Monday, September 30, 2013

Splitting Twins?? What's your opinion??

By Beth Greenfield, Shine Staff | ParentingWed, Sep 18, 2013

lasrozas-madrid-spain-1896133-h

When “My Fair Wedding” reality-show host David Tutera announced last week that he and estranged partner Ryan Jurica would split up their infant twins as part of a custody arrangement, tweeters and bloggers responded by calling them “crazy,” “selfish,” “wrong” and deserving of feeling “ashamed.”

Read more.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Children In Families FIRST!!

c39b587c4506456643a6daab36b32809 

526af2ed09dc5f88c034f5782d97b83f

It’s Day 5 of CHIFF Week!

Each day this week I’ve been sending you a note with one thing you can do that day to support CHIFF.  Here’s what you can do today – Day 5 of CHIFF Week.

CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TODAY

60ef9049574fda3c72969ae680d676c8 Call Your Members of Congress

Surveys show that only 20 calls from constituents are needed for a bill to get the attention of our elected officials.  So if you only do one thing, please call.  Here is a sample script you can personalize for making that call! 

.

902c73ca3f1115c519912a76e3339585 Double Up - Email A Letter to Congress

Tell your Members of Congress you want them to support the Children in Families

First Act of 2013!  Here’s a template letter but be sure to personalize it.

Thanks for being a Joint Council Partner and for helping us make a historic change in the way the US government serves children and families.

Best Wishes,

Tom DiFilipo

P.S.  If you didn’t see Day 1 through 4 click here to find out what you missed – it’s not too late to catch up!

|    website   |    adoption nutrition |     facebook     |       blog       |     twitter   |    donate   | 


   |   TOM DIFILIPO |   President & CEO  |   Joint Council   |  +1.703.535.8045  |       

CHIFF Week

Day 1 – Register for the CHIFF Webinar.  If you missed it, click here for a recorded version.

Day 2 -  Become a CHIFF Sponsoring Organization.  Send an email to    

info@childreninfamiliesfirst.org stating “NAME OF ORGANIZATION is a CHIFF Sponsoring

Organization.  

Day 3 – Like CHIFF’s Facebook page and post about CHIFF on yours.

Day 4 – Send out a Call To Action and rally your troops.

Day 5 -  Call your Members of Congress!

Enhancing Adoption Competence Among Mental Health Professionals

Source: Author: David M. Brodzinsky, Ph.D./ Published: 2013 August, New York NY: Donaldson Adoption Institute

8001779 As part of its ongoing efforts to improve the lives of children and families, the Donaldson Adoption Institute issued a new, research-based report today recommending that mental health professionals should receive more and better training on adoption-related issues.

The 63 page report, titled " A Need to Know," points out that one of the most frequent complaints from members of adoptive and birth/first families is an inability to find psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and related practitioners who understand the unique, adoption-related issues that can affect their identities, their relationships and other important components of their lives.

For a variety of reasons, mental health professionals typically do not receive the training required to fill adoption-related counseling needs and, too often, either do not fully understand why such training is necessary or mistakenly believe the knowledge they already have is sufficient. To address that reality, this report by the Donaldson Adoption Institute seeks to raise the level of professionals' awareness about the nature and importance of adoption clinical competence, heighten their desire to receive such training, and identify various means by which the relevant knowledge and skills can be obtained.

"The negative experiences of some adoptive families in seeking help underscore the reality that therapists lacking adoption competence can, at times, do more harm than good," said David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., the Institute's Research & Project Director and author of the report.

The Adoption Institute's recommendations in "A Need to Know" include:

  • Develop certification for adoption clinical competence, so clients know that the professionals with whom they are working have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to meet their needs.
  • Expand training programs nationwide by replicating already effective models and through more use of technologies such as webinars, " flip teaching" and " massive open online courses."
  • Develop outreach efforts to inform mental health providers about the need for adoption competency, the opportunities for enhancing their knowledge, and the benefits of doing so.
  • Educate insurance providers about the unique nature of adoption issues and advocate for expanded coverage, which would greatly help those who need competent services.
  • Encourage graduate training programs and post-graduate clinical training centers to include more information about adoption and foster care in their curricula, since so little currently exists.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Featured Waiting Child

Urgent Need for Viviane! 

Vivianne was born in July 1998. She is healthy and developmentally on target for her age. Vivianne has graduated from 8th grade. She has a rich vocabulary, good memory, organized thinking, and well-developed imagination. Vivianne is interested in music and dancing and is the leader of a dance group called Petlite. She also likes to draw and has a sense of aesthetics and beauty.

Read more.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Spread the Word: Let's Adopt

I want to make you aware of a wonderful new effort to help Russian children who are being victimized by their country’s senseless ban on adoptions by American families.  As you know, these children are living in dismal conditions, with little hope of a permanent family except through inter-country adoption. These children have parents in America who want to bring them home, but instead, they are now suffering – even dying – in institutions. 

To take a stand against this tragedy, my good friend Laura Ingraham released a compelling video appeal to President Putin to reverse the ban. 

I know her video will inspire you as much as it inspires me:

de2d28c44040180736e850b6180f8fdb

In addition to Laura’s efforts, there is a growing coalition of like-minded leaders, advocacy organizations and everyday people who are standing up to give a voice to orphaned and unparented children, not only in Russia but throughout the world.

