Free Webinar for Prospective Adoptive Parents

 Adoption Finance 101: Tips, Tools, and Strategies for Prospective Adoptive Parents

Monday, November 16^th at 5pm ET/4pm CT

 Feeling overwhelmed by the financial costs of adoption? Wondering where to start with grants, loans, and budgeting? Trying to figure out how the Adoption Tax Credit works? We are here to help!

In recognition of National Adoption Month, NCFA and Your Adoption Finance Coach are pleased to offer this FREE webinar for prospective adoptive parents.

Get the practical resources and up to date information you need to prepare for and navigate the complexities of financing an adoption.

Space is limited to the first 100 registrants, but if we hit capacity there will be an option to sign up for the wait list and receive a link to the recording.

Click HERE to register!

#HeartOfTheMatter #Adoption

 Click here to download the “Discipline” PDF.

If your agency lost Hague Accreditation, what should you do?

 

Senator Burr Introduces Bill to Improve Intercountry Adoption Information Reporting

 Source: burr.senate.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Richard Burr reintroduced the Intercountry Adoption Information Act, which would provide updated, quality information to Americans trying to adopt children from other countries.  This bipartisan legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

“Far too often, American families trying to adopt a child abroad face difficulties navigating the intercountry adoption process,” said Senator Burr.  “That is why I am proud to reintroduce this bill, which will bring to light the detrimental barriers that thwart adoptions and require the State Department to share the ways they are working to remove these barriers.  I hope the Senate will quickly pass this commonsense legislation so we can better equip families with the tools needed to welcome a child into their home.”

“Adoption should be a meaningful and profound process for families who wish to provide a safe and loving home for children,” said Senator Cardin.  “Unfortunately, lack of access to information on foreign adoptions has added unnecessary barriers and frustration.  I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation to make it easier for Americans to navigate this process and obtain all the information they need to make a real difference in a child’s life.”

Continue reading>

Today is the Day! Stand up for adoptee citizenship!

Tell Congress to close the loophole and pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 before it expires!

Through no fault of their own, some people who were adopted internationally by U.S. citizen parents still lack U.S. citizenship today. As a result, these individuals have had to endure numerous problems including difficulty attending college, accessing banking services, or starting their careers. Without their rightful citizenship, they are unable to vote or access critical government supports and services such as the unemployment benefits that helped so many families during this time of financial crisis.

Today, advocates from across the country are uniting to close the loophole and secure permanent citizenship for adoptees by urging Congress to pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act before it expires.

Ready to stand up for adoptee citizenship? Start by visiting our ACA advocacy center. The website is packed full of helpful information and resources, including…

• Quick details on the citizenship loophole and the proposed solution
• Sample messages for emailing and calling Congress
• Shareable graphics for social media
• Factsheets you can share with your Congressional offices, friends, and family
• Advocacy tips to increase your impact—especially if your members of Congress are on the committees reviewing these bills

Don’t wait! We need to show Congress widespread, nationwide support to ensure this legislation passes this year so that adoptees can have access to the benefits of citizenship they rightfully deserve.

Across the sea as an adoptee

 Source: notwhatyouthought.com

By Heather Graham

Photo: Charlotte Mehmke

Charlotte Mehmke answered the phone call from China. Finally, after two years of paperwork, she was allowed to meet her daughter for the first time.

Her daughter is Ayse, 20, and the pair have recently gone viral on TikTok talking about all things adoption.

America adopts the most children from China than any other country in the world. When Charlotte was filling out the adoption application, she left all her options open. It was the adoption agency who decided a girl from China would fit her best as she would be a single mum.

Ayse is now studying at university and the pair are closer than ever, which is why they want to debunk some myths about adoption.

