On Monday, November 23^rd a ABC premired a new reality show called “Find My Family”. This episode featured birth parents searching and finding their birth daughter. For a description of the show log onto http://abc.go.com/shows/find-my-family, and here is a brief description of the episodes:

"Each episode is full of moving moments and tears of joy, when mothers, fathers, daughters and sons who lost touch for decades are reunited. First we learn the emotional back stories of each family in search of lost relatives. Then with minimal information, the Find My Family team begins the difficult and often frustrating process of sifting through archives and tracking down records until they uncover the missing links. Host Lisa Joyner reaches out to the newly-found family members to let them know that someone from their biological family has been looking for them. Tim Green narrates each story as it unfolds and meets with the people who originated the search. When a family is reunited, they all meet at the Find My Family 'Family Tree'."

11/24/2009

Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex.

Positive parent-teen relationships, high parental awareness and monitoring of whom their children are with, and family dinner routines are all linked to delayed sex among teens, according to a new Child Trends research brief. The brief, Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex, explores how parenting practices that occur before adolescents have had sexual intercourse are associated with the probability of first sex by age 16.
Among the findings:
Better parent-adolescent relationships are associated with reduced risk of early sexual experience among teen girls.
Teen girls who reported high relationship quality with both parents were less likely to have sex at an early age (22%), compared with teen girls who reported low relationship quality with both parents (37 percent).
This finding holds true for teen girls' relationships with their mothers and fathers separately, but no significant association was found for teen boys
Teen boys who eat dinner with their family every day have a lower probability of having sex before age 16 (31%), compared with those who eat dinner with their family four days a week or less (37%). No significant association was found for teen girls on this measure.
Adolescents whose parents are more aware of whom they are with when not at home are less likely to have sex by age 16. For example, only 22% of girls who reported that their parents knew "everything" about whom they were with when they were not home had first sex before age 16, compared with 43% who reported their parents knew little or nothing.
"These findings highlight the importance of parents in adolescents' lives," said study co-author Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D. "Parents can be involved beyond having the 'sex talk' with their adolescents - by fostering strong relationships, developing family routines such as eating dinner together regularly, and being aware of where their children are when they are not at home."
This study is based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, sponsored and directed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

11/23/2009
Nia Vardalos, the breakout star of the 2002 hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has adopted a child.

The little girl, whose name has not been released, is the first for the 46-year-old actress and her husband, Ian Gomez reports. Click here for details http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20240711,00.html

11/23/2009

First-Ever National Data on Adopted Children and Their Families

Adoption USA: A Chartbook Based on the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents presents findings from the first nationally representative survey of adoptive parents in the United States. About two percent of U.S. children joined their families through adoption. The Chartbook describes the characteristics, adoption experiences, and well-being of these children and their families, making comparisons between adopted children and the general population of children in the United States and among children adopted through different adoption types.
The Chartbook contains information on types of adoption, adoption by relatives, contact with birth families, physical health and social and emotional well-being of adopted children, and parenting. It is based on the National Survey of Adoptive Parents, a collaborative effort of several agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Researchers from Child Trends conducted the analyses under contract to HHS.

11/18/2009
Adoption Records November 22nd and 24th Show.

New Jersey adults, who were adopted as children, are barred from access to their birth records. A bill to change that recently passed committee with a unanimous decision, but there is staunch opposition to the proposed legislation from an unlikely coalition of opponents: the A.C.L.U., the NJ State Bar Association, and Right to Life. History is in their favor as the bill has been voted down repeatedly since it was first introduced in 1980. Sandy King’s field piece profiles two adoptees who have been lobbying ever since. But we also hear from the director of NJ Right to Life who fears a rise in abortion rates if adoption files were opened. In the studio, Raymond Brown talks to if State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, Bar Association Representative Thomas Snyder, and Attorney Barry Evenchick. For more information, log onto http://www.njn.net/television/njnseries/dueprocess/2006season/1113.html

1/16/2009
National Adoption Awareness Month, 8 Ways to Celebrate

November is National Adoption Awareness month. According to the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), "The primary purpose of Adoption Month is to raise awareness about adoption, adoptive families and children who need adoptive homes. If done well, awareness-raising efforts represent adoptive families in a positive manner."
There are many ways to promote adoption. Some take little thought or planning, while others involve more, but it's often easier than you think. Don't let November pass by without doing something to acknowledge the importance of adoption in your life. The following are just a few ways that you can make a difference.
To read the entire article please click here.

10/29/2009
Operation Medicine Cabinet

On November 14, 2009 between the hours of 10am and 2pm Operation Medicine Cabinet is taking place. This initiative is open to all residents in the state of New Jersey and is to encourage residents to properly dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired prescription medication. To read more please click here.

10/29/2009
DCF Newsletter October 09

Click here to view the Division of Youth and Families (DCF) Spotlight newsletter that features articles such as Home Visitation Programs to Support New Families and Prevent Child Abuse and other items of interest.

10/28/2009
Professional Training Adopting Older Children

After careful analysis, it was reported that “Internationally adopted children have disability rates similar to those adopted domestically (11.7% vs 12.2%, respectively) and more than twice the rate for all children in that age range (5.8%). The adjusted odds of disability relative to domestic adoptees range from one half or less (China and Korea) to twice as large or more (Romania, Bulgaria, other Eastern Europe, and other Western Europe).”
To read the entire article please click here.

10/20/2009
A life spent advocating fiercely for children

It was her job to tell the little boy he would have new parents, to introduce him to the family adopting him, and to make him comfortable over a series of visits. But when she opened his case file, her stomach sank. His biological parents had signed a consent form placing him for adoption when he was 3 days old, and no one ever acted on it. For eight years, he lived with a family that didn't want him. "So here I am, driving this 8-year-old who, eight years ago as a baby, could have been placed with a family but has to go through the trauma of leaving one family and moving to another," she said. "That was heart-wrenching. How do you tell a child, "Well, this is going to be better, it's a permanent family'?"
To read the entire article please click here.

10/20/2009
How to Be an Adoption Advocate

As an attorney, I used to advocate for my clients. But when I left work at the end of the day, my cases and my lawyering skills stayed at the office. A few years ago, however—about the time Zack, my oldest, entered preschool—I noticed that my professional skills had crossed over into my dealings with friends, neighbors, and others in the community. I was becoming an adoption advocate.
To read the entire article please click here.

10/15/2009
New Jersey’s 28^th Annual “Let’s Talk Adoption” Conference

New Jersey’s 28^th Annual “Let’s Talk Adoption” Conference, Saturday, November 7^th, 2009; Coordinated by Concerned Persons for Adoption, NJ Interagency Adoption Council and Rutgers University School of Social Work: Institute for Families; Continuing Education and Professional Development Program. Keynote Performance by Alison Larkin “Why My Adoption is a Laughing Matter: The English American talks about nature, nurture and how her search for her American birth parents helped her find her self”. Plus 36 workshops on pre- and post adoptive issues. For more information, log onto www.cpfanj.org.

10/15/2009
November is National Adoption Month.

November is National Adoption month, a month set aside to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care. This year's theme,"You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent," includes a more focused effort that reaches out to the African American community and builds on the Ad Council's new public service announcement (PSA) campaign of the Children’s Bureau, the Adoption Exchange Association, and AdoptUsKids. For details, log onto http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/

10/15/2009
Adoptee aims to change rules for birth certificates

Eric Roach is working to change a South Dakota law so other adoptees won't have to work as hard, or tell lies, to get their original birth certificates.
Roach, of Spearfish, was adopted as a 6-month-old infant in Iowa in 1955. At age 40, he was denied access to his sealed adoption records and his original birth certificate by an Iowa court.
"That's wrong," Roach said. "I can't have what other people get automatically. Any biological child can go to the state of South Dakota and request a copy of their birth certificate and, with the appropriate documentation, they'll get it -- no questions asked. As an adoptee, if you want a copy of your birth certificate -- hang on for the ride. The answer is 'No. You're adopted.' The laws ought to be equal across the board."
To read the entire article please click here.

10/13/2009
Three Decades After Adoption, DNA Test Reveals Painful Truth

For Cockeysville businessman Ron Ryba, the long walk from the parking lot to the stadium in Philadelphia was a 29-year trail of memories.
He had come to meet the son he and his high school sweetheart had never dared to look at when they gave him up for adoption nearly three decades earlier. Now, the baby was a grown man. What would he say to him? What would he look like?
To read the entire article please click here.

10/012/2009
She Adopted a Child — Then Gave Him Up

No decision she ever made or ever expects to make was more agonizing or more controversial. After 18 months of pouring her love and efforts into bonding with her adoptive son, Anita Tedaldi realized it wasn’t working and gave the child to another family.
“I loved him and I cared deeply for him,” Tedaldi told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Thursday in New York. “I tried to do the same exact thing I did with my biological children, but over time it became clear that our family maybe wasn’t a good match for him, that we were unable to meet some of his needs.”
To read the entire article please click here.

09/30/2009
UMD Case Transracial Research

The University of Maryland Department of Family Sciences and The Center for Adoption Support and Education are working together to facilitate this important national study of transracial adoptive families. Be part of cutting-edge research to help families like yours!

If you're an adoptive parent of a teen, this might be your opportunity to be part of a national, cutting-edge research project that could lead to improved services and resources for families like yours.
To see the UMD Case transracial research Flyer please click here.

09/30/2009
AdoptUsKids: Interjurisdictional Placement Services

AdoptUsKids has the ICPC Receiving and Sending State Checklists available on the NRCRRFAP pages of the AdoptUsKids website. The checklists provide an overview and generalized description of how ICPC might operate for children and youth being placed across State lines with recruited, general applicant families for the purpose of adoption. Not all steps in the checklists will apply to all situations in every State, but they are a great starting point for the interjurisdictional placement process.
Please click here for the Receiving State Checklist.
Please click here for the Sending State Checklist.

09/30/2009
Mental Health Needs of Foster Children and Children At-Risk for Removal

A recent issue of Virginia Child Protection Newsletter focused on the mental health needs of children entering foster care and children at risk to enter care. The article explored the range of mental health needs and ways to address those needs using evidence-based practices. It will discuss ways to work with the children as well as methods for parent and foster parent training.
Please click here for a copy of newsletter.

09/22/2009

Co-workers at Waldoboro store discover they are brothers

For weeks, Randy Joubert and Gary Nisbet laughed off customers’ comments that the two furniture deliverymen looked similar enough to be brothers. It wouldn’t be long before fate would prove the old adage, the customer is always right. Joubert said something in him clicked after yet another customer asked the same question during a routine delivery in late August. Prefacing his line of questioning with the statement, “Don’t think I’m weird,” Joubert asked his co-worker a few pointed questions based on names and dates gleaned from his own adoption records. Seconds later, Joubert realized that the man who had been on the other end of countless couches, mattresses and recliners since July wasn’t just a co-worker. Nisbet was the long-lost brother for whom he had been searching.
To read the entire article please click here.

09/17/2009
HHS Awards $35 Million to States for Increasing Adoptions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded $35 million to 38 states and Puerto Rico for increasing the number of children adopted from foster care. States use the funds from the adoption incentive award to enhance their programs for abused and neglected children.
“Adopting a child from foster care is a wonderful way to enrich any family’s life,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We congratulate the states that performed so well this year and we thank the parents who are providing loving and permanent homes.”
To read the entire article please click here.

09/17/2009
National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit Materials Available Online

The Children’s Bureau hosted its first National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit in May2009 in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the Summit was to explore the current state of evaluation practice in the field of child welfare and to promote cohesive, strategic, and sound approaches for evaluating child welfare systems, programs, and practice. The materials provided to the Children’s Bureau by presenters at the Summit are now available to the public on the website of James Bell Associates, including PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and resources. The documents are listed in the order that they appear on the agenda.
To read the entire article please click below.
http://www.jbassoc.com/reports/summary.aspx

09/17/2009
Child Trends Research Brief:
Examining Judges' Perspectives on Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption of Foster Children

A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights and adoption of foster children. The brief, The Timing of Termination of Parental Rights: A Balancing Act for Children’s Best Interests, is based on interviews with 20 judges from 18 states. The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 shortens the timeframe for terminating parental rights (TPR) as a way to facilitate timely adoptions for children in foster care who cannot be reunited with their birth parents. The interviews suggest that while judges are concerned about terminating birth parents' rights to a child before an adoptive family has been identified, recent innovations in case practice have helped to address these concerns and have made for a less divisive decision-making process. This research brief also presents the study's implications for juvenile and family court policy and practices: the advantages of judges and caseworkers exploring children's views about TPR and adoption; ways for foster children to maintain birth family connections to support their well-being while in foster care and after adoption; the importance of judges having familiarity with adoption recruitment efforts to inform their decisions; and the importance of seeking consultation and guidance for judges on the requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act.
To read the entire article please click below.
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2009_09_09_RB_LegalOrphans.pdf

09/17/2009
Mission Transition: A Valuable Tool for Foster Youth Aging Out of Care

Ohio State Bar Foundation in collaboration with the state-wide Public Children Services Association of Ohio and the members of the Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board developed this website to guide youth who are aging out of care. The site provides tools and helpful links to education, finance, health, housing, job, legal, parenting, responsible citizenship and other resources.
To visit the site please click below.
http://www.mymissiontransition.com/

09/15/2009
DCF PRESS RELEASE - New Jersey Launches New Campaign to Support Foster Care and Prevent Child Abuse

The New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Casey Family Programs today launched a new campaign – Raise Me Up – aimed at inspiring people to support children in foster care to help prevent child abuse and neglect in communities throughout the state. Raise Me Up campaign is an initiative of Casey Family Programs, the largest national foundation with a sole mission to advocate for children in foster care.
To read the entire article please click here.

09/14/2009
Freedom is not Free

Jordan Brochu was a remarkable young child, always full of questions and intrigued by everything from Legos to the trees in his parents' woods. He played the violin, liked Superman, read J.R.R. Tolkien novels and kept his Sunday school teachers on their toes with all his creative energy. Those were some of the things family and friends recalled about Brochu, a soldier from Oakland who died Aug. 31 in combat in Afghanistan. The private first class, serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry out of Fort Lewis, Wash., was just 20.
His adoptive mother, Suzanne Brochu, stood before about 200 family members, friends and military officials who packed the Faith Evangelical Free Church for his funeral.
To read the entire article please click here.

09/12/2009

Examining Judges’ Perspectives on Termination of Parental Rights and Adoption of Foster Children

A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights and adoption of foster children. The brief, The Timing of Termination of Parental Rights: A Balancing Act for Children's Best Interests, is based on interviews with 20 judges from 18 states.
The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 shortens the timeframe for terminating parental rights (TPR) as a way to facilitate timely adoptions for children in foster care who cannot be reunited with their birth parents. The interviews suggest that while judges are concerned about terminating birth parents' rights to a child before an adoptive family has been identified, recent innovations in case practice have helped to address these concerns and have made for a less divisive decision-making process.
This research brief also presents the study's implications for juvenile and family court policy and practices: the advantages of judges and caseworkers exploring children's views about TPR and adoption; ways for foster children to maintain birth family connections to support their well-being while in foster care and after adoption; the importance of judges having familiarity with adoption recruitment efforts to inform their decisions; and the importance of seeking consultation and guidance for judges on the requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

09/08/2009
Man from EHC wants adoptees to get access to medical history

It took Dan Haines 37 years to find out who he was. Now, the 47-year-old Egg Harbor City resident is fighting for the state Legislature to make it easier for other adoptees to get the same sense of wholeness that Haines said filled a lifelong void for him. Haines' search for his identity began when he was 5 years old. "I never fit in. I didn't look a thing like my parents. They had brown hair and brown eyes. I have blond hair and blue eyes. Things like that started making me very inquisitive," Haines said. "Then one day my mom sat me down and read me a book about being adopted. I told her that a terrible mistake had been made and that we had to call someone because my real family was out looking for me."
To read the entire article please click here.

08/03/2009
2009 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces

2009 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces (including, America's Top 100; Top Ten by Size Category; and Industry Leaders). Published by 2009 by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

This chart lists the top 100 adoption-friendly workplaces in the United States for 2009. Information is provided on the maximum financial assistance for adoption, maximum weeks of paid leave, the type of industry, and the number of employees. Additional charts list the top ten companies by size of the company, top companies by industry, and the top ten adoption-friendly workplaces in Ohio.

To see the entire report please click here.

07/30/2009
Returning to her Roots Guatemala Connections

Chloe Cohen, 7, has a really big "how I spent my summer vacation" story to tell her friends. Visit-your-birthplace-and-meet-your-foster-family big. The Germantown Friends School student returned this month with her adoptive mother, Amy, from a nearly two-week trip to Guatemala.
Not that Chloe remembers her homeland: She left there as a 7-month-old when the Cohen family of Mount Airy adopted her.
The point of the trip - and the group that organized it - was to connect her and other foreign-born adoptees of U.S. parents to their birth countries. Chloe seemed to get that point.
To read the entire article please click here.

