Adoption Issues

Adoption News and Information from Adoptive Families

2005-12-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Myths may be half-truths, but these half-truths just aren't good enough when it comes to a subject as important as adoption. It's certainly no surprise that people who are unfamiliar with adoption buy into many of these myths, especially when they're perpetuated by the media and the culture in general; what is surprising is that lots of us within the adoption circle have certain misinformed beliefs about adoption that continue to flourish in our community. These are some of the myths...

Adoption News and Information from Adoptive Families

Adoption: A second chance at family

2005-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

The bright yellow balloon lolls above the heads of the three young children before sinking down to the floor, where all three scamper after it.

In the kitchen, two older girls, looking the picture of prim and proper, help their mother set the dinner table.

It is a warm and cozy family scene that a little over a year ago seemed like an unimaginable dream for Karen Brothers and Olivia Hernandez.

A second chance at family

Rockford Register Star - Rockford's Newspaper and Website - Local & State News

2005-11-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

"Sitting in their cozy living room the day before Thanksgiving, surrounded by toys, pictures, kids and pets, the Journys smiled and laughed often recounting their two trips to Korea ? the first, in March 2004, to adopt Bryce, and the second, earlier this month, to meet Kyele. They?re thankful that they were able to bring Kyele home in time for the family?s holiday celebration today, where she has new relatives to meet. They?re even more thankful for what the second trip meant to them as a family."

Rockford Register Star - Rockford's Newspaper and Website - Local & State News

WHOI - National Adoption Month

2005-11-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

"November is National Adoption Month, a time when adoptive families celebrate their recent additions and agencies take the time to educate people about the adoption process.

And one local family is sharing their experience - in hopes of helping others with their struggles of creating a family."

WHOI - National Adoption Month

Adoption reunion bridges 20 years | IndyStar.com

2005-11-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

"Emily Means doesn't remember the first time she had her picture taken 20 years ago with a group of children adopted through the efforts of attorney Steve Kirsh.
It's understandable. She was in diapers and crying at the time."

Adoption reunion bridges 20 years | IndyStar.com

Adoption Day Family Has 13th Reason To Smile

2005-11-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Amid a flurry of pink-shirted children Friday, Alan Pedigo tried to keep order. He was more upbeat than successful.

"When you live with them every day, it's not quite so overwhelming," the father of 15 -- make that 16 -- children said.

Adoption Day Family Has 13th Reason To Smile

21 children get new homes on Westchester's Adoption Day

2005-11-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

"Approaching the bench in Judge Joan O. Cooney's courtroom yesterday was to sidestep stuffed animals and balloons and walk past rows of dressed-up children waiting for their adoptions to become official.

They sat formally before Cooney as she signed their papers, then smiled for their first photos as newly minted families. By the end of the day, 21 adoptions had been performed.'

Westchester's Adoption Day

Adoption process can go several ways

2005-10-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Bradenton Herald | 10/22/2005 | Adoption process can go several ways:

"Adoptions are usually arranged either through an agency or an attorney who specializes in adoptions. Adoption agencies are either public or private. Public agencies, which are usually operated by state governments, tend to deal mainly with older children who have medical or psychosocial special needs."

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Ethiopia's adoption dilemma

2005-10-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

"At the Kids Care Orphanage in Addis Ababa, hundreds of newborn babies - some of them only days old - are cared for until people are ready to adopt them."

"Most of the parents are from abroad. The adoption of Ethiopian children by foreigners has increased sharply in the past few years, with thousands of parents from various parts of the Western world adopting children from this impoverished nation."

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Ethiopia's adoption dilemma

Oswego Daily News - Oswego, New York - Grant To Children Awaiting Parents Organization To Give Voice To Children Waiting For Adoption

2005-10-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Grant To Children Awaiting Parents Organization To Give Voice To Children Waiting For Adoption

ROCHESTER, NY – The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has awarded a $45,000 grant to Children Awaiting Parents (CAP) for "A Right to be Heard," a program that empowers older children waiting for adoption in 18 NY State counties to speak in their own voices. Children Awaiting Parents serves Oswego County.

In Shadow Of Adoption

2005-08-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

"TAMPA - They went to Vietnam for the same reason - two women trying to find homes for abandoned children.
Mai-Ly Latrace, 32, of St. Petersburg, arranges international adoptions and says working with orphans is a calling from God. Her heart breaks when she sees a child in need, she says, and she has worked tirelessly to place children with loving parents overseas.

Parents such as Carrie West of Roswell, Ga. But West says her attempts to adopt in Vietnam were marred by lies and fraud. She places the blame on Latrace, who West says isn't building families but instead is trafficking children. "

In Shadow Of Adoption

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > Grieving in silence

2005-08-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

"TODAY marks the 3rd International Conference of Adoptive Parents and their Filipino Children at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. One essential issue that will, in all probability, be tackled is the continuing secrecy of Filipino adoptions. In a predominantly Catholic society that disallows premarital sex and contraception, there are admittedly many unmarried pregnant women exiled by disgraced families to conceive their babies in secret for adoption after birth. Rejoining their families, they are expected to maintain their silence about the adoption and they often do, but spend years silently grieving for their lost children. Hopefully, this international conference will encourage them to break their silence and talk about their pain. "

Grieving in silence

WCCO: Summer Program Helps Russian Orphans Find Families

2005-08-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

"There are hundreds of thousands of Russian children living in orphanages right now. The older they get, the less chance they are adopted. And thousands are released from orphanages every year to face a bleak future."
Summer Program Helps Russian Orphans Find Families

NPR : Foreign Adoption of African-American Babies Grows

2005-07-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Americans adopted more than 22,000 foreign-born children last year. But the trend is reversed for some African-American and mixed-raced babies born in the United States. Those children are leaving the country, adopted by foreigners living abroad.

