Father's Day may be over for this year, but don't try telling that to Brian Miller. For Miller, a single dad to adopted son Johnathan, every day is Fathers Day -- a day to celebrate his son, and the special relationship they have.

Today, Brian describes Johnathan as both is son and his best friend, but according to a June 19 segment on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," becoming a family wasn't the easiest experience for either one of the Millers:

Johnathan was 7 when Miller adopted him, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of the experience.

Johnathan suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and didn't understand that the adoption was final. He feared that Miller might give him back.

Once when the school called to tell Miller that Johnathan wasn't paying attention, Johnathan ripped the phones out of the wall. He was scared that Miller might change his mind if he did something wrong.

On the flip side, when Miller tried to take privileges  like TV  away from his son, Johnathan would say, "Wait till I tell the judge this one." Then Miller would have to remind him, "It's over Johnathan, you're adopted. There [are] no more judges in your life."

Once Johnathan realized that his home life was, his behavior and academic performance began to improve. For example, when he was first adopted, he was a special education student, but now he attends regular classes.

Labels: adoptive parents, special_needs, fathers

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Jeffrey Dennings and his wife, Natalie, didn't become parents until 2006, when Jeffrey was 42 years old. In 2006, they adopted two boys, one of whom they met at the Kinship Adoption Festival in Southfield, Michigan.

"The event is sponsored by the Michigan Adoption Research Exchange and the Dave Thomas Foundation," the Flint Journal reported. "At the time [the Dennings] wanted a toddler. When they arrived, they learned that the older children in tie-dye shirts also were available. Thats where they met Ken, who was 8 at the time."

The Dennings family is now in the process of adopting two more boys, bothers who are 10 and 13. Jeffrey knows that some people call him crazy, but what others call "crazy" he calls "family."

Labels: adopted children, fathers, older_children

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The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that a man who adopted twin girls from a surrogate mother in South Carolina didn't follow the requirements for interstate compacts.

Indiana child-welfare officials originally said the two girls, who were born in April 2005, were not eligible for out-of-state adoption because state law restricts such moves to cases where the children are considered 'hard to place' due to factors such as race, ethnic background, or disability.

The Supreme Court also ruled that the girls will stay with their adoptive father until the matter is settled.

Source: The Courier-Journal (Kentucky)

Labels: adoption rights, court, fathers, indiana

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From the time he submitted his application, Jose Arevalo had to wait for three years before he was able to adopt. Arevalo represents a new trend, as more single men explore adoption possibilities.

"In August, a report by the National Center for Health Statistics identified more than 73,000 single male adoptive fathers in the United States. Although there are no previous reports for comparison, it is believed the number of single adoptive fathers is rising..."

Though the general trend of single parenthood started with mothers, single fathers are now becoming more common. Jose and his son, Michael, have now been together for two years. Source: Review Journal (Las Vegas)

Labels: single_parenting, fathers, men

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The latest adoption figures from the CDC show that twice as many men as women have adopted a child. The figures debunk one of the most commonly held beliefs about adoption - that most kids are adopted by women.

"Why might men adopt more often than women? Jones points to divorce arrangements. Children of divorced parents usually live with their mothers. When men and women remarry, men are more likely than women to adopt children that come into the household."

Adoption by same-sex couples is another reason the figures for men may be higher than for women. Despite the trend toward same-sex adoptions, men who have never been married are far less likely to adopt than men who are married or have been married before. Source: WebMD

Labels: fathers, men

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Gary and Cindy Stocklaufer gained national attention when Gary claimed that his weight caused a judge to deny his petition to adopt a baby. Jackson County (Missouri) Circuit Court Judge John R. O'Malley made his court order regarding the case public on Tuesday. His order states that the couple was denied the adoption because they violated adoption laws.

"Under Missouri law, it is a felony to bring a child into the state for adoption without getting a court order first. The Stocklaufers failed to do that, O'Malley said, but the judge still agreed to award them temporary custody."