07/23/2009
Adoption Stories: Fact and Fiction

It’s a big week for adoption advocates—across the nation and right here in Santa Barbara. Tomorrow afternoon, movie theatres across the country will screen the R-rated horror show, “Orphan.” It’s one of those awful modern-day takes on “The Bad Seed,” that perpetuates dangerously misguided myths about adoption and offends the sensibilities of anyone with any knowledge whatsoever about the blessings—and inherent difficulties—of adoption. The movie’s original tag line was “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own,” which raised the hackles of enlightened individuals who are particularly concerned about such insensitive portrayals of such a delicate subject. A group called Orphans Deserve Better pressured Warner Bros. to reconsider—and the studio not only apologized, but changed the line to “There’s something wrong with Esther.”
To read the entire article please click here.

07/23/2009
The Benefits of and Barriers to Out-of-School Programs for Youth

Research suggests that participation in out-of-school time programs and activities can lessen the likelihood that youth will engage in negative behaviors, such as using drugs and alcohol, dropping out of school, and practicing unhealthy eating habits. Despite these benefits, millions of youth still do not participate in these programs. Three new Child Trends briefs explore the various reasons for nonparticipation.
To read the entire article please click here.

07/22/2009

Domestic vs. International Adoption: Are Celebrities Overlooking American Children?

A judge rejected Madonna's bid to adopt a 3-year-old Malawian girl because the African nation's laws require prospective parents to live in the country for at least 18 months, the star's lawyer said Friday.

The process of adopting a child from Africa involves significant wait time, international scrutiny and significant cost. So it raises the question: Why doesn't Madonna — as well as many other celebrities who have gone abroad to adopt — look a little closer to home for her new family members?

Madonna's rep Liz Rosenberg said she first met the young girl she wants to adopt, named Mercy, on a visit last year, and the Material Girl been working toward adopting her ever since.

Stars including Sheryl Crow, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Rosie O'Donnell and Calista Flockhart have all adopted domestically. But, in addition to Madonna, celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Mia Farrow, Julie Andrews and Meg Ryan have all adopted children from foreign countries. And while last year saw a slight decline, international adoptions overall have nearly tripled since 1992.
To read the entire article please click here.

07/22/2009
Adoption - Records Advocates to protest in Phila

In the United States, Depression-era laws created "amended birth certificates" that replaced the names of biological parents with those of adoptive parents, symbolic of a time when adoption was a shameful secret for all involved: for unwed mothers, scorned by society; for adoptive parents, unable to conceive; for the children, bastards in a society that prized marriage.
To read the entire article please click here.

07/22/2009
New Resources on NYSCCC Website

To view new resources on the New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children, including a Guide to Starting and Managing Parent Support Groups, click here

07/20/2009
New Jersey Parents Caucus Presents 2nd Annual NJ Community Outreach & Advocacy Tour

Calling All Parents & Caregivers Who are Struggling with Finding Supports & Services for their Children

NJPC is bringing Services via our 25 Foot Community Outreach RV to Your Neighborhood!

Onsite Services Include: Street Outreach, Registration for Parent Education Programs, Information & Referral Services, Parent Advocacy, Man Talk Fatherhood Initiative, NJ Youth Justice Initiative

Onsite NJPC Staff Include: Community Based Parent Advocates, Masters of Social Work (MSW), Licensed School Psychologist, Volunteers

Elizabeth – Broad St. & Dickerson St. - August 8, 10 to 5PM

Trenton – Walnut Ave. – August 13, 12 to 5PM

Asbury Park – Springwood & Borden Ave – August 19, 2 to 6PM

Atlantic City – 1539 Adriatic Ave. - August 20, 1 to 6PM

Newark – Bradley Court, 48 Munn Ave. – August 26, 2 to 7PM

Flyer attached for your review. For more information, call (973) 989-8866 or email info@njparentcaucus.org

www.newjerseyparentscaucus.org

07/20/2009

Child Trends News Letter: A User's Guide to Online Resources for Identifying Evidence-Based, Out-of-School Time Programs

In the current economic and political climate, knowing how to identify and select evidence-based programs adds value to any organization seeking to improve outcomes for children and youth. A new Child Trends brief, Online Resources for Identifying Evidence-Based, Out-of-School Time Programs: A User's Guide, can help funders, administrators, and practitioners find evidence-based programs that may be appropriate for their target populations and communities. The Guide provides an overview of 22 resources -- 12 searchable online databases, two online interactive summaries, and eight online documents -- that offer information on a range of evidence-based intervention programs. It also includes recommendations and questions to consider when searching for evidence-based programs, and what level of evaluation evidence or rigor is available -- ranging from evidence-informed programs to experimentally-evaluated programs.
See also: Presentation

07/16/2009
Safe Haven Television Commercial Begins Statewide Run Ad reminding parents of law will air through Labor Day

The commercials reiterate that, through the Safe Haven law, parents who choose not to use an adoption agency and feel they can care for their newborn can relinquish the baby up to 31-days-old at any hospital, police or fire station with no questions asked.
To read the entire article please click here.

07/07/2009
Siblings find each other after 53 years

Little Rickie Webb was barely out of diapers when his entire world turned upside down. Up until then, he had a pretty idyllic life. He lived with his seven older brothers and mom and dad on an Army base in Northern California. His dad wasn’t home very much because he ran transport missions for the military during World War II — before Rickie was even born — up through the Korean War.
Rickie’s oldest brother, Larry, remembers having the run of the grounds at Fort Ord and playing sports and going fishing with their mom. Betty Webb was from Grass Valley, a small town north and a little east of Sacramento, nestled in the foothills of the Sierras. Larry says she was quite the outdoorswoman. She enjoyed deer hunting, fishing and riding horses and instilled in him an appreciation for nature. Overall, life was going pretty well for the young family.
To read the entire article please click here

06/30/2009
Closely Supervised Foster Care Linked With Reduced Pregnancy Rates For Delinquent Teens, Study Says

Teenage girls with a history of delinquency who were placed in individualized foster care programs were less likely than their peers to become pregnant, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, HealthDay/Forbes reports. Teen girls in foster care have an elevated risk for pregnancy, according to HealthDay/Forbes. For example, an earlier survey of teens in three states found that nearly half of girls in the foster care system reported a pregnancy by age 19, according to David Kerr, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University and lead author of the new study.
To read the entire article please click here.

06/30/2009

State Practices for Assessing Health Needs, Facilitating Service Delivery, and Monitoring Children’s Care

Providing health care services for foster children, who often have significant health care needs, can be challenging. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) oversees foster care, but state child welfare agencies are responsible for ensuring that these children receive health care services, which are often financed by Medicaid. In light of concerns about the health care needs of foster children, GAO was asked to study states’ efforts to improve foster children’s receipt of health services. This report has four objectives. It describes specific actions that some states have taken to (1) identify health care needs, (2) ensure delivery of appropriate health services, and (3) document and monitor the health care of children in foster care. It also describes the related technical assistance ACF offers to states.
To read the entire article please click here.

06/30/2009

Fragile Tanzanian Orphans Get Help After Mothers Die

The Berega Orphanage, a cluster of neat stucco cottages in this village of red dirt roads and maize plots, is a far cry from what the name suggests. The 20 infants and toddlers here are not put up for adoption, nor kept on indefinitely without hope of ever living with a family.

Most of their mothers died giving birth or soon after — something that, in poor countries, leaves newborns at great risk of dying, too. The children are here just temporarily, to get a start in life so they can return to their villages and their extended families when they are 2 or 3 years old, well past the fragile days of infancy and big enough to digest cow’s milk and eat regular food.

And, in an innovative program designed to meet the infants’ emotional as well as physical needs, many have teenage girls from their extended families living with them at the orphanage.
To read the entire article please click here.

06/29/2009
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) June/July Newsletter

To read the letter please click here

06/29/2009
Bill on adoptees' access to birth records to be heard

There are at least eight states that currently allow open such information to adoptees: Maine, New Hampshire, Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee. But under Rhode Island law, adoption records are sealed once a child is adopted and can only be opened by a court.
To read the entire article please click here.

06/29/2009

Adoptee Rights Demonstration

11 am July 21, 2009
Philadelphia, PA

For details on this Demonstration, log onto: http://adopteerights.net/nulliusfilius/ .
For Details, please contact Theresa Hood at babygirlm1963@yahoo.com

All Americans, adopted or not, have a right to access government records about their own lives. That’s why we are organizing an Adoptee Rights Demonstration, a rally and protest in Philadelphia, PA, at 11 AM on July 21, 2009. This rally will coincide with the opening day of the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislators.

Adult adoptees in most of the advanced, industrialized nations of the world have unrestricted access to their original birth records as a matter of right. In contrast, adult adoptees in all but six states in the U.S. are forbidden unrestricted access to their own original birth certificates, due to archaic laws that are a legacy of a culture of shame that stigmatized infertility, out-of-wedlock birth and adoption.

Adult adoptees and their supporters have worked diligently in different states for decades to overturn these laws, but have been opposed by well-funded lobbies representing certain adoption agencies and lawyers who have a vested interest in keeping birth certificates sealed. Their unsupported claims that access violates dubious privacy rights or will increase abortions and decrease adoptions have been categorically refuted by data from states with laws recognizing the rights of adoptees, by studies such as the recently published paper from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and by court decisions affirming the constitutionality of access laws.

Please join us in Philadelphia as we fight to restore our dignity and equality! If you can’t attend the demonstration, you can still help. Participate in our writing campaign to inform all state legislatures of the urgency of unsealing our records to restore the equality of adoptees in the United States. Help spread the word about the protest on your blog, or to any groups or mailing lists you belong to. And if you can afford it, your donation would be greatly appreciated.

Make a difference, be a part of history and get involved today!
Adoptee Rights Demonstration 2009
Your Rights — Your Protest

06/11/2009
Happy to be called the 'birth mother's husband'

In all of my 40 years of living, I've been called a lot of things. Over the past 10 years, however, I've had one title only a few people hold - the "birth mother's husband." I was referred to as the "birth mother's husband" this past April while attending a wedding for my wife Bobbi's "birth" daughter, Chrystal Chartier-Wittenmyer. The reference normally comes whenever she introduces my wife: "This is my birth mother...," and then me: "This is my birth mother's..." You get the idea. To read the entire article please click here.

06/10/2009
Application for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program for the year 2009

To print the application please click here.

06/08/09
Ruling Open Up Doors to Past.

Bort has spent a lot of time trying to get more than just the handful of adoption papers her parents saved. It's more than just curiosity. She and her youngest son Cody have osteogenesis imperfecta, which is caused by an error called a mutation on a gene that affects the body's production of the collagen found in bones, and other tissues. It is not caused by too little calcium or poor nutrition. Bort wonders whether her adoption documents would reveal anything else.
To read the entire article please click here.

06/01/2009
Raising Katie
What adopting a white girl taught a black family about race in the Obama era.

Several pairs of eyes follow the girl as she pedals around the playground in an affluent suburb of Baltimore. But it isn't the redheaded fourth grader who seems to have moms and dads of the jungle gym nervous on this recent Saturday morning. It's the African-American man—six feet tall, bearded and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt—watching the girl's every move. Approaching from behind, he grabs the back of her bicycle seat as she wobbles to a stop. "Nice riding," he says, as the fair-skinned girl turns to him, beaming. "Thanks, Daddy," she replies. The onlookers are clearly flummoxed.
to read the entire article please click here.

05/25/2009

Harvard Study Raises BPA Concerns
Study finds chemical leaches from plastic water bottles

Bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic water bottles, leaches from the bottle and ends up in the urine of people who drink from them, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The researchers found that study participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles, the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles, showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the chemical, also known as BPA.
to read the entire article please click here.

05/20/2009
Income Eligibility Schedules for Publically Subsidized Child Care Assistance or Services 2009

To see the schedules please click here.

05/19/2009
Suddenly, siblings

How would you like to welcome a new sister or brother into your family -- at the age of 45? As laws change and stigmas soften, more adults who were adopted are seeking and finding their birth parents. The meeting of birth mother and newly found "child" is often, if not always, joyous. For children born later who now must adjust to having a new and older half-sibling, feelings can be more complicated. We talked with several Twin Cities families about their experiences, and some (nonscientific) patterns emerged.
To read the entire article please click here.

05/19/2009

Advice for new adult siblings

Susan Thompson Underdahl is a clinical neuropsychologist in Grand Forks, N.D., who recently wrote a chapter on adult sibling reunions for the book "Siblings in Adoption and Foster Care." She has also written a young-adult novel on the topic.
At age 25, Underdahl searched for and found her birth parents, who had placed her for adoption when they were in high school, and they had since married and had two boys and a girl, teenagers at the time.
"It was probably hardest on my sister," Underdahl said. "She wanted to be a psychologist, too, and here I show up with my Ph.D. I think it messed with her identity."
She said their relationship has been "up and down" in the 17 years since then. Her advice for adoptees hoping to become part of a birth-parent family:
to read the entire article please click here.

05/13/2009
NRCFCPPP’s Complete Listing of State Foster Care Contacts

The National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning has compiled a complete listing of State foster care contacts (updated 5/09) as part of the 2009 National Foster Care Month campaign. For each State and the District of Columbia, the listing offers the appropriate organization/agency name, telephone number (when available), and website for those seeking to learn more about foster care or how to become a foster parent. Access the document online at:
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/fact-sheets.html
To access the PDF document directly, visit:
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/fact-sheets/Foster Care Contact List NFCM09.pdf

05/12/2009
"In Honor of Mothers" By Joyce Maguire Pavao

To see the poem please click here

05/12/2009
Vaccine records of internationally adopted children may not reflect protection against disease

U.S. families have adopted almost 250,000 foreign-born children in the last 15 years, according to background information in the article. Many of these children were living in orphanages or other institutional settings with few resources and are likely to have incomplete immunization records or none at all. When valid written records do exist, the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Disease advises that they could be considered as evidence of previous vaccination. However, there are reasons to suspect that these records may not accurately reflect immunity, including "documentation inaccuracies, lack of vaccine potency and impaired immune response, possibly due to stress or malnutrition."
To read the entire article please click here

05/06/2009
Create a Lifebook : Free Course 'til June 1st

Spring is here! The season for new projects and fresh inspiration...a perfect time to start a Lifebook for your child, or to work on the one you already have.

If you like the idea but don't know where to start, www.AdoptionLearningPartners.org can help! The course covers some of the things that should be included in a Lifebook, and provides templates you can print out and use.

For the month of May, we are offering our course on Lifebooks free of charge. Beginning June 1, however, there will be a $30 fee. So there's extra motivation to get started now! Click here and start today.

05/05/2009
State-Level Differences in Child and Family Well-Being

Research studies based on national statistics for the United States as a whole have documented differences in child and family well-being between children in low-income and higher-income families and between children in single-parent and two-parent families. However, researchers have not explored differences in well-being in these families at the state level because of a general lack of comparable state-level data.

Two new Child Trends research briefs examine child and family well-being in two states by analyzing data from the National Survey of Children's Health. In addition to supplying national-level data, this survey offers select state-level data that is important to understanding the health and well-being of children and families in a particular state.

1) Disparities in Health and Access to Insurance in Washington State

A new Child Trends brief, Children's Access to Health Insurance and Health Status in Washington State: Influential Factors, finds that most children in Washington State are healthy and are covered by health insurance, but children from lower-income and lower-education households are disproportionately uninsured and disproportionately rely on public insurance.

2) Differences in Child and Family Well-Being in Maryland

A second new Child Trends brief, The Well-Being of Maryland Parents and Their Children: Differences by Income Status and Family Structure, finds that most children and their parents in Maryland are functioning well in most areas, but there are significant differences in child and family well-being between children in low-income and higher-income families and between children in single-parent and two-parent families.

04/24/2009
H.A.P.S. Achieved Full Hague Accreditation

HAPS (Homestudies & Adoption Placement Services) is pleased to announce that we have received our FULL Accreditation as an approved Hague Adoption Service Provider (ASP).
To read the entire article please click here

04/20/2009

Youth Benefit From Strong Families Regardless of Income

When families make the news, it is often for negative reasons such as violence or abuse. However, families are critical to the positive development of children and youth, as well as to problems that may affect development. A new Child Trends brief, Exploring The Links Between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes, finds that family strengths are associated with significantly better outcomes for adolescents in both lower-income and higher-income families. Family strengths include emotional/subjective strengths (such as close and caring parents); behavioral/concrete strengths (for example, parental monitoring and parent involvement); and passive parenting strengths (for instance, positive parental role modeling).

Among the findings:
- Adolescents who reported having close and caring parents are significantly more likely to perform well in school. Higher parental monitoring and parent involvement are also associated with better school performance.
- These patterns were found in both lower- and higher-income families.
- Adolescents in families with higher parental monitoring are more likely to avoid risky behaviors. Also, risky behaviors are significantly lower when parents are more close and caring and more involved.
- These patterns were found for both lower- and higher-income families.
Focusing on family strengths identifies what we value and seek in families. It also clarifies the behaviors and supports families can provide -- building close and caring relationships, monitoring, being involved, and setting a good example. Moreover, it provides insights for funders, policymakers and service providers on ways that the strengths of families can be leveraged to improve services and, subsequently, outcomes for youth.

This brief is based on data for adolescents ages 12-17 from the 2005 Every Child Every Promise Study conducted by America's Promise Alliance.

