Ask Mr. Dad: It's all about expectations Oct 7, 2009
If not, though, there are some great resources for adoptive parents at Adoption Connection (adoptionconnection. org) and Adoption. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Vietnam Jails 6 For Adoption Fraud Oct 6, 2009
State media have reported that the defendants had suggested and received $500 to $550 from adoptive parents for each adoption. Vietnam and the United States, one of the Southeast Asian country's largest recipients of children for adoption, have yet to renew their bilateral adoption agreement that expired in September. (CBS News -- World)
Mother in plea to Elton John over adoption plan Oct 5, 2009
Ukrainian authorities later poured cold water on his wish, saying foreign adoptive parents must be married couples and added that homosexual marriage is not recognised in the country. Recommend. (Yahoo! Asia News)
LeeAnn Wimmers: The story behind an accused killer Oct 4, 2009
"Significant abuse prior to the age of five, said Susan McKinnis, a Greenville, Pa., caseworker who worked with LeeAnn when she was a teenager, ticking off what she remembered of the files forwarded to her on LeeAnn. Authorities in Buncombe County, N.C., would remove LeeAnn from her mother s home when she was in elementary school. She lived for a time with her grandmother. Soon, Jeffrey and Kim Deeter of New Castle, Pa., found her photo and adopted her. And she became Jeffrey s girlfriend, said... (Utica NY Obserer, NY)
Deciding to Adopt a Child Oct 4, 2009
Questions Prospective Adoptive Parents Should Consider ... Relationship: Do the prospective adoptive parents have a strong relationship ... Are the adoptive parents able to remain calm in stressful situations. (Suite101.com)
Elizabeth Davies: Viewing the world as a 16-year-old Oct 3, 2009
And that s why, when I think of my babysitter s birth mother, I realize what an unspeakable gift she gave that little baby when she handed her over to adoptive parents. It s not that a 16-year-old can t be a good parent. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
BCFS names new adoptions director Oct 2, 2009
In her new role, Berkley will be responsible for matching potential adoptive parents with eligible children. Berkley will also develop, train and certify adoptive parents and provide a continuity of services for children moving from foster care to a stable household. (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Couples allege Ponzi-like adoption scam Oct 1, 2009
Cohen had advertised himself as an adoption expert and boasted of his childhood with adoptive parents as his reason for entering the field, but Rice said investigators are trying to determine whether that claim was true ... Gloria Houchman, a spokeswoman for the National Adoption Center in Philadelphia, said that although instances of attorneys scamming potential adoptive parents are rare, any prospective parent should be "very wary about any monetary arrangements." ... Adoptive parents can get... (MSNBC -- Crime)
Couple's Adoption of 3 Sisters Leads to Search for 4th Oct 1, 2009
There may be other adoptive parents out there who could benefit from the story, Robert DeSimone said. FOX NEWS VIDEOS. (Fox News)
Nancy Grace denies abuse allegations in Duckett case Sep 30, 2009
South Florida lawyers Jay Paul Deratany and Kara Skorupa, who represent the estate and Melinda Duckett's adoptive parents Beth and William "Jerry" Eubank, contend that Grace's aggressive "ambush" interview pushed the distraught woman to suicide. But Grace, a former district attorney in Georgia and Court TV personality, denied any knowledge of Melinda Duckett's frame of mind at the time of the interview and denied that Duckett was "subjected to mental abuse" on the Headline News program. (FOX61, CT)
'A real shock' Sep 30, 2009
" Adopted at six weeks old, he describes a 'hunger to be loved and a fear of rejection'. But he would recoil from being touched or hugged, as well as alarming those around him with strange mannerisms and self-comforting behaviour such as rocking. At school, he was isolated and unable to concentrate because he found the environment noisy and confusing. Neither his adoptive parents nor his teachers realised what was wrong and at 15, he left with no qualifications and started on a downward spiral... (BBC News -- Health)
Lid lifts on the anguish of China's stolen generation Sep 26, 2009
Parents who say their children were taken complain that officials were motivated by the $US3000 ($3447) per child that adoptive parents pay orphanages ... For adoptive parents, the possibility that their children were forcibly taken from their birth parents is terrifying ... Wu Benhua, director of Zhenyuan's civil affairs bureau, said: ''They're better off with their adoptive parents than their birth parents. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Jordans Furniture hosts The Adoption Option Sep 26, 2009
