1. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
   - Lend Your Voice
   - Get Your New Listing Free for the Remainder of 2005
2. THE ADOPTION BLOG - web log by Nancy Ashe
3. HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES
4. ADOPTION NEWS
5. ADOPTION LAW & POLICY NEWS
6. FEATURED ADOPTION PRODUCT
7. FEATURED WAITING CHILDREN
8. MEET NEW HOPEFUL ADOPTIVE PARENTS
9. ADOPTION GEM - inspirational thought
10. ADOPTION BUZZ - message board discussions
11. JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT - clean weekly humor
12. FEATURED ADOPTION PROFESSIONAL
13. SPEAK OUT - contributions from our readers
14. ADOPTION POETRY
15. ADOPTION CALENDAR - events, seminars, & chats

Adoption Network Law Center - Creating families...one miracle at a time. Start your adoption today; it's easier than you think. Caring & compassionate services.

Adoptive Families Magazine - Starting out in adoption? Helpful tips, useful resources from Adoptive Families Magazine online.

Adopting for Tomorrow Magazine - Committed to serving adoptive and potential adoptive parents as an invaluable resource by providing the most current and relevant information on domestic and international adoption.

Lend Your Voice
Adoption.com is looking for a volunteer from the adoption community with broadcast speaking experience to assist with the beta of an exciting new service. Interested? E-mail editor@adoptionweek.com with a brief bio and an audio file of your speaking voice.

Get Your New Listing Free for the Remainder of 2005
For a limited time, get your new listing on the internet's largest and most popular adoption directory free for the remainder of 2005! To learn more, click here.

Open Forum for Hurricane Katrina Support & Updates - We have set aside an area of the forums for anyone with helpful information about Hurricane Katrina-related issues, updates, resources, ongoing efforts to send needed items and news about affected neighborhoods, family members, and friends...more.

Telling the Adoption Story - Some adopt, slot the child in place, and expect to move on without a ripple in the family pond. Some adopt and immediately look for therapists to deal with anticipated problems. Most fall somewhere in between. But almost all adoptive parents struggle with how and when to talk to their children about adoption...more.

The views expressed by the authors are solely their own, and for which the authors are responsible. These views do not necessarily represent the views of Adoption Week e-Magazine.

Build Rapport to Facilitate Teen Behaviour - new article by Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
When the relationship is spiraling out of control and parents find themselves at their wits end, the challenge is to rise above the animosity in favour of rebuilding the relationship. Harsher, more restrictive consequences will not bring the teen “under control”...more

Gabrielle, Beautiful in Every Way - new article by Kristene Feldhaus
On August 29th, 2002, I delivered Gabrielle into the world with my sister, friend, and adoptive parents looking on. But my story is a little unusual and not commonly heard of. I had met the aparents on July 2, 2002 and instantly fell in love with them. They were the parents that I had always wanted but never had. I knew the first day that I met these people that I wanted my daughter to be raised by them...more

An Assorted Fairytale XXII - new article by Linda Muzzin
Our mother had been so awful to me, so I could not help but expect the worst. When I saw the reply to my e-mail, I was truly afraid to open it. Debbie was another blessing that I had yet to discover. She was truly like the big sister I had hoped for so many times as birthday wishes and in Christmas letters to Santa. She was as close to holding my hand in an e-mail as you can get. She said while she was disappointed, she understood, and that we would just have to wait the extra few days and that it hadn’t changed anything. She would still be there waiting with open arms to meet me...more

Institutional Autism - new article by George Rogu, M.D.
In countries from the Eastern European block such as Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, children are still being placed into orphanages at an alarming rate. Reasons for abandonment stem from the fact that since the fall of the Communism, democracy and freedom have left many people poverty stricken and homeless...more

Read these articles at e-Magazine.adoption.com, and submit your adoption-related articles for publication in Adoption Week e-Magazine and Adoption.com.