Last week I led a coalition of nine other senators from both sides of the aisle to introduce Children in Families First (CHIFF).  We believe the U.S. government needs to do a better job of helping to ensure that all the world’s children grow up in safe, permanent and nurturing families.  CHIFF is about bringing our diplomatic influence and resources to bear to preserve families, reunify families, or create families through kinship, domestic or international adoption.  CHIFF does this by reallocating resources and realigning some government agencies to make the government more effective without any extra spending or bureaucracy.  

Watch our press conference introducing CHIFF.

Although CHIFF already has a lot of support from many key organizations and individuals, we need more to pass this important piece of legislation. If you would like to learn more about CHIFF and how you can become involved, please visit landrieu.senate.gov/chiff.  And of course, you can always reach out to me and my staff: Whitney Reitz at whitney_reitz@landrieu.senate.gov  or Libby Whitbeck at libby_whitbeck@landrieu.senate.gov.


Sincerely,

827ce0a1bbb74be11384db530c41a757

Untangling the Web

We need your help on an unprecedented study – and it will only take 15-20 minutes of your time. The Internet and social media are forever changing adoption – and our lives – yet we know little about their impact on the millions of us who are affected. So the Adoption Institute is launching a new study seeking relevant information from adopted persons, adoptive parents, birth/first parents and child welfare professionals. Please complete a survey – and spread the word to colleagues and friends, in emails to your contacts, on Facebook and Twitter, in newsletters and blogs, and any other way you can think of. In an effort to improve policy and practice, we are charting new territory – and we need your input to do so. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s important; just click here to get started. This research follows up on the Institute’s 2012 report Untangling the Web.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

How Can I Get My Child's Original Sealed Envelope Documents Back From USCIS?

134029 When you bring your newly adopted child into the U.S., you hand over a sealed envelope at Customs and Immigration.  This envelope, given to you during your child’s visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you adopted, contains a copy of the foreign birth certificate, adoption decree, etc.  You can apply for return of the contents of the envelope, at no charge, by filing the G-884 with the USCIS.  Processing time will vary, depending on the specifics of the case and the officer case load.  Don’t expect it to be very quick.  To obtain the G-884, you can down load it from the USCIS website.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Adoption Alert: Guidance on Filing Online Immigrant Visa Application Form DS-260

7ce902609226adc51b36e6f4730d3fb3  

This adoption notice serves to announce the introduction of the DS-260 Online Immigrant Visa Application and Registration.  The DS-260 replaces the paper-based DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration for all immigrant visa applications, including those filed for children seeking to immigrate to the United States as “orphans” or “Convention adoptees,” effective September 1, 2013.  Anyone filing an immigrant visa application as of this date must complete the electronic DS-260 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration and DS-261 Choice of Address or Agent online instead of filing the paper DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Parts I and II) and DS-3032 Choice of Address and Agent.

If you are a prospective adoptive parent or adoptive parent (petitioner) with an approved Form I-600A, I-600, or I-800 that arrived at the National Visa Center (NVC) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you will need a case number and an invoice ID number to complete the DS-260.  Starting September 6, 2013, NVC letters to petitioners include both a case number and an invoice ID number.  If you received a letter mailed by the NVC prior to September 6 or if you have lost this letter, you should contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 to request your case number and invoice ID number.

Below is specific guidance for petitioners:

If you filed a Form I-800 (in the United States) or Form I-600 (in the United States or with a USCIS office overseas) that arrived at the NVC:  You should receive a letter from the NVC confirming receipt of the petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number.  You will need to use this case number and invoice ID number to log into the CEAC to file the DS-260 for the child identified in the petition.  If you are unable to log into the CEAC with the numbers, please contact the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to confirm that they received the petition and that the case is active in the visa processing system.

If you previously filed a Form I-600A and it arrived at the NVC, you also received a case number and an invoice ID number in the first letter.  Do not use the Form I-600A case number and invoice ID number to log into CEAC if you later receive a Form I-600 case number and invoice ID number.

If you filed a Form I-600A (in the United States or with a USCIS office overseas) that arrived at the NVC, and you plan to file the Form I-600 at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas:  You should receive a letter from the NVC confirming receipt of the petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number.  You need to inform via email the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that you plan to file the Form I-600 at that U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  Once the consular staff makes the case active in the system, you can then use this case number and invoice ID number to log into the CEAC.

Important note for petitioners who are adopting multiple children based on a single approved Form I-600A:  The Form I-600A NVC case number and invoice ID number will be valid for only one child’s DS-260.  You need to inform via email the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that you are adopting multiple children and will be filing the Form I-600s with that U.S. Embassy or Consulate or a USCIS office overseas.  The email should include the children’s names, dates of birth, and places of birth.  The U.S. Embassy or Consulate will create a case in the visa processing system and let you know the case number for each additional child.  You will be able to log into the CEAC to file the DS-260 for each additional child using the U.S. Embassy or Consulate case numbers and each child’s date of birth (YYYYMMDD) in the invoice ID number field.

