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1. Announcements | | |
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Have a Happy New Year
Adoption.com would like to wish you all a happy New Year, from our families to yours. May your hearts and homes be full of love, joy, and peace this new year!
Adopting Your Foster Child
Deciding to adopt your foster child after getting to know and bonding with the child is not unusual. To obtain further information, determine how prepared you are, and find out some necessary precautions, visit foster-child.adoption.com.
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2. Highlighted Articles | | | | |
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.
Divorced? Have a 100% Relationship with Your Kids - new article by Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Many separated parents fight believing that only a rigid 50/50 residential sharing of the child is fair and will provide for their ongoing relationship. As the parents fight over the issue of time, the concept of meaningfulness is lost. From the child’s perspective, what is meaningful is not equal distribution of time. Rather, important to the child is the nature, quality and purpose of time together with family members. You can win 50/50 residence, but never succeed in a meaningful relationship with your child. You can win the battle, yet lose the war...more
Gathering Family Medical History Initiative...What About Adoptees? - new article by Lawrence P. Adams
Many question why adoptees search for their birth family or at least information about them. Most of those who question come from people who were raised by their birth parents. They knew their heritage. They had extended family to share their lives. They knew of potential medical problems that might arise in their lives...more
A Child's Developmental Understanding of Open Adoption - new article by Patricia Martínez Dorner MA, LPC, LMFT
Open adoption offers an opportunity for the child to build his understanding of adoption having his adoptive and birth families as resources. The developmental tasks of the child in a closed and in an open adoption are much the same. A primary difference is that development of understanding is significantly helped by the access to contact and by the availability of concrete people and information...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.
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3. Adoption News | | | | |
Adoption Presents Couples with Myriad Choices
Once prospective parents decide to adopt, the options before them can be overwhelming: Open or closed? Domestic or international? Same race and ethnicity, or different..?more
Adoption Cemented Couple's Relationship
The Judiscak family "melted together," according to Dorothy, when she and her husband, Kevin, chose to adopt Ray and Eli through Aid to Adoption of Special Kids, or AASK...more
Information on Birth Certificate Law
The law was passed in May and goes into effect Jan. 1. New Hampshire is the seventh state to allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificate...more
Germany Mulls Gray Adoption
Faced with an aging population and a rapidly declining birth rate, the German government wants to encourage older people to adopt children...more
Couple Wants Changes Made to State Adoption Process
Like any proud parents, Jeff and Alicia Gurney have documented every aspect of their little girl's life, including the day she was taken away and returned to her birth mother...more
Read more headlines at news.adoption.com.
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4. Adoption Law & Policy News | | | | |
December 22, 2004
WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY
Adoption Reality Show
CALIFORNIA: “’Daddy’ Sires Controversy” - by Marisa Guthrie
New York Daily News, December 16, 2004
Click here.
International Adoption
RUSSIAN: “Deputies Concerned about Adoption Problems”
Novosti, Russian News and Information Agency, December 15, 2004
Click here.
Foster/Adoption Systems
FLORIDA: “Cautious Optimism Prevails as Foster Care System Improves”
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 16, 2004
Click here.
TENNESSEE: “State Makes Push for Adoption” - by Judith R. Tackett
Nashville City Paper Online, December 21, 2004
Click here.
NEW JERSEY: “Worker Caseloads Drop under Reform Effort at Child Welfare Agency” - by Tom Bell
New York Newsday.com, December 20, 2004
Click here.
WEEKLY CASE SUMMARY
Termination of Parental Rights/Process
Minnesota: In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of S.O. and R.J.S.
The Court of Appeals of Minnesota affirmed the judgment of the Hennepin County District Court relating to the termination of the father’s parental rights, but reversed the judgment of the lower court relating to the termination of the mother’s parental rights...
2004 Minn. App. LEXIS 1385
Click here.
Termination of Parental Rights/Process
California: Leroy B. v. Orange County Social Services Agency
The Court of Appeal of California, Fourth Appellate District, granted the natural father’s petition for a writ of mandate to challenge an order of the Superior Court of Orange County scheduling a permanency hearing for his son...
2004 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 11352
Click here.
Credit: National Center for Adoption Law & Policy
Link: http://www.law.capital.edu/adoption
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| | 5. Featured Adoption Product | |
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China's Lost Girls DVD - National Geographic Ultimate Explorer host Lisa Ling examines the consequences of China's two-decade-old, ''one-child policy'' designed to curb the country's exploding population. Due to cultural, social and economic factors, traditional preference leans toward boys, so girls are often hidden, aborted, or abandoned. As a result, tens of thousands of girls end up in orphanages across China. Join Ultimate Explorer as Ling explores the many complex issues surrounding China's attempt to slow its swelling tide of humanity. Approximately 43 minutes. © 2004...more
Find 1,000+ other adoption products at adoptionshop.com.