Difficult Adoptions
Adopting Russian orphans wasn’t always this difficult. These days, however, Russian officials have become increasingly reluctant to place Russian orphans with American families, preferring to have them adopted by Russian families...more

Hearing Cancelled for Couple Charged with Killing Their Adopted Son
A hearing on pretrial motions was cancelled last week in the criminal case against Robert and Brenda Matthey, a Union Township couple facing manslaughter charges for the October 2000 death of their adopted Russian son...more

Former Addicts Become Leaders
Last year, two former meth addicts, Caraleen Fawcett and Teresa Shore, joined a group of 150 Tucsonans who made up the Pima County Community Network Team. The team, headed by Fawcett and Shore, identifies weaknesses and strengths in the child welfare system and makes recommendations aimed at reforming Arizona's Child Protective Services...more

NJ Child Welfare Splits Up Siblings To Meet Deadline
New Jersey child welfare officials, working on a deadline, are separating siblings in order to get foster children out of shelters...more

Read more headlines at news.adoption.com.

August 31, 2005

WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY

Foster Care/State Systems
Florida: “Agencies Aid Foster Teens to Make It on Their Own” - by Deborah Circelli
Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, August 25, 2005
Click here.

WEEKLY CASE SUMMARY

Termination OF Parental Rights/Involuntary/Appeals of Orders of Termination
California: In Re Amy A.
The California Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s finding terminating a father’s parental rights...
Cite: No. D046032, 2005 Ca. App. Lexis 1336 (Ca. App. August 24, 2005)
Click here.

Adopted in Love (Boy) Stickers - Express yourself with these words and phrases! Sheet measures 7-5/8" x 6-3/8"...more

Find 1,000+ other adoption products at adoptionshop.com.

Photolisting.adoption.com is a free community service of adoption.com featuring thousands of children awaiting loving, permanent homes.

Todd & Mandy (CA) Charlie & Dorothy (NY) Todd & Melissa (NC) Cliff & Gina (NJ)

Kenneth & Julie Anne (CA) Trevor & Jessica (TX) Keith & Debra (NY) Derek & Stephanie (UT)

Are you pregnant? Visit parentprofiles.com (a service of Adoption Profiles, LLC) to find the right adoptive parents for your baby. Are you a hopeful adoptive parent? Build your profile.

Adoptee Support Groups: - Question for Other Adoptees Open Adoption: - Birth Mother Having New Baby Birth Family Support: - I Can't Believe How Time Flies... What Adoptees Would Like Adoptive Parents To Know: - "I Wish I Never Adopted You!" Birth Parents and Adoptive Parents: - Closed Adoption Makes Me Wish It Were Open... International Adoption Support: - Just Getting Started...Help, Ideas...


For more on-line adoption discussions, visit forums.adoption.com.

The Tooth Fairy

While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. The various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs, unfailingly intrigued her.

One day, I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

One World Adoption Services - Buford, Ga
Toll Free: (866) 714-6612     Phone: (678) 714-6612     E-mail: info@oneworldadoptions.org
Services: • Adoption Agencies • Home Studies • International Adoption
Countries: • Brazil • Bulgaria • China • Guatemala • Haiti • Kazakhstan • Russia • Ukraine ...more

I was ignorant until I found this site (adoption.com). My CW even allowed us to count time spent on this site toward our education hours needed to adopt. I went from wanting totally closed adoptions, to fully open ones, because I had the chance to interact with all sides of the triad honestly. Everything I know about adoption, I learned here, I think. Helping others on their journey is a highlight of my day. It means the world to me to be able to chat with others in my own boat. - Cheryl

I just wanted to give everyone a little bit of hope. If you are looking for a loved one that has been adopted and you are ready to give up...DON'T!!! A little over a year ago, we found our sister that had been adopted in 1975. Within 3 months, we found her. She grew up an hour and a half from us and has lived there all her life. Things couldn't be better. We spend time together, talk on the phone, and mostly spend the holidays as a family. She and my mom have a good relationship also. It was like we grew up together. So there is hope out there; don't give up. You will be holding your loved one soon. Thank you. - Missy