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Senator Wicker Decries “Clear and Consistent Bias” Against Intercountry Adoptions at U.S. State Department

Source: https://yallpolitics.com

By YallPolitics Staff

 

Miss. Senator Calls for Hearing on Precipitous Decline in Intercountry Adoptions Approved by U.S. State Department

 

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., this week took to the Senate floor to discuss the troubling decline in intercountry adoption in the United States and the long-running obstruction by officials at the U.S. State Department against the practice.

“I am here to say to my colleagues today that intercountry adoption is in real trouble, and much of the reason that intercountry adoption is in trouble is coming from our own Federal policies, from unelected bureaucrats, particularly at our own Department of State,” Wicker said.

Wicker pointed to recent figures that show a precipitous drop in the rate of intercountry adoptions in the United States. From 2004 to 2019, adoptions fell 87 percent, from 23,000 to below 3,000 in 15 years.

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Proactive Engagement: The Adoptive Parent’s Responsibility When Parenting A Child Of A Different Race

Parents who adopt outside of their race have a critical responsibility to their child’s racial identity. Adoption Advocate No. 146 provides prospective and current transracial adoptive parents with a starting point for understanding core principles of this responsibility, exploring race and racism, and utilizing age-specific guidance and resources to better understand, affirm, and honor their child’s racial identity.

Read Adoption Advocate No. 146 online or download the printable pdf.

 

Blocked Care: How to Help Discouraged Adoptive Parents Regain Compassion

Source: https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/

By Melissa Corkum and Lisa Qualls

Tricia loved being a mom. When she and Sam married after college graduation, they had dreamed of having a large family. By their tenth anniversary, they had two daughters, ages six and eight, and a four-year-old son. When they learned about the need for foster parents in their community, they decided to become licensed to foster, and thought they might one day adopt. After their first few foster placements, their social worker approached them about two little boys in the foster care system who were available for adoption. Tricia and Sam were thrilled to be selected as the permanent placement.

They finally had the large family they’d always dreamed of.

They knew the boys had experienced adversity in their short lives. Fortunately, they had read all of the recommended books and attended a couple of highly recommended weekend training events for adoptive and foster parents. Tricia even joined a couple of Facebooks groups for foster and adoptive moms.

When the boys first arrived in their home, it seemed everything was going pretty well, with the exception of sleep. One of her sons hardly slept at all which meant Tricia was perpetually exhausted. But as the weeks went on things began to get worse. Her son was getting very upset over seemingly small things. His crying turned into meltdowns unlike anything she’d seen before. He became aggressive towards his siblings. Tricia felt like she had entered a war zone.

Continue reading>

 

Surprise! Gift of Adoption is Offering Grants up to $15k to Qualified Families. Don’t Miss Out!

Hello there Hopscotch Families!

For our families that live is some of the specific states listed below and can demonstrate a financial need, we have some great news from our friends from GIFT OF ADOPTION, a 501c3 adoption grant making organization.

Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $15,000 to complete the adoptions of vulnerable children. Grants are awarded without regard to race, religion, age, marital status, or sexual orientation.

This valuable, life-saving, funding opportunity is currently restricted to families completing adoptions in the following geographic areas:

• Child born in Nebraska (can be adopted by a family anywhere)
• Adoptive Families residing in St. Louis Metro Area (MO or IL)
• Adoptive Families residing in the Pittsburgh Metro Area
• Adoptive Families residing in Rock County, WI
• Adoptive Families residing in Colorado
• Adoptive Families residing in New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine

If you believe your family qualifies and your home study has been completed, we would encourage you to complete the Gift of Adoption’s application here- https://giftofadoption.org/apply-for-a-grant/.

There is no application deadline and grants are awarded monthly. Families are invited to apply anytime after completing their home study and before finalization.

Gift of Adoption awards grants to families in all 50 states. Any U.S. citizen who has an approved home study from a Licensed and Accredited adoption agency, is eligible to apply for a grant. *Financial need must be demonstrated.

