as their general views on parenting and family life.

SUMMARY: Select an area of focus. Consider becoming a birth parent counselor. Become a counselor for adoptive parents. Decide whether you would like to work with a public state agency, a licensed private agency or an international agency. Prepare to conduct home studies.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Never hit the slopes without it. There are a few pieces of equipment that greatly reduce people's risk of dying in an avalanche. Invest in the following items:  An avalanche receiver and probe. The receiver puts out a signal to show where the person is buried, and the probe is used to locate the person and start digging. Every person in your party should carry both. A small shovel. This is used to dig an air pocket around the face. A helmet. Many avalanche-related fatalities happen because of the initial impact of the snow knocking people off of their feet. Skier's airbags have become more popular in recent years. They help to keep your body toward the surface of the snow, so you're less likely to get buried. Avalanches happen frequently enough that many organizations provide intensive training courses to coach skiers and snowboarders on how to avoid avalanches, save themselves, and rescue each other. If you're traveling to avalanche country, it's worth taking a course.

SUMMARY: Take survival equipment, in case of an avalanche, always. Take an avalanche training course.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Dampen a clean cloth or a sponge with warm water and add 1 to 2 drops of mild dish soap. Then, gently wipe the placemats with the cloth to remove any dirt or food residue. Rinse the placements with water once you are done cleaning them and let them air dry. Do not rub or scrub the placemats, as this can damage the bamboo or wicker. Gentle wiping is best for these types of placemats. If you have placemats made of cork, white vinegar is a good cleaning agent. Mix 1 part white vinegar with 1 part water. Then, dampen a clean cloth with the solution and wipe down the cork placemats. You can also put the solution in a spray bottle and apply it to the placemats in a few sprays.  Cork can mold if water is left sitting on it. To avoid this, use a clean cloth to absorb any water remaining on the cork once you clean it. Press the cork dry using the cloth. Then, let it air dry overnight.  You can also use sandpaper to gently buff out marks or stains on your cork placemats. These materials do not hold up well in the washing machine or the dryer. Use clean cloths and sponges to clean these types of placemats. They do best with a gentle hand cleaning once a week.

SUMMARY: Wipe bamboo and wicker placemats with soap and water. Use white vinegar on cork placemats. Do not put bamboo, wicker, or cork placemats in the washer.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This will give the cubes enough time to fully freeze. Make sure the ice cube tray is level in the freezer so none of the broth spills over. Each cube should contain about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of bone broth. If you’re making something that calls for bone broth, add a couple cubes to the dish while it’s cooking. If you want to thaw the bone broth by itself, set the cubes in an empty pot or pan over medium heat on the stovetop

SUMMARY:
Freeze the bone broth in the ice cube tray overnight. Thaw your frozen cubes of bone broth in a pot or pan on a stovetop.