04/20/2009
The latest “Intercountry Adoption A- Z”

The latest “Intercountry Adoption A- Z” is now available form the State Department. Please click here to download.

04/15/2009
Chinese Hunger for Sons Fuels Boy's Abductions

These and thousands of other children stolen from the teeming industrial hubs of China’s Pearl River Delta have never been recovered by their parents or by the police. But anecdotal evidence suggests the children do not travel far. Although some are sold to buyers in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, most of the boys are purchased domestically by families desperate for a male heir, parents of abducted children and some law enforcement officials who have investigated the matter say.
To read the entire article please click here.

04/14/2009
NACAC offers Advocacy Training in Washington DC.

The North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) is organizing an advocacy training in Washington D.C. from May 31 to June 2. NACAC has worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts for the past four years and is part of a larger group of organizations that helped promote the passing of the much needed child welfare legislation: Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.

NACAC continues outreach to promote adoption advocacy and are working now to locate advocate teams from various target states to come to this training. NACAC will pay for travel, lodging, and food expenses for the team members who attend the training.

One of our target states is New Jersey. NACAC is looking for an advocate team that consists of:

* a youth (currently 18 or older) who was adopted (at age 11 or older) from foster care and can speak about the importance of having a

permanent family

* a parent who has adopted a child/children from foster care with special needs and can speak about the importance of post-adoption support

and services

* someone from an agency or child welfare advocacy organization who can discuss the statewide need for post-adoption services and

permanent families for youth in foster care

NACAC has hosted two advocacy trainings in DC in the past four years. Besides teaching about local, statewide, and federal advocacy strategies NACAC goes into great depth training people how to effectively share their personal stories to advocate for change. The culminating activity on the last day of the training is for each state's team to make legislative visits. Past trainings have been powerful experiences for the attendees and we believe the stories individuals shared with their legislators contributed to the passing of the Fostering Connections Act.

Please click here for the DC Advocacy Training outline. For more information contact Janet Jerve 651-644-3036 ext. 13 or e-mail her at janetjerve@nacac.org .

04/13/2009
Singing and Rapping for Their Rights as adoptees

Two musicians have written and recorded a song they hope will revive a bill that would open private adoption records. It has languished in the State Legislature for six years.
The song, by Darryl McDaniels and Zara H. Phillips, is called “I’m Legit,” and it mixes the rap of Mr. McDaniels — also known as DMC of the pioneering hip-hop group Run-DMC — with the rock of Ms. Phillips in support of legislation that would give adult adoptees access to their original birth records. Similar legislation is being considered in nine other states.
To read the entire article please click here

04/13/2009
A life or death search for her family ties

Carol Barbieri, a resident here, and her twin sister, Kathi, were told they were adopted around the third grade by their parents. Not having much interest in finding her birth parents, Barbieri said, “There was a part of me, as some adoptees will tell you that had a chip on my shoulder — ‘Well, she left me. Why should I look for her?”
That is until 1991, when Barbieri’s then 14-year-old son, Jonathan, now 31, was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome — a cardiac condition that causes the disruption of the heart’s normal rhythm. During one of Jonathon’s episodes, he presented with an excessive heart rate of 320 beats per minute.
When the cardiologist asked the Barbieris if there was a history of the illness or sudden death on either side of the family, she recognized that obtaining her husband’s medical history was as simple as making a phone call to his mother. But, being adopted, Barbieri had no way of knowing — or any easy means of finding out — about the health history of her biological family.
To read the entire article please click here

04/07/2009
A different mid-life crisis: Man learns he's adopted

For 40 years, Patrick Callahan lived a relatively uncomplicated life, believing among other things that he was the only son of Eleanor and Arthur Callahan. His mother died in 1978. His father died in 1994. That's what he believed.

Only, Eleanor and Artie Callahan were not actually Patrick's parents. They had raised him from the time he was five days old, but technically they had never adopted him. An Essex County lawyer, operating outside the law as an adoption broker, had arranged for the infant to be handed over to Eleanor and Artie by orchestrating what amounted to a black-market deal.
To read the entire article please click here.

04/01/2009

Higher Education/ College Scholarship Information from Foster and Adoptive Family Services.

Do you have a child going to college that was previously in foster care in NJ?

Read the more detailed “Ask Our Experts” article from the NJ ARCH “Under the ARCH” Newsletter published March 2009. Click here to read the entire explanation of FAFS higher education scholarship information. Click here (2^nd attachment) for the supplemental information referenced in the article. If you need assistance, please contact our office at 877-4ARCHNJ and we can print and send you the article(s) requested.

03/26/2009
Allocation of Title IV-E stimulus funds may help forestall cuts in foster care and adoption assistance that some states are currently considering

On Monday, March 16, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the first allocation of Title IV-E funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Under ARRA, Title IV-E foster care maintenance, adoption assistance, and kinship guardianship assistance will benefit from an increased federal match of 6.2% for all 50 states <http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/arrainstructions.pdf> . The increased match, similar to the increased match for Medicaid, is retroactive to October 1, 2008, and will last through December 31, 2010.
To read the entire article please click here

03/19/2009
White House Internship Program

President Obama today launched the White House Internship Program for his administration and announced that applications are currently being accepted for the summer of 2009. Those selected to participate in the program will gain valuable job experience and an inside look at the life of White House staff while building leadership skills.
For more information please click here

03/19/2009
Camp Excell: Programs Available in Monmouth and Bergen County

Camp Excel is a comprehensive program that includes academics to promote growth and avoid regression over the summer months,
therapeutic activities to assist in making friends and keeping friends, sports to develop skills and build self-esteem and recreational activities just for fun! Throughout the day, staff members provide encouragement and guidance in using appropriate social skills, giving children the opportunity to experience in the moment learning, learning that stays with them! We recognized the importance of family involvement and offer weekly Parent Groups to provide parenting information and support.
We also offer siblings groups for brothers and sisters to express their feelings regarding their special needs sibling.
For more information please click here

03/11/2009
CPFA Upcoming program and Discussion

Concerned Persons for Adoption (CPFA) will hold its FREE seasonal program on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:45 P.M. at the First Presbyterian
Church of Whippany. New member orientation is at 7:30 P.M. Programs are open to anyone concerned with adoption and admission is free.
To see the entire announcement please click here

03/12/2009
The Interview of Anne Bauer, the author of "The Sound of Hope: A true Story of an Adoptee's Quest for her Origins"
on WWOR-TV, Channel 9

Anne Bauer, author of the new book, ‘The Sound of Hope: A True Story of an Adoptee’s Quest for Her Origins’, will be interviewed this Sunday, March 15th, at 12:30 PM, on My9's Real Talk, WWOR-TV, Channel 9, in the NY/NJ metropolitan area. Honored with the coveted Editor’s Choice Award, Publisher’s Choice Award and the prestigious Rising Star Award, Anne was inspired to write a true account of her life as an adopted individual in hopes of raising awareness of civil rights of adoptees and instigating reform in the current laws pertaining to adoptee records. She is a registered nurse and Reiki energy healer and lives in northern New Jersey with her husband and their three children. You may find out more about her at www.adopteesvoice.com.

Also being interviewed are Brenda Mirly and Judy Foster. Brenda is Program Director for the New Jersey Office of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children. She is also a member of the Adoption Agency Council of New Jersey. Brenda has over 15 years of experience in providing adoption services. She is a LCSW, and has extensive advanced training in marriage and family therapy.

Judy surrendered her daughter to adoption in 1961 and was reunited with her 10 years ago. As the NJ state representative to the American Adoption Congress and a co-facilitator of the Morristown Post-Adoption Support Group, Judy has worked diligently with her NJCARE colleagues to educate legislators and the public about the myth of confidentiality promised to birth parents and the need to restore adoptees' civil right to know their heritage.

We expect that members of the opposition will also be interviewed for this segment. For more information about the bill, or to get involved in the legislative effort, go to www.nj-care.org.

03/03/2009
Golden Bell Leadership Award

Acknowledging outstanding performance of an individual or company who has changed public perception or made a significant change affecting the mental health of children or adults. Leadership nominees are sought in the categories of: media, advocacy, children & corporate.
To see the announcement please click here

03/03/2009

Spain looks back at dark chapter of adoptions

The ordeal of Radas and others is now putting Spain under pressure to take a closer look at a dark chapter of its past. Historians say government archives show that the right-wing regime of Gen. Francisco Franco waged a campaign to take away children of their enemies, Republican prisoners, and sometimes stripped women of newborn babies. The goal was to educate the children to shy from leftist thought, embrace Roman Catholicism and support the regime.
To read the entire article please click here

02/26/2009
Panel: Adopting From Abroad? Get Hepatitis A Shot

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, meeting in Atlanta, voted Wednesday to recommend hepatitis A vaccinations for all close contacts of children coming from countries where hepatitis A is relatively common. That includes Guatemala, China, Russia and Ethiopia — four countries that are currently the major sources of international adoptions. The committee makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
To read the entire article please click here.

02/24/2009
Summary and Section-by-Section Description of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R.6893)

To read the entire text please click here.

02/24/2009
Extended Families help Children avoid Foster Care

Federal and state policies give preference to relatives as foster parents to care for children taken into state custody. Increasingly, however, states are using relatives to care for abused and neglected children to avoid having to take children into custody, according to a new Child Trends study.
To read the entire article please click here.

02/04/2009
Finding Family Roots is Relatively Easy

If you're trying to track down your family history, the Social Security Administration's Death Master File is a good place to start.
To read the entire article please click here.

02/11/2009
Adoption Institute Annual Report

To read the entire 2008 report please click here

02/04/2009
Adopted Children and IQ

From 5,003 files of adopted children, 65 deprived children, defined as abused and or neglected during infancy, were strictly selected with particular reference to two criteria: (i) They were adopted between 4 and 6 years of age, and (ii) they had an IQ <86 (mean 5 77, SD 5 6.3) before adoption. The average IQs of adopted children in lower and higher socioeconomic status (SES) families were 85 (SD 5 17) and 98 (SD 5 14.6), respectively, at adolescence (mean age 5 13.5 years). The results show (i) a significant gain in IQ dependent on the SES of the adoptive families (mean57.7 and mean 5 19.5 IQ points in low and high SES, respectively), (ii) IQs after adoption are significantly correlated with IQs before adoption, and (iii) during adolescence, verbal IQs are significantly lower than performance IQs.
T p read the entire article please click here.

02/04/2009
Effects of Childhood Stress

Stress activates many of the body’s physical systems that assist in coping. However, children experience different amounts and intensity of stress owing to family difficulties, economic stress, and other factors, and their capacities to cope depend crucially on the support of adults. "Allostatic load" refers to the measurement of the cumulative wear and tear on the body that results from experiencing stress. Research shows that high allostatic load in childhood is associated with long-term vulnerability to poor health and mental health outcomes, and that these effects begin early in life. As the term implies, children carry a high burden of potential vulnerability when the allostatic load is high. But are there factors, such as support from close relationships, which can help to buffer children from the effects of stress on allostatic load?
To read the entire article please click here.

02/02/2009
Childhood Stress affects Health Years Later

Children who spent their first years in institutions before being adopted by loving and affluent families still suffered long-term damage to their immune systems as a result of early emotional stress, according to a University of Wisconsin study posted Monday with the online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Even the health of children adopted before the age of 3 who then spent more than a decade with their new families were no better than the health of children who had spent their entire childhoods in abusive families.
To read the entire article please click here.

01/30/2009
"There's No Place Like Home" Spring Gala

On Friday, March 27, 2009, Children's Aid and Family Services will hold its signature annual fundraising gala at Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell, New Jersey. This year's theme will be "There's No Place Like Home," and will feature fun elements from the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz." Most important, every net penny raised will be used to improve the lives of the vulnerable children and families the agency serves.
The evening will include live and silent auctions featuring exciting items, including a stay at a vacation home on Kiawah Island, the chance to be named as a character in international bestselling author Harlan Coben's next novel, and tickets to the Broadway smash "Wicked."
Unlike "The Wizard of Oz," this magical night is no dream. Tickets cost $150 and you may register for the event online at www.cafsnj.org. There are also opportunities for sponsorships and commemorative journal ads. Call Eve Marsan, Marketing and Special Events Manager, at 201.261.2800 x213 for more information.

01/30/2009
Adoption Notice China

The U.S. Dept of State has just released the corrected version of the Adoption Notice for China. A copy of the corrected release is below. It may also be found on www.adoption.state.gov.
to read the entire text please click here.

01/30/2009
Dear President Obama: Open Sealed Records

Today there are approximately six million people in America who do not have the right to answer the question: Who am I? Who was I at birth? The state took that right from them when they were adopted as infants or toddlers. Only in eight states do they have the right to their original birth certificates. An active movement of adoptee-rights advocates is pressing for reform throughout the country, but the going is at a snail’s pace. At this rate, millions of people will die before the laws are changed, and changed they will be one day. Right is on our side.
To read the entire article please click here

01/27/2009
Free Depression Assessment

Lyndhurst, NJ (January 26, 2009) Can depression break your heart? A broken heart may be hard to mend, but studies show depression can take a real toll on your cardiovascular health. Over the past two decades, research has shown that people who are depressed are at greater risk for developing heart disease than people who aren't, and conversely, people with heart disease are more likely to be depressed.
To read the entire article please click here

01/27/2009
The Heart Gallery of New Jersey

The Heart Gallery of New Jersey, Inc. is a unique not-for-profit corporation dedicated to raising awareness about foster children available for adoption. Through the volunteer efforts of some of the country's most prestigious photographers, portraits are taken that help capture the individuality and spirit of each foster child who is eligible to be adopted. These photographs are then shared via the web and through gallery exhibits in the hope that potential families will be moved to inquire about adoption. For more information log onto http://www.heartgallerynj.org/

01/21/2009
Adoption Costs Broadcast on Today Show

A great Today Show program on the cost of adopting today and a relatively new organization to help finance some adoptions started by an adoptive couple called HelpUSAdopt.org http://www.helpusadopt.org/

Think it’s worth taking a look at the piece that aired this morning on the Today Show: To view the piece log onto http://today.msnbc.msn.com/ and select “The High Cost of Adoption”; they do mention at the end foster care adoptions. The direct link is: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/28790962#28790962 (may or may not work on your browser).

01/21/2009
The Heart Gallery Newest Project

The Heart Gallery's newest project Do 1 Thing launches on Valentines Day 2009.
More than 100 of the world's most recognized names in photography including 30 Pulitzer-prize winners are coming together to put a "face" on homelessness while asking you to put a "face on activism.
Three out of every 10 homeless adults admit to a history in foster care and with 25,000 youths aging out of foster care each year, thousands will experience homelessness.
On the day Americans spend 14 billion dollars telling each other how much they care, join us in Doing 1 Thing to help these vulnerable youth.

Stay up to date on the project on our Facebook Causes Page

01/21/2009
Heart Gallery Reception at Johnson &Johnson

You're invited to the Heart Gallery reception at Johnson & Johnson on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009; log onto www.heartgallerynj.org for more information. The children featured in the Heart Gallery are deserving of dignity and respect and, most importantly, a possible ticket to a new life. It is our hope that these portraits will touch prospective parents across the country and encourage them to adopt. Doesn't everybody deserve a family? RSVP to Patty Hickey at phickey1@its.jnj.com .

01/14/2009
Transcending Trauma

Some contend that before I was born, my future was predetermined. My mother met my father in a mental institution where she was being treated for schizophrenia. I was conceived at that institution. By one year of age I would be in my first foster home placement.
My sister was born a year and a half later; she too would enter the foster care system. We would be placed back with our birth mother several times a year, she would have a mental breakdown and we would be thrust back into yet another foster care placement.
To read the entire article please click here

01/10/2009
Celebrating National Adoption Month: Resources for Professionals

The following are resources from the child Welfare Information Gateway that can assist professionals with achieving permanency for children and youth in foster care.
To read more please visit http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/professionals.cfm

01/07/2009
Facts at a Glance

Since 1983, Child Trends has produced Facts at a Glance, an annual newsletter highlighting national data on teen pregnancy, childbearing, and sexual behavior. For the most recent years, state-by-state and city-by-city comparisions are available. In some years, an explanatory cover sheet gives more background information for the Facts at a Glance in that year.
To read more please visit http://www.childtrends.org/_listFAAG.cfm?LID=06C2494C-82B6-4FF8-8DCF0E98D39E016C

01/07/2009

Russian Furor Over U.S. Adoptions Follows American’s Acquittal in Boy’s Death

The grim case of a Washington-area toddler who died of heatstroke after his father left him in a parked vehicle for nine hours is national news in Russia, fodder for angry political commentary and kitchen-table discussion.