While not solely limited to these categories, Gift of Adoption has identified the following as its greatest priorities:

For International Adoption, the priority is to award grants that:

• Unite or preserve biological siblings.
• Prevent a child from ‘aging-out’ of the orphanage or foster care system or becoming institutionalized and ineligible for adoption.
• Facilitate the placement of a child with a life-threatening medical condition who will not receive proper care until adopted.

For Domestic Adoption, the priority is to award grants that:

• Help keep children from unnecessarily entering the foster care system.
• Unite biological siblings or prevent them from being separated.

If you have any questions about their grant program, please feel free to reach out to Brian Murphy at Gift of Adoption Fund. He can be reached at (847) 205-2784 ext. 503and via email at bmurphy@giftofadoption.org.  Hopscotch hopes all of our qualified families in need will follow through with an application To this wonderfully generous organization!

#GiftOfAdoption #Adoption #SpecialNeedAdoption #DownSyndrome

Traveling to Adopt During Covid-19

We were ready. We had completed all of the paperwork and it was time bring home our daughter-to-be, Sofija! The countdown was on and we were leaving to adopt her in seven days!

Then came the news that President Trump closed the borders to travelers from Europe. Fearing the worst we immediately began communicating with our agency, Hopscotch Adoptions. Serbia was still open and the decision was ours. Travel or wait and see? We had a quick meeting with our family and the decision was unanimous – pick up Sofija now! But then on March 15, our plans came to a screeching halt when Serbia’s President Aleksander Vucic declared a state of emergency, and nearly every flight in the world was canceled due to Covid-19. We were in limbo as we watched the news and prayed.

Nearly two months later in mid-May, we opened our emails to amazing news! We had been invited to come to Serbia and begin the final stages of our adoption process in-country on June 1… if we were willing to follow certain requirements. Booking flights turned out to be more challenging than we expected, so much so that this mama emailed the White House about 15 times begging for a ride. Finally we got some help from Adoption Airfare who found us a route to Belgrade!

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Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR) In Honor of Father’s Day

Thanks Viviane Martini for this great opportunity!

The Sizemore Family just made a donation in honor of all fathers of children with special needs, that are able to remain present and support their family, as best they can and to those who choose to be the father to children with special needs when their first fathers could not.

Happy Father’s Day!

Donate to the AAPSN Online Fundraiser for Special Needs Children in Artashat>

9th Annual Gather for the Gift – Adoption Grants – Gift of Adoption Fund

Join us for an online auction extended through June 19, 7 PM (CST)

To continue to do our part during these times, we have made the decision to hold our 9th Annual Gather for the Gift event via a virtual giving model. The Online auction is extended through June 19, 7 PM (CST).

Win some amazing items while helping children be adopted in loving families! Please share this auction with anyone who may be interested in the available items or in supporting Gift of Adoption.

Make a gift today>

The First-Ever Adopted Gerber Baby is Here & Just Look at That Face

Source: https://www.yahoo.com

By Amelia Edelman

Gerber has been making waves in recent years with its always-adorable, and now more diverse than ever, roster of spokes-babies. In 2018 we were psyched to report on its first-ever selection of a Gerber Baby with Down syndrome, 1-year-old Lucas Warren; 2019’s winner, 15-month-old Kairi Yang, was the first Gerber Baby of Hmong descent. And now the iconic baby food brand has made another powerful choice, announcing that its 2020 Gerber Baby is Magnolia Earl, who is adopted. Little Magnolia is the first adopted Gerber Baby since the company began this tradition back in 1928.

“This is incredible,” Magnolia’s mom Courtney Earl said on TODAY on Friday, May 8, when Gerber’s selection was announced. “It means that when people see our families, or if you see a family that doesn’t necessarily match, that you don’t have to question the belonging of anybody in that family.”

Continue reading>

NYTimes.com: An Adoption, a Pandemic and an Evacuation by Maria Abi-Habib

The Mosiers flew to India in March to pick up their daughter. The country locked down before they could leave.

