A Michigan mother is being sought by police - and has lost custody of three of her children - after she abandoned her 13-year-old son at an Omaha Hospital. The woman, an aunt, and a grandmother made the 12-hour drive because Nebraska's Safe Haven law allows parents to leave children younger than 19 at a hospital or fire department if they feel they can't care for the child.

"The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office filed the neglect petition Wednesday against the parents, who adopted the 13-year-old and a 10-year-old sibling out of foster care."

Nebraska's Safe Haven law continues to stir up controversy. It is the only state in which the law applies not only to very young children, but to any child under the age of 19. Opponents of the law criticize its broad age range, and many had expressed concern that the law would be misused in exactly this sort of way. Source: The Detroit Free Press

Labels: laws, controversy, safe-haven

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Supporters of a U.S. law believe that the legislation will help provide foster children with a brighter future. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act aims to move children out of foster care and into loving families.

"Among its major provisions, it will: Provide more financial incentives for adopting children out of foster care, especially older youths and those with special needs. One example: federal adoption assistance for special-needs children will no longer be limited to those who come from low-income families."

The act, which was signed into law Oct. 7, is expected to cost about $3 billion over the next ten years. Many of the added costs, however, would be offset by savings on foster-care casework, officials say. Source: The Associated Press

Labels: laws, foster_care, stability

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In the New Zealand town of Tshwane, an adoption agency has noticed responded to the needs of teen mothers in the area, regardless of whether they're considering adoption plans for their babies. Sazi Ledwaba, a social worker with Abba Adoptions, says teen mothers who often feel isolated and overwhelmed need help learning to cope with parenthood.

"She said although her organization specializes in adoption, they soon realized that there were a lot of teenage mothers who did not want to give up their babies but struggled to cope with their pregnancy because of pressure from society and parents."

In response to this need, Abba Adoptions opened House Elizabeth - a residential home for single mothers in the greater Tshwane area. The home gives new teen mothers time to adjust to parenthood and possibly reconcile with their own parents, who may be angry about the teen's unexpected pregnancy. Source: Pretoria (AUS) News

Labels: mothers, assistance, teenage_pregnancy

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A 31-year-old woman from Minnesota is facing trial for an adoption scheme in which she allegedly defrauded four women. Telling the fraud victims that she was pregnant and wanted to place the child up for adoption, she allegedly received money for phone bills, travel and other items.

"Last year, [Marie] Arquillo told the Chronicle-Telegram about the ordeal, saying she thought her prayers were answered when someone replied on an online message board about adoption. The woman, who said her name was Bella... emailed her and said she was pregnant with a girl and that she'd chosen Arquillo's profile as the potential parent."

Though Arquillo herself never lost any money, she said the other women who had been schemed lost about $10,000 between them. The woman accused of perpetrating the fraud has pleaded not guilty, and will face trial in February. Source: The Chronicle-Telegram (OH)

Labels: scheme, fraud

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The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, public library is currently hosting a photo exhibit designed to promote area adoption and foster care opportunities.

"The Heart Gallery is a project that raises awareness of the need for adoptive and foster parents. The display features photos of about 20 Summit County [OH] children who are waiting to be adopted."

The exhibit will be at the library on Third Street through the end of October. Source: Ohio.com

Labels: awareness, prospective_parents, promotion

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Since 1998, U.S. families have adopted more than 2,500 children from Guatemala. Every adoptive parent has their own reasons, whether spiritual, humanitarian, or cultural. Regardless of why they decided to adopt, these parents have provided their children with opportunities that weren't available in the kids' birth country.

"Joel Neikirk said the world already had a lot of orphans, and instead of bringing another child into the world, they would take care of one from a Third World country. Neikirk said he had always wanted to adopt because he had been adopted."

International adoptions can cost up to $25,000 or $30,000 dollars, which puts them out of reach for many couples. But tax credits and employer reimbursement programs can help make it possible. Source: The Hays (Kansas) Daily News

Labels: international

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Nona is a single woman who has the means and the love that is needed to create a loving, permanent home for an adopted child. Adopting has been her goal for several years, but she's still waiting - as are many others.

"A federal court has given D.C. two weeks to come up with a plan to fix its adoption system or risk it going back into receivership. Child welfare advocates demanded the court intervene, saying the system is broken."

Statistics seem to support those claims: The adoption rate decreased dramatically from 2005 to 2006, as did the placement of children with permanent guardians. The city won't comment on the state of its adoption system, or whether it intends to abide by the federal court's demand. Source: WJLA Channel 7 News

Labels: frustrations, adoption_system

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Changes to Australia's Adoption Act could make the adoption process easier for everyone involved. Women would no longer have to stop fertility treatments, and both adoptive parents and the adopted child would have access to the child's records before he or she turned 18.

"The changes are among several proposed by the state government to simplify adoptions locally and overseas, including by foster carers. The Minister of Community Services, Linda Burney, said the changes will mean people will no longer need to go through so much red tape."

One of the proposed changes would give adoptive parents copies of a child's original and amended birth certificates, and would allow the child access to the same information. Some child welfare agencies oppose the changes, citing concerns that access to too much information could drive birth parents "underground," leaving more adopted children with less access to their birth parents. Source: Illawarra (AU) Mercury

Labels: australia, adoptive_parents, adoption_process

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Tracy had no plans to become a mother; but her visit to a Croatian orphanage changed that. While she was there, she met Mishi - a three-year-old boy who stole her heart. Thus began her four-year journey to adopt Mishi and bring him back to Wales.

"She wrote to the Croatian Ambassador, but embassy officials told her she couldn't adopt Mishi because the countries had no adoption agreement. So she contacted the Rijeka hospital, where bosses welcomed her dream - and persuaded government officials to authorize the adoption."

Back in Wales, Tracy met just as much resistance from her home country's government. Her social services representative had never even heard of Croatia. But, four years later, Mishi is home and settling well into his new life. Source: Wales on Sunday

Labels: international, obstacles

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When the devastating earthquake hit the Sichuan province of China in May 2008, officials estimated that over 5,000 children had been orphaned. Now, months later, the number has dropped to just over 500, and of those, just 88 are eligible for adoption as most others were taken in by relatives.

"The plight of the children featured strongly in both Chinese and international coverage of the earthquake, as it has done in previous disasters. Initial estimates said that 5,500 children had dead or missing parents, and phone lines in Sichuan provincial offices dealing with them were jammed with calls from would-be carers."

To date, just one child who was caught in the earthquake - Zhong Andi - has been adopted. Though he was living with his grandparents, they agreed to the adoption, believing it would give Andi a chance for a better life. Source: Telegraph (UK)

Labels: orphans, orphanages, China

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China has issued a new policy which allows people to register children who have been adopted illegally. The unusual move is intended to protect the children by guaranteeing their legal rights.

"The guideline, jointly issued by five ministries and made public on Monday, allows people to register their illegally adopted children without fear of punishment... The legal rights of these children are not currently guaranteed, such as permanent residence of a city, schooling, and inheritance."

People who have adopted illegally will not have to meet strict requirements regarding age and health. The new policy also requires anyone who finds an abandoned infant to hand the child over to police immediately. Source: Xinhua News (China)

Labels: international, China

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