The boy, born Dmitri Yakovlev, was adopted from Russia, and his death in July revived memories of a string of earlier abuse cases involving Russian children adopted by American parents. But the real outcry came in December, when his adoptive father, Miles Harrison, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter. To read the entire article please click here

01/05/2009

Federal Adoption Tax Credit for Special Needs Adoptions Finalized in 2007

Beginning in tax year 2003, families adopting a child with special needs from foster care were allowed access to the adoption tax credit without needing to document expenses. For tax year 2007, the tax credit is $11,390 per child and you have this year and up to the next five additional years in which to use it. If you finalized your adoption before 2007 and failed to claim the adoption tax credit, read our other fact sheet Amending Your Tax Return (not complete). For the full article log onto: http://www.nacac.org/postadopt/taxcredit.html

12/16/2008
Adoption week E-magazine

To read please click here

12/16/2008
Trends in International Adoption - 2004 to 2008

International Adoption is just one of many ways in which parents can adopt a child. Children from all over the globe are waiting for their forever families and the statistics below show that Americans are responding to their plight.
To read the entire article please click here

12/08/2008

The English American by Alison Larkin

Alison Larkin will have a book signing and reading at the Morristown & Morris Township Library on Sunday at 2 p.m. Her best- selling novel, "The English American," is according to the Chicago Sun Times "a funny, charming and poignant book - the kind that you can't resist reading in a single day." "It's impossible to dislike this scatterbrained Brit, who overstuffs her suitcase and then ties it together with nylon stockings..." "But the book, based on Larkin's one-woman comedy show, has a serious heart. It deals with both the bureaucratic difficulty of finding your birth parents and the emotional difficulty of integrating them into your life. The English American has a love story, too, with Pippa trying to figure out two very different men..." So come to the library for a fun and funny afternoon with Alison Larkin. Copies of her book will be available for purchase so bring your holiday gift list with you. Light refreshment will be served.
The library is located at 1 Miller Road in Morristown, directly across the street from the Community Theatre. Call (973) 538-6161.

11/24/2008
Nebraska revises child Safe Haven Law

The Legislature on Friday revised an unusual law permitting parents to hand children up to age 18 over to state custody without prosecution, instead limiting its reach to infants up to 30 days old.

The original law, enacted earlier this year, was intended to protect newborns from being abandoned or killed by panicked young mothers. But since Sept. 1, to the shock of officials and the public in Nebraska, 35 older children, many from 10 to 17 years in age, have been dropped off at hospitals. Most were left by desperate parents who said the children were uncontrollable and violent and needed more counseling or psychiatric services than they could find or pay for.

To read the entire article please click here

11/24/2008
Mothers seek Children Given up for Adoption

In 1966 at the age of 20, Tina Caudill of Hazel Park found herself pregnant and unmarried. While today she would be considered a single mother, back then she was a disgrace to her family and community.

When her employer found out -- she was working as a secretary in Detroit -- Caudill was forced to quit her job. She hid her pregnancy and the job loss from her parents, telling them she had been transferred temporarily to St. Louis, Mo.

To read the entire article please click here

11/20/2008
Foreign Adoptions by Americans Drop Sharply

The number of foreign children adopted by Americans fell 12 percent in the past year, reaching the lowest level since 1999 as some countries clamped down on the process and others battled with allegations of adoption fraud.
To read the entire article please click here

11/13/2008
DCF Plans Over 250 Adoptions to Commemorate National Adoption Month

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) will celebrate National Adoption Month this November by co-hosting 14 events to honor adoptive families and finalize adoptions of approximately 260 children currently in foster care.
The majority of this month’s events, stretching from Cape May to Essex County, will be held over a three-day period, culminating on Saturday, November 15, with the state’s largest National Adoption Day celebration held annually in Newark.
This year’s celebrations include many adoption finalizations for adolescents in foster care, as well as many sibling groups being adopted together.
Please note that adoption court hearings are closed to the press, but each event listed notes whether members of the press are invited to any scheduled family celebrations and other receptions following the court hearings. If there is no event, reporters or photographers may be connected with an adoptive family in their area.
If the press is interested in covering one of these events or being connected with a family, please call the DCF Press Office, 609-633-8507, for further information.
National Adoption Day was initiated in 2000 by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, with support from organizations including the Freddie Mac Foundation and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
For more information on adoption, call 1-800-NJ ADOPT (992-3678) or visit the DYFS adoption Web site at www.njadopt.org.

11/03/2008
November is National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month, a month set aside to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care. This year's theme of adopting teens from foster care builds on the Ad Council's new public service announcement (PSA) campaign of the Children's Bureau, the Adoption Exchange Association, and The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids. Click here for details on how to celebrate http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/

10/30/2008
The new youth helpline

The new youth helpline is available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to children and young adults ages 10-24. Youth can either call the helpline, 1-888-222-2228, or access the interactive Web site www.2NDFLOOR.org. Calls to the 2NDFLOOR youth helpline are anonymous and confidential except in life-threatening situations.

To read more please click here

10/17/2008
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute 2009 Foster Youth Internship Program Application

The Congressional Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program provides talented college students, who have spent their formative years in foster care, an opportunity to intern in Congressional offices for the summer. These young adults, who have beaten the odds and thrived in spite of difficult circumstances, bring their unique perspectives and resilient spirits to serve in the offices of the U.S. Congress.
To read the entire application form for the 2009 Congressional Foster Youth Internship program please click here

10/14/2008

Korea Aims to End Stigma of Adoption and Stop ‘Exporting’ Babies

Daunted by the stigma surrounding adoption here, Cho Joong-bae and Kim In-soon delayed expanding their family for years. When they finally did six years ago, Mr. Cho chose to tell his elderly parents that the child was the result of an affair, rather than admit she was adopted.

“My parents later died believing that I’d had an affair,” said Mr. Cho, 48, a civil engineer who has since adopted a second daughter.

Now, with South Korea becoming more accepting of adoptive families, Mr. Cho and Ms. Kim feel they can be more open, with relatives and nonrelatives alike. Ms. Kim, 49, attributed the change partly to the growth of other nontraditional families, like those headed by single parents or including foreign spouses. To read the entire article please click here

10/07/2008
Senate passes "Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R.6893)

The Senate has passed the passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (HR6893). Passed by the House on September 17, the bill now awaits signature by President Bush. Once signed, the legislation will (among other things):
Reauthorize and update the adoption incentives program
Gradually de-link Title IV-E adoption assistance from income requirements so that all children with special needs eventually have access to this federal support
Provide for Title IV-E funding of kinship guardianship placements
Extend direct Title IV-E funding to tribal governments
Allow states to receive federal reimbursement for support provided to foster youth up to age 21
Create a grant program to support kinship caregivers
Require reasonable efforts to keep siblings together
Require agencies to inform prospective adopters about the tax credit
A more detailed summary of it can be found here:
http://www.nacac.org/policy/HR6893_summary.pdf

10/06/2008
Father drops off 9 children under 'haven' law

Child drop-offs under Nebraska's safe haven law have until now been individual affairs involving individual children.
But Wednesday evening at Creighton University Medical Center, a father dropped off nine children, all his.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 17 years, said Officer Michael Pecha, an Omaha police spokesman.
To read the entire article please click here

09/23/208
Senate Passes “Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R. 6893)

The Senate has passed the passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (HR6893). Passed by the House on September 17, the bill now awaits signature by President Bush. Once signed, the legislation will (among other things):
Reauthorize and update the adoption incentives program
Gradually de-link Title IV-E adoption assistance from income requirements so
that all children with special needs eventually have access to this federal
support
Provide for Title IV-E funding of kinship guardianship placements
Extend direct Title IV-E funding to tribal governments
Allow states to receive federal reimbursement for support provided to foster
youth up to age 21
Create a grant program to support kinship caregivers
Require reasonable efforts to keep siblings together
Require agencies to inform prospective adopters about the tax credit
A more detailed summary of it can be found here:
http://www.nacac.org/policy/HR6893_summary.pdf

09/04/2008
Adoption Institute E - Newsletter

To view the electronic newsletter, please click here: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org.

09/04/08
Heart Gallery of New Jersey - Your Chance to Help a Foster Child

The Heart Gallery exhibit will be on display at Foundation Baptist Church and open to the public
September 2008
The Fountain Baptist Church in Summit
116 Glenside Ave, Summit, NJ 07901
(908) 273 - 1199

08/19/2008
Father Involvement Benefits Infants' Cognitive Development

Fathers' involvement in a wide range of activities with their infant children is positively associated with infant cognitive development, according to a new Child Trends study published online in the Journal of Family Issues. The study, "Involvement among Resident Fathers and Links to Infant Cognitive Outcomes," also shows that the benefits of father involvement for infants' cognitive development are greater for male infants and for infants with a disability.
The study is based on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort, a nationally representative survey of children born in 2001.

08/18/2008
In Adoptee Search for Roots, Loss and Gain Collide

Mr. Cellura is among a growing number of baby boomers who were adopted when the process was veiled in secrecy and are now hiring professional genealogists and harnessing the Internet to track down their birth families. Their quest to find their roots has fueled a thriving business in searchers, like the one Mr. Cellura hired after seeing her Web site, and driven a national debate over whether to open adoption records without birth parents’ permission.

Eight states allow adoptees access to their birth records, and legislation to do so is pending in five more, including New York and New Jersey. But critics say such transparency violates the privacy of birth mothers who may not want to be in touch with the offspring they gave up.

To read the entire article please click here

08/18/2008
Only 4 Weeks Left to Submit Conference and Medical Institute Proposal

Are you interested in presenting at the 2009 Annual Conference and Medical Institute or do you know someone who would make a great workshop speaker? Visit our Annual Conference page for more information and to download a copy of the Call for Presentations.
Joint Council looks forward to presenting an informative event that strengthens our focus on global permanency for all children. We anticipate expanding next year’s conference topics to address multiple permanency solutions, including international adoption.
Proposals are due by September 5, 2008.
Please send Medical Institute and Conference Proposals to joeller@jcics.org or by fax (703) 535-8049 or to our office at Joint Council on International Children’s Services 117 South Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
T o see call for presentations please click here

08/18/2008
Interest in Olympics Rekindled by Adopted Girls

I am not a big fan of the Olympics. My interest waned back in the '80s, when it was decided Michael Jordan, holder of a multimillion-dollar contract with the Chicago Bulls, was an amateur and could join with other similarly situated players and be able to run up 62-point margins of victory over such hoops powerhouses as Yugoslavia.

This year, though, my interest has been renewed, not because the professional-amateur charade has been overcome, but because of where the games are being played.

My wife and I are the adoptive parents of three girls, all abandoned as infants in China, adopted by us in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and brought to live here in New Jersey.
To read the entire article please click here

07/29/08

An Emotional Call for Change

Adoptees from across the country rallied at the National Conference of State Legislators in New Orleans Tuesday morning while some local adoptees called for action here in New York State. They are calling on state lawmakers for help. “Open the records,” said Emily Daszkiewicz. “Unseal these records.” Local adoptees and birth mothers joined together in the genealogy section of the main library in Downtown Rochester this morning. It’s a place many of them have done research to find their birth parents.
To read the entire article please click here

07/23/2008
Where Did I Come From? One Adopted Woman's Journey to Find Her Biological Mother

Cynthia Guditus was adopted in New York 43 years ago, but never chose to look for her birth mother until two years ago. She says she had a happy childhood and dearly loved her parents; the parents who raised her.
But when her son, Connor, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 9, doctors advised her it might be important for her to learn about her
own medical history. So for Connor's sake, the happily married mother of three began to search.
To read the entire article please click here

07/23/2008
Tips for Parents kids in cars

This site has lots of information about Kid safety and cars. http://kidsandcars.org/
It also has links to several technological gadgets to help prevent kids from being accidentally left in a car.
To read the entire articles please click here and here

07/17/2008
Where did I come from?
One Adopted women's Journey to Find Her Biological Mother

Cynthia Guditus was adopted in New York 43 years ago, but never chose to look for her birth mother until two years ago. She says she had a happy childhood and dearly loved her parents the parents who raised her.
But when her son, Connor, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 9, doctors advised her it might be important for her to learn about her own medical history. So for Connor's sake, the happily married mother of three began to search.
To read the entire article please click here

07/15/2008
Mickey Duxbury, author of "Making Room in Our Hearts" on speaking of

Next on Speaking of Adoption,hosted by Donna Montalbano Listen via the live stream at www.onworldwide.com My guest for Tuesday, July 15th is Micky Duxbury, an adoptive parent, licensed marriage and family therapist.
Micky and I will be discussing the unique challenges, responsibilities and joys of parenting adoptive children when you’re older.
Micky is also the author of Making Room in Our Hearts: Keeping Family Ties through Open Adoption
For more about Micky, her book and how to order it, click on the "Required Reading" page of www.speakingofadoptionradio.com
An important reminder: you must watch this Monday night, July 14th, at 9 pm ET the shocking documentary "China's Stolen Children" on HBO

07/15/2008
Archeology of Adoption, August 27- September 24, 2008

AHL Foundation – a not-for- profit arts foundation - is proud to present Archaeology of Adoption, an Exhibition for Korean Adoptee
Artists. AHL attempts to focus on artists who deal with relatively relegated issues through their experience as Korean adoptees. This
exhibition addresses the issue of adoption, something the artists have taken for granted, and shares it with audiences who may not have
thought about it. Moreover, adoption, in itself, jeopardizes all the social constructs on memory, nostalgia, and on what composes a
family. The artists in this exhibition raise questions such as how one can trace something that they never experienced or whether
nostalgia for a specific place could be strong to those who had spent a very short time there.
To read the entire article please click here

07/09/2008
Teens Hope to Win Hearts of New Parents

Moved from the maternity ward to his first foster home 16 years ago, the soft-spoken, handsome young man is still holding out hope that he'll be adopted. "Why not?," he asked. "I'm a good speaker. Why not adopt me?"
But as one of New Jersey's "100 Waiting Children" who have been in foster care the longest, Henry knows the deck is stacked against him.
To read the entire article please click here

07/07/2008
Speaking of Adoption" this Tues. on the web

My guest for Tuesday, July 8th is Elizabeth Brundage, author of Somebody Else's Daughter; a psychological thriller of secrets, dark motives, and an adoption buried in the past.
(Secrets, dark motives and lies, oh my! That's "adoption" all right!)
At the center of Elizabeth Brundage’s new novel lies an adoption under stressed and tragic circumstances. Willa, brought up in elegant prosperity, is now a student at the prestigious Pioneer School. But her biological father, a failing writer and former drug addict, can’t
live with himself without seeing her again.
In this idyllic Berkshires landscape, Willa’s adoptive parents have fled a mysterious past; a feminist sculptor initiates a reckless affair; teenagers live in a world to which adults turn a blind eye; and the headmaster’s wife is busy keeping her husband’s disastrous history and current indiscretions well hidden. The culmination of these forces is the collision of two very different fathers— biological and adoptive—and a villain whose ends and means slowly
unfold with the help, witting and unwitting, of all around him. Somebody Else’s Daughter delivers an electric, suspenseful tale of richly conflicted characters and the disturbed landscape of the
American psyche.

About the Author
Elizabeth Brundage is the author of The Doctor’s Wife and holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she received a James A. Michener Fellowship. Before attending Iowa, she was a screenwriting fellow at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Her short fiction has been published in the Greensboro Review, Witness magazine, and New Letters.

And you can still listen to my interview with Wendy Kramer of the Donor Sibling Registry who is also making an upcoming appearance on the Oprah Show on July 11th!

Click on the following links to listen to a program from this website!
To listen to a live show, click on www.onworldwide.com and click ON@WORK.
To listen to an archived show, go to www.onworldwide.com and click ON DEMAND then on the show name.

Donna Montalbanohost of "Speaking of Adoption"
Tuesdays from 2 to 3 pm Eastern Time
1240 AM WOON Rhode Island
www.onworldwide.com
toll free studio line: 800-449-1240
www.speakingofadoptionradio.com

06/172008
NASW Statement On Foster Care and Adoptions

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) supports a child welfare policy designed to provide the best care for all children in need of foster care and adoption services. Presently, there are more than 500,000 children in foster care and a disproportionate number of these children are African-American. Every child has the right to a permanent, continuous, and nurturing relationship with adults who convey to the child an enduring sense of love and care. Children should be able to perceive themselves as valued family members. The paramount concern of social workers is the health and safety of the child and determining the child’s best interest. NASW supports laws and policies that facilitate the fostering and adoption of children through kinship care when feasible, with adequate financial support so that children may remain within their family of origin.
To read the entire statement please click here

06/12/2008
Poem by adult adoptee expresses hope

A year ago today I had nobody to call mom,

Today I have a mom.

A year ago today I had nobody to call dad,

Today I have a dad.

To read the entire poem please click here

06/12/2008
Desire to be adopted leads to law change

Dawn Hurtt welcomed Angel Cina into her heart, her home and even her clothes closet. But state law prevented her from making the young woman an official part of her family.
Hurtt, 42, a veteran of foster-parent and adoption circles, was undaunted. So was Angel, then 18 and legally beyond adoption age, who wanted to put down roots with Dawn and her husband, Gordon.
The two women are the impetus behind a new state law that allows adoption of consenting adults up to age 21, even if there are no blood or foster-family ties.
To read the entire article please click here

06/12/2008

Guatemala annuls 15 adoption cases

Guatemala's attorney general said Wednesday he has annulled 15 pending adoptions to U.S. couples after finding evidence of fraud or other irregularities.
Attorney General Baudilio Portillo suspended all of Guatemala's 2,286 pending adoption cases in early May to investigate them. So far officials have looked into 160 cases. Of those, 145 have been cleared to move forward and 15 have been annulled.
To read the entire article please click here

06/11/2008
Little Angel Find Adoption Heavenly

The official act took only a few minutes, but afterward Angel got to sit with Superior Court Judge Terence Flynn and show him some photographs. Flynn listened as mother and daughter showed off their memories of the past 14 months.