If you filed a Form I-600A (with a USCIS office overseas) that did not go through the NVC, and you plan to file the Form I-600 at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas:  You will not receive a letter providing an NVC case number or invoice ID number.  After you inform via email the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that you plan to file the Form I-600 there, they will create a case in the visa processing system and let you know the case number.  You will be able to log into the CEAC using the U.S. Embassy or Consulate case number and the child’s date of birth (YYYYMMDD) in the invoice ID number field.

If you filed a Form I-600A (with a USCIS office overseas) that did not go through the NVC, and are filing the Form I-600 with a USCIS office overseas:  You will not receive a letter providing an NVC case number or invoice ID number unless the USCIS office elects to send the petition to NVC.  After the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate receives the Form I-600 from USCIS, they will create a case in the visa processing system and let you know the case number.  You will be able to log into the CEAC using the U.S. Embassy or Consulate case number and the child’s date of birth (YYYYMMDD) in the invoice ID number field.

Additional notes:

You will be asked to provide the child’s passport information when filing the DS-260.  If you do not have the child’s passport yet, select the “Other Travel Document” option instead.  Please contact the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate once you obtain the child’s passport.  The consular staff will then “unlock” the case so that you may update the child’s passport number, passport date of issuance, passport date of expiration, and any relevant medical information before the consular staff reviews the case documents before the visa interview.

If you are adding information on your adoption service provider in the DS-260, note the adoption service provider as a “third party agent.”

If the child you are adopting or have adopted is covered by the vaccination exemption, indicate “No” when asked whether the child has received vaccinations in accordance with U.S. law.  Please note that you will need to submit a DS-1981 showing that the child is exempt from the vaccination requirements when the consular staff at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate request it. 

If you have a “pipeline” case already at the visa processing post overseas, or in which the DS-230 has already been submitted, or in which you have been instructed to file the DS-230, you will generally continue processing using the paper DS-230.  To determine if you will use the new online form, and to access the DS-260 and DS-261, please visit the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website.  Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

News from Bulgaria: IAC 256-257 Results

iacresults113020111_thumb The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 256 which was held on July 23, 2013.
Download PDF

News From Bulgaria

image%20(2) News from Bulgaria: Congratulations and welcome home a beautiful young lady. Today she is forever the daughter of a family that cherishes and loves her to the end of the world... just as all children deserve.  We are all so happy for your family!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

CHIFF Web Page

Your reaction and response to the Children in Families First Act (CHIFF) over the last few days has been amazing. Thank you for your many phone calls and e-mails. The wave of enthusiasm offers us a good time for a reality check.

Reality Check: the 5 Percent

Since 1999, Congress has only passed about 5% of the bills it introduces. In simple statistical terms, CHIFF has an uphill battle.

There is more to consider about the challenges connected to Senate Bill 1530 (CHIFF):

  • In 2008, a similar bill was introduced called Families for Orphans Act. It failed to received a mass of public support, and never made it to the floor for a vote. A chance to serve the welfare of children went by the wayside.
  • CHIFF has opposition from some well-funded organizations. We are beginning to see their PR campaign with negative themes and information.
  • The base of organic support for CHIFF is not big enough to get this bill passed into law. We must find ways to expand public support to pass Senate Bill 1530.

CHIFF will most certainly become law if we secure 60 co-sponsors in the Senate and 150 co-sponsors in the House. The bill was introduced in the Senate with 10 co-sponsors: 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans.

This will not happen by itself —
It is up to us to make it happen

Generating co-sponsors is purely a function of social force. We can all make a difference if we focus on getting the country to rally behind this bill, and leverage the power in numbers to secure these critical co-sponsors. Contact your representatives to tell them that you support

CHIFF and want them to co-sponsor the bill. Research shows that twenty calls to a Congressional office is enough to convince a member of Congress that an issue is salient. (Find your members of Congress here: House Representative | Senators.)

Spreading the word is our first mission-critical objective. Visit the the official CHIFF website and share the link in your social media circles.

One great asset we already have to rally the country is STUCK. We have created a STUCK House Party program, a tool to grow grassroots support for CHIFF. We are testing the model this week. We will roll out the program as soon as the STUCK House Party model is sound.

The message is clear. We have a lot of work to do to defy the odds and get Senate Bill 1530 passed. As lives hang in the balance it is time to stop talking. It is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Craig Juntunen
Founder, Both Ends Burning 

News From Armenia

P1020584%20(2) News From Armenia:  It's a Boy!!!! Congratulations to our Hopscotch family on the successful adoption of one very handsome little Armenian man. The great news from Armenia just doesn't stop.

News From Armenia

59716_10151946327993828_258781990_n

News From Armenia: ...and one beautiful princess makes a family of four--- finally! Congrats Hopscotch family!!! We are all celebrating your big day.

Partnership with NDSA

Hopscotch Adoptions, is happy to announce our new partnership with the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network!  We appreciate their passionate advocacy for all children with Down Syndrome in need of a permanent family.  Be sure to check out their website and visit their waiting child page.  Like them on their Facebook and follow them on Twitter too.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Children in Families First

Winter%202008-09%20212

The Children in Families First working group is looking for child or family stories to highlight on the website. If you know of families whose stories clearly show the need for intercountry adoption reform and would be willing to briefly share their story and a photo please let me know. For examples of how the stories would be used click here to see the stories of Addison and Jean. You may contact me or put them in contact with me directly at mlindsey@adoptioncouncil.org or by phone at 703-299-6633.

