Margaret Fleming is a 73-year-old single mother of 12 children and a passionate adoption advocate. She is also the driving force behind an effort to ensure that HIV-positive children find loving homes.

A Jan. 6 Chicago Tribune article by Jennifer Grant provided the following insights into Fleming's work on behalf of HIV-positive children throughout the world:

Fleming is the founder of Adoption-Link Inc., an agency in Oak Park [Illinois] through which she has placed hundreds of children since 1992. During a 2002 visit to Vietnam to meet her now-9-year-old daughter, her eyes were opened to the crisis of children and HIV.

She returned to the U.S. and established Chances by Choice, a program that helps place children born with HIV.

To date, close to 60 such children have found adoptive families.

According to a UNICEF report, about 370,000 children younger than 15 around the world became infected with HIV in 2007. Most infections occur during birth or through breast-feeding. Many of these children are orphaned when their parents die of AIDS.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, HIV

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A Vermont adoption agency is using Skype, an Internet-based communication program, to complete an out-of-state adoption.

A Dec. 7 article on the website boston.com provided the following details about the innovative effort:

The Lund Family Center will use Skype computer software, which will allow the out-of-state family and child to participate in the legal proceeding through a Web cam.

A judge will preside over the event on Monday from St. Albans while the child, family and relatives participate from their home, out-of-state.

The nine-year-old girl, who was in foster care in Vermont for two years, already has been placed with the family. But they thought it could have been traumatic for her to return to Vermont so officials set up the Internet adoption.

Labels: adoption_agencies, technology, internet

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The National Rifle Association has thrown its support behind a Florida bill that would ban adoption agencies in the state from asking potential adoptive parents if they own any firearms.

A Nov. 17 post by Amy Hatch of ParentDish.com provided the following details about the effort:

The bill was prompted by the case of a Brevard County, Fla., couple who, when applying to adopt a child, were asked if they had guns in their home, according to NBC Miami.

The Miami Herald reports that the couple, who was not named, contacted a lawyer who put them in touch with NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer. The lawyer told the couple that it would be easier to change the law than to sue.

The two were applying to adopt through the Children's Home Society of Florida, which asked the question because it is required by the state Department of Children and Families.

"An adoption agency has no right to subvert the privacy rights of gun owners," Hammer told the Herald.

Labels: adoptive parents, adoption_agencies, guns, weapons

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Adoption Rocks, Inc., was formed two years ago by people who shared a concern for decreasing rates of infant adoptions in Alabama and increasing numbers of babies being born to single moms.

"According to [Donna] Ames, 50 percent of babies born in Mobile County are being born to unwed mothers," the the Press-Register newspaper reported. "Often these single mothers cannot adequately care for their children. Because of abuse and neglect, there are roughly 6,000 children who have been removed from their homes and placed in the legal custody of the state of Alabama."

Adoption Rocks seeks to raise awareness of the need for adoptive parents, and help women better understand what can happen during the adoption process. Ames told the Press-Register that she believed that many women, if faced with an unplanned pregnancy, would choose adoption over other alternatives if they had a better understanding of how adoption works.

Labels: adoption_agencies, advocacy

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Nicolas McCandie Glustien and his wife, first met Kwadwo in the Ghanaian orphanage that was his home. The couple volunteered there for two months, spending much of their time with Kwadwo. They eventually decided to adopt him, and went home to Canada to start the process.

As McCandie Glustien reported in an Oct. 28 article on The Globe and Mail website, things haven't gone smoothly:

Our first requirement was to find an adoption agency willing to work on a pre-identified adoption, which is not the normal route. Imagine Adoption was interested in working with us. Along with their services, the staff provided a lot of support to us in a difficult time, trying to help us navigate numerous hurdles, including the Ghanaian election and change of governments.

Earlier this year, Imagine Adoption filed for bankruptcy numerous families in limbo. Several families agreed to help restructure Imagine to keep it operational, but questions still remain. And while kids on the other side of the world wait for families, families in Canada continuing working to bring their adoptive kids home.

Labels: Canada, adoption_agencies

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In a Sept. 8 feature on Mardie Caldwell, the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, Liz Kellar of TheUnion.com noted that much has changed in the adoption world since Caldwell opened her agency in the mid 1980s:

The adoption process has changed dramatically since the days when a mother gave birth and never saw her child again. Records were sealed and adoption was considered a stigma.

Open adoptions, in contrast, mean the birth mother participates in the adoption process, often choosing the adoptive parents and maintaining contact with the child.