"She has changed so much over the past year," Brown explained to Flynn, pointing to photos taken the day Angel arrived at Brown's home after state officials were forced to remove the little girl from an abusive home.
To read the entire article please click here

06/11/2008
Flowchart for Hague cases

The U.S. Department of State's Office of Children's Issues has released a flowchart for Intercountry Adoption cases under the Hague Convention. This document has been posted on the Joint Council website, accessible both via our homepage and our Hague-specific webpage. We hope that this information will be useful to adoption service providers, as well as potential adoptive parents.

06/11/2008
Wendy's to Help Sponsor Foster Care

This Father's Day weekend - June 14th and 15th, for every Frosty that you buy .50 will go to help children in foster care. Of course, this is at participating Wendy's.
Go treat yourself, your kids, and most especially dad to a Frosty this weekend and at the same time help make a difference in a child's life.

06/10/2008
Did you know...that the majority of Americans are touched by adoption?

Donna Montalbano brings on the experts to discuss the issues affecting the "triad" (adoptee, birth and adoptive parents)

open adoption
foreign adoption
foster care
kinship adoption
search and reunion
safe haven laws
adoptee access to original birth records
gay and lesbian adoption

Log onto http://speakingofadoptionradio.com/ to hear interesting adoption related topics.

06/10/2008
Merrill Lynch Ranked Among Best U.S. Adoption-Friendly Workplaces

Merrill Lynch ranked No. 24 on this year's list of the top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in the United States, according to a survey by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
The Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in America list, announced on May 1, includes the top 100 organizations that provide exceptional support to employees who adopt. Rankings are based on the amount of financial assistance and paid leave provided. The foundation compiled the results from survey data collected from 919 U.S. employers.
Merrill Lynch offers benefits that include as much as $5,000 per adoption to cover "qualified adoption expenses" ($8,000 for a "special needs" child); up to 13 weeks of paid leave for a primary caregiver and one week for a non-primary caregiver. Details are available from the Adoption Assistance Program and Paid Childcare Leave sections of the Human Resources employee website.
Wendy's International, Inc., headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, was the 2008 winner. The foundation is not an affiliate of Wendy's, although the nonprofit public charity was established by the founder of Wendy’s Restaurants in 1992. Dave Thomas, an adoptee and adoption advocate, died in 2002.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc., of Providence, Rhode Island, topped the list among financial services companies for the second year in a row and ranked No. 2 on both the top 100 list and among businesses with more than 1,000 employees nationwide.

06/09/2008
Joint Council Update: Guatemala

Program International Relations Initiative

Date June 6, 2008

Regarding Guatemala

Dear Colleagues,

In the past week, we have received a number of inquiries regarding the status of the approved cases in the PGN. We will continue to update our membership on the latest developments in Guatemala, as well as our continuing advocacy work. Joint Council, along with our Guatemalan representative, continues its daily efforts on behalf of the Guatemalan children in need of permanency. We are pleased to announce that a large number of Guatemalan children will soon be united with their families.

Release of Cases

Joint Council has learned that today, Friday, June 6^th, 2008, PGN will release approximately 230 adoption cases. At this time, there is no estimate of the number of cases with previos, versus the number of cases without. Upon the release of cases by PGN, Joint Council will be providing estimates of the number of cases without previos. Joint Council extends its appreciation to PGN for its release of these cases. We will continue to work with PGN and key stakeholders in Guatemala on the review of the adoption procedure.

Sincerely,

Anna Rough

Child Advocacy Program Manager

The Joint Council on International Children's Services

annar@jcics.org

06/03/2008

Second Annual Basketball Tournament

NJPC Youth Group 2nd Annual Prospect Point Benefit Basketball Tournament - June 7, 2008

On June 7, 2008, the New Jersey Parents Caucus' Statewide Youth Group will hold their 2nd Annual Basketball Tournament Fundraiser. The Basketball Tournament will be held in Lake Hopatcong, NJ between 12PM and 7PM. There are 2 Age Divisions- 12 to 16 & 17 and up and a $5 entry fee per person (including substitutes). Winners of their respective divisions will get 1/4 of the proceeds from the event! Refreshments and Barbeque items will be available For more information on the Basketball Tournament or to sign up a team of 3, please contact David Crosby at 973-294-8143 or Jordan Jett at 973-518-2499. To view information and pictures from last years event, please visit http://www.newjerseyparentscaucus.org/htmls/youthgroup.html.
To see an announcement please click here

06/02/2008
An Evening with "The English American"

Don't miss out on seeing Comedienne and Best Selling Author Alison Larkin at BritsRock4Autism An Evening with "The English American"

Saturday 7 June , 8pm - 10pm
Luna Stage 695 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair NJ
Advance Tickets $30/ $40 door
Join Alison Larkin as she entertains and reads excerpts from her best selling novel, The English American.

Advance Tickets are on sale NOW at
The London Food Company,
416 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair NJ 07042.
Payments: Check (Cheque) , Cash or Money Orders or call 973 820 5795

A charity weekend of British music, comedy and soccer to raise money for children with autism.
www.shopontheavenue.com/britsrock4autism

Press Kit and Media Information: Yomi Karade/ Louise Shallcross
email britsrock4autism@gmail.com
Visit www.britsrock4autism.com

A portion of the proceeds for the above events will go to Spectra Academy Inc, a non-profit Montclair based organization that provides
programs for children with high functioning autism.
Visit www.spectra-academy.org

06/02/2008
The Heart Gallery Display will be at the Shiloh Baptist Church, Trenton

The children featured in the Heart Gallery are deserving of dignity and respect and, most importantly, a possible ticket to a new life. It is our hope that these portraits will touch prospective parents across the country and encourage them to adopt. Doesn't everybody deserve a family? Please visit this display at:

Shiloh Baptist Church
340 Rev. S. Howard Woodson, Jr. Way
Trenton, NJ 08618

For more information on the Heart Gallery, log onto www.heartgallerynj.org

05/29/2008
"Unlocking the Heart". Trailer on YouTube

I am happy to tell you that a 5 ½ minute trailer of the documentary UNLOCKING THE HEART OF ADOPTION is now up on YouTube. You can watch it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UknFCgunhV8

The 56 minute documentary UNLOCKING THE HEART OF ADOPTION bridges the gap between birth and adoptive families through diverse personal stories of adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents in same race and transracial adoptions interwoven with the filmmaker’s story as a birthmother revealing the enormous complexities in their lives with fascinating historical background.

Recipient of the 2006 Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption Award, UNLOCKING THE HEART OF ADOPTION is on the National Title IV-E List of Recommended Child Welfare Films. This film is currently being used as an educational tool by adoption agencies, and colleges and universities worldwide.

05/27/2008
Spence-Chapin's Adoption Resource Center Presents Adoption Forum for Teens

ADOPTION FORUMS FOR TEENS

410 East 92nd Street (between 1st and York Avenues) New York City, NY

Dating and Relationships
Saturday, May 31, 2008
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
A panel of young adult adoptees will candidly share how being adopted may have impacted who they chose to date, who they chose as friends and how they see themselves.

Search and Reunion
Saturday, June 7, 2008
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
The choice to search for and maintain a relationship with a birth family is a unique aspect of being adopted. Adult adoptees will discuss their experiences with regard to search, why they searched or did not, and what happens after one meets their birth family.

Advance registration is required.

Program Fee: $30 per forum. To register, please contact Eneida at 212-360-0287 or email: arcworkshops@spence-chapin.org.
For online registration, visit: http://www.spence-chapin.org/workshops.html
All discussions will be facilitated by Joy Lieberthal, LCSW, an adult adoptee and Spence-Chapin social worker.

05/27/2008
De-emphasis on Race in Adoption Is Criticized

Minority children in foster care are being ill-served by a federal law that plays down race and culture in adoptions, a report released on Tuesday said.

The report, based on an examination of the law’s impact over a decade, said that minority children adopted into white households face special challenges and that white parents need preparation and training for what might lie ahead.

But it found that social workers and state agencies fear litigation and stiff penalties under the law for even discussing race with adopting couples. As a result, families often do not get the counseling they need. It also found that states have ignored an aspect of the law that requires diligent recruitment of black parents.
To read the entire article please click here

05/27/2008
"Adopted" the movie

Director Barb Lee and her production partner Nancy Kim Parsons had always wanted to explore the increasingly popular trend of international adoption in America, an issue they know particularly well as Korean adoptees themselves. With this deeply personal understanding, they set out to create a documentary that told the story of two families at different points along the adoption journey.

In the end, both Barb and Nancy hope to inform, educate, and challenge the viewer’s preconceived notions of not only adoption, but of family as a whole.

To begin “Adopted: The New American Family,” Barb and Nancy sought every expert’s advice and opinion. They attended conferences and organizations of adoptees and adopters. They interviewed therapists, pediatricians specializing in international children, adoption advocates, lawyers, and adoption activists (pro and con). They put as many of them on camera as they could.
To visit the website please click here

05/21/2008
A Child's Right Campaign for Vietnam

The U.S. Department of State has expressed concerns related to corruptive practices associated with intercountry adoption between the U.S. and Vietnam. In response to their concerns, the Department of State will allow the functional closure of adoptions on September 1, 2008 and thereby end one of the most basic of human rights: the right to a safe, permanent and loving family.
To read A Child's Right Campaign - Recommendations, please click here
To read A Child's Right Campaign - Latter to family and friends, please click here

05/21/2008
Adoptees Birthright Bill

The Adoptees' Birthright Bill is assigned to the Assembly Human Services Committee, where we have the support of most of the members of that committee. The chair is a strong supporter, a true champion of adoptees' rights to know the truth of our origins.

For a bill to be posted in committee, the Speaker of the Assembly has to approve its being heard. The Speaker also has the prerogative of deciding whether the bill is posted for a vote by the full Assembly. Because of the huge number of bills filed, the M.O. of the NJ Legislature is that bills allowed to be heard in committee are generally expected to be released from committee to the floor; and bills posted for a floor vote are expected to pass.

Since we have such strong support on the committee, as well as in the Assembly at large, the major decision to be made will be by Assemblyman Joe Roberts (D-Camden), Speaker of the Assembly.

We would like Asm. Roberts to receive 100 letters either by email, hard copy or even handwritten, postmarked by June 1, week from this coming Sunday. This deadline is critical because of the legislative calendar which has one more meeting of the Human Services Committee before the legislators break for the summer. There are voting days between June 12 and the end of the month, which could possibly allow the bill, if posted and released on the 12th, to move forward.

Would you please make every effort to write a personal letter, no longer than a single page (however you send it), to

Assemblyman Joe Roberts, Speaker of the Assembly

Brooklawn Shopping Plaza,

Rt. 130 South & Browning Rd.

Brooklawn, NJ 08030

Please refer to the bill as the Adoptees' Birthright Bill rather than by number. There are several bills and what is likely to come out is a "committee substitute" which will have elements of each of the bills.

If you write your letter on the computer, would you kindly send a copy of it to me at pamhasegawa@gmail.com :-). Please email it to me AFTER emailing it off to the Speaker if that is how you send your message. If you send it by snail mail (which I think will have more impact just because so much of today's communication is done electronically), please just cut-and-paste or attach a copy of your letter to an email addressed to me.

Many, many thanks, friends. And if you have friends n the Camden region who are sympathetic to our cause, please ask them to write as well.

In hope,

Pam

05/20/2008
"Operation Babylift" available in "Speaking of Adoption" audio file

Here's information for accessing Lana Noone's recent radio Vietnam
"Operation Babylift" radio broadcast: Go to the WOON web site at:
www.onworldwide.com/museumlinks2.html Click on the "Speaking of Adoption" link on the home page. That should bring up the audio file of the radio program. It will automatically load the audio/video player software and played the audio file.

05/20/2008
New Child Welfare Information Gateway

Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

To visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway website please click here

05/15/2008
Finding the missing pieces to my family puzzle

For 28 years my life had been a series of too many questions filled with too many emotions. It was a continuous loop that seemed to have no end, no beginning. Was she even living, and if so, did she ever think about me the way I had thought about her? Too many times I would walk through a mall, wondering if she was that woman over there. Or maybe she was the one on the corner who sort of looked like me. During those years I often engaged in soul-searching conversations with myself. One thing was constant: If I ever found her, I knew I would never call her "mom." After all, my mom was the woman who raised me from when I was 8 months old. She was the one who was there for me every step of the way, from my first day of school to when I, myself, became a mother.
To read the entire article please click here

05/15/08
Opportunity for Families

As an active supporter of international understanding, you help families bridge cultural divides in order to provide loving homes for children from around the world. Youth For Understanding joins in that work and helps provide students from over 60 countries the opportunity to live and learn while immersed in American culture.
Youth For Understanding (YFU), one of the oldest and largest exchange programs in the world, is seeking families who are willing to open their homes and hearts to one of our international students for the 2008-2009 academic year. For families interested in adopting a child from another country, hosting a foreign exchange student is an excellent introduction to the culture from which that child may come.
All kinds of families make wonderful YFU host families, including singles, parents with or without children, empty nesters, and members of the gay community. Host families may choose to host as a welcome family for six weeks, a semester, or a full school year.
f you are interested in this opportunity to further connect your families with the international community, here are some options:
Ø      Offer information or make an announcement at your next meeting or event.
Ø      Request hosting materials to distribute to your families
Ø      List our website and contact information in your newsletter or bulletin.
Ø      Forward an invitation to your families to attend YFU events and orientations in your local area.
If you are interested, please call our office at 1-866-493-8872, Ext. 110 or e-mail Theresa Nowak at tnowak@yfu.org. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you have and to provide you with more information. You can also visit our website at www.yfu-usa.org. Please help us by passing this information on to the families that your organization serves.
Warm Regards,
Theresa Nowak

05/12/08
Division of Child Behavioral Child Services Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural Division of Child Behavioral Health Services (DCBHS) Newsletter. Look for this newsletter quarterly to provide updates, helpful links, interesting data, and most importantly, the voice of youth. We chose Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week to launch this endeavor. Throughout the state, youth, families, and agencies are educating their larger community about the challenges and successes of New Jersey youth with behavioral health needs.
To see the entire newsletter please click here

05/14/2008
Heat warning

Antipsychotic medications may impair the body’s ability to regulate it’s own temperature. During hot and humid weather individuals taking antipsychotic medications are at risk of developing excessive body temperature, or hyperthermia, which can be fatal. Individuals with chronic medical conditions are especially vulnerable e.g. heart and pulmonary disease, diabetes and alcoholism, etc. Heat exhaustion is the most common heat-related condition, which is most likely to occur in people who are involved in physical activity outdoors during heat waves. Heat stroke is a more serious condition of dehydration and salt depletion which can be life threatening.
To read the entire article please click here

05/14/2008
Member of Run DMC supports foster, adopted kids

PARAMUS - A rapper from the group Run DMC is giving his time to foster and adopted children in New Jersey.
An adopted child himself, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels has signed on to represent Children’s Aid and Family Services of Paramus, an organization that supports foster and adopted children. McDaniels says the experience helps him truly connect with kids. “For me, I was fortunate to be adopted,” he says. “But my role for these kids is to represent them and let them not feel alone.”
As the organization’s spokesman, McDaniels believes he can give a voice to children who need the encouragement. “I tell them, ‘You can do anything that you wanna do, don’t let your situation define you,’” he says.
McDaniels believes his fame can help get the message out. He says rap helps him send the message straight to the children. McDaniels once did a song with musician Sarah Mclaughlin about his journey through the adoption process—a song that made Wafiq, a child at the organization, feel good.
For McDaniels, children like Wafiq are what make his time feel well-spent.
To see the entire video please click here

05/08/2008
State's adoption law protects privacy of birth mothers, too

I write to point out misstatements and misrepresentations by individuals and groups who are trying to eliminate an important privacy for birth mothers — a privacy that has been protected by law for decades. Those who want to eliminate a mother's privacy claim that New Jersey's adoption law protects only the adopted child. That claim is wrong. New Jersey's adoption law protects all of the parties: the child, the birth mother and the adopting parents.

To read the entire article please click here

05/08/2008
14 ways for a Birth mother or Birth Father to Honor and Remember a Placed Child

1. Journal about your experience as a birth mother or father. Write about the adoption of your child. Consider sharing your story with a close friend.
To read the entire article please click here

05/08/2008
Birth Mother Day 05/08

For many years there was no choice – either a birth mother was honored and recognized on Mother's Day, or not at all. In 1990, a group of Seattle birth mothers sought to correct that oversight and created a special day to honor those mothers who lost children to adoption. Birth Mother's Day had a variety of purposes – to educate, honor and to help heal.
To read the entire article please click here

05/08/2008
Joint Council Update - Guatemala

On April 16-19, 2008, Joint Council and its Guatemala Caucus Co-chairs, including Bruce Mossberg of Bethany Christian Services, Chris Huber of FTIA, and Margaret Orr of Small Miracles, traveled to Guatemala to assess the current situation regarding permanency services, establish and strengthen working relationships with key stakeholders, and offer assistance to the government in developing their child protection and permanency services. The delegation met with the Executive Director and Vice-Director of the Guatemala Central Authority, the Director of Bienestar Sociale, the Director of SOSEP, the U.S. Consul General, John Lowell, and the U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, James Derham. Additional meetings were also held with current service providers.
To read the entire article please click here.