Prospective adoptive parents, which include single, partnered, married, LGBT individuals 18 years and older, will be able to meet Massachusetts waiting children and their social workers in an informal setting. Family entertainment, games, refreshments, and activities encourage interaction between waiting children and families. (Saugus Advertiser, MA)
Vietnam baby fraud trial begins Sep 23, 2009
He did not know the countries of the adoptive parents. The US embassy in Hanoi last year accused Vietnam of failing to police its adoption system, allowing corruption, fraud and baby-selling to flourish. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Reunited: Maine workers discover they're lost brothers Sep 23, 2009
Gary Nisbet, 35, left, and Randy Joubert, 36, brothers who were each raised by separate adoptive parents, discovered their relationship as colleagues. . (Florida Today)
Worker discovers new hire is lost brother Sep 23, 2009
Brothers Gary Nisbet (left) and Randy Joubert were each raised by separate adoptive parents. Offbeat stories. (AZCentral -- News)
16 Stand Trial In Vietnam Baby Selling Case Sep 22, 2009
He did not know the countries of the adoptive parents. Tuesday's Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reported that each defendant illegally earned 5 million dong ($275) to 10 million dong ($550) overall. (Time.com)
Kennewick woman, 78, meets family for first time Sep 21, 2009
Her adoptive parents who were in their 50s when they got her as an infant renamed her Gwen. Howell had a happy life with them, she said. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Court gives Hindus free hand in adoption Sep 20, 2009
In the verdict, the HC allowed a recent petition by Mumbai-based actor couple (names withheld on request) to be legally declared as adoptive parents of a girl they had taken in as their ward over four years ago under the Juvenile Justice Act ... Conditions are stricter while adopting a son and adoptive parents must not have a Hindu son, a grandson or even a great-grandson alive. (India Times, India)
Adopting children from Ethiopia, China, may be delayed months due to TB testing rules Sep 18, 2009
Adoptive parents and advocates say the new rules are draconian, delaying the adoptions of orphaned children while providing few public health benefits. Even in the most active stage of the disease, children very rarely transmit TB to others, health experts agree. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Elton John can't adopt orphan, Ukraine decides Sep 16, 2009
But Pavlenko told the Associated Press that the adoption will not happen because adoptive parents must be married and because the pop star is too old. The singer is 62 and Ukrainian law requires a parent to be no more than 45 years older than an adopted child. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Former teacher's helping hands reach around the world (4) Sep 16, 2009
Mary was one of the first single adoptive parents in Pennsylvania. She adopted Rachael in 1971 and Judy in 1977. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Elton John Cant Adopt Ukrainian Child Sep 15, 2009
John said Saturday that he and his male partner wanted to adopt an HIV-infected boy named Lev whom the singer met during a visit to an orphanage, but Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko told The Associated Press Monday that adoptive parents must be married, and Ukraine does not recognize homosexual unions as marriage. Pavlenko also says John is too old. (KWTX.com, TX)
Tierney's cancer nixes show Sep 15, 2009
" Ukraine minister says no child for Elton John Elton John will not be able to adopt a 14-month-old Ukrainian child because the pop star is too old and isn't traditionally married, Ukraine's minister for family affairs said Monday. The pop signer toured a hospital for HIV-infected children in eastern Ukraine on Saturday as part of a charity project and said that he and his male partner David Furnish wanted to adopt an HIV-infected boy named Lev. But the country's Family, Youth and Sports... (Erie Times-News, PA)
S.D. woman accused of promising baby to 2 couples Sep 13, 2009
Both agencies found adoptive parents for the baby, but Bergstedt backed out. Court documents say Bergstedt cashed checks totaling 1,465 from About U Adoptions and 600 from An Act of Love. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
What to do when your baby grows up? Sep 10, 2009
(Do any other adoptive parents have insight into this. Did you have a harder time separating. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Anita Baker Sings Songs from the He... Sep 7, 2009
She was raised by her adoptive parents, Lois and Walter Landry for much of her growing up days. Anita Baker Coming of Age in Detroit, Michigan. (Suite101.com)