Source: nytimes.com

By Maria Abi-Habib

The little girl, her black curls tumbling over her eyes and her slight frame uncomfortably splayed out on the airplane seat, hid crayons in her armpits the entire flight. She was puzzled how they, like the new people called Mom and Dad sitting next to her, now belonged to her.

Her new parents, Seth and Meg Mosier, looked to each other. Were they doing things right? It was not their first emergency evacuation — they had escaped war and violence before — but it was their first on a one-way flight from India sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And certainly their first with a little girl they had just adopted as a deadly pandemic swirled around the world.

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C.A.S.E. Offer’s FREE Code For May 2020 Webinar & More!

The Center for Adoption Support and Education: FREE code for May’s live stream webinar plus resources for adoptive, foster families!

View C.A.S.E May 2020 Newsletter

Adoption Is Not Cancelled

USCIS June 4 Extension of Closure: Now For The Good News – Adoptions Are Still Being Processed by The USCIS Texas Lock Box Location

On March 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS is readying offices to re-open in compliance with local and state orders, on or after June 4. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public while the offices are temporarily closed. During this time, individuals may still submit applications and petitions to USCIS. Online filing remains the most convenient and interactive way to submit forms, check the status of your case, and receive notices.

Field Office and ASC Appointments, Naturalization Ceremonies, InfoPass
USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies impacted by the extended temporary closure. When USCIS again resumes normal operations, USCIS will automatically reschedule ASC appointments due to the temporary office closure. Individuals will receive a new appointment letter in the mail. Those who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center once field offices are open to the public again.

Asylum Office Interviews
USCIS asylum offices will send interview cancellation notices and automatically reschedule asylum interviews. When the interview is rescheduled, asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date and location of the interview.

Please check to see if the respective office has been reopened before calling the USCIS Contact Center.

In-Person Public Engagements
Additionally, USCIS is postponing all in-person public engagement and outreach events for the duration of the temporary office closure. Please contact public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov if you have an immediate engagement question during this time.

For More Information
USCIS will provide further updates as the situation develops and will continue to follow CDC guidance in response to this situation. Please visit uscis.gov/coronavirus for updates.

Education and precautions are the strongest tools against infection. Get the latest facts by visiting the CDC’s COVID-19 website. Continue to practice good health habits, refrain from handshakes or hugs as greetings, and clean hands and surfaces appropriately.

Spread The Word: FREE Live Webinar Resource!

Would My Child Benefit From Medication?

While families are home practicing social distancing during this COVID-19 health crisis, they can still rely on Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) for guidance, support and virtual educational resources like our upcoming live stream webinar.

Spread the Word! Thursday, April 23, from 1:00pm-2:30pm EST, C.A.S.E.’s live stream webinar, “Would My Child Benefit From Medication?” will be presented by Consulting Psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Cullins. Parents will learn what to consider and what questions they should ask of their treatment providers when making decisions about appropriate use of medication for their child.

Thanks to our partnership with Jockey Being Family, the first 600 registrants are FREE! Certificates of Attendance are provided for all webinar participants who attend the live or extended access. This month’s webinar registration details are below.

We hope you would find this resource as a useful tool to share with your network of families in the adoptive, kinship and foster care community.

Live Stream Strengthening Your Family Webinar – April 23, 2020

Register Now

Would My Child Benefit From Medication?

WHEN: Thursday, April 23, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 pm EST

COST: Thanks to Jockey Being Family, the first 600 registrants are FREE with code MEDICATION*

PRESENTER: C.A.S.E. Consulting Psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Cullins

Extended access will be available from April 24 – May 24

*For professionals only, CEU’s are available with a $15 paid registration. Learn more.

Heart of the Matter Education: A Different Kind of Discipline Now Offered @ $35.00

This 1 hour course guides participants through key principles related to discipline and also provides concrete tools that parents can utilize in their own homes.

It discusses how families can provide firm, fair and loving discipline in away that is compatible with the science of child development.

Learn more & register>