Families are also welcome to share their stories directly on the CHIFF website at Add Your Story. Feel free to encourage your networks to share their stories there and to like Children in Families First on Facebook.

Megan Lindsey
Director of Public Policy and Education
National Council For Adoption
225 N. Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
T: 703.299.6633 | F: 703.299.6004
mlindsey@adoptioncouncil.org
www.adoptioncouncil.org

North Carolina Coalition of Licensed and Private Adoption Agencies

Carolina clip_image002 Adoption

Services

 

~together with~

clip_image003

Appreciate the benefits and membership of the North Carolina Coalition of Licensed and Private Adoption Agencies. We enjoyed co-hosting this quarter's meeting.

If you are a licensed and private agency, join us for our next meeting on January 15, 2014 ~ Catholic Social Services offices of Raleigh.

Want more information? Contact Walt Johnson of Christian Adoption Services.

News from Armenia - It's a Girl!

CA0JJYX7 News from Armenia:  Today we congratulate our Hopscotch family on their successful registration of a beautiful baby girl! 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Deborra-lee Furness: Fight the orphan crisis

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/opinion/international-adoption-deborra-lee-furness/index.html?c=&page=2

By Deborra-lee Furness

130910214443-deborra-lee-furness-orphans-story-top 
Deborra-lee Furness with Malawi orphans during a trip to Africa with former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Editor's note: Deborra-lee Furness is an Australian actress, director, producer and child advocate. She is founder of National Adoption Awareness Week and executive director for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation in Australia, and a World Vision Ambassador. She and her husband, actor Hugh Jackman, have two adopted children.

(CNN) -- How can it be that the number of vulnerable and abandoned children is increasing and the numbers of children finding their "forever families" through adoption is decreasing?

I cannot get my head around this shocking fact. What happens to all these kids who desperately need someone to advocate for their very existence? Where do they go? Who do they turn to? How do they survive?

There are an estimated 151 million orphans in the world, which UNICEF defines as a child that's lost one or more parent. If they were a country, they would together form the 10th largest nation in the world. An estimated 18 million of those have lost both parents -- a figure which would represent 80% of the population of my home country, Australia. I try to imagine what that visual looks like, if one were to Google Map it and hone in on one face staring back at you, wondering if there is anyone out there that cares about them and their circumstance.

I am not a learned scholar or professional worker in international adoption. I am not even an adoption advocate -- I am a child advocate. I am an individual who has witnessed what life is like for children who don't have anyone to watch their back, or teach them right from wrong, to care about what they think or feel, or the basic human need to feel loved, to feel safe and secure and to feel that they actually matter. I believe everyone deserves be the object of someone's affection.

This journey for me began six years ago when I addressed an article I read in my local newspaper in Australia about adoption. After speaking with the paper and getting the headline the next day, I realized this issue needed a voice in Australia. Many people from the community implored me to keep speaking as there was so much frustration surrounding adoption. The main grievance for families was the difficultly to adopt in Australia, where couples could wait as long as 10 years.

I am still talking six years on, having established Adoption Awareness Week Australia. It's a no brainer for me: You have loving families wanting to care for these kids and kids that desperately need a loving home. We just have to work out a way to put these two together.

In my mind one of the greatest crimes of humanity is to take away the innocence of a child, and this is in essence what we are doing if we do not step up and take a look at what is happening to abandoned children all over the world.

These kids have literally no self-esteem, they are depressed and without hope and often in extreme danger of exploitation and abuse. If they are not able to be placed with a permanent family, they are either on the streets and prey to abusive predators or being institutionalized and therefore subject to serious mental health and developmental issues.

Many are caught in the foster care system, whereby they are always vulnerable to being moved from family to family and never have a sense of belonging. The lack of permanency for these kids has a huge effect on their safety and security. Sadly, the trajectory for many kids who age out of the foster care system is homelessness, crime, drugs and incarceration, to name a few of the horrors. These kids are stuck, because governments cannot work out how to parent them.

Intercountry adoption is vulnerable because of corruption of the system.

Profiteering and child trafficking has understandably caused great concern and is the reason why The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption was created to combat such abuse. But it should not be the reason to close down programs that serve so many children. Greater measures of accountability need to be in place to combat the rotten part of the system, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

What needs to be addressed is the systemic core of the sending countries. We need to assist countries that have been rife with poverty and war and lack of education for decades. Until we can get at the core of why there are so many young women and unborn/newborn babies with no real support, they will always be vulnerable. By getting to the root of the problems, there is the possibility of creating an environment that will serve families and there will be fewer abandoned children that need to find another family.

My dream would be that there would be no need for adoption and that every child could remain with birth families. When adoption is the best option for these kids, I totally advocate for a well-run system that serves these children and families

I believe the biggest reason that intercountry adoption does not work at an optimum is because we have not put in the mind power and energy and resources needed to create a system that works ethically and expediently.

Some governments don't rate abandoned childrens' issues high on their agenda, unless children are being used as a political pawn, as we witnessed late last year when Russia closed down their program with the U.S.

