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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On July 24, Warner Brothers released a film titled Orphan, which tells the fictional story of a young, adopted girl who terrorizes her new family. Many adoption advocates in the United States, Canada, and other nations have expressed their concerns about the effect the film will have on those considering adoption.

The Adoption Council of Canada released a statement saying they were "deeply concerned" the film could hurt their efforts to find homes for 78,000 kids in the welfare system, 30,000 of whom are legally ready for adoption.

Eleven adoption groups in the United States sent a letter to Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. chairman and CEO Barry Meyer complaining that the movie "stereotypes adoptive children." (Source: The Globe and Mail)

In addition to worrying about the movie's effect on potential adoptive parents, several adoption advocates say that they fear adopted children will be subjected to more ridicule as a result of the film.

Labels: advocacy, stereotypes

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The Warner Brothers film "Orphan" opened in theaters last Friday (July 24), and adoption groups are concerned about the affect it will have on the general public - particularly people who are considering adoption. The film depicts a young adopted girl, Esther, who begins killing her classmates.

Adoption and orphan advocates fear the movie feeds what already is a natural concern on the part of some couples who are considering adoption, particularly of an older child. Those advocates also fear the movie could lead to some couples decided altogether not to adopt. -- Source: The Baptist Press

Though it's highly unlikely that parents worry that an adopted child will kill people, many worry about adopting older children who may have emotional and psychological problems. Several adoption advocacy organizations have launched websites aimed at counteracting the damage they fear will be done by the movie.

Labels: advocacy

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Jackie Semar has been interested in adoption for almost 30 years. She's now the executive director for the International Child Foundation, an organization that advocates for international adoption and child welfare in developing countries.

"[Jackie] helped found the International Child Foundation in 2003. The non-profit group facilitates about 20 international adoptions a year of children from countries including Haiti, Guatemala, China, and Khazakstan."

The organization also provides financial support to Haitian orphanages. The money subsidizes nutrition and ensures that the children get enough to eat. Source: Arizona Daily Star

Labels: international, advocacy, non-profit

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Julie and Dana Cadman have three children, all of whom were adopted from Russia. The joy they've experienced from adoption has caused them to form the Cadman Foundation, which helps families raise the money needed for adoption.

"The Cadman Foundation aids adoptions by providing grants to families who are raising funds for the opportunity. With domestic or international adoptions costing up to $40,000, the Cadmans know many families can't pursue a child without incurring major debt."

To date, the Cadman Foundation has provided $20,000 in grants to six families who have adopted internationally. Source: Observe & Eccentric Newspapers, Rochester Hills, Michigan

Labels: Russia, advocacy, financial_assistance

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It's a common problem in every state; foster care kids who age out of the system without being adopted. Last week, an adoption coalition met in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to try and find solutions.

"A recent study by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families found that over the past five years, nearly 1,000 children in foster care aged out without ever having been adopted... Aged out foster kids often don't complete high school and face increased risks of becoming young parents, being homeless and criminal activities."

The best solution, of course, is adoption. Though most states provide some assistance for kids who age out of foster care, the assistance typically ends with the person turns 21. Source: KAIT Television, Jonesboro, Arkansas

Programs for troubled teens, like the one offered at Turn-About Ranch, can help teenagers and their families get past old hurts and move toward successful and healthy relationships.

Labels: advocacy, foster_care, homelessness

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Monday, November 19th is National Adoption Day; a day specially designated to raise awareness about the more than 114,000 children who reside in the foster care system, several hundred of which are available for adoption every year.

"For the last eight years, National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by working with courts, judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies and advocates to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children in state protective custody."

This will be only the second year that National Adoption Day is celebrated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Last year, more than 250 events were planned and over 3,300 adoptions were finalized.

Programs for troubled teens can help families in crisis. Find one today at 4TroubledTeens.com.

Labels: awareness, advocacy, foster_care

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Older children who have been in foster care often are overlooked by those considering adoption, but a display by the Adoption Coalition of Texas showcasing photographs of children in need of a permanent home is intended to help change that. Learn more online.

Labels: teens, advocacy, adoptive_families

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A Minnesota based youth advocacy team helped lead a day-long retreat in Eau Claire designed to empower local fostered and adopted youth to speak out and make their voices heard. Read more online.

Labels: advocacy, foster_care, retreat

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Annette Baran was a clinical social worker who, in 1978, published the book that many consider the catalyst for a movement toward open adoptions.

Baran, who challenged conventional mindsets regarding adoption, died July 11 at the age of 83,

“As time went on, she also encountered many adoptees searching for their birth mothers who were in psychological pain, said Betty Jean Litton, an adoption reform advocate… Moved to crusade for open adoption, Baran joined a novel research project started by a University of California – Los Angeles psychiatrist, Dr. Arthur Sorosky, who noticed that his patients who had been adopted tended to have identity problems.” [Source: The Los Angeles Times]

Baran’s book, The Adoption Triangle, was a result of that UCLA study, and was instrumental in shaping people’s understanding of open adoption.
 

Labels: open_adoption, awareness, advocacy

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