It's not common practice for judges to make court orders available to the public, but Judge O'Malley said he made an exception because of all the publicity surround this particular case. Gerald McGonagle, the couple's attorney, agrees that the initial ruling against the couple was "not totally" based on Gary's weight.

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Labels: court, fathers

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Stuart Griffiths didn't start out with the intent of adopting. As a history major at Kansas University, he was simply trying to help by picking up a young man at a group foster home and taking him to practice. Now, years later, Griffiths has a degree in social work and has adopted five of 32 kids he's cared for through the Kansas foster care system.

"On October 3, all of the Griffiths family traveled to Washington D.C. where Stuart was presented with the CCAI Angel in Adoption Award. He was accompanied to the ceremony by Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, who said in a press release: 'For over a decade now, Stuart has opened his home and his heart to children in need. His efforts are moving and truly inspiring and I'm pleased to have the chance to honor his caring work.'"

Stuart's life is a busy one, but a good one. No longer a foster care parent, he now focuses all his energy on caring for the five boys have become permanent members of his family.

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Labels: support, foster_care, fathers

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Virginia has become the latest state to develop a registry that's designed to identify potential fathers. Registration is voluntary, and state officials say it will help speed up the adoption process.

"Men who have been sexually active with someone who they are not married can voluntarily register. If they do, they will be notified if the potential child is being put up for adoption or if the mother is looking to terminate the father's parental rights."

Registration doesn't establish or prove paternity, but a father who fails to register within 10 days of a child's birth will lose his parental rights. Read more at WDBJ7.com.

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Labels: fathers, parental_rights, adoption_process

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The Florida Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that adoption agencies must notify unmarried men when a child thought to be theirs is being placed for adoption. The ruling comes in the wake of a long court case involving an unmarried man who is trying to restore is parental rights for a boy who was born in August, 2005.

"The court's opinion says men believed to be a child's biological father must be notified of the mother's adoption plan, and that he has 30 days to file a paternity claim with the Putative Father Registry. If he does not file a claim with the registry, his parental rights may be terminated, the opinion states."

The Registry was created in 2003 to prevent birth fathers from contesting adoptions months or years after the adoption had been finalized. Heart of Adoptions, Inc. attorney Jeanne Tate called the ruling a "victory", stating that it will create more "certainty and stability" in the adoption process. Read more at ChronicleOnline.com.

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Labels: adoption rights, biological_parents, fathers

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Between 2001 and 2006, the number of dads who took a family leave of absence increased significantly from 38 percent to 55 percent. Most of them returned to work quickly, within a month, but the increase is still worth noting.

"Wes Kee wasn't originally going to take a leave for the arrival of his first baby, but his son's premature delivery led him to revise those plans - and six months at home with the newborn changed his outlook. 'I enjoyed it. I liked being there with my son. It was bonding time,' said Kee, 34, adding that he would stay home for the birth of another child."

Whether for a birth or adoption, more new fathers are beginning to understand how much impact they can really have in the life of a child, whether directly, or indirectly simply by helping the mother. Read more at CNews.Canoe.ca.

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Labels: laws, fathers, leave

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Seth, an incarcerated New Mexico youth, recently wrote a letter of apology to his father. He’s trying to take responsibility for robbing his father’s house on Christmas Eve. Filmmaker Justin Hunt, however, wonders who’s taking responsibility for Seth. Hunt addresses the topic in his new film “Absent.”

“While Hunt acknowledges there are absent mothers also in the world, he said the subject of absent fathers particularly interested him because of the magnitude of the issue worldwide. Undoubtedly, he said, fathers tend to leave families more often. Farmington [New Mexico] Juvenile Detention Center Director Traci Neff sees the results every day. More than 90 percent of juveniles incarcerated at the center did not have fathers in their lives, Neff said.” [Source: Farmington (MN) Daily-Times]

Many of the young men Hunt interviewed for his film admitted they would have made different decisions if they’d had a father figure in their lives. “Absent” premiered Saturday, August 28th in Albuquerque.

 

Labels: medical_records, parenting, fathers, loss

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