Even the Russian Children's Rights Commissioner made a statement saying "I think any foreign adoption is bad for the country." Bad for the "country," not specifically bad for the "children."

Thousands of children will have to pay the hefty price of that decision, as they will be institutionalized for the remainder of their childhood, never finding a family of their own.

I implore everyone to speak up on this matter. You don't have to adopt a child to show that you care. Just by acknowledging their existence and maybe doing something as simple as taking a minute to think about their plight may lead to a movement, a change, a chance for a better life.

Voice for Adoption Seeks Input on Access to Mental Health Services for Foster and Adopted Children

th The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is seeking input on how to ensure that all Americans have necessary mental health treatment. Specifically, they are asking about administrative and legal barriers to care, key policies that have lead to improved outcomes, and how Medicaid and Medicare can be improved to help people with mental health needs.

Voice for Adoption (VFA) wants to be sure that the U.S. adoption community is part of this process. VFA has created a brief survey to gather information on these issues as they relate to children adopted from domestic foster or institutional inter-country care, and will share the results with Senate leadership.

Please take a moment to complete the survey. The survey deadline is September 17.

Thank you,
Robin E. Sizemore
Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc

WAITING CHILD PROGRAM: Urgent Need for Zoe!

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc. 

in partnership with...

Great Wall China Adoption

WAITING CHILD PROGRAM - Great Wall China Adoption

Urgent Need for Zoe!

Today we are sending out an urgent request for little Zoe. This sweet girl is 4 years old and is from one of our orphanage partnerships. Zoe's severe medical condition is worsening, and the hospitals in her area have no other treatment options. Please take the time to read her story and share it with others so that this adorable child can come home quickly and receive the life saving medical interventions she needs.

Zoe - 4 year old

Zoe is a beautiful 4 year old girl who has been diagnosed with severe Thalassemia. Her condition has worsened and her liver and spleen are showing signs of swelling. Although Zoe receives multiple transfusions monthly, the hospitals in her area are not equipped to provide her with the lifesaving treatment she desperately needs. Her case is extremely urgent and she needs to find her forever family as soon as possible.

Zoe is a smart and inquisitive little girl. She can be shy at first, but warms up to new people quickly. She enjoys playing with many different toys.  She has normal cognitive development, but is not attending school at this time due to her medical condition. Zoe interacts well with other children and adults. Her caregivers describe her as sweet, obedient, and adorable. To learn more about how you can adopt Zoe, please email us at heather@hopscotchadoptions.org.

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc is pleased announce a pilot network Waiting Child program in partnership with Great Wall China Adoption! Great Wall China Adoption is one of the most respected and trusted agencies worldwide, that has been accredited by the Chinese government to place Chinese children into permanent and loving families. Hopscotch will be working exclusively with all New York and North Carolina families to bring a beautiful waiting child home from one of the most reliable and structured inter-country adoption programs available.

Want to get started today?  You'll want to click here or call our office to get your home study underway immediately.  Want to learn more about Great Wall China Adoption's Waiting Child program? Just click here.

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc

Not for profit, just for kids.

Stay Connected

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit our blog

School's In Session!

4 Keys to Help Your Adopted Child Thrive at School

clip_image002

Live Webinar

Tuesday
September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

Can't make it on the 17th?
Don't worry, we're recording the webinar! Register for the live event and the recording will appear in your account as soon as it's available.

Each school year can bring a new set of challenges to adopted kids, no matter how old they are. Facing new school projects and explaining adoption to new classmates can bring on different feelings as children grow.

Join us for a webinar featuring adoptive mom and adoption therapist Judy Stigger, LCSW and Carmen Knight, an internationally adopted person and teacher who works with many adopted kids.

Judy and Carmen will share both professional advice and personal experiences to help parents:

  • Understand what questions, concerns and capabilities children have at different ages/stages
  • Respond when projects or classroom discussions trigger adoption related questions
  • Gain insight into what to do when going to school and getting homework done is a battle
  • Educate teachers and school staff about all types of diversity: racial, blended families, adoption and more.

Submit your questions for us here or by tweeting them to @adoptiontweet using #ALPschool13

Live Webinar Details

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase the certificate option, your certificate will be available upon successful completion of a post test. The post test will be in your Adoption Learning Partners account after the live event.

The audio for the live webinar can be heard over the phone or through your computer speakers. If you choose to listen through your computer, we recommend external speakers or headphones. If you call in by phone, it is a toll call. There are no refunds or exchanges for the webinar once you have purchased it. If you purchase, but are unable to attend the live webinar, a recorded version will be available in your account after the event. The recorded version broadcasts over your computer speakers

Sunday, September 15, 2013

NCFA Responds to Media Reports Regarding the Practice of Underground Placements of Internationally Adopted Children

60f8f46e633a812da7489512e09457d7FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Lauren Koch
(703) 299-6633
lkoch@adoptioncouncil.org

 

 

 

September 11, 2013 – Alexandria, VA – The recent Reuters and NBC News reports have drawn public attention to very concerning cases where children who had joined families through both intercountry and domestic adoption were tragically placed in inappropriate settings through the unethical means of secretive internet groups.