A closed adoption leaves every day open to wondering for the rest of your life, Caldwell said. Leaving them open is my driving force.

International adoptions have gained in popularity, but Caldwell wants Americans to realize there are plenty of children right here who desperately need a home.

Many Americans seek a foreign child to adopt because they have a fear the birth mother might take the child away, Caldwell said.

They also perceive adopting a child from a third-world country as a humanitarian gesture, she added.

They want to give the child a better life, but there are a lot of children waiting right here, she said.

Labels: adoption_agencies

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The Child Welfare League of America and the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute have announced the formation of a strategic partnership. The organizations intend to work together to increase their overall impact in issues related to child and family welfare.

A July 8 Business Wire article provided the following details:

CWLA and the Adoption Institute will remain independent entities, but will formally collaborate on specific research, work products, trainings, advocacy, and other programs and projects designed to improve laws, policies, and practices in the fields of adoption, foster care, and child welfare. ...

A few examples of the wide range of work on which the organizations will initially collaborate are:

• An initiative to increase the number of children, especially those of color, adopted from foster care.
• The planning and convening of a major White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010.
• Development of research-based best practices for adoption agency work with gay and lesbian parents.

According to Business Wire, CWLA's mission is "to lead the nation in building public will to ensure safety, permanence, and well-being of children, youth, and their families by advancing public policy, defining and promoting practice excellence, and delivering superior membership services."

The objective of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute's "to provide leadership and support to improve laws, policies, and practicesthrough sound research, education, and advocacyto enhance the lives of everyone touched by adoption."

Labels: adoption_agencies

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The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has apologized for the use of discriminatory language in an adoption guide booklet.

The Pink Guide to Adoption for Lesbians and Gay Men ... advised would-be adopters: "Don’t worry about society. Children need good parents much more than retarded homophobes need an excuse to whinge [sic], so don't let your worries about society's reaction hinder your desire and ability to give a child a loving, caring home." (Source: The Guardian)

The BAAF has admitted that the phrase was "not appropriate," but stressed that it was a direct quote from an adopter, and did not necessarily reflect the views of the organization. All 100 advance copies of the booklet have been recalled, and the phrase will be changed before the booklet is released to the general public.

Labels: adoption rights, adoption_agencies

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Researchers with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have determined that vaccination records of children who were born in China, Russia, and Guatemala may not be accurate -- and, as a result, parents who have adopted children from these nations should consider having their children tested by a pediatrician to establish their true immunization status.

According to an article on Canada's CBCNews website, the Case Western researchers reached their conclusions after analyzing data on 465 children who were processed through an international adoption clinic between 2001 and 2006:

Children who are adopted from China, Russia and Guatemala may not be protected against polio, measles and other diseases even though their records suggest they are, say researchers who checked for evidence of immunity. ...

"Immunization records should not be accepted as evidence of protective immunity," the study's authors concluded. "Parents should be well informed and supported to choose between re-vaccination or vaccination, based on serologic [blood] testing."

The Case Western study was published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, health, vaccination

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The Florence Crittenton League of Lowell, Massachusetts, has been approved to handle international adoptions with countries that observe the Hague Adoption Convention.

The Lowell (Mass.) Sun reported that the accreditation was issued by the Council on Accreditation in New York, which since July 2006 has been the only national accreditor that is recognized by the U.S. State Department.

The Florence Crittenton League also holds accreditation from the Russian Federation, which is required in order to facilitate the adoption of Russian children.

Labels: international, adoption_agencies, accreditation

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An adoption bill that had already passed in the Kansas state House has now been endorsed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be sent to the full Senate for a vote. The bill amends adoption agency requirements.

"The bill says anybody advertising about dealing in adoptions must include whether they are licensed and if so, in what profession and who issued the license. The bill also says people can't promise a pregnant woman such things as child placement through adoption for using their services."

Though these kinds of issues have not been widespread in Kansas, they do occur. If the measure is passed, Kansas will join 17 other states that have similar laws.

Labels: legislation, adoption_laws, adoption_agencies

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Founded in 1993, the Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project exists to connect Russian orphans with families interested in adopting them.

"Russian adoptions require two trips to Russia - one to meet their child and another to finalize the adoption. But when families work through the Lighthouse Project, the Russian government generally counts the time spent with the child in America as the first visit..."

To date, 500 orphans have found permanent homes through Lighthouse. Source: MLive.com.