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| | 6. Featured Waiting Child | | | | |
 What I want in a family: People who have a good sense of humor and who are kind and caring. Parents who will let me write to my birth mother and stay in touch with my siblings. What I want families to know about me: I am working on my attitude, I am sometimes bossy and rude, and I can be assertive in positive and negative ways. I am caring and can be sweet. I am in the sixth grade at school, my favorite subject is math, and I would like to be in an after-school reading group. What we are seeking in a family for Tania: Tania needs two parents who will love her unconditionally, set firm limits, and give her the attention she needs. They should have a strong-committed relationship and communicate well with each other. What we'd like you to know about Tania: Tania is very bright, and she does well in school. She also needs a lot of attention, competes with other children for the spotlight, and gets jealous when someone else gets the attention she wants. She can be verbally aggressive, hyperactive, and oppositional. more
Photolisting.adoption.com is a free community service of adoption.com featuring thousands of children awaiting loving, permanent homes. Add your agency's waiting children to photolisting.adoption.com, and help them find loving homes faster... more | |
| | 7. Meet New Hopeful Adoptive Parents | | | | |
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.
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8. Adoption Gem | | | | |
Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.
- Dr. Karl Menninger
Share your story, thought, or quote.
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9. Adoption Buzz | | | | |
For more on-line adoption discussions, visit adoptionforums.com.
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10. Featured Adoption Professional | | | | |
Adoption Answers, Inc. - Keller, TX
Phone: (303) 415-1001 E-mail: swampler@interlinc.net
services: • Education & Training • Home Studies...more
Find adoption agencies, attorneys and other adoption professionals at adoptiondirectory.com. See your ad here.
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| | 11. Speak Out | | | | |
I just read the poem "A Birth Mother's Christmas." Boy, can I relate. Just before Thanksgiving I received an e-mail from a young man who's looking for his birth parents. He didn't have a whole lot of info, but what he did have was awfully close to mine. So I, after bursting into hysterics and telling my husband and daughters about the e-mail, e-mailed him back. I gave him what info I could including the name of the agency which I had used and told him that I would call there right away to make sure that all my info was current so that if we were a match he would know who I was and how to contact me. Well, I have heard nothing since. Did I handle this the right way? Should I contact him again or just wait? I do not want to be too pushy or disrupt his life. But all you birth moms reading this can understand how I feel. I want so much to know my son. The best present in the world would be to meet him. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks, KW
I have been searching for my birth mom for a little while now with a little bit of luck and many dead ends. I believe I have found some relatives of hers (or maybe my birth dad's)? A birthday ad was placed on a Texas website and the info was almost an exact match to mine. I tried contacting the woman who posted the ad but never received a reply, and on a second attempt, the e-mail came back undeliverable. Since, I have located whom I believe to be relatives through internet searching, I have found addresses and phone numbers, but do not know how to go about contacting people. Do I try calling the "family" and asking about my birth mom and/or this woman who posted the ad? I don't know how to handle this. For anyone who may know ANYTHING, here is my info: Female born August 4, 1982 in San Antonio, TX. My mother's name is/was Gloria Herring (maiden). She was 18 when she gave birth to me and the father was no longer in the picture. I would really really like to contact her to get to know her and to learn a little about myself. Does anybody have any ideas or have info? ~ Brandy
To Whom It May Concern: Hi, my name is Dorothy George. In 1973 I had a baby out-of-wedlock and I adopted her out. I was reunited with her in July 1994, but then the adoptive parents broke off our relationship in March 1996. I don't have any idea if my daughter is in San Diego, CA or Pennsylvania. I've tried searching for her, but I haven't come up with anything. I sent her Christmas presents and birthday presents last December to her adoptive parents' house and the presents were sent back to me. This made me feel very sad. Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do? Please feel free to e-mail me. - Dorothy
Just letting my biological mother know I am doing fine. I was born on May 23, 1956 at Meadowbrook Hospital on Long Island. My birth name was Debbie Ann Stephanello (not sure of the spelling). I am the mother of 3 and the grandmother of 4. I am back in school and having fun. I had a dream the other night that I had a brother, maybe 2. That would be so great to know for sure if that was true. I hope to know about my birth mom someday and to let her know that she will always be in my heart. If anyone has any contact info, please write me.
Hello, I have been reading the articles and have never felt compelled to write until now. I am 45 and have been looking for my birth parents for quite some time. I have found out quite a bit about my birth mom from the center she was in at the time of my birth. Of course all of this was non-identifying information. A few years ago I was contacted by a woman who was at the same home as my b-mom and at the same time. She clearly identified my mother because there was a big age difference between my b-mom and the rest of the girls there. My b-mom was 26 at the time of birth and my b-father was 29. She told me of the procedures and rules that they lived under to protect each other's identity and how the birth process went and the procedures they went through. The greatest gift that she gave me was to tell me about my b-mom. I can never thank her
enough. I have yet to locate my b-family and I am beginning to feel that time is running out. My b-mom would be 71 now and my b-father 74. I do not know for sure, but I am almost positive that he is no longer living because he was a diabetic when I was born. I am not sure why I felt compelled to write, unless it is to release some frustration from unfruitful searches. Thanks for listening, all, and good luck in your searches. - Rob, March 23, 1959, Peoria, IL
Speak Out - share your opinion, comment, or respond to a message.