05/06/2008
2008 InKAS Summer School

InKAS is holding a summer school program for overseas Korean adoptees to experience and learn Korean Culture from 1^stof August (Fri) to 14^th of August (Thu), 2008. It is our desire to aid in finding Overseas Korean adootees' birth families and assist in understanding and experiencing the true Korean Culture during their visit.
The program is mainly coordinated for overseas Korean adoptees to experience Korean cuisine, custom, culture and language via opportunities of direct participation and experiences of Korean Living.

To read the entire article please click here.

05/05/2008

Governor signs historic Family Leave Insurance legislation

TRENTON -- Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed an historic family leave insurance bill (A873 / S786), propelling New Jersey to become only the third state in the nation to enact a family leave program for workers caring for sick family members, newborn and newly-adopted children. The state of California implemented its program in 2004 while the state of Washington passed legislation last year.
To read the entire article please click here.

05/05/2008
May is National Foster Care Month...You Can Change a Lifetime!

All children deserve a safe, happy life — including the 513,000 American children and youth in foster care. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.
Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will either safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

But some children in foster care are less fortunate. Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.

Take a closer look at the number and diversity of people who were once in foster care. It might surprise you. In fact, there are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the U.S. representing all walks of life. Behind this startling statistic are countless stories of children who grew up to be thriving adults while others struggled with life’s challenges all alone. The difference between triumph and tragedy will become very clear as you read about these foster care alumni. Success stories come about when someone takes the time to offer comfort, provide support, give advice, or simply share a milestone moment with a youngster enduring a difficult family situation.

Now is the time to get involved. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will Change a Lifetime for a young person in foster care.

04/21/2008
Measure would aid those seeking biological parents

More than 100,000 individuals who were born and adopted in New Jersey do not have access to their medical histories because they don't know who their birth parents area.
The New Jersey Senate passed a bill recently that would give adopted adults the right to access their own birth records; the bill now heads to the Assembly for a vote.
To read the entire article please click here

04/16/2008
St John's Adoption Conference call for papers

We are pleased to announce our call for papers.

We hereby invite professionals, researchers, scholars, practitioners and graduate students to submit papers and research manuscripts that address issues likely to affect adopted adolescents in their journey toward their identity formation. The topics should include comparison in identity formation between adoptive and non-adoptive adolescents and all members of the triad, including the biological and parents and biological and adoptive extended families, etc. Thus topics such as,

* Challenges to identity formation in international and transracial adoption

* Challenges to identity formation in transracial adoption

* Identity formation in an open versus closed adoption

* Differences in identity formation challenges in foster care vs. adoptive family setting

* Identity formation in a gay and lesbian context (whether the adolescent is adopted by a gay/lesbian parent or whether the biological parents may be gay/lesbian).

* Issues of search and reunion and how these issues impact on identity formation

* Discussions of specific factors in the adoption experience likely to impact on the final resolution of the identity formation

* Nature vs. nurture in the adopted self identity

* Factors in early childhood experience likely to impact on identity formation.

* Treatment and assessment issues

04/16/2008
"Then She Found Me" a new movie

THEN SHE FOUND ME, a new film starring Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick that deals with parenthood, life choices as well as adoption opens in NY and LA on April 25th with a national roll-out throughout May. Adapted from Elinor Lipman's novel of the same name, the film marks Ms. Hunt's directorial debut.
THEN SHE FOUND ME, is a touching story of schoolteacher April Epner (Hunt) and her very unlikely path towards personal fulfillment. Following the separation from her husband (Matthew Broderick) and the death of her adopted mother, April is contacted by her apparent birth month (Bette Midler), who turns out to be a local talk show host Bernice Graves. As Bernice tries to become the mother to April that she was never able to be, April seems to find solace in the arms of the parent of one of her students (Colin Firth), only to find that the mystery to life's questions cannot be solved by a simple revelation.

04/04/2008
The Kinship Caregiver Support Act

CALL WASHINGTON!

Ask your members of Congress to sponsor
THE KINSHIP CAREGIVER SUPPORT ACT

Nearly 20,000 children living in foster care with relatives could leave foster care and live permanently with relatives if federal support was available to help with their care, as is now available for many foster parents who adopt children. Currently, relatives who become legal guardians to care for foster children permanently cannot receive the continuing financial assistance they need to help provide for the children they are raising.

The bipartisan Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 661/HR. 2188) would help children currently living with relatives in foster care leave the system for good through legal guardianships. It would also help relative caregivers find other services and supports to help them care for these children. Congress needs to hear that these children and families are a priority and deserve our help and support.

It’s easy and free to make the call…

CALL IN LINE OPEN: April 1 - April 15

1-866-873-3025

Urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor

The Kinship Caregiver Support Act (S. 661/HR. 2188)

Simply follow the prompts, enter your ZIP code, and you will be connected directly to the offices of your Members of Congress.

03/25/2008
Measure would aid those seeking biological parents

More than 100,000 individuals who were born and adopted in New Jersey do not have access to their medical histories because they don't know who their birth parents are.
Rose Zeltser is senior vice president of Children's Aid and Family Services in Paramus.
The New Jersey Senate passed a bill recently that would give adopted adults the right to access their own birth records; the bill now
heads to the Assembly for a vote.
Without access to birth records, adoptees have no knowledge of their heredity or medical histories. This lack of knowledge has a lasting
physical and emotional impact. Adoptees are denied the right to full knowledge of their cultural and genetic identity, as well as the
potential health risks against which they otherwise could take preventative medical or lifestyle choice measures.
To read the entire article please click here

03/25/2008
Embassy of Kazakhstan Halts Processing of Adoption Dossiers

The Department of State has been informed that the Embassy of Kazakhstan is conducting a review of current procedures regarding intercounty adoptions. Until completed, this review will affect the processing of new adoption dossiers. Although initial indications were that no new cases would be processed during the review, we have learned that some new cases may have been accepted. We have offered to assist the Embassy with its efforts to ensure that adoptions from Kazakhstan to the United States are conducted in a transparent, serious and honest process. It is not known at this time how long this review will require.

03/25/2008
Oceans Apart, A voyage of International Adoption

An almost fatal bout of small pox. A sobbing farewell to her mother at Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport. A traumatic flight to the United States with adoptive parents. An abusive childhood filled with neglect and emotional turmoil. Yet, despite these agonizing upheavals, within the lonely child lives an unwavering quest for survival.
Is this the fictitious plot of a best-selling novel? "Certainly not," says Mary Mustard Reed, author of Oceans Apart: A Voyage of International Adoption. "This is the uncensored story of my fight to overcome and triumph as one of the first Vietnamese children-if not the first-to be adopted in the USA in 1964.
To read the entire article please click here

03/25/2008
Adoption Eq Act letter to Congress

Right now, there are 114,000 U.S. foster children waiting for permanent loving families through adoption. These waiting children tend to be older, brothers and sisters who need to stay together, or children of color. Almost all of them have significant special needs. The Adoption Equality Act would provide states with resources to support the adoptions of more of these children. Promoting more adoptions is an investment that can provide real savings. Research has shown that the roughly 50,000 adoptions from foster care each year save from $1 billion to $6 billion in government expenses.
To read the entire article please click here

03/20/2008
New Voices: Alison Larkin Adopts Literary life

By Carol Memmott, USA TODAY

The book
The English American
Simon & Schuster, 336 pp., $24

What it's about: A debut novel about Pippa Dunn, 28, adopted as an infant by a British family, who visits America to meet her birth parents.
Why it's notable: Larkin was adopted at birth in Washington, D.C., and raised in England by her British parents.
Excerpt: "I came to America to meet the mother who gave me birth. … Two months ago I thought I was English. But I'm not. I'm a redneck."

The author

Quick bio: Larkin, 44, lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, Jim, and their daughter, Eliza, 5, and son, Toby, 7. Her autobiographical one-woman show, The English American, has been featured at the London Comedy Festival.
On how the novel mirrors her life: "In terms of the emotional journey of Pippa, very closely. In terms of the facts, it doesn't. I wanted to turn it into the kind of fiction that I like to read."
The book's message: "I wanted to get everyone to understand why someone from a really happy adoptive family might still need to find the truth about the people she came from."
What's next: "I definitely feel another book coming, and I do believe it's a sequel. I'm not quite done with Pippa Dunn."

03/19/2008
St. John's University 5th Biennial Adoption Conference call for papers

We are pleased to announce our call for papers.

03/13/2008
Guatemala, No Amnesty for Adoption Fraud

Guatemalan prosecutors have ruled out amnesty for birth mothers who used false identities to surrender their babies to an agency where 46 children being adopted by U.S. families were seized in a raid last August.
The probe of the Casa Quivira agency turned up a slew of irregularities, including at least five cases in which birth mothers were allegedly provided with false identities to avoid having to obtain permission from family members and a judge to give up their babies.
To read the entire article please click here

03/06/2008
The English American
by Alison Larkin

The English American (Simon & Schuster, $24) takes us on a rollicking ride of reunion, as seen through the eyes of an adoptee. The author, Alison Larkin, who has a one-woman show of the same name, uses humor and pathos in equal measure. You need only to turn the page to find something that will make you laugh…or cry.

Above all, it is the characters who stay with you. First, there is Pippa, the title character, who was adopted at birth by a reserved English couple. You will come to love her as she muddles her way through childhood; discovers her American heritage, at age 15; and navigates the ups and downs of a search and reunion. Her journey of self-discovery and identity becomes our own. I still think about her, weeks after finishing this book.

There is also Mum, her adoptive mother, who embodies the ideal of British decorum, but infused with warmth and understanding. Dad, on the other hand, is curmudgeonly and protective, the voice of caution, who believes that some things are better left alone. However, it is Billie—Pippa’s birthmother—who provides the real tension in this tale. She is well-intentioned, even if seriously misinformed. For the most part, she is a walking exemplar of what not to do in a reunion. There are other characters, including Pippa’s birthfather, and a couple of interesting subplots as well.

While Pippa’s story is truly her own, she has something to teach all of us who are involved in adoption. So, as you turn the pages, read, laugh, and learn.

Reviewed by Brenda Romanchik, executive director of Insight: Open Adoption Resources and Support. She is a birthmother in an open adoption.

Buy this book

03/04/2008
Hague Implementation

Dear members of Joint Council,

Tom DiFilipo, President & CEO of Joint Council, the Joint Council Board of Directors, and the Joint Council staff are proud to acknowledge our many member and affiliate organizations who have been recognized as Hague Accredited by the U.S. Department of State.

The Joint Council community has been actively involved with the implementation of the Hague Convention in the United States for over the past decade. We are especially proud that a majority of the organizations who have already been Hague Accredited are members and affiliates of Joint Council.

At the same time, we are confident that even more members and affiliates of the Joint Council community will be recognized in the coming weeks. The current published list (which is available on the Department of State’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_4169.html#) is a small reflection of the many organizations that will be Hague Accredited in the near future.

The Hague Accreditation process has been complicated and demanding, and many other in-process organizations should expect to receive Hague Accreditation very soon. All of our member and affiliate organizations uphold Joint Council’s Standards of Practice and have demonstrated a commitment to practices that are in the best interest of children worldwide. Should any questions exist about a particular Joint Council member or affiliate organization pursuing Hague Accreditation, please do not hesitate to contact us at 703-535-8045.

While we are excited that another stage of Hague implementation is complete, Joint Council will continue our efforts to ensure that all qualified organizations are recognized as Hague Accredited, and that the Hague is successfully and comprehensively implemented in the United States.

Best regards,
Adam Schlicht
Child Advocacy Program Manager, Joint Council

03/03/2008
English or American ?

Larkin is sitting in the second row of red seats inside the Bickford Theatre in Morristown on this clear-sky Thursday morning. She is laughing – not crying – poking fun at the trail that led her to a cozy seat in this 312-chair auditorium. She has an upcoming performance here, a debut novel ("The English American," which hits bookstores Tuesday) that Redbook and Vogue have included on their recommended reading lists and at least two movie studios allegedly circling to secure big-screen rights.
To read the entire article please click here

02/28/08
Key official resigns her post at children and family agency

A key official at the state Department of Children and Families who was a leading candidate to run the agency resigned yesterday, state officials confirmed. The unexpected departure of Molly Armstrong, the department's director for policy and planning, leaves no clear choice to lead a department that must prove to a federal court monitor it is making progress improving its troubled child welfare system.
To read the entire article please click here.

02/25/2008
With Open Adoption, Anew Kind of Family

While there are no national statistics, open adoption is increasingly common, according to Harold Grotevant, a University of Minnesota professor who is one of the leading experts in the field. He’s been doing research with 35 adoption agencies for the last two decades and says there has been a clear-cut swing from confidential to open adoptions. Susan Caughman, editor of Adoptive Families magazine, started an Ask the Experts column last year on open adoption, which, she says, now gets more queries than any other column at the magazine
To read the entire article please click here.

02/15/08
As adopptees seek roots, states unsealing records

For years, Benoit, 52, had wondered about the parents who had put her up for adoption. That helped lead her to support a plan to give adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates. After the bill passed, Benoit learned the names of her birth parents and their hometown. She e-mailed a colleague, Sen. Bruce Bryant, who represents that area and supported her bill, and asked whether he knew them.
To read the entire article please click here.

02/11/08
Families Adopting in Vietnam Say they are Caught in Diplomatic Jam

The State Department, which issued a warning on adoptions in Vietnam last month, maintains that the lack of controls on “baby finders” and unregulated payments — the average adoption cost is about $25,000 per family — are fostering baby buying. Six years ago, similar accusations led Vietnam to tighten controls on foreign adoption. At the end of 2005, Vietnam and the United States signed an adoption agreement, and nearly 1,100 Vietnamese children have been adopted by Americans since. To read the entire article please click here.

02/11/08
Transracial adoption surveys

Researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah are interested in learning from black transracial adoptees and their white
adoptive parents in order to better understand:

--Identity formation of black children who grew up in white families
--Methods that parents used to socialize the children about their own race
--Racism they may have experienced in their lives
--Experiences that may have been important in the development of their
identity as a person of color

There are two surveys at http://www.racialadoptionstudy.com, one for adoptive parents and one for adoptees age 18 and older. Please share
widely and encourage the participation of black adult transracial adoptees and their parents.

01/30/08
Heart Gallery of New Jersey Featured on CBS, The Early Show

To watch Heart Gallery of New Jersey Featured on National TV, CBS The Morning Show please click here

01/28/08
Listening to parents website

Listening to Parents gives voice to the experience of thousands of Americans who are interested in adopting a child from foster care and
acts as a catalyst in making adoption programs more responsive to those wanting to adopt a child from foster care.
To read entire article please click here

01/28/08

Senate panel approves giving adoptees access to records

The decades-old push to open up birth records for adoptees renewed Thursday as a Senate panel, compelled by the personal story of an iconic rapper, released a measure that would allow people to access their original birth certificates.
To read the entire article please click here

01/28/08
NJ child welfare chief, Kevin Ryan, resigning

Kevin Ryan, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families, is expected to announce his resignation today, two years after Gov. Jon Corzine tapped him to salvage the floundering effort to reform New Jersey's child welfare system.
To read the entire article please click here

01/28/08
Leader of Child Agency in New Jersey Resigns

After two years of leading court-ordered reforms to New Jersey’s embattled child welfare system, the commissioner of the State Department of Children and Families announced his resignation on Thursday
To read the entire article please click here.

01/22/08
Invitation to Larkin's first book-signing event at Morris Museum

Saturday, March 1, 2008, 3pm, on stage at The Bickford Theatre, Morris Museum.

Author/Comedienne Alison Larkin chats with Eric Hafen, on stage at the Bickford Theatre, days before heading off on her National book tour. Tickets are $30 and include a signed copy of “The English American, a novel” coming from Simon & Schuster on March 4th. Profits will benefit the Bickford Theatre.
Springing from her hit one-woman show, adopted Anglo-American comedienne, Alison Larkin, draws further from her experience as an adopted English woman who finds her birth parents – and a new homeland – in the United States and weaves them into a hilarious, poignant compulsively readable work of fiction. For more details go to www.alisonlarkin.com

01/17/08
Forever An Orphan

At age 82, Austin publisher and librarian William Roger Holman has fulfilled the challenge of his lifetime — sifting through the secrets and the sorrows of his own story, an orphan's story set in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, and then putting it down in writing. But even now, Holman is not quite sure he really knows the boy in his own book.
To read the entire article please click here

01/17/08
2007 SWR Foster Youth Poetry Contest

The human relations organization Soul Water Rising announces its 2nd Annual Free International Poetry Contest for current and former foster youth, ages 13 to 24. Here is an opportunity for youth to give voice to their experiences and transform themselves and the child welfare systems that have touched their lives. Creative self-expression can be healing, empowering, and enriching. Prizes include cash, autographed books, and winning poems posted on the Soul Water Rising Web site and published in an anthology book. Submissions are by email and poet identifying information is protected. The extended submission deadline is January 31, 2008. Downloadable guidelines available at www.soulwater.org/younglifedrumbeat.html. Questions: drumbeat@soulwater.org.