Although NCFA takes very seriously the concern of adoption dissolution, we believe it is
important to provide the perspective that while any amount of these unethical child placements is unacceptable, they are a distinct minority of adoptions. This significant concern is a small portion of the many children living in informal care settings that may be unsafe for them – the vast majority of those being U.S.-born children placed there by biological parents.

We call for an end to this inappropriate practice of illegally relocating children to potentially unsafe environments and appropriate prosecution of those involved in harming children. We believe it is a failing of the broader child welfare system’s difficult work of ensuring every child is in a safe setting and a failure to enforce the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children when these situations occur across state lines. NCFA always advocates that when a child is placed in the care of new, permanent caretakers it should always be done through the most permanent legal mechanism possible and under the auspices of professional child welfare workers. Formal, legal adoption and in some cases legal guardianship should be ensured so that proper protocols have been followed to guarantee a placement is a safe setting for a child.

NCFA takes the issue of adoption dissolution very seriously. In the last two years, NCFA has provided four trainings at our National Adoption Conference to help adoption professionals and families understand how to work together in these difficult situations in the best interests of children. We have also recently published Supporting Children and Families When Adoption Dissolution Occurs to provide suggestions to increase professional and public awareness on how dissolution should be handled to protect children and support families.

NCFA has and continues to support enhanced pre-adoption training and post-adoption support services for all types of adoption. We believe increased pre-adoption training will help to better prepare families for the needs of special needs and traumatized children and should specifically educate prospective parents on any known needs of a child. We also advocate for widely available post-adoption support services through the public child welfare system as well as private agencies. A reliable system of support would help to provide a safe place for families to turn before they reach the crisis level which may sometimes cause them to turn to unethical placements.

We believe that the Universal Accreditation Act, passed by Congress in December, and to be fully implemented by July 2014, will increase the education and professional requirements for international adoption agencies and will help support better services for children adopted from all countries. Further, NCFA believes that forthcoming legislation called the Children in Families First Act would provide overall improvement to US intercountry adoption systems, potentially including the ability to better track the placement and status of internationally adopted children for the purpose of post-adoption reports.

According to NCFA president Chuck Johnson, “These are tragic stories with a link to adoption, but the reality is that adoption is a vastly successful solution for nearly all of the children who find families. As we work to bring greater protection to children and stronger support services to families and children, it would be a greater tragedy to falsely conclude that these stories are a complete representation of adoption. In actuality, millions of children have found life and hope in families through adoption. We at NCFA will do our best to continue to make adoption the safest and best process possible for children to thrive as they find their way to a forever family.”

 

# # #
Passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing, permanent family, NCFA’s mission is to meet the diverse needs of children, birthparents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and all those touched by adoption through global advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.

More information is available on our website, www.adoptioncouncil.org.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Joint Council Statement on 'Re-Homing'

70638b792e703a14f831c49d44a428c0

Dear Colleagues,

Joint Council has co-signed the following statement regarding the issue of ‘re-homing’.  We stand with you and our colleagues who have also signed this statement urging for reforms needed to prevent unregulated placement of children and increase protections for children.

Sincerely,

Tom DiFilipo

TOM DIFILIPO | President & CEO | +1.703.535.8045 | Uplifting Families. Serving Children. Worldwide.

JointCouncil.org |   AdoptionNutrition.org |   OrphanNutrition.org |   facebook |   blog |   twitter DONATE

For Immediate Release:                                                                                                             September 11, 2013

National Adoption and Child Welfare Organizations, Responding to ‘Re-homing’ Reports, Call on Congress and Public Officials to Protect Children, Support Adoptive Families

The recent Reuters reports about the “re-homing” of adopted children and youth are heartbreaking and appalling. No child should go through agony like this. We know the vast majority of adoptive families are committed to their sons and daughters, and do all they can to keep their children safe and sound and to help them overcome early losses or traumas. But the practice of parents – of any sort – giving their children away to unapproved, unlicensed strangers is anathema to us and must be prevented and prosecuted.

As a society, we must make children’s needs paramount; they are not commodities that can be traded or discarded. We call on federal and state policymakers to take immediate actions to prevent the terrible and unregulated activity that is being called “re-homing,” in which parents privately transfer custody of their adopted children.

Parents who adopt must understand they are making a lifelong commitment to a child. But forcing families to struggle without support, trying to raise children they feel unable to parent, is also unacceptable and harmful to children. The recent news coverage of “re-homing” calls attention to critically important questions about the circumstances that lead to adoptive parents transferring custody, the intentions of those who are seeking children to parent through these practices, and the effects on children. Some parents who seek new homes for their children may be callous and uncaring. Others may not have been properly trained about the core issues of adoption – about the specific issues their child is facing – or may have chosen to adopt through an agency more interested in fees than in vetting and preparation. We must improve processes and require training in the unique challenges of parenting children who have experienced early adversity or have special needs. Agencies that place children for adoption must properly assess families’ abilities, prepare families for a lifetime commitment, and commit to providing ongoing support.