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12. Adoption Poetry | | | | |
A Message to My Birth Mother
The other day
I thought came my way
Leading me to say
“I love you”
To a woman I once knew
The woman I was part of before my birth
Who started my current journey on earth
Today I know not where she roam
Destiny called me to another’s home
With a family for me in place
She departed to her own space
When this message flew through
It was not clear what to do
I took some time to pray
Sending energy to say
“I love you”
To the woman I was connected to
I can feel love in my heart
As I share this piece of art
by Mary-Elise Haug ©2004
Read more adoption poetry, or share your adoption poem.
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| | 13. Adoption Calendar | | | | |
Chat Schedule:
Sunday
Open Adoptions - 5 pm Pacific, 6 pm Mountain, 7 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern - Chat with BrandyHagz, who is an adoptee and birth mother, about open adoptions in the hosted chat room. This chat is open to all sides of the adoption triad.
Monday
Therapy for Older Children and Trauma-Attachment Disorders - 2 pm Pacific, 3 pm Mountain, 4 pm Central, 5 pm Eastern - Join Dr. Art Becker-Weidman in the hosted chat room and ask him questions on therapy for older children and trauma-attachment disorders.
Tuesday
Foster Care - 6 pm Pacific, 7 pm Mountain, 8 pm Central, 9 pm Eastern - For those who are interested in foster care or would like to share their concerns and experiences with others; join Stacy, luv’mall, in the hosted chat room
Wednesday
Search and Reunion - 5 pm Pacific, 6 pm Mountain, 7 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern - Join Bama Donna in Search and Reunion chat room for advice and support.
Friday
Difficult Reunions - 7 pm Pacific, 8 pm Mountain, 9 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern - Chat with Stacy, imtimm2, who is an adoptee in a “limbo” reunion with her birth family. This chat is for adoptees and birth families in the hosted chat room .
To chat, click here.
Adoption Events:
Emotional and Physical Care of Newly Adopted Children Class
January 8 (9:00 am - 12:00 pm) - First United Methodist Church, 313 N. Center, Arlington, TX
Dillon International, Inc. - Join social worker Jennifer Jolin and nurse/adoptive parent Libby Skaggs for information on physical care of your new child attachment, bonding and discipline. Please see the website for cost. Facilities do not provide for childcare. For more information or to register, e-mail, call (817) 927-3062, or click here.
Free Informational Seminars on Adopting Orphaned Children
January 8 (10:00 am - 12:00 pm ) - High Point Church, 7702 Old Sauk Road Madison, WI
Sunshine Adoption Inc. - For more information, or to RSVP, call (262) 796-9898.
ABC'S of International Adoption
January 8 (10:30 am) - First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin PKWY, Sugar Land, TX (Houston Area)
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. Please call Moni at (281) 438-9263, e-mail, or click here for details.
Free Informational Seminars on Adopting Orphaned Children
January 12 (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm) - Christ Church, 10606 N. Port Washington Road Mequon, WI
Sunshine Adoption Inc. - For more information, or to RSVP, call (262) 796-9898.
Free Informational Seminars on Adopting Orphaned Children
January 13 (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm) - Community United Methodist Church, 14700 Watertown Plank Road Elm Grove, WI
Sunshine Adoption Inc. - For more information, or to RSVP, call (262) 796-9898.
Exploring Adoption
January 24 - February 21 (6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, four Monday evenings) - San Jose, CA
Adoption Paths - Workshop series providing unbiased information about all types of adoption (international and domestic); contact Sara Lively at (831) 476-7252 or click here.
To view local listings, regional seminars, many other adoption events, and to list your organization's events, visit adoptioncalendar.com.
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Adoption Week e-Magazine | | | |
Call For Content
Adoption Week e-Magazine is looking for well-written adoption-related articles, poems, quotes, book reviews, news, event announcements, product reviews, successful adoption and reunion stories, clean humor, letters to the editor, information on adoption legislation, and other adoption-related content. Submit content.
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Disclaimer
This e-magazine is provided as a free community service, and by using and reading it you agree to the terms and conditions as posted at AdoptionWeek.com. Adoption.com makes no warrantee about the accurateness of any information in this magazine, and does not endorse any adoption professional, adoption product or other adoption service. If you have received this e-mail erroneously, or do not agree to the terms of this disclaimer, please unsubscribe.
(c) Adoption Media, LLC 2004
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