Woman meets son she gave up 64 years ago Sep 7, 2009
Raised by adoptive parents in Kansas City, Mo. the happily married father of three had long felt satisfied with his life and did not desire to look for the woman who gave him up for adoption as a newborn in 1945. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
DCF whistle-blower awarded $1 million Sep 4, 2009
The adoptive parents, who have since moved to northern Florida, sued the state and won a $26. 8 million settlement in 2005 to pay part of the lifetime costs of her care. (The Palm Beach Post)
Criminal Past Does Not Bar Man From Adopting, Judge Decides Sep 3, 2009
Since leaving prison for the last time in 2000, the prospective father has "demonstrably devoted himself to rebuilding his life," Nassau County Surrogate John B. Riordan ruled in (pdf), 362, allowing the man and his wife to take the first step toward becoming adoptive parents. The couple had applied to be certified as qualified adoptive parents, which would enable them to be placed on a list of prospective candidates for private placement adoptions ... Next, the court turned to well-settled case... (Law.com)
Obits: Willhaus Sep 3, 2009
He was preceded in death by a son and both his birth parents and his adoptive parents. An on-line guestbook may be signed at www. (Marshall County Journal, SD)
Living with children Sep 2, 2009
Over the years, I've spoken to numerous adoptive parents who have received similar apocalyptic, anxiety-arousing information and advice from adoption specialists ... The unscientific claims being disseminated by certain adoption specialists does no measurable good for adopted children and presents the potential of doing significant emotional harm to adoptive parents, the parents above being a case in point. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Green Valley resident Mike Sommer shares a moment with his birth mother, who was reunited with her son 64 years after she gave him up for adoption. Sep 2, 2009
Raised by adoptive parents in Kansas City, Mo. the happily married father of three had long felt satisfied with his life and hadn t the desire to look for the woman who gave him up for adoption as a newborn in 1945. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Sunday’s Child is Roger, 6 Sep 2, 2009
Adoption parties are casual events designed to give prospective and experienced adoptive parents, social workers, and children in foster care an opportunity to meet informally. Workshops provide prospective families the chance to network and learn from experienced adoptive parents. (Boston Globe)
Discuss pregnancy Sep 2, 2009
For adoptive parents, current or prospective, as well as members who are adopted themselves. 493. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Iowa KidsNet orientation in Cherokee Aug 31, 2009
Posted: Monday, August 31, 2009 CHEROKEE, Iowa -- Iowa KidsNet, the statewide organization that recruits, trains, licenses and supports Iowa's foster and adoptive families, will hold an orientation Sept. 8 in Cherokee for individuals interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents. Orientations present a basic overview of the process involved in foster care and adoption and an understanding of the characteristics of children in the child welfare system. (Sioux City Journal)
Click here to read more. Aug 31, 2009
Still, adoption advocates say this is the perfect time to consider adopting foster children--a process that is usually free for adoptive parents ... United Methodist Family Services: PRIDE training for foster/adoptive parents, nine-week course starts Sept. 2, 540/898-1773, ext. (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Jardine: Behind door, the mother supervisor never knew Aug 30, 2009
Following the conservative principles instilled in him by his adoptive parents, DeMartini became active politically and rose to chairman of the county's Central Republican Committee. In 2004, he challenged and beat longtime incumbent Paul Caruso for the District 5 supervisorial seat, in no small part because he outhustled Caruso in walking the precincts. (Modesto Bee, CA)
In Fla. Adoption Case, State Argues Gays Prone to Mental Illness, Breakups Aug 27, 2009
He noted state law doesn't disqualify adoptive parents on the basis of criminal history, drug use or disabilities. Judge Frank Shepherd asked if adoption exclusions would be permitted if any group exhibited higher rates of unacceptable traits. (Law.com)
Mary Elizabeth Gibb, onetime nurse at St. Pius X Catholic High School Aug 23, 2009
Then, a lawyer friend got an unexpected visit from a pregnant woman seeking adoptive parents. Baby Emily abruptly entered their lives. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Who's new, what's new Aug 23, 2009
The nonprofit works with local churches to help recruit black adoptive parents. DeLand. (Daytona Beach News Journal -- Business)