01/08/08
New book out by Alison Larkin entitled " The English American"

The English American
Alison Larkin
Simon & Schuster, Mar 2008, $24.00
ISBN: 9781416551591

Twenty-eight years old Pippa Dunn is English to her bone marrow; she believes DNA would affirm that it is in her gene pool to make a proper cup of tea. So why does she feel like an outsider in the West London home of her adoptive parents, who she loves. She cherishes her sister too, but they are night and day.
However, Pippa discovers that her biological parents do not have Earl Grey running through her arteries; instead her mom is an artsy Georgia peach and her father is a politically astute DC business man. Pippa needs to meet Billie and Walt, whom she fascinates as people who will understand her unlike her adoptive prim and proper English family. When she meets them and gets to know them a bit, Pippa is disappointed as the reality fails to live up to her fantasy.
THE ENGLISH AMERICAN is a terrific insightful “biographical fictionalized account of the author’s one-woman show. The story line is superb when it focuses on Pippa’s inner thoughts on identity and belonging as the nature vs. nurture argument is debated inside her head. When the plot turns to a second chance romance between Pippa and Nick, that failed seven years ago because she was not ready; it loses some of its discernment because it diverts from the prime theme and besides his hyperbolic drama queen performance seems inane. Still Pippa makes for an insightful character who provides a strong focus between the DNA and the loving home.

Harriet Klausner

01/07/08
The Adoption tax Credit: An Ethical Dilemma

Since 1997, many adoptive families have been able to use the federal adoption tax credit. The credit, however, is due to end in 2010 and some legislators are already proposing to extend the credit indefinitely. New evidence suggests that we must not renew the credit without first ensuring that it furthers the goal of promoting and supporting adoptions from foster care.
To read the entire article please click here

12/19/07
When adoption goes wrong

Most Americans who adopt children from other countries find joy. But others aren't prepared for the risks-and may find themselves overwhelmed. To read the entire article please click here

12/06/07
FosterClub’s Guide for Young People in Foster Care

Lots of people talk about how stressful the holidays can be. But we REALLY understand just how tough it can be for young people in foster care. How do we know? Because we’ve been there. So we’ve put together 10 tips for youth in foster care, developed by young people who know first-hand what it’s like. To read the entire article please click here

12/05/07
A Normal Family

Ten years ago, 58 percent of Americans had a family member or close friend who

had adopted a child, were adopted themselves, or had placed a child for adoption,

according to a national survey by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute in

New York. By 2002, that figure had risen to 63 percent. It’s surely higher now.
To read the entire article please click here

12/05/07
Blood ties and Acts of Love

As an adopted person my context for the way babies come into the world is through adoption, not birth. Of course I understand birth, but that is not the way I came into my family. I did not grow up knowing the people who gave birth to me. But I do not doubt the labor my adoptive parents went through to get me. It consisted of mounds of paperwork and home studies that stretched over two

years. I thank God pregnancy is just 9 months.
To read the entire article please click here

12/03/07
A Home for the Holidays 2007

To raise awareness and bring attention to their plight, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the Children’s Action Network, and CBS Television will present the ninth annual CBS-TV special, A Home for the Holidays, on Friday, December 21 at 8:00 p.m. A Home for the Holidays is a nationally televised entertainment program designed to raise awareness about foster care and adoption as well as enhance recruitment efforts nationwide. Its key objective is to promote a positive image of foster care and adoption and the children who wait.

To read the entire press release please click here

11/29/07
Interview with Rose Zelter of CAFS

This holiday weekend, full of family get-togethers, we're also celebrating national adoption month.
With us this morning is Rose Zeltser, the senior vice president of Children's aid and Family Services in New Jersey.
She's joined by adoptive parent Maria Perdomo and her daughter, Carmen. The Perdomos have five children, three of them adopted and have had seven foster children over the last 10 years. This year, the Perdomos received the prestigious "Angels in Adoption" award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. They were nominated for the award from Congressman Steve Rothman.
To read the entire article please click here

11/28/07
South Korea and it's Children

I was 24 when I first returned to my birth country. Stepping onto the plane that would carry me back to a country I had left 21 years before, I felt dizzy at the convergence of my past and present. Once again I was the 3-year-old girl, traveling halfway around the world to an unknown future in a foreign land — now a woman returning, a foreigner again.
To read the entire article please click here

11/28/07

The Administration for Children and Families names 15 US agencies to receive the National Adoption Excellence Awards

The National Adoption Excellence Awards presented by the Administration for Children and Families recognizes outstanding accomplishments in achieving permanency for America's children waiting in foster care. The Adoption Excellence Awards honor States, local agencies, private organizations, courts, businesses, individuals and families who are making key contributions to increasing the number of children from the foster care system who are adopted or placed in other permanent homes. The awards are presented in November, National Adoption Month. The President's Proclamation of National Adoption Month is also available.

To view the list of 2007 recipients, including Children’s Aid and Family Services, log onto http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/current_initiatives/aeawards07.htm

11/14/07
DCF Plans 200 Adoptions to Commemorate National Adoption Month

For Immediate Release:
November 13, 2007

CONTACT: (609) 633-8507
Kate Bernyk
Andy Williams

** MEDIA ADVISORY **

DCF Plans 200 Adoptions to Commemorate National Adoption Month

The Department of Children and Families will celebrate National Adoption Month this week by participating in nine events to honor adoptive families and finalize adoptions of 200 children currently in foster care. A 10th event, in Middlesex County, will be held later in the month. This week’s events, stretching from Salem County to Hudson County, will be held over a three-day period, culminating on Saturday, November 17, with the state’s largest National Adoption Day celebration held annually in Newark. DCF’s Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), the state’s largest adoption agency, expects to have 200 adoptions ready to be finalized during this week’s events, and approximately another dozen adoptions for the Middlesex County event on Tuesday,
November 27. These adoptions will help DCF reach its target goal of 1400 adoptions by the end of this calendar year. A complete list of the scheduled events is attached. Adoption court hearings are closed to the press, but family celebrations and other
events following the court hearings may be open to the media and the general public. Reporters or photographers interested in covering one of these events or being connected with an adoptive family in their area should call the DCF Press Office, 609-633-8507, for further information. National Adoption Day was initiated in 2000 by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, with support from organizations including the Freddie Mac Foundation and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

For more information on adoption, call 1-800-NJ ADOPT (992-3678) or visit the DYFS adoption Web site at www.njadopt.org .

11/12/07
Unseal Adoptees Birth Record

It's among the most divisive questions in the realm of adoption: Should adult adoptees have access to their birth records, and thus be able to learn the identity of their birth parents?
In a comprehensive report being released Monday, a leading adoption institute says the answer is "Yes" and urges the rest of America to follow the path of the eight states that allow such access to all adults who were adopted.
To read the entire article please click here

For the Record: Restoring the Legal Rights for Adult Adoptees”
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute today released the most comprehensive examination to date of one of the most
controversial, emotional issues in the modern adoption world: whether adopted people, once they become adults, should have access to their
original birth information. This report suggests that all states change their laws so that the answer is "yes. Click link to download the study:

http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/publications/2007_11_For_Records.pdf

11/08/07
Observers Impact of Guatemalan Adoptions

For years, this predominantly Catholic Central American country has been known as an epicenter of international adoptions. The proximity to the United States and lack of red tape has made Guatemala the largest per capita source of adoptions in the world.
Adoptions have helped finance the operations of many of the country's orphanages, who say they provide a service for an estimated 370,000 orphans otherwise ignored by the government in this impoverished country.
To read the entire article please click here

10/29/07
Unknowns of adoption

Many parents think that when they adopt, a stable home and love is all a
child needs. But in reality, that's not always enough. On the surface, Pinellas School Board member Nancy Bostock's decision to give
up custody of her troubled son seemed like an extreme case. However, child advocates say it happens more than you might think.
Adoptive parents faced with challenging children and limited support services often reach the heart-wrenching conclusion to give up custody of their kids.
To read the entire article please click here

10/29/07

Looking for Their Children’s Birth Mothers

A few months ago, in an office near Guatemala City, a woman known as a searcher spread out a large map across her coffee table. The map was dotted with about 250 tiny, hand-drawn circles, each one representing a place where the searcher had tracked down a birth mother who had placed a child for adoption. Sometimes she found a birth mother after knocking on a few doors in Guatemala City. In other cases, she traveled for three or four days to remote indigenous areas in Guatemala or farther afield to Nicaragua, Honduras or El Salvador.

To read the entire article please click here

10/25/07
Identical twins discover each other after 35 years

Bernstein, who grew up in Rye Brook, always knew she was adopted. But she and her adoptive parents were never told about her identical twin sister, who was placed with another family on Long Island the year the girls were born.
To read the entire article please click here

10/24/07
2008 Foster Youth Internship Program

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is pleased to announce the 2008 Foster Youth Internship Program. This prestigious program matches college students who have grown up in foster care, with a Congressional office for a summer internship in Washington, D.C.

To read the entire article please click here

10/162007
Guatemala Adoption update

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will, effective October 15, 2007, place a ceiling on the number of initial orphan petition submissions in Guatemala. Under the new procedures, USCIS will accept only one initial application packet to adopt a child from Guatemala (Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) per prospective adoptive parent, attorney, or representative, per appointment.
To read the entire article please click here

10/09/07
Couple's Secret Has Surprising Outcome
Couple's Life Changes 25 Years After Placing Baby for Adoption

Until the summer of 2006, Laurie and Chuck Thompson had shared a secret for a quarter of a century.
The secret dated back to their school days in 1980, when Laurie was a sophomore at Fort LeBoeuf High School in Erie, Pa. She played saxophone in the school band, and she had a horse named Lady that she rode and relied on for company whenever she had a bad day.
To read the entire article please click here

10/09/07
Guatemala seeks to slow exodus of babies to U.S.

Guatemala has long been a source of relatively fast, uncomplicated adoptions, but adoptions to U.S. parents are supposed to cease as of January 1, 2008. Officials in both countries are concerned about abuses in the adoption system, still, the U.S. says last year's 4,000-plus adoptions are untainted.
To read the entire article please click here

10/02/07
College Cost Reduction and Access Act

Earlier today, President Bush signed into law the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (HR 2669), the bill that includes the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act amendment, making it possible for teens in foster care to be adopted without losing access to college financial aid. Under this new law, youth who are adopted after their 13th birthday will not have to include their parents' income in the calculations for determining their need for financial aid.

08/27/07
Illegal Guatemalan Foster Care Home Raid

Guatemalan police found 46 children, some just 3 days old, in an illegal foster home in the tourist city of Antigua on Saturday, the latest scandal for the country's corruption-riddled adoption system.
To read entire article please click here

08/04/07
Summer Interns Experience Life in DC

Twenty-two summer interns arrived in Washington, DC, in late May to assume a variety of internships in government, nonprofit associations, and the private sector. But unlike most of the college interns who descend upon Washington on a regular basis, these 22 outstanding college scholars also happen to be foster youth or former foster youth without permanent families or homes. Selected by the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) to participate in the OFA's summer internship program, the 22 students recently wrapped up 6 busy weeks in Washington that included their full-time internships, as well as weekly workshops in professional development and leadership and meetings with members of Congress and the media.
To read entire article please click here

07/31/07
Mystery-Free Adoption

LEGISLATORS in New York and six other states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, are weighing whether to give thousands of accurate birth certificates to their rightful owners, adult adoptees who now have access only to falsified certificates.

Most of Americas six million adoptees are members of what one calls a witness protection program we didnt ask to be in. When their adoptions were made final, the birth certificates bearing their names and those of their parents were sealed by the state, and they were issued amended certificates portraying their adoptive parents as having borne them. In some cases, adoptees dates and places of birth were also falsified.

To read entire article please click here

07/23/07
National Public Radio has done a series of interviews and programs on various issues in adoption

National Public Radio has done a series of interviews and programs on various issues in adoption. They are collected on the following web pages:

The Many Faces of Adoption: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4239655

Racial Issues in Adoption: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12136864&sc=emaf

Once you have clicked the link, you can choose the interview you’d like to listen to.

07/23/07
International adoption not as easy as stars make it look.

When celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Madonna adopt children from desperately poor countries, they send a powerful message about the plight of these children and the need for inter-country adoption. But they don't necessarily set a proper example. Although the number of foreign adoptions by American citizens has doubled over the last decade, from 11,340 to upwards of 22,000, most Americans do not have the means or the access of a celebrity. For them, inter-country adoptions can be a harrowing process.
To read entire article please click here

06/18/07

Side by Side

They'd been working together for months, not knowing they shared a deeper connection.
To read entire article please click here

06/18/07
American Adoptive Father Launches Campaign to Help Unwed Korean Moms

Just one year ago, Dr. Richard Boas, the American father of an adopted Korean girl named Esther, was financially helping other Americans so they could adopt children from overseas. However, Boas' perspective radically changed after visiting South Korea late last year. Now, he is an activist for the rights of single and unwed mothers and their children. Moreover, he has become a staunch supporter of domestic adoption within Korea.
To read entire article please click here

06/14/07
Surge in Adoptions Raises Concern in Ethiopia

Ethiopia was not on Mark and Vera Westrum-Ostrom's list when they first visited Children's Home Society & Family Services here to explore an international adoption. Ukraine was first, because of their family heritage, until the couple discovered that the adoption system there was chaotic, with inaccurate information about orphans' health and availability. Vietnam was second, after they saw videos of well-run orphanages. But the wait would be at least a year and a half.

Then they learned about Ethiopia's model centers for orphans, run by American agencies, with an efficient adoption system that made it possible for them to file paperwork on Labor Day and claim 2-year-old Tariku, a boy with almond eyes and a halo of ringlets, at Christmas.

To read entire article please click here

06/12/07

In adoptions, anonymity is still the policy

If this bill could sing, it would likely belt out "I'm Just a Bill," a song from the mid 1970s kids' TV show "Schoolhouse Rock!" In the song, a tired bill slumped on the steps of Capitol Hill laments its arduous journey on the way to becoming a law. Starting as early as 1980, a proposed state law that gives adopted adults the right to access their birth records has traveled – in various versions -- through both houses of the Legislature, only to die along the way. But this year looked hopeful. Last December the state Senate passed a version of the bill, in a 26-12 vote, shifting its fate to the General Assembly, where it was scheduled to be heard by the Human Services Committee on May 21. But it stalled there
To read entire article please click here.

06/11/07
Information party

Have you ever thought about fostering or adopting a child?
What about being a mentor to a child? Charles Paragian and Daniel Sernekos, from the documentary “All Aboard Rosie's Family Cruise" and founders of Everybody’s Children Foundation, will be your hosts for an informative evening about becoming a foster and/or adoptive parent.
To see the flier please click here

06/04/07

South Korea's troubled export: babies for adoption

South Korea marked its home-grown adoption day earlier this month with incentives to encourage domestic adoption, telling citizens of the world's 12th largest economy its orphanages should not be filled with abandoned children.

To read entire article please click here

05/31/07
Korean Government Working to Encourage Adoptions

As part of its efforts to encourage adoptions in Korea, the government is marking the second anniversary of Adoption Day on Friday. Those efforts haven't produced tangible results yet since Koreans generally consider family lineage very important.
To read entire article please click here

05/30/07
DCF Commissioner Ryan Stresses Importance of Pool, Summer Safety

“Drowning is a leading cause of preventable child death every year,” said Commissioner Ryan. “Memorial Day is approaching, and we’re getting into the season when families will be at the shore or around swimming pools. We want to stress the need to be vigilant with children around water.”

To read entire article please click here

For the Department of Children and Families brochure on summer safety tips, visit the Web at:
http://www.nj.gov/dcf/news/publications/SumSafetyEng.pdf (English)
http://nj.gov/dcf/news/publications/SumSafetySpan.pdf (Spanish)

05/03/07
Adopted and Searching for Answers

Five people share their stories about looking for-and finding-their biological family.
To read the entire article please click here

05/01/07
The adoption Search

For some in their 40s, 50s and older, adoption searching has been a Pandora's Box; for others, there is newfound peace with closure. When an adoptee and the birth parent or other relatives reconnect and establish a relationship after years of absence, the experience can be overwhelming. To read the entire article please click here

04/13/07
Actress Discusses a Childhood in Foster Care

News & Notes, April 10, 2007 · Actress and foster-care advocate Victoria Rowell talks about her new memoir The Women Who Raised Me. She pays tribute to the many women who cared for her and inspired her to become a success.

To read and listen please follow the link below

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9495940&sc=nl&cc=movn-20070413

04/02/07
Share your foster or adoption story with us.

By sharing your family story with AdoptUsKids, you will help bring another family closer to the wonderful experience of caring

for a child through fostering and/or adoption. We will review your story and contact you if we have any questions and would like to be able to share your story on the website. For more info please click here.

