"Offering generous adoption benefits gives a company a more family friendly image, even among those who aren't directly affected by adoption, said Rita Soronen, executive director of the Dave Thomas Foundation..."

Labels: assistance, benefits, employers

"Attorney Kathleen Mucerino suggested they could appeal. But Dawn didn't have the patience. 'I said, "I'm not going to wait,"' [Hurtt] recalled. Instead, she followed Mucerino's other course of action and threw herself into getting the law changed."

Labels: foster_care, laws

"...you are right to be concerned. NO adoption occurred. Instead, a crime occurred, the falsification of a birth certificate, and everyone involved can go to jail... the lawyer who prepared the false certificate of birth can be disbarred..."

Labels: birth_certificates, legal, legitimacy

"Now that increased interest to adopt has prompted a scam targeting American families, who are hoping to help a Chinese orphan find a home. 'They've been contacted from China, and [are] being offered an opportunity to adopt a child from the earthquake region... for an adoption fee of fifteen thousand dollars,' says [Lanny] Knight."

Labels: China, fraud, scams

"Half the Sky Foundation, established by adoptive mom Jenny Bowen of Berkeley, Calif., has created an emergency fund to funnel shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities to children in the earthquake zone... Together will larger donations, the foundation's earthquake fund totals about $600,000, with about half already spent."

Labels: China, foreign_adoption, money

"Council leader Eddie McAvoy said : 'The council is committed to promoting the health and welfare of children and young people.' He added: 'The policy will result in better protection for vulnerable children and young people.'"

Labels: adoptive_parents, foster_care, smoking

"Of the black children adopted out of foster care, about 20 percent are adopted by white families. The Donaldson report said current law, by stressing color blindness, deters agencies from assessing families' readiness to adopt transracially or preparing them for the distinctive challenges they might face."

Labels: foster_care, recommendations, trans-racial

"[Robin] Barber officially adopted Fort in Tanzania last summer and in Iowa in December, only to learn that at 17 he's too old to become a U.S. citizen as her son. And his student visa expires next month."

Labels: adoption_rights, citizenship, legislation