Among those adopting U.S.-born African-American babies are Earl Stroud and his partner, Allison Darke, of Ottawa, Canada. Both are Caucasian. They adopted their son Ethan, who is black, shortly after he was born in Chicago.

No one has a full count on the number of black babies from America being adopted by foreigners, but Tom Atwood of the National Council for Adoption calls it a relatively rare phenomenon. "Maybe we're talking about a couple hundred or so children a year," he says. "[That's] small when compared to the 128,000 adopted by Americans each year."

Jolie's adoption breaks relatives hearts : HindustanTimes.com

2005-07-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Asian News International
Washington, July 16, 2005

"Angelina Jolie might have adopted a daughter out of maternal love, but if her grandmother is to be believed, Jolie took her away forcibly.

According to Star magazine, the girl baby, Zahara is the granddaughter of Almaz Blfnhe who helped deliver her and cared for her after the death of her mother.

"No woman wants to give away her own flesh and blood. Each day I would be in tears as I took her to the adoption office. They would send me away. But they eventually realised I did not have the money, and they took her from me and said they could give her a better life," Alma was quoted as saying.

"All I ask is that one day Ms. Angelina could send me a picture of my granddaughter so I can remember her and those beautiful big brown eyes, they are just like my daughter's eyes," she added."

Jolie's adoption breaks relatives hearts : HindustanTimes.com

Adoption: Iron Curtain Comes Down on Russian Orphans - COLUMN - MOSNEWS.COM

2005-07-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

"The head of the Prosecutor General’s office, having gotten himself actively involved in protecting the rights of Russia’s orphans, made an unexpected announcement that vacations abroad by the wards of foster homes and orphanages get in the way of these children getting parents at home."

Adoption: Iron Curtain Comes Down on Russian Orphans

Wait for adoption: 8 years and counting

2005-06-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

"FORT MYERS — A Southwest Florida family says it is taking seemingly forever for them to adopt a little boy. The Florida Department of Children and Families tries to find what it calls "Forever Families" for children waiting for adoption."

8 years and counting

Adoption happy ending

2005-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

"Cindy Kraft can finally come home.

The wife of Bryan, Texas, physician Joe Kraft has been living in squalor in Haiti for more than six months while raising four abandoned children whom the government told her she couldn't have. Roaches, dirty water and threats to her safety have been part of her daily struggle."

Happy Ending

Couple prepare to hurdle adoption barrier

2005-06-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

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Couple prepare to hurdle adoption barrier

Birthmother's Choice

2005-06-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

"This is a web site specifically designed for birth mothers only. This site was put together by professionals who have years of experience working with, living with, and being a birth parent. "

Birth mothers only

Juggling Congress, adoption not easy

2005-05-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

"The highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress never breaks a sweat when she presides over committee hearings or takes questions from reporters at weekly House leadership briefings.

But three years ago, Pryce had just received a phone call from an adoption agency that a 3-day-old girl could be picked up immediately."

Juggling Congress, adoption not easy

The Faces of Adoption

2005-04-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

"The exhibit, which debuts at an invitation-only gala this evening, features pictures of 50 Colorado children who have waited the longest for adoption."

The Faces of Adoption

Gladney Center for Adoption Presents The 2005 Gladney Cup Weekend of Events

2005-04-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

"Gladney Center for Adoption is one of the oldest and largest maternity homes and adoption agencies in the United States. Proceeds raised through participation in The Gladney Cup Weekend of Activities will benefit Gladney in creating bright futures through adoption. Marvin and Margaret Bush, Gladney Adoptive Parents of two beautiful children, are serving as Gladney Cup co-chairs. Lyle Lovett will be performing a benefit concert and PGA Golfer, Kirk Triplett, will be playing in the golf tournament."

Gladney Center for Adoption Presents The 2005 Gladney Cup Weekend of Events - Lyle Lovett and PGA Golfer, Kirk Triplett, to Headline Activities April 30 - May 2

AMERICANS ADOPT RUSSIAN CHILDREN MORE OFTEN THAN RUSSIANS

2005-04-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

"The United States is a country where Russian children are adopted most often: a fourth (about 5,000) out of the 20,000 children adopted by Americans annually are Russian. In all, 7,852 children were adopted by foreigners in Russia in 2003, which is even more than by Russians. Meanwhile, since 1996 at least twelve Russian children have died in the United States, the daily Russian Gazette writes.

AMERICANS ADOPT RUSSIAN CHILDREN

Adopted Russian girls arrive in area

2005-04-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Adopted Russian girls

"Adapting to life on an eastern Montana farm is a whole new and exciting time for two Russian girls who have recently been adopted by a rural Bainville family.