Labels: Russia, orphanages, adoption_agencies

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The decision to adopt is a weighty one to which people give considerable thought and discussion. Choosing an adoption agency is the first - and most important - step once a couple or individual has decided to adopt.

"When you hire an agency to help facilitate an adoption, you are putting the future of your family into the hands of strangers for months, perhaps years. It's imperative that you work with an agency with whom you feel completely comfortable and confident."

Be as thorough as possible when researching adoption agencies. While a personal reference is a great start, check with the Better Business Bureau and the state's Attorney General. Find out how long the agency has been in business and if it does business under any other name. It may take a little time to find the agency that's right for you and your family, but it's worth it in the long run.

Visit our Adoption Directory for a list of Adoption Agencies.

Labels: adoption_agencies, adoption professionals

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Months after international adoptions were unceremoniously halted, the Russian government has reaccredited seven U.S. adoption agencies, enabling them to resume their work.

"'We believe this to be a substantial step in the direction of the stability of Russian adoption,' reads a statement on the web site of the International Assistance Group, one of the agencies that was reaccredited. The statement appears along with a copy of the agency's new accreditation document from the Education and Science Ministry, dated June 27."

Eighty-one agencies have yet to receive reaccreditation, and it's unclear whether any non-U.S. agencies have been reaccredited either. The list of the U.S. agencies that are now able to operation in Russia appears in an article in the Moscow Times. Read more at TheMoscowTimes.com.

Therapeutic boarding schools are often the best boarding schools for adopted teens because they offer the kind of support and environment that adopted teens need. Find the best boarding schools at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: international, Russia, adoption_agencies

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The Russian government recently reported that American adoption countries who wanted to operate in Russia would have to apply to be re-accredited or re-registered. But the application must pass through five different government ministries in a process that's so poorly organized it's left many hopeful families waiting indefinitely.

"'From the beginning everybody was very honest that things aren't that great in Russia, but just stick with it,' [Kathleen] Dorrian said. 'I think they want to keep these children in the country, to me I think that has a lot to do with it.'"

The deteriorating political climate between the U.S. and Russia is believed to be adding to the delays, as is the dramatic population decline (estimated at 700,000 a year) in Russia.

Read more online.

Labels: international, Russia, adoption_agencies

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Canadians are trying to decide whether or not pictures should be included in on-line listings of children who are available for adoption. While a final decision hasn't been made yet, there are strong opinions on both sides.

"The majority opinion of those participating in the focus groups made up of professionals, parents and caregivers favored photo listing, although they felt there should be certain restrictions."

Those who opposed the idea expressed concerns about child trafficking, and making birth parents feel as though their children were being "marketed." Read more online.

Labels: adoption_agencies, adoption_rights, privacy

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An adoption agency in Utah called Focus on Children has been accused of tricking people from the island of Samoa into giving their children up for adoption. The agency then supposedly described the children as "orphans" to potential adoptive families.

"More than 80 children were illegally taken from their families by conspirators working through the Wellsville office of Focus on Children (FOC), according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday."

The company, its owners, and employees face over 130 counts of fraud including conspiracy and bringing illegal aliens into the United States. Read more at SLTrib.com.

Labels: adoption_agencies, adoptive_familie

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A May 2 fund-raising event in North Carolina saw over 600 people turn out to support the adoption organization Hopeful Parents. The nonprofit organization provides support to both adoptive and birth families, and helps with the adoption process.

“The Second Empire 5K Classic included a competitive and non-competitive 5K run/walk, a one-mile recreational run/walk sponsored by A Child’s Hope and a kids’ dash. To raise awareness of the adoption process, the event also included an expo with North Carolina-based adoption agencies and supporting organizations on hand to speak with participants.” [Source: 24-7PressRelease]

This was the tenth year for the Empire Classic, which benefits different community organizations each year.

 

Labels: adoption_agencies

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Central Florida may soon have a new organization managing its child-welfare system. State officials put management of the system up for bid, hoping to attract organizations that were both effective and fiscally responsible.

“The two finalists are Family Services of Metro Orlando, the nonprofit that has had the contract for Orange and Osceola for the past six years, and Community Based Care of Seminole, the nonprofit that has had the contract for Seminole County for the past five years. Both agencies were created when DCF [Department of Children and Families] privatized its child-welfare system county by county earlier this decade.” [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

The contract winner will manage foster care, adoptions, and child abuse and neglect cases in both counties. State and county officials plan to make their final decision by September 28th. The winning nonprofit will be awarded a four-and-a-half year contract.

Labels: foster care, adoption_agencies, welfare

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