I understand all about wanting to discover your roots. But as an adoptive mom of two, it sure would be nice to hear some stories from kids about what great childhoods they have had, and how they know they couldn't love their adoptive moms any more than they do. - RA

I am just frustrated. I know the attorney who handled my adoption has all of my birth information. I am going to be 50 years old next week and just feel I am entitled to the info. Thanks for listening. - Gail

I would like to say that adoption is, in our eyes, giving birth through the heart and the love grows with every heartbeat! We have adopted 4 special needs children who could have been placed in many homes but could never have been placed where they would be loved more than we love them. If any of my children needed my heart to live, I would have only one question, "How soon could we schedule the surgery?" Thanks for letting me shout it from the rooftops! - Tracey Morrissey, medical foster/adoptive parent, MO.

Speak Out - share your opinion, comment, or respond to a message.

Read more adoption poetry, or share your adoption poem.

Adoption Events:

Help for Adoptive Families with Preteens and Teens
September 7 (6:30 pm) - Adoption Network Cleveland, 1667 East 40th, Suite B1, Cleveland, Ohio
Adoption Network Cleveland - All families face challenges that inevitably arise alongside the joys of being a family, especially during a child's preteen and teenage years. Members of adoptive families, however, face certain unique issues and challenges during this time in the child's life solely because their families were formed by adoption. Discussion topics in this 7-part series include, but are not limited to: Separation; Attachment & Bonding; Entitlement & Claiming; Child Development & Behaviors; Communication & Individuation; Separation & Loss; Grief and Team Building. Registration is required. For more information, contact Linda Bellini at (216) 325-1000, ext. 103, or click here.

International Adoption Seminar
September 7 (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm) - High Point Church, 7702 Old Sauk Road, Madison, WI
Sunshine Adoption, Inc. - Free event. To RSVP, call (262) 796-9898 or e-mail us. For more information, call or click here.

ABC's of International Adoption
September 7 (7:00 pm - 8:30 pm) - Rockwell Library, 5939 E. 9th St, Wichita, KS
Dillon International, Inc. - During this free informational meeting, attendees will be given an overview of the process of international adoption, individual country requirements and adoption costs. In addition, they will be given information on waiting children from South Korea, China, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, and Guatemala. For more information(316) 682-2595 or e-mail. For more information, call or click here.

Adopting from China: Information Workshop
September 8 (6:15 pm) - Peggy V. Helmerich Library, 5131 E. 91st Street, Tulsa, OK
Great Wall China Adoption - Free informational workshop. Interested families are welcome to join us as we discuss China’s adoption program. Meet families who have returned from China and hear from them, first hand, about their experiences. For more information, or to register, click here.

ABC's of International Adoption
September 8 (6:00 pm - 7:30 pm) - Brentwood Library, Springfield, MO
Dillon International, Inc. - During this free informational meeting, attendees will be given an overview of the process of international adoption, individual country requirements and adoption costs. In addition, they will be given information on waiting children from South Korea, China, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, and Guatemala. For more information, call (417) 619-1426 or e-mail. For more information, click here.

Pre-Adoption Workshop: One-Day Seminar
September 10 (9:30 am - 3:30 pm) - First United Methodist Church, 313 N. Center, Arlington, TX
Dillon International, Inc. - The cost is $100.00 for a married couple and $90.00 for a single adult applicant. The fee covers lunch and seminar materials. Facilities do not provide for childcare. To register, e-mail, call (918) 749-4600, or click here.

Adopting from China
September 10 (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) - Keller Public Library, 640 Johnson Rd., Keller, TX
Great Wall China Adoption - Free informational meeting. Meet families who have returned from China and hear from them, first hand, about their experiences. For more information, or to register, contact Melissa Lybrand at (817) 431-9979 or e-mail. For more information, call or click here.