03/23/07
Being prepared: Knowing How to Find Help for Your Child

Being Prepared: Knowing How to Find Help for Your Child - Contributed by American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Parents are often concerned about their child's emotional health or behavior but they don't know where to start to get help. The mental health system can sometimes be complicated and difficult for parents to understand. A child's emotional distress often causes disruption to both.
To read the entire article please follow the link below.
http://e-magazine.adoption.com/articles/666/being-prepared-knowing-how-to-find-help-for-your-child.php

03/20/07
Baby Boy # 3331: An Adoption Story

It has taken me almost 40 years to finally ask about you. For years now, I've had all the papers my adoptive parents kept. The papers call me simply "baby boy #3331." They came from the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers, as you knew it then, in Burlington, Vermont.
To read the entire article please click here

03/05/07
Adoptions in Guatemala face US ban

The U.S. plans to bar adoptions from Guatemala unless government officials in the Central American nation comply with an international agreement aimed at protecting potential adoptees. Last year Guatemala climbed to second on the list of countries providing children for adoption to the U.S.
To read the entire article please click here

02/06/07
Tax Information for Families with a Special Needs Child

According to parent attorney Mike O'Connor, "It's likely that 15-30 Percent of families with a disabled child have one or more unclaimed tax benefits." Did you know that "tuition costs for a special school that has a Program designed to educate children with disabilities and amounts paid for a child's tutoring by a teacher specially trained and qualified to deal with severe disabilities may be deducted"? Did you know that "Special instruction or training or therapy, such as sign language instruction, speech therapy, and remedial reading instruction"
May be deductible? Did you know that related books and materials can qualify for the medical expense deduction"? Did you know that "Parents who attend conferences to obtain medical information concerning treatment for and care of their child may deduct some
of the costs of attending a medical conference relating to a dependent's chronic health condition"? n 2006 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities, Mr. O'Connor provides a summary of the most significant federal income tax
benefits. He advises you to print out this guide and provide your tax adviser with a copy. We agree with this excellent advice!Download your copy of 2004 Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities by Mike O'Connor, Esq.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/tax.2006.benefits.oconnor.htm
More articles on dozens of special education law and advocacy topics.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/topics.htm

01/31/2007
February is Black History Month

February marks the beginning of Black History Month - an annual celebration that has existed since 1926. Much of the credit can go to Harvard Scholar, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was determined to bring Black History into the public arena. Woodson devoted his life to making "the world see the Negro as a participant rather than a lay figure in history." Woodson organized the first "Negro History Week", which took place during the second week of February. He chose this date to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln- two men who had a great impact in the black population. Over time, this celebration evolved into the Black History Month we know today. If you have a child of color in your adoptive or foster family, consider taking time to celebrate this event with your family. Something as easy as visiting the library, renting a movie, or visiting educational websites can go a long way in helping your child understand more of their heritage, and possibly shape their future.
For more information and to view video clips on Black History Month, log onto http://www.biography.com/black_history/index.jsp and/or http://www.history.com/minisites/blackhistory/ and/or contact the NJ ARCH Warm Line for a list of appropriate movies.

01/24/2007
Birth certificate bill on fast track

After languishing for decades, the legislation recently lurched onto the fast track, the result of aggressive lobbying, a change in political leadership, and a growing national uneasiness over the secrecy long surrounding adoption. Last month, the bill passed the Senate 26-12. It moved to the Assembly with 18 bipartisan sponsors and the promise of nine more.

To read the entire article please click here

01/09/2007
Foreign adoptions by Americans plunge

After tripling in the past 15 years, the number of foreign children adopted by Americans dropped sharply in 2006, the result of multiple factors that have jolted adoption advocates and prompted many would-be adoptive parents to reconsider their options.

To read the entire article please click here

01/09/2007
Supporting Youth in Foster Care

http://www.meg.org/mentoring_month/about/foster_care.phpntorin

National Mentoring Month (NMM) 2007 spotlights the needs of young people in foster care. Spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project, MENTOR and the Corporation for National and Community Service, National Mentoring Month serves to spread the message that introducing a mentor into the life of a child in provides consistency, support, and encouragement, engendering trust and confidence in the future.On any given day in America over 518,000 children and youth are in foster care. Around 20,000 youth "age out" or transition from the foster care system. Many are only 18 years old. Yet, the system provides few services to help them through this difficult transition.

National Outcomes:

Earned a high school diploma - 54%, obtained a Bachelor's degree or higher - 2%, became a parent - 84%, were unemployed - 51%

had no health insurance - 30%, had been homeless - 25%, were receiving public assistance - 30%

One study found that 12-18 months after leaving foster care the incidence of incarceration and public assistance was much higher for these youth than the general population.

How you can help:

Young people need supportive adults in their lives. You can help a youth reach their full potential by becoming a mentor. Young people who have a caring adult in their lives are more likely to overcome the barriers that block their path to success.

Foster Care Mentoring Programs:

Programs have been established throughout the United States to link youth in care with volunteers from the community who want to become a mentor and make a difference in a young person's life. The programs provide training for new volunteers, and ongoing staff support is available to assist them.

Mentoring USA's Foster Care Mentoring Program serves youth 7-18 years of age who are in care in the New York City area. This program was the first mentoring program in the U.S. to specifically address the needs of youth in care.

AFC Mentoring, based in Boston, MA, provides one-on-one mentoring for youth in foster & adoptive care. The program pairs the youth with adult volunteers, who become positive role models, as well as friends to the youth. Some of these mentors have themselves been in the foster care system.

For more information, visit: www.fostercaremonth.org

01/03/2007
Listen Online for a Foster Care Discussion

Log on the WNYC website to listen online for a foster care discussion. Leonard Lopate talks with Betsy Krebs and Paul Pitcoff to discuss their new book Beyond the Foster Care System: The Future for Teens , and how Getting Beyond the System® helps teens learn self-advocacy and prepare for the future. This will air on Thursday, January 4^th at 1:20 pm. For more information log onto http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2007/01/04

12/23/05
U.S. plea on adoption fails in Romania.

BUCHAREST, Romania - Romania's prime minister on Thursday rejected U.S. calls to allow adoptions by foreigners of about 1,000 Romanian children. About 200 U.S. families and 800 European families had filed paperwork to adopt Romanian children before 2004, when Romania enacted legislation that effectively bans all foreign adoptions, except for close relatives of the child. The United States has asked Romania to exempt about 1,000 children from that ban. "The Romanian legislation will not be changed, as it accords with European and international law," Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said. Critics say the adoption ban has prevented many children from finding homes with adoptive families abroad as they languish in foster care or institutions. In addition, said Maura Harty, an official with the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, families in the U.S. and elsewhere have been left in the dark about the fate of the children they were trying to adopt.
Source: Adoption Today:
http://www.adoption.com/includes/frame.php?url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/23/Worldandnation/US_plea_on_adoption_f.shtml

11/09/05

National Adoption Day is November 19, 2005

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 118,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families. Now in its sixth year, National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by working with courts, judges, attorneys, and advocates to finalize adoptions into permanent, loving families and to celebrate adoption. For more information, log onto:

http://www.nationaladoptionday.org/2005/index.asp

11/09/05
National Adoption Awareness Month Celebration Ideas:

There are many ways that you, you family, agency, school and organizations can celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. Check out this link for great ideas in how to celebrate this month:

http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/activities_calendar.cfm

For a downloadable calendar of ideas, please log onto
http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/pdfs/activities_calendar.pdf

12/19/2006

China Tightens Adoption Rules, U.S. Agencies Say

China is tightening rules on foreign adoptions, barring parents who are unmarried, over 50 or obese, but says it will try to increase the number of children available to those who qualify, according to U.S. adoption agencies.

To read the entire article please click here

12/14/2006

Bill would help adoptees find birth parents

Some adoptees are denied the right to know their ethnic background, the medical backgrounds of their birth parents, even whether they have siblings, she says.

Allen contends that adoptees should have the right to that information.
To read the entire article please click here

12/08/2006
Ocean County Library Display 2006

The Manchester Branch of the Ocean County Library created a lovely display to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month.

12/05/2006
Senate votes to open adoption records

Following a brief debate over whether the privacy of biological mothers should trump the right of adoptees, the Senate, in a 26-12 vote, passed a bill to open birth records. State law has sealed these records since 1940. The measure still faces a test in the Assembly.

To read the entire article please click here

12/05/2006

Watermelon Hill: Giving Birth In Secret
Hundreds of girls were forced to give away their babies during a time when society did not accept unwed mothers. Some of the girls were sent to a place in St. Paul nicknamed "Watermelon Hill".
Linda Back McKay is a poet, writer and a mother who had little choice but to put her baby up for adoption.
She was 19 years old, in the midst of the sexual revolution, the 60s. When she told her parents she was pregnant, her father called her a name she said she will never forget: whore. He told her she was unfit to keep her baby.
To read the entire article please click here

11/21/2006
Major new report on birthparents finds flowed stereotypes

This report, "Safeguarding the Rights and Well-Being of Birthparents in the Adoption Process," represents the most thorough, intensive and sophisticated effort to date to understand contemporary infant adoption, particularly as it relates to the least-understood and most-stigmatized participants in the process: the women and men usually termed "birthparents."
To read the entire article please click here

11/06/2006
Grand opening of InKAS' Guest House for Korean Adoptees
InKAS, with a grant from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will run “My House” from November 20, 2006 to provide moderate accommodations for international Korean adoptees staying in Korea to learn the Korean language or to look for a job or birthparents.

To find more information please click here

10/31/06
NJ Senate considers bill giving adoptees access to birth records

The New Jersey Senate's Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee approved a bill (S1087/A2557) on Oct. 16 that would give future adopted adults 18 and over in that state access to their original birth certificates. Birthparents who relinquished a child prior to the law's enactment would be able to submit no-contact preference forms within 12 months after the law took effect; however, they would still be required to submit medical and cultural history information within 60 days of a request for an original birth certificate. According to an April survey, three-quarters of New Jersey residents believe adopted people should be allowed to obtain their birth certificates with identifying information. The proposed legislation is pending approval from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee before being considered before the full Senate. A companion bill (A2557) was introduced in the state Assembly in February, but no action has been taken. To read the bill, go to: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/Default.asp and search for S1087 in the Bill number field; to read the survey, go to: http://www.nj-care.org/

10/31/2006

National Adoption Month, 2006, A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

During National Adoption Month, we encourage the adoption of young people in need, and we honor the adoptive and foster families who have offered children a loving and supportive home.

To read the entire proclamation please click here

10/23/2006
A son's quest, a secret and a house where hope lived

Larry Newman paced around his apartment, trying to find just the right words before he made the call that would change his life.
It was the last step in a long and emotional journey to clear up the mysteries surrounding his birth, a journey that had taken him from his home in Chatham to the windswept prairies of Canada to the suburban streets of Huntington, Long Island.
To read the entire article please click here

10/18/2006
Measure advances to let adoptees get a key to their past.
A Senate panel yesterday voted to remove the blanket confidentiality surrounding an adopted person's past, approving a bill that would allow adults to obtain their original birth certificates.
To read the entire article please click here

10/18/06
Adoptees seek birth certificates

For the past 26 years there's been a push for legislation to allow all people adopted in New Jersey to see their original birth certificates. Now, with changing attitudes about family reunions and increasing evidence that a person's medical history can help prevent and better manage some medical conditions, adoptees think they may finally have a shot at changing the law.
To read the entire article please click here.

10/10/2006

NJ Family Magazine: "Forming a Family"

“Most folks, when they think adoption, think infant adoption or international adoption,” says Rose Zeltser of Children’s Aid and Family Services, a private nonprofit agency in New Jersey. “They may be too frightened to come forward to learn about adopting an older child. They may think it takes a very special person to adopt an older child. No, it takes ordinary people with special hearts.”

To read the entire article please click here.

09/01/2006

Breaking the Biology Barrier

With more than 100,000 Americans adopting each year, adoption benefits are becoming a hot new perk in the panoply of workplace benefits. Whether paid time off, reimbursement for costs or both, the benefits help parents defray hefty adoption fees and afford bonding time with new children. Just as important, recipients say, the assistance sends the message that adoptive families are as valued and worthy of support as biological families are.
To read the entire article please click here.

08/21/2006
Twin girls were separated at birth.

A story of two Chinese girls separated by birth in China and reunited in the USA. To read the entire article please click here.

08/18/2006
Transracial Adoption, NYT 7/17/06

In 2004, 26 percent of black children adopted from foster care, about 4,200, were adopted transracially, nearly all by whites. That is up from roughly 14 percent, or 2,200, in 1998, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect at Cornell University and from the Department of Health and Human Services.

07/20/2006

The International Soundex Reunion Registry

A system for matching people who want contact with family members. It's a mutual-consent registry requiring registration by both parties. Registrations have been kept since 1975, when the registry started.
Click here to view the whole article.
To register and apply online please visit www.isrr.net

07/13/2006
For late-discovery adoptees, pain and betrayal
They are fighting for access to birth records, denied in Pa., N.J. and 43 other states.

A story of a LDA (Late Discovery Adoptee) published in Philadelphia Enquirer, Jul. 11, 2006

Click here to view the whole article.

06/23/2006

Child Welfare Information Gateway Opens

Child Welfare Information Gateway consolidates and expands upon the services formerly provided by the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse to provide easy access to programs, research, statistics, laws and policies, and training resources all in one place.

Click here to visit Child Welfare Gateway Website.

06/05/2006
Fall Mentorship Program for Children 11-14.

Spence-Chapin is starting a mentoring program this fall for children age 11-14.
Since one of the best ways for our kids to understand their experience is by being around adults who share their adoption status, we have organized a group mentoring program. All our activities will take place in a group, with each mentor ‘assigned’ two children.
Activities are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month from September to May. The mentors are adult adoptees--domestic and international--who have shared their adoption stories at various workshops and home study groups throughout the last few years here at Spence-Chapin.
If your child is interested in participating in this pioneer program or you want to learn more about our plans, please contact Joy Lieberthal at (212) 360-0231 or jlieberthal@spence-chapin.org for more information. The deadline for applications is August 1, 2006. Ask Joy about the Meet & Greet for families and mentors in the Spence-Chapin Garden on August 26!

06/02/2006
ABC News: Broadcast on 6/1/06 'Aging Out' and Unprepared for Life.

Those Who 'Age Out' of Foster Care Are Dropped from the System June 1, 2006 - - After his father left, Jesse Aliff was removed from the custody of his alcoholic mother and became a ward of the state of Florida.
He spent four years in and out of group homes and juvenile detention facilities. Last December, when Jesse turned 18, he was thrust into an adulthood for which he was unprepared.
Click here to view the full article.

06/01/2006
Tune In and Watch The Discovery Channel's "American Chopper" at 10 p.m. EST on June 5 &12!

Wendy’s and the Teutuls of Orange County Choppers Team Up to Support Foster Care Adoption
and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

Don’t miss this unique and entertaining two-part show!

“American Chopper” is a reality show that stars the Teutul family, owners of Orange County Choppers (OCC). Their popularity has led them to build custom themed bikes for some of the biggest names in corporate America, such as Microsoft, Lincoln, Coca-Cola – and Wendy’s, of course; as well as celebrities like Billy Joel, Bill Murray and Jay Leno. They’ve even built choppers for the New York Yankees and NASA!
Each hour-long show focuses not only on the design and construction process of these unique bikes, it also features lively and educational interaction among Paul, Sr. (the father), and Paul, Jr. and Mikey (his sons) as they craft their one-of-a-kind customized choppers.
On this show, the family has focused their unique talents on creating a customized Wendy’s chopper, which will be auctioned to benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
More important, the two-part show features six waiting teens from the Orange County Department of Social Services in Goshen, NY, and two recently adopted brothers, who were chosen to pitch in on the set and help the Teutuls build the Wendy’s chopper. The two-part segment will air on June 5 and 12 at 10 p.m. EST. (Check local listings for exact show time, and for reruns during the week.)
With 119,000 foster care children available for adoption in the United States this segment of OCC presents a unique way to raise national awareness about this important issue and connect waiting children with potential adoptive families!
Visit www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org for further information on foster care adoption.

05/09/2006
For adoptees, racial divide still wide
The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Jeff Gammage, IInquirer Staff Writer

Adoption today is a rainbow of color and country; thousands of multiracial families are created in the United States each year by the arrival of children from countries such as China, Guatemala, India and Liberia. Yet it's the pairing of African American children and white parents that stokes the transracial debate and sometimes provokes legal battles, most recently in Chester County.

Click here to view the full article.

05/01/2006

Trans-racial adoption debate rages

BY LINI S. KADABA AND BENJAMIN Y. LOWE

Knight Ridder Newspapers

About 28 percent of children in the public welfare system end up in adoptive homes where at least one parent is of a different race or ethnicity than the child, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Federal law, which tried to settle the issue more than a decade ago with the passage of the Multiethnic Placement Act, says adoptions cannot routinely be delayed or denied on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion. The act grew out of concern that minority children, who are represented disproportionately, were languishing in the foster-care system as they waited to be adopted by same-race families.

But the role of race in adoption still simmers and at times boils over, as happened recently in Chester County.

Click here