Liza, 12, and Oksana, 7, who will start school in Bainville this week, are excited and happy to be in America and a part of a loving family."

Film Review: 'Holy Lola' -the experience of foreign adoption

2005-04-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

"Plenty of films have dealt with the longing for a child or the emotional and political ramifications of adoption. But "Holy Lola," Bertrand Tavernier's vivid and affecting new film, immerses viewers in the experience of foreign adoption."

Yahoo! News - Film Review: 'Holy Lola'

Easing families' path to adoption

2005-04-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

"Three new laws will make it easier and less expensive to adopt the 800 Colorado kids who need parents."

Easing families' path to adoption

Adoption Advocate Answers Your Questions

2005-03-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Adoption Advocate Answers Your Questions

" "20/20's" Elizabeth Vargas recently reported on an international adoption scandal stemming from the adoption of children from Cambodia. In her report, Vargas spoke with Trish Maskew, president and chief executive officer of Ethica: A Voice for Ethical Adoption, who advocates better regulation of both domestic and international adoption."

Adoption was the 'best decision we've ever made'

2005-03-29T04:15:00.000-08:00

"When Tim and Christina decided they wanted to start a family, adoption wasn't the Bloomfield Hills couple's first choice."

"After years of fertility treatments, we said we would continue with the process until I turned 40," Christina said. "When that didn't work out, we decided to try adoption. ... I can now say that is the best decision we've ever made in our lives."

Adoption

ADOPTED KIDS - VISITORS IN THEIR NATIVE LAND

2005-03-27T17:38:00.000-08:00

Andrea Laarman left Pandharpur, India, as a 16-month-old orphan.
She returned this year as an 18-year-old Grand Rapids high school student -- and was welcomed back to her birth city by three days of local newspaper headlines: "American Sneha Returns to the Ashram."

ADOPTED KIDS

US senator urges reforms in Indian adoption laws

2005-03-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

"My mission is connected with neither IT nor outsourcing - they are not an issue. I am here to create a diplomatic tide to advance the cause of adoption," Craid said.

US senator urges reforms in Indian adoption laws

E.C. minister sees need to toughen adoption law

2005-03-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

"An East Chicago minister who helped wage the community fight to reunite Baby Tamia with her family in Chicago is calling for new legislation to control predatory adoptions."

E.C. minister sees need to toughen adoption law

Child at center of interstate adoption fight returned to Illinois

2005-03-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

"CHICAGO - (KRT) - A months-long custody battle over an infant girl that began with her Chicago mother's toll-free call to a Utah adoption agency ended Thursday in the arms of her grandmother at O'Hare International Airport."

KRT Wire | 03/24/2005 | Child at center of interstate adoption fight returned to Illinois

interstate adoption battle -Good chance Tamia is coming back

2005-03-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

"Six-month-old Baby Tamia -- who has spent half her life at the center of an interstate adoption battle -- is likely on her way back to Illinois.

But it will be up to a Cook County judge to decide whether the child is placed back with her Chicago family or remains in the protective custody of child welfare officials."

Good interstate adoption battle

Utah Couple in Adoption Battle With Chicago Family

2005-03-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

"CHICAGO (AP) - A baby locked in a custody battle between a Utah couple and a Chicago mother who gave the baby up for adoption is living in an emergency shelter after Salt Lake City police allegedly discovered drugs in the couple's home."

Adoption Battle

Love found - An older child adpoption

2005-03-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

"It's tough for older foster children to find permanent homes. But a local adoption agency is building a model for success."

Love found

Asian adoptees, American parents, struggle to mesh cultures

2005-03-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Growing up on Long Island, where almost everyone around her was white, Lee-Ann Hanham would forget she had been adopted from South Korea. Really forget, she said, until she would pass a mirror.

"And you would stop and you would be surprised that, 'Oh my God, I'm not 5 foot 10, blond-haired and blue- eyed,' " Hanham recalls.

Asian adoptees, American parents, struggle to mesh cultures

Chinese adoption story is an odyssey of love

2005-03-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

"As Julie and Craig Gaines strolled the streets of Nanchang, China, unexpected and remarkable episodes began to develop and kept recurring.
People would walk up to them and lay a gentle hand on their just-adopted daughter, Emma Li, and, with a universal smile, utter in English, "Lucky baby."

Chinese adoption story is an odyssey of love

Nonprofit adoption agency reaches milestone

2005-03-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

"HAZLET — The adoption process is never an easy one. Between the paperwork that must be filled out and approved, and then the actual waiting time to get custody of the child, it can feel like an eternity for prospective parents.

But thanks to one local organization, there is a chance for people to build a family through domestic and international adoption. "

Nonprofit adoption agency reaches milestone

The matrix of India's adoption laws

2005-03-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

"[India News]: New Delhi, March 16 : A US-based couple's struggle to take their Indian baby home may have finally come to an end, but the country's complex adoption laws continue to intimidate, confound and keep prospective parents away."

The matrix of India's adoption laws

Nonprofit adoption agency reaches milestone

2005-03-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Dreams come true with adoption

2005-03-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

"Families come easily to some people. A man and woman meet, fall in love, marry and create babies. With a combination of strength, faith and luck, the family endures until death divides it. But when this linear progression fails, when events occur out of order or are missed altogether, challenges ensue.
"

Dreams come true with adoption

Adoption ban pains U.S. families

2005-03-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

"In January, a Romanian law went into effect that bans foreign adoption, solidifying a moratorium first imposed in 2001. The law came in response to criticism that the country's child welfare system was corrupt, including allegations that Romanian babies were being sold off and mistreated around the world.