Other parents, however, are good people who are feeling desperately unable to care for their children—some children who have been traumatized by adverse experiences in their early lives, who have brain damage from alcohol or drug exposure in utero, or who have serious mental health and behavioral challenges. We strongly believe children benefit when all adoptive families have access to ongoing services, whether their adoptions were of children from foster care, from other countries, or as infants in the U.S. While many states offer some such services, they are rarely comprehensive. Many known supports do not serve families who adopt internationally, while others may be available in cities, but not in smaller towns. Some offer basic information and referral, but not adoption-competent, trauma-informed family care. Adoptive families need a continuum of support – from information about core adoption issues, to training on special needs, to clinical services that address mental health and behavior challenges. They also need connections with experienced adoptive parents, who can encourage them to hang in there, show them how children can heal, and remind them that adoption is a lifelong commitment.

A coalition of adoption and child welfare partners have been raising visibility about the critical needs of some adoptive families; in recent years, the coalition has called on Congress to implement changes to ensure adopted children and their parents get the services they need to keep their families safe and stable. In a briefing on Capitol Hill, coalition members shared joint policy recommendations to encourage federal policy makers to help shift the paradigm away from simply placing children for adoption to providing the ongoing supports families need to raise children to healthy adulthood. We should wait no longer to implement these recommendations, which include:

  • Establish a reliable, comprehensive, and flexible federal funding source for post-adoption services
  • Ensure services offered to adopted children and their families embrace best practices, are trauma-informed, and are provided by professionals who are trained in supporting children and their adoptive families
  • Invest in research and evaluation to identify and promote the most effective post-adoption services
  • Address the significant gaps in the service delivery system and state policies which too often present parents with the impossible choice of giving up custody to receive state-funded services for their children
  • Provide access to post-adoption services regardless of the type of adoption

We can’t think of a more critical time to pass legislation that extends greater federal support for post-adoption services for children and their families. We applaud the House Ways and Means Committee draft proposal that establishes some designation to support such services, but it is not enough. As Congress sets its sights on adoption legislation [reauthorizing the federal Adoption Incentives Program] this fall, we call for broader action to pursue policies that will put an end to trading children and will create a network of support services that help children and their adoptive families, beginning before a child is adopted and throughout their subsequent journey.
In addition to the above recommendations, we strongly urge legislators and policymakers to protect children from unregulated custody transfers, whether or not they cross state lines. Congress should act immediately, beginning by holding oversight hearings, initiating a comprehensive GAO investigation of the practice of “re-homing” and adoption dissolution, and passing legislation to strengthen the policies and practices that will prevent harm to adopted children. We believe any such investigation should review legal practices and the need for prosecution of wrong-doers in the re-homing of children.

In the meantime, we call on Congress to immediately convene a meeting of senior leadership from the State Department, SAMSHA, ACYF, CMS, and states to examine state-by-state policy implications for this population, with the intended goal of developing better coordination of funding and services and providing technical assistance, training, and strategies to address the needs of adopted children and their families.

For more information or questions contact:

Nicole Dobbins, Voice for Adoption (VFA)
voiceforadoption@gmail.com or 202-210-8118

Joe Kroll, North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
joekroll@aol.com or 651-644-3036

Linda Spears, Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
LSpears@cwla.org or 202-688-4189

Adam Pertman, Donaldson Adoption Institute
APertman@AdoptionInstitute.org or 212-925-4089

Tom DiFilipo, Joint Council on International Children’s Services
tdifilipo@jointcouncil.org or 703-535-8045

Friday, September 13, 2013

Who Says You Can't Go Home Again???

board

The start of school brings new beginnings, and gives us all a chance to get through the "to do" lists we've set aside over the summer. Here's the scoop to catch you up:

Gift of Identity Grants for International Adoptees Visiting Their Birth Country

Deadline to apply is September 15, 2013.  The first grants (up to $5000 each) will be given out for summer 2014 travel. Gift of Identity is a 501(C)(3) non profit organization, and the only organization to provide grants to international adoptees traveling to their birth country. See www.Gift-of-Identity.org

How You Can Learn More About the Benefits and Complexities of Birth Country Travel

The complexities are critical to think about.

Extended: Early Bird Discount of $100 per person extended to September 20

Ok, so you needed a little more time. We get that, and have extended the early bird discount accordingly .Summer programs are open in Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Colombia, the Philippines, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Korea, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam (and possibly Nepal). Ties programs are adoption focused journeys. 

Winter Programs: India, Vietnam, Cambodia

Journeys of Discovery--Focus on Culture Rather Than Adoption

Maybe it's your first trip back, and you'd like to "keep things light." Or maybe you've done an adoption focused trip and are now looking for something different. Or, perhaps you adopted from "country A" but would like to see more of the world.   Journeys programs are now open in Guatemala and Vietnam. Other countries are on the drawing board. 

Finally Some Good Adoption News:  

Download the PDF.

That's the news!

Becca Piper
AP x 4, Bereaved Parent x 1
Founder & Co-Director, The Ties Program--Adoptive Family Homeland Journeys
Founder & Co-Director, World Ties--Home of Project Kindness
Co-Director, Journeys of Discovery--Global Journeys WITHOUT an adoption focus
Proud Board Member--Gift of Identity Fund....finally, funding for international adoptees on homeland journeys

Thursday, September 12, 2013

China Waiting Child Program Announcement

clip_image002 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Partnership With...