Ukrainian Festival of Baltimore 2005
September 10 & 11 (12:00 pm - 8:00 pm) - Canton Waterfront Park, Boston Street, Baltimore, MD
A celebration featuring four dance groups, Ukrainian Easter Eggs demonstration, musicians, pierogi/pyohy eating contest, traditional crafts, Ukrainian beer garden and children's activities. Free. Call (410) 687-3465 for more information.

38th Ukrainian Day Festival
September 11 (11:00 am) - St. Basil's Seminary, Stamford, MA
Russian Life Magazine - Food, music, folk dancing, arts and crafts bazaar. For more info, contact Helen Rudy at (860) 568-5445.

ABC's of International Adoption
September 13 (6:00 pm - 7:00 pm) - Dillon International Office, 3227 E. 31st Street, Tulsa, OK
Dillon International, Inc. - During this free informational meeting, attendees will be given an overview of the process of international adoption, individual country requirements and adoption costs. In addition, they will be given information on waiting children from South Korea, China, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, and Guatemala. For more information, call (918) 749-4600 or e-mail. For more information, click here.

ABC's of International Adoption
September 13 (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm) - Dillon Arkansas Office, 4702 W. Commercial Drive, Ste B-1, North Little Rock, AR
Dillon International, Inc. - During this free informational meeting, attendees will be given an overview of the process of international adoption, individual country requirements and adoption costs. In addition, they will be given information on waiting children from South Korea, China, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, and Guatemala. For more information, call (501) 791-9300 or e-mail. For more information, click here.

Adoption Readiness - Preparatory Class for Adoptive Parents
September 13 (6:30 pm - 9:00 pm) - Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland
Adoption Mosaic - This 5-week, 12-hour series meets most recommended pre-adoption educational requirements or supplements agency trainings to provide participants with tools and resources to begin the lifelong adventure of being an adoptive family. The class will use the book "Parenting Your Adopted Child -A Positive Approach to Building a Strong Family" by Andrew Adesman, M.D. Copies will be available for purchase at the first session for $14. In addition, you will receive a notebook of articles and lists of our favorite, most helpful books. Cost: $150 per person or $200 per couple for the 5-week series. Pre-registration required. To register, click here.

17th Annual ATTACh Conference
September 14 - 17 - Albuquerque, NM
Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh) - For professionals and parents who work with children with attachment and PTSD issues. For more information, click here.

Taste of Russia
September 16 - 17 - Amherst, MA
Russian Life Magazine - Most of the events are free and open to the public. Russian food, vendors, entertainment. You need not be a Russophile to attend, but we'll sure try to make one of you before it is over. For more information, click here.

Pre-Adoption Workshop: One-Day Seminar
September 17 (9:30 am - 3:30 pm) - Ascension Lutheran Church, 842 N. Tyler Rd, Wichita, KS
Dillon International, Inc. - The cost is $100.00 for a married couple and $90.00 for a single adult applicant. The fee covers lunch and seminar materials. Facilities do not provide for childcare. To register, e-mail, call (918) 749-4600, or click here.

2nd Adult Adoptee Meeting
September 17 (2:00 pm) - Panera Bread, 6981 S. Lewis Ave, Tulsa, OK
Dillon International, Inc. - Come join other international adult adoptees. There will be door prizes! Please RSVP by September 14, 2005 to Jan, or call (918) 749-4600 x219. For more information, click here.

Dragon Boat Festival
September 17 - Pittsburgh, PA
For more information, click here.

3rd Annual Adoption Walk and Family Picnic
September 24 (11:00 am) - Garfield Park Reservation, Garfield Heights, OH
Adoption Network Cleveland - Regardless of weather conditions, the 2-mile walk begins at 11:00 a.m.; registration begins at 10:30 a.m. After the walk, all attendees are invited to stay for lunch and partake in the kids' activities including face painting, etc. All walkers are encouraged to raise a minimum of $40 to walk, either by personal donations or by soliciting. Children under the age of 12 are welcome to walk and participate in the days activities for free. Those registered by September 12 will receive a t-shirt and gift. For more information, click here.

To view local listings, regional seminars, many other adoption events, and to list your organization's events, visit adoptioncalendar.com.