But for about 200 American families engaged in the adoption process with the Romanian government -- and many more in other countries -- the law blocks them from children they want to help and, in many cases, consider their own. "

Adoption ban

Adoption agencies urged to change

2005-03-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

Posted on Sat, Mar. 12, 2005

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The backlog of children languishing in foster care could be sharply reduced if state agencies were more helpful to prospective parents asking about adoptions, according to a report.

Fewer than one out of 16 adults who make initial inquiries actually ends up adopting, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute said.

The report urges state agencies to set up hot lines staffed by well-trained employees who provide callers with immediate, encouraging responses.

Throughout the process, state employees should strive to avoid alienating applicants, be cordial in broaching the issue of background checks and provide clear information, it said.

The report's lead researcher, Jeff Katz, formerly headed Rhode Island's state adoption agency. He and his colleagues surveyed more than 40 states, analyzed federal data and conducted interviews in Boston, Miami and San Jose, Calif.

Tax tip: adoption tax credit

2005-03-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

"For most adoptive parents, the 2004 credit provides up to $10,390 and applies to the adoption of any child, including one who has special needs that could make him or her difficult to place. And a few years ago, the earnings limit was hiked, making it easier for well-paid adoptive parents to use this tax break."

More adoption tax credit info

BAW: Adoption Agencies: Demand for Black Babies Up Outside of the U.S.

2005-03-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

"The number of black American-born babies adopted by overseas families has increased significantly in recent years, with black babies being placed with Canadian couples more than ever before, according to several prominent U.S. adoption agencies. "

BAW: Adoption Agencies

International adoptions are becoming more popular

2005-03-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

By:Nancy Johnson

Florida - So many people want a family of their own. Some turn to adoption. But domestic adoption nightmares are forcing many to go overseas.

International adoptions are becoming more popular. Susan Fremer runs the Florida office of "Great Wall China Adoption." She and her husband traveled 8,000 miles to China to adopt two of their daughters.

SUSAN FREMER / GREAT WALL CHINA ADOPTION:
"When I heard all the stories about the abandoned babies over there, I said we have to go."

The risks of domestic adoptions are a scary reality for many. They fear cases like that involving the 3 year old Jacksonville boy who was caught in a custody battle recently.

JEANNE TRUDEAU TATE / HEART OF ADOPTIONS:
"They wait forever to be able to be a parent, going through infertility and uncertainty of that. To think there would be an opportunity for that child to be taken away from you really sends people to look at other options."

In 2002, about 21,000 children were adopted internationally. Most of the orphans issued immigrant visas come from Russia, China and South Korea. Adoption attorney, Jeanne Tate, suggests that families adopting internationally make it legal in the United States as well to be sure there arent problems later on.

For more information on international adoptions:

Susan Fremer
Florida Regional Office
Great Wall China Adoption
sfremer@tampabay.rr.com

Tampa Bay's 10 News

The Ugly Side of the Multi-Billion Dollar Adoption Business

2005-03-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

" While the image of a would-be adopter begging an expectant mother to relinquish her child is familiar to my eyes, it is not something that should be portrayed as acceptable on a well-loved television program like "Friends." In fact, I would go so far as to say that the media should refrain from ever showing the act of adoption in a positive light."

The Ugly Side of the Multi-Billion Dollar Adoption Business

Pair accused of adoption scam after pledging twins

2005-03-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

"For months, a Des Plaines couple pregnant with twins made plans to give the babies up for adoption.

Easter House, a Chicago-based adoption agency, paid the rent, food and other expenses for the couple while lining up a prospective family for the soon-to-arrive kids.

But according to a lawsuit recently filed in Cook County, it was a scam."

Adoption scam

PENELOPE CRUZ'S ADOPTION OFFER TURNED DOWN

2005-03-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

"Spanish actress PENELOPE CRUZ is devastated an Indian adoption agency rejected her offer to adopt a baby she "fell in love with" - because she wasn't married.

The BLOW star begged authorities to let her mother a homeless child, during her work with MOTHER TERESA's missionaries in Calcutta four years ago (01).

But despite her unsuccessful attempt to take the child home, she's determined to adopt a baby within the next five years.

She explains, "My brother can't wait for me to have a baby so that I can relax a little bit. Last week I said I'd have a baby by the time I'm 35. I want a family.

"I also want to adopt a baby, even if I have my own. When I was in India I tried to adopt because I saw a baby that I fell in love with. But they didn't let me because I wasn't married. Something very strange happened, it's like we recognised each other."

Cruz's plans have fuelled speculation she's planning to settle down with her current current boyfriend, actor MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY.

The Many Miracles of Adoption

2005-03-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

"Adoption is obviously a life-altering process for the adopted child, but we don't always hear much about how the adoptive family is changed and shaped as they open their home and hearts to a child. For the Chapmans, the move from being a family of five to one of eight has brought unforeseen blessings. Steven and Mary Beth say that parenting a second set of children has given them a whole new understanding of who they are as parents and their real role in the lives of their children."