 

clip_image004

China Waiting Child Program Announcement, September 12, 2013:

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc is pleased announce a pilot network China Waiting Child program in partnership with Great Wall China Adoption! Great Wall China Adoption is one of the most respected and trusted agencies worldwide, that has been accredited by the Chinese government to place Chinese children into permanent and loving families.  Hopscotch will be working exclusively with all New York and North Carolina families to bring a beautiful waiting child home from one of the most reliable and structured inter-country adoption programs available.

Want to get started today?  You’ll want to click here to get your home study underway immediately.  Want to learn more about Great Wall China Adoption's Waiting Child program click here.

About our China Waiting Child adoption partner and relationship:

Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc networks with Great Wall China Adoption. Since 1996, Great Wall China Adoption has worked collaboratively with China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) that oversees adoptions and is responsible for placing  Chinese children in American homes.

The Chinese government prefers that families work with the same agency for their adoption home study and child placement. Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc and Great Wall China Adoption Adoption network together to make our China Waiting Child adoption program available to families living in New York and North Carolina, where Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc is licensed to provide home study and post adoption services:

*Families must reside in New York and North Carolina for this China Waiting Child adoption program. 

Hopscotch will provide home study, and post adoption report services within the requirements of the Chinese government.  Great Wall China Adoption, as your trusted primary provider, will provide all other services related to the placement of the child and will be the primary point of contact throughout your adoption process in the US and while in China. 

Voice for Adoption Seeks Input on Access to Mental Health Services for Foster and Adopted Children

th The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is seeking input on how to ensure that all Americans have necessary mental health treatment. Specifically, they are asking about administrative and legal barriers to care, key policies that have lead to improved outcomes, and how Medicaid and Medicare can be improved to help people with mental health needs.

Voice for Adoption (VFA) wants to be sure that the U.S. adoption community is part of this process. VFA has created a brief survey to gather information on these issues as they relate to children adopted from domestic foster or institutional inter-country care, and will share the results with Senate leadership.

Please take a moment to complete the survey. The survey deadline is September 17.

Thank you,
Robin E. Sizemore
Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc

Monday, September 9, 2013

School's In Session!

4 Keys to Help Your Adopted Child Thrive at School

clip_image002

Live Webinar

Tuesday
September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

Can't make it on the 17th?
Don't worry, we're recording the webinar! Register for the live event and the recording will appear in your account as soon as it's available.

Each school year can bring a new set of challenges to adopted kids, no matter how old they are. Facing new school projects and explaining adoption to new classmates can bring on different feelings as children grow.

Join us for a webinar featuring adoptive mom and adoption therapist Judy Stigger, LCSW and Carmen Knight, an internationally adopted person and teacher who works with many adopted kids.

Judy and Carmen will share both professional advice and personal experiences to help parents:

  • Understand what questions, concerns and capabilities children have at different ages/stages
  • Respond when projects or classroom discussions trigger adoption related questions
  • Gain insight into what to do when going to school and getting homework done is a battle
  • Educate teachers and school staff about all types of diversity: racial, blended families, adoption and more.

Submit your questions for us here or by tweeting them to @adoptiontweet using #ALPschool13

Live Webinar Details

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase the certificate option, your certificate will be available upon successful completion of a post test. The post test will be in your Adoption Learning Partners account after the live event.

The audio for the live webinar can be heard over the phone or through your computer speakers. If you choose to listen through your computer, we recommend external speakers or headphones. If you call in by phone, it is a toll call. There are no refunds or exchanges for the webinar once you have purchased it. If you purchase, but are unable to attend the live webinar, a recorded version will be available in your account after the event. The recorded version broadcasts over your computer speakers

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

School's In Session!

4 Keys to Help Your Adopted Child Thrive at School

clip_image002

Live Webinar

Tuesday
September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

Can't make it on the 17th?
Don't worry, we're recording the webinar! Register for the live event and the recording will appear in your account as soon as it's available.

Each school year can bring a new set of challenges to adopted kids, no matter how old they are. Facing new school projects and explaining adoption to new classmates can bring on different feelings as children grow.

Join us for a webinar featuring adoptive mom and adoption therapist Judy Stigger, LCSW and Carmen Knight, an internationally adopted person and teacher who works with many adopted kids.

Judy and Carmen will share both professional advice and personal experiences to help parents:

  • Understand what questions, concerns and capabilities children have at different ages/stages
  • Respond when projects or classroom discussions trigger adoption related questions
  • Gain insight into what to do when going to school and getting homework done is a battle
  • Educate teachers and school staff about all types of diversity: racial, blended families, adoption and more.

Submit your questions for us here or by tweeting them to @adoptiontweet using #ALPschool13

Live Webinar Details

Tuesday, September 17, 2013
7:00PM Central
Q&A: 8:00PM

PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase the certificate option, your certificate will be available upon successful completion of a post test. The post test will be in your Adoption Learning Partners account after the live event.

The audio for the live webinar can be heard over the phone or through your computer speakers. If you choose to listen through your computer, we recommend external speakers or headphones. If you call in by phone, it is a toll call. There are no refunds or exchanges for the webinar once you have purchased it. If you purchase, but are unable to attend the live webinar, a recorded version will be available in your account after the event. The recorded version broadcasts over your computer speakers