One overseas adoptee explains: Parents’ embrace of the ”home” culture can have its costs Aug 23, 2009
Eager to do the right thing, many adoptive parents - usually white and middle-to-upper-middle class - have tried to re-create their children s native cultures. Moms and dads formed and joined support groups, enrolled their children (and themselves) in language, dance, and art classes. (Boston Globe)
Reactive Attachment Disorder May be... Aug 22, 2009
Adoptive parents sought help from therapists and psychiatrists, only to find that no one was equipped to handle the damage that had been done to the children ... For foster and adoptive parents, it is easy to believe that the child must have been abused and neglected before the child came to them. (Suite101.com)
Parents Charged After Infant Dies At Local Hospital Aug 20, 2009
Posted by: Cheryl Location: Waco on Aug 19, 2009 at 06:22 PM I was just wondering the other day, why is it that adoptive parents have to undergo such scrutiny, face age and sexual orientation restrictions and pay high fees while natural parents don't ... The adoptive parents might not be perfect, but, they're probably better than this. (KWTX.com, TX)
Locals join in adoption picnic Aug 18, 2009
Founded in 1999, the Broadview Street agency encourages open adoptions where birth and adoptive parents develop long-term trusting relationships, allowing birth parents to remain involved in their child s life and children to have lifelong information access about themselves and their biological families, Cheyney said. The center, which also specializes in adoption services for children and families of color, has been involved with about 120 adoptions and families. (Acton Beacon, MA)
Dear Abby: Everyday heroes touch many lives Aug 18, 2009
Soon my family will travel to Minnesota to meet Paul's adoptive parents and siblings, his wife and his children. My heroes have joined together to enrich my life, and I can't begin to thank each and every one of them. (Florida Today)
Pros and Cons of Independent Adopti... Aug 16, 2009
For the birth mother, developing a bond with the adoptive family can reinforce her decision to go through with the adoption plan and trust that the adoptive parents will provide a for the child ... Some prospective adoptive parents are reluctant to meet directly with birth parents out of concern for their privacy ... Because most states allow the adoptive family to pay for some of the birth mother s pregnancy-related expenses, there have been many cases where women contact prospective adoptive... (Suite101.com)
The Real Housewives of Atlanta should watch out for The Real Housewives of Lancaster County Aug 15, 2009
We kept hoping the adoptive parents would adopt the birth parents too. I have never seen such intelligent decisions made by kids who had almost no resources and found themselves in a horrible situation. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Dark Guardian #1: Moonlight by Rach... Aug 13, 2009
In fact, she feels more at home stranded in the middle of the woods than she does back home in Dallas, where she lives with her adoptive parents. As a wilderness guide, Kayla works with a team of other teenage guides called Sherpa s. All the Sherpa s grew up together, so they know each other, and the woods, like the backs of their hands. (Suite101.com)
New TB policy may disruptinternational adoptions Aug 11, 2009
APHarper Yue Ye, center, and her adoptive parents, Jay Scruggs and Candace Litchford, sit together at an adoption office in Guangzhou, China. The couple later learned that they would have to leave China without Harper, who was required by new U.S. regulations to remain behind for tuberculosis testing. (MSNBC -- Health)
Active and close, this trio hopes to stick together Aug 11, 2009
Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; gay or lesbian singles or couples. The process to adopt a child from foster care requires training, interviews, and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you, and if so, to help connect you with a child or sibling group that will be a good match. (Boston Globe)
Adoption group tries to foster open relationships Aug 9, 2009
Ellen Hurley (left), Megan Hurley, and Lindsay Chapman attended a gathering in Westwood yesterday for adoptive parents, children, and their birth mothers ... Yesterday, about a hundred adoptive parents, birth parents, and children, including Megan and her family, met for a breezy picnic and barbecue held by the adoption center at Hale Reservation ... Some adoption centers may consider their process open even if biological and adoptive parents meet only once and never do so again. (Boston Globe)
Woman finds birth father after 20-year search Aug 8, 2009