Miracles of Adoption

Adoptive mother shares story of open adoption

2005-03-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

"...open adoption, a process where a couple gains custody of a child after the birth parents choose them.

The Green Bay News-Chronicle Online - local news

Pair guilty in twin adoption scam

2005-03-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

"A Wetumpka woman accused of using her infant twins as bait in a nationwide adoption scam has pleaded guilty along with her mother to theft by deception charges."

adoption scam

Decatur family adopts daughter from China

2005-03-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

"Jim and Barbara Kitson adopted an 8-year-old girl. Since they are in their 50s, they were told they could get a girl 3 to 5 years old. Waiting time would be about a year."

"If they would take an older child, the process would be expedited. They agreed, and in three months they brought to Decatur a girl from an orphanage who had been abandoned twice."

This is a different Chinese adoption story.

Agency hopes photos will spur adoptions

2005-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

"Ron Hancock said he knew as soon as he saw Steven's photograph that the grinning 15-year-old boy with the buzz haircut would become his son."

""He just looked like one of us," said the 42-year-old Hancock, who adopted the boy last year after seeing his portrait in an exhibition of children available for adoption through the state.""

Agency hopes photos will spur adoptions

JS Online: Mission: Adoption

2005-02-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

"The first time Capt. Scott Southworth visited the orphanage in Baghdad, the little boy was drawn to him immediately."

"The boy, who has cerebral palsy and cannot walk, half-crawled, half-dragged himself across the floor until he was seated at Southworth's side, then gazed up at him with a crooked smirk."

"People ask me how I chose him, but I didn't. He chose me," Southworth said.

Mission: Adoption

Mothers who have given up children for adoption help one another deal with possible reunions

2005-02-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

"When Ann Weis was 16 years old, she was faced with a heartbreaking decision."

"She was about to give birth. Her choices were to get married, raise the baby by herself, have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption."

Mothers who have given up children for adoption help one another

Ruling allows adoption of girl rescued from fire

2005-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

"Juvenile Court Judge C. Fenning Pierce this week gave Coshocton County Job & Family Services permanent custody of the 5-year-old girl whose parents are serving prison terms for chaining her to a crib and trapping her in a house fire."

"The judge's ruling clears the way for the adoption of Karen Stewart."

"Her parents, Gerald L. Stewart, 33, and Ridgley A. Allington, 36, have 30 days to appeal the ruling, which permanently takes away their parental rights."

Ruling allows adoption of girl rescued from fire - coshoctontribune.com

Seniors embrace toddler's adoption

2005-02-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

"Adopting an infant when you are 67 and are enjoying the freedom of retirement and spending time playing with your grandchildren, is not something you consider lightly."

Age posed little problems for new parents

Down syndrome no longer an adoption deterrent

2005-02-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

Posted on Wed, Feb. 23, 2005

By ERIC ADLER

Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Diane and David Petersohn of Liberty, Mo., want to adopt a baby.

They don't care about eye color or hair color. They don't care about race. They would prefer a little girl, but if a boy comes along ... fine.

Their one condition is the same as that of an increasing number of parents: They want a baby with Down syndrome.

"Talk about the prayer of my heart," said the stay-at-home mom, 36. "That would be a dream."

These days it may also be a dream deferred. As part of what is surely a sign of changing attitudes about Down syndrome and its medical realities, parents now asking to adopt children with the chromosomal disorder are being told, get in line, there's a waiting list.

"A baby with Down syndrome was once thought to be unadoptable," said Gloria Hochman, director of the Philadelphia-based National Adoption Center. "Now people are eager."

In Stilwell, Kan., the Special Additions adoption agency, which facilitates overseas adoptions and domestic adoptions of children with special needs, said that whenever the agency is presented with a child with Down syndrome, parents practically compete to adopt.

"I was working on trying to place a little baby in the last couple weeks," said the agency's social work supervisor, Katie Sharp. "I have had 10 to 15 families that want the baby."

Hopeful parents who want these children almost invariably have had experience with children with Down syndrome. Or they are professionals who have cared for children with the disorder.

In Ohio, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati keeps a list of parents nationwide waiting to adopt kids with what it calls DS. The waiting list is 150 names long. Couples are waiting months to up to two years.

"It averages five to six calls per week. It has probably doubled from five years ago," said Robin Steele who started the list and the organization's adoption awareness program 23 years ago. Several years before she and her husband had adopted their first child, 4-year-old Martha, who has Down syndrome, out of foster care.

Martha is now 33.

The Steeles have eight children, from toddlers to adulthood. Only one, Ben, 18, is their biological son. The rest - from Martha to 9-year-old Cody - were adopted out of foster care.

"The agency believed she was unadoptable," Robin Steele said. "It was love at first sight. We met Martha and thought she was meant to be in our family."

Many feel likewise, for many reasons.

Thirty years ago, and certainly even today, the birth of a baby with Down syndrome often devastated parents. Information about the chromosomal disorder was limited. Schools, doctors and the community offered little to no help. Many couples, envisioning a lifetime of care with no respite, relinquished their children to group foster homes or state institutions.

Today, vastly more is known about Down syndrome. Society's view of the disorder and those who have it has dramatically changed.

"Today, pretty much everyone knows someone with Down syndrome," said Amy Allison, executive director of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City. "The stigma isn't there any more."

Indeed, children with Down syndrome now attend public schools, join sports teams, and graduate from high school. More adults with Down syndrome live on their own, in group homes, and even marry. They work in the community and live semi-independent lives. Stories of individuals with Down syndrome attending college are still rare, but are becoming more frequent.

Last week, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt announced, as part of a budget cutting plan, that he wanted to slash state services to children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Blunt said the state cannot afford the $27.7 million First Steps Program funded by the state and federal government. The trend in other states, however, had been the reverse. State and community services have mushroomed.

And although, medically, the disorder poses significant challenges, fewer parents now see them as insurmountable.

"Today, the outlook for a baby with Down syndrome is much better than it was even 10 years ago," said physician and geneticist Merlin Butler, director of the Pediatric Down Syndrome Clinic at Kansas City's Children's Mercy Hospital, one of the largest clinics in the nation.

A result of these changes is an adoption waiting list.

On one hand, you get people willing to adopt because they don't see Down syndrome as a burden. They see it as a manageable difference. With the variety of adoptive parents growing to include gay couples, single people, mix-raced and older couples, there are just more people willing to adopt.

On the other hand, you have more biological parents feeling the same way. The result:

"People are keeping their kids. A lot of people with Down syndrome kids just don't give up their children anymore," said Andrea Schneider, family coordinator for Adopt-A-Special-Kid, an agency based in Oakland that arranges special needs adoptions throughout northern California.

So even if you want to adopt, there are fewer children with Down syndrome available to adopt. Early prenatal screening for Down syndrome is a factor.

Today, tests can detect Down syndrome as early as nine to 11 weeks into a pregnancy.

"We hear there is a 90 percent termination rate," said Allison of Kansas City's Down syndrome guild. "There are just fewer children being born with Down syndrome."

Adoptive couples such as the Petersohns know what that means.

"We actually have our names on a couple of lists," Diane Petersohn said. "But it's pretty competitive out there."

It is clear who adopts and why, experts say.

More than 90 percent are people such as the Petersohns who have some experience with Down syndrome.

Sometimes they have had brothers or sisters, uncles, aunts, friends, neighbors or, frequently, other children with the disorder. Others tend to be nurses, doctors, therapists, special educators.

Diane Petersohn is a stay-at-home mom. Dave works as a binder for Rapid Solutions Group. Their Christian faith is essential to their lives. They have four biological children and three children they have adopted out of foster care.

One of those children is their daughter Darcie, 4, who came to them in 2001. She has Down syndrome. Their desire to adopt again extends from their great experience with Darcie.

"We fell in love with her very quickly when we got her," Diane Petersohn said. "You find that the love starts to outweigh the fear."

Bill and Cindy Kieber, both 46, of St. Joseph, Mo., adopted their son, Hunter, in 2003 after losing their biological son, Billy, to leukemia two years earlier. Billy was 8 years old. Hunter has Down syndrome. So did Billy.

"Billy brought us such joy and love and taught us that it was OK to be different," Cindy Kieber said. "When he died, we were lost."

Adopting Hunter, she said, "made us happy again. We have something to look forward to again. We have someone who needs us, someone to care for. Every day, when Bill (her husband) comes home exhausted and Hunter looks up and gives him a kiss and a hug, that's all he needs."

In Leawood, Kan., Tim and Melissa Walline had long wanted to adopt because Melissa had been adopted. Already they had four boys, one with Down syndrome.

Then Grace, now 5, came along when she was 2 days old. Her parents, Koreans in the United States, had just put her up for adoption.

"I think God just said we're supposed to have this child," Melissa Walline said.

Then there are Jill and Shawn Jones of Lee's Summit, Mo., who adopted their son, Dylan, 9, when he was almost 2 years old. Jill Jones is a speech therapist who works with kids with special needs.

They wanted a baby and had tried fertility treatments. They looked into foreign adoption. It was too expensive.

"We got to talking about what we really wanted," Jill Jones said. "For us, we wanted to share our lives with a child. Did it have to be a biological child? No. Did he even have to be the same race as us? No. Then we thought about what child needed us most. We decided it would be special needs."

None of the parents are fooling themselves, they said. Raising a child with Down syndrome can be challenging.

Most states offer a variety of free or low-cost services to very young children with special needs, including occupational, physical and speech therapy.

In Missouri, close to 2,000 children from birth to 18 are in the foster care system awaiting adoption. In Kansas, the number is 700. It is unclear how many have Down syndrome.

But when a child is adopted out of foster care in Missouri or Kansas, the states not only charge little or nothing for the adoption (private adoptions can reach $10,000), but in most cases the states also subsidize part of the child's care. In Missouri, families adopting out of foster care receive $225 to $304 each month depending on the child's age.

Nevertheless, for some prospective parents the list of Down syndrome-linked maladies, alone, can be daunting. Every child with Down syndrome is different. So are their problems.

From mild to severe, they can include congenital heart problems, digestive problems, lung problems, thyroid and immune system problems. A few of the children are susceptible to leukemia. Some children develop ear infections that lead to hearing problems. Hearing problems lead to speech delay. Other early problems include weak muscle tone and unstable neck vertebrae.