She found the adoption papers at age 9 and got more information from her adoptive parents but never saw the papers again. Years later, she started searching for her parents -- mother Helen Hutto, of Bamburg, S.C., and her father, whose name she remembered spelled as Sam Stephens. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Telling School About an Adopted Chi... Aug 7, 2009
Adoptive parents can help adopted kids adjust to a new school year by discussing class projects, culture awareness and adoption issues with the teacher. At the beginning of the school year, adoptive parents often wonder if they should disclose their child s adoption to his teacher ... There are many reasons for disclosing a child s adoption to the school and adoptive parents need to be prepared to be an advocate for their child. (Suite101.com)
Adoption & Foster Care Mentoring names new executive director Aug 5, 2009
At the home, she worked with foster and adopted youth and ran support groups for foster and adoptive parents, as well as provided training and consultation on sexual orientation and gender identity issues to youth-serving organizations nationwide. She replaces former executive director Marie French, who accepted a job closer to her home in Cincinnati. (Cambridge Chronicle, MA)
Ads aim to promote black child adoption Aug 4, 2009
It cites research showing that this kind of adoption can pose identity problems and recommends adoptive parents undergo training to help their kids. New Yorker Sarah Gerstenzang, who is white, took in a black foster daughter when the girl was 5 weeks old and later adopted her. (USA Today)
'Gayby Boom' Aug 4, 2009
About four percent of all adoptive parents are same-sex couples. "Anecdotally, we are hearing a lot of stories about what is being called the 'gayby boom,' same-sex couples having children," said Naomi Goldberg, a public policy fellow at the Williams Institute. (ABC News)
The absolute worst lie Aug 4, 2009
Often, adoptive parents aren't doing it because they can't have children of their own, for they do. They just want to spread the love around. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Wheelchair does not limit extreme athlete Jul 30, 2009
Despite his challenging diagnosis, his adoptive parents, Steve and Kaylene, did not hesitate to choose him to raise when they first saw him in the hospital when he was 2 months old. "We just decided, 'Well, somebody's got to take care of him, why not us?' " Kaylene said. (Prep Sports Sports -- Rivals.com)
Unconventional 'Orphan' plays on horror conventions Jul 27, 2009
John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) and his wife, Kate (Vera Farmiga), are the adoptive parents of a spooky little girl ... But she is polite and says the right things, initially, to her adoptive parents. (USA Today -- Life)
The faith to adopt Jul 26, 2009
They are members of Warren Baptist Church and the leaders of Reaching Hands, a ministry that provides grants to adoptive parents ... Often, she said, children are not adopted because they're not the same race as the adoptive parents or are seen as too old or emotionally troubled ... Adoptive parents often pay for home studies (screening), post-placement supervision, court and attorney fees, in addition to travel expenses. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Daphna Ziman Asks Warner Bros. to ADOPT Socially Responsible Solution To Outraged Advocacy Groups and Movie Boycott Jul 25, 2009
"Although we recognize the film is fiction, the response we have had from adoption groups and potential adoptive parents has been overwhelming," says Daphna Ziman, the founder of Children Uniting Nations, a premier agency serving foster youth. "When a major corporation sensationalizes on an area that affects our Nation's most needy children without responsible messaging it is unconscionable. Warner Bros. needs to be socially conscientious of the children they are potentially harming and put a... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Review: 'Orphan' Jul 25, 2009
Even without being evil, Esther is smarter than both her adoptive parents combined, so we know this is a terrible mismatch. But Esther is evil. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Maine court upholds IBM heir's adoption of lover Jul 24, 2009
The three-judge panel overturned the lower court's sanction of Quets, which ordered her to pay the legal fees for Kevin and Denise Needham of Apex, N.C., the adoptive parents. DAVID BROOKS: Sotomayor is cautious at heart. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Appeals court rules Quets has no legal right to seek custody, visits Jul 22, 2009
The three-judge panel overturned the lower court's sanction of Quets, which ordered her to pay the legal fees for Kevin and Denise Needham of Apex, N.C., the adoptive parents. "We hope that this is over," said Deborah Sandlin, the couple's lawyer. (Herald Online, SC -- Lifestyles)