"We haven't even mentioned the brain," said Butler of Children's Mercy who called the developmental delays "global."

Cindy Kieber of St. Joseph said that something as normal as finding a babysitter can become a major endeavor. Speech, occupational and physical therapies become daily routines.

"Parents with children with Down syndrome need to be committed with what they are doing, or they are not going to succeed," Cindy Kieber said. "We work on every skill. We work on speech. It's not like we sit Hunter in the corner and he plays. Play is work for us."

The parents worry about their kids' friends and education. They worry about their health, safety and future. A prime goal for all the parents, they said, is to prepare their kids for adulthood and to live as independently as possible, perhaps in a group home or through assisted living.

Always, they said, the joy and love that comes with adopting a child with Down syndrome far outweigh any of the challenges.

"From the day we got her," Melissa Walline said of her daughter, Grace, "she has been nothing but a blessing to us."

American Pleas Made for Russian Adoption

2005-02-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

"MOSCOW -- A group of 7,000 American families who have adopted Russian children appealed to President Vladimir Putin in an open letter Tuesday to reverse recently introduced legislative and bureaucratic hurdles that have dramatically slowed the foreign adoption of Russian children."

Russian Adoption

Baby tale: A peek at adoption's dark side

2005-02-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

"Hours after his birth in Illinois, "Baby Wade" was "stolen" by a Utah adoption agency."

"So thundered an Illinois judge in a detailed March 2004 ruling that ordered A Cherished Child Adoption Agency, based in Midvale, to return the then-7-month-old to his biological father in Sagamon County, Ill."

Baby Wade adoption overturned

Chance leads to adoption proposal

2005-02-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

"...The first few weeks after adoptions are a critical time for adoptive children and their new parents to bond."

Omaha.com

Sri Lanka to amend laws to help children orphaned by the disaster find adoptive parents

2005-02-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

"COLOMBO - The government began to amend existing laws Monday to speed up the issuance of death certificates for people lost in the Dec. 26 tsunami and to help more children orphaned by the disaster find adoptive parents, the justice minister said."

Sri Lanka Adoptions

Christian group helps Guatemala with adoption reform

2005-02-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

"Guatemala's orphan situation is in bad shape. Because of that, a Christian organization is reaching out to protect the nation's children, while also providing a way to keep adoptions open in that Latin American nation."

Guatemala adoption reform

Finding Family

2005-02-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

"By her own way of reckoning, Jill Ekstrom has more than 8,100 children."

"Her rationale is readily apparent."

"Ekstrom may offer an array of genealogical, probate and research services through her UtahFinders agency, but she specializes in searches that eventually reunite adult adopted children with their biological parents.
The adoption quests are so intimate and personal, Ekstrom said she can't help but develop maternal instincts toward her clients by the close of each case -- many of which have Utah County ties."

The Daily Herald, Provo Utah

Editorial | N.J. Adoption Law Expand a birthright

2005-02-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

New Jersey is on the verge of allowing adults who were adopted as children access to see their original birth certificates. The state Assembly should follow the Senate's lead and approve the idea.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Recommended Russian Adoption Resources

2005-02-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

"Here is a short list of favorite sites for those interested in adoptions from Russia. No real "favorites", these are all handpicked great resources. "

There is much more here than just Russian adoption. There is an The Adoption Agency Guide, links to Adoption Law and Reforms and Adoption Statutes, Legislative Code, Links by Country and Adoption Laws of the 50 States, DC and Puerto Rico

Russian Adoption Resources

Abandoned Boy Goes From Rags To Riches

2005-02-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

"A boy who was suddenly abandoned by his parents has found a new place to call home..."

ClickOnDetroit.com

Rejected adoptee launches $7M suit

2005-02-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

"Romanian-born Alexandra Austin, who was adopted by an Ontario couple but sent back five months later to poverty and deprivation, has launched a $7 million lawsuit against her adoptive parents, the Canadian and Ontario governments and Swiss International Air Lines."

TheStar.com

Adoption Times Five

2005-02-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

"It was spreading the love times five at Holston Home in Greeneville tonight."

Adoption Times Five:

Adoption options for tsunami victims

2005-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

"After the tsunami disaster hit South Asia, people around the world looked for ways to help.'

'Many wondered if adoption was a solution because so many children lost their families. Two local adoption experts say bringing the children to the United States isn't a good option, but they have several other ideas.'

Adoption options for tsunami victims

Families invited to host Russian orphans in June

2005-02-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

A program by Buckner International Adoption to introduce American families to international adoption will be offered again in 2005.

Buckner Angels From Abroad allows adoption-minded families the opportunity to host orphan children ages 7 to 14 when they visit the United States during their summer vacation June 4 to 20. The Russian children will stay in host family homes during their visit and participate in several Buckner-organized events.

Buckner also is seeking volunteers to lend financial support to the Angels From Abroad program before and during the visit to assist with events and activities.

For more information and instructions on how to access facts and photos of available children, visit www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org .

For more information on hosting or volunteering, call Stacie Bukowsky at 214-381-1552 or e-mail sbukowsky@buckner.org .

Sweethearts reunite

2005-02-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

" Sweethearts reunite after decades apart and search for their son"

A very touching adoption story worth the time to read.

Sweethearts reunite

Adoption offer a hoax

2005-02-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

"An eBay ad offering a Paducah child for adoption to the highest bidder was a hoax posted by a 16-year-old boy."

AP Wire | 02/12/2005 | Police: eBay adoption offer a hoax

Parents have good news to crow about

2005-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Star-Telegram | 02/10/2005 | Parents have good news to crow about

Many Children Waiting For Adoption

2005-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

"Hundreds of children and youths in the New York state foster care system are waiting to be adopted ..."

Queens Chronicle - Northern/NorthEastern Edition

Adoption Offers Pouring In For Baby Abandoned At Church

2005-02-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

"CHICAGO -- The Department of Children and Family Services said there is a tremendous community outpouring for a little baby boy abandoned at a south side church."

NBC5.com - News - Adoption Offers Pouring In For Baby Abandoned At Church

Agency focuses on finding homes for young Chinese

2005-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

"As the eyes of the world are riveted on southern Asia and the plight of the tsunami orphans, Jan Welsh is trying to open hearts to another need: Chinese children awaiting adoptive families."

Salt Lake Tribune - Lifestyle

Interracial adoption becomes more prevalent due to shortage of black families

2005-02-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

"At Adoption Associates, a Jenison-based private adoption agency, adoptions of black and mixed race infants by white families jumped by 44 percent from 2001 to 2004, from 32 to 46. That was nearly triple the total of 16 in 1997"

Interracial adoption

I-Team Speaks With Birthmother In Adoption Dispute

2005-02-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

"The WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team spoke with the birthmother involved in a private adoption with a prospective Maryland couple."

TheWBALChannel.com - 11 Investigates - I-Team Speaks With Birthmother In Adoption Dispute

See "Hopful Parents..." below

Another Adoption Tug Of Love

2005-02-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

"In disputed adoption cases, say child advocates, kids like Evan seldom get their day in court. It's the adults' rights that matter; children are treated like property."

Tug Of Love

Hopeful Parents Find Distress During Private Adoption

2005-02-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

"A Maryland couple, already parents of a 6-year-old girl, want nothing more than to add to their family with a newborn baby. And so begins their story of hope and heartbreak of private adoption."

Did current laws fuel a competitive baby chase?

Warren mother gives up newborn 02/03/05

2005-02-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

"A 3-day-old baby taken to a Warren fire station is alive and well, perhaps in part due to a state law that allows mothers to give up a newborn without facing criminal charges, police said."

mother gives up newborn

Sleuth finds the needles in adoption haystacks

2005-02-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

"Over the last 14 years, Collins has helped reunite 1,500 adopted people and their birth parents by tapping everything from database searches to inside sources at hospitals to track down people across the globe, all from his office in Morristown."

one of a few private investigators who specialize in adoption

Want to adopt? Don't look far

2005-01-31T19:10:00.000-08:00

"Given the number of children who could use solid parents in this country, the case can be made that good intentions should begin on the home front."

Want to adopt? Don't look far

What happens when you give a child up for adoption

2005-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

"Women don't realize how gratifying it can be to give a child up for adoption rather than buy into Planned Parenthood's abortion plan."

many options in adoption

Adjustment in Child Welfare Adoptions--A Comparison

2005-01-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

"Children adopted from child welfare show some differences in their adjustment when compared to the adjustment of children adopted domestically as infants and those adopted in intercountry adoptions."

Children's Bureau Express

Adoption Statistics

2005-01-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

"While the total number of adoptions in the United States has stayed relatively constant from year to year (ranging between 118,000 and 127,000 since 1987), the percentages of different types of adoptions have changed dramatically since 1992,..."

Latest U.S. Adoption Statistics Show Increase in Public Agency Adoptions

Chapman: Adoption of daughter made gospel visible

2005-01-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

Award-winning Christian songwriter and recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman remembers his “aha moment,” when the gospel of Jesus Christ became amazingly clear to him.

A Florida adoption gone wrong is thrust into the national spotlight.

2005-01-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

If you are not going through an adoption agency, it is very important that the biological parents have signed legal documents surrendering their rights to the child!

Southwest Minnesota Couple On Dr. Phil Show

Adoption Law Reform / For a child's sake, have no fear

2005-01-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

"If you're one who has considered adoption, don't let the fear of adoption laws (which, in rare cases, can mean biological parents may seek to have the child returned to them) keep you from doing what you know is right"

Adoption Law Reform / For a child's sake, have no fear:

Give Expectant Mothers an Alternative to Abortion

2005-01-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

"Adoption truly is the alternative to abortion. Showing birth mothers that their little ones will have a safe and loving home will go a long way toward changing their hearts."

The Common Voice

Tsunami orphans in demand

2005-01-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

"...But U.S. couples face adoption roadblocks"

Tsunami orphans in demand

Why a Blog about adoption?

2005-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

There are many avenues to adoption. Adoption Issues and News will attempt to provide answers to the many questions that arise when adoption is considered. The resent tsunami has left many orphans in Southeast Asia. Can these orphans be adopted? Should they be adopted and if so who should adopt them?

Questions such as these and other questions about the process of adoption are being asked.

Adoption Issues and News will search for answers to adoption questions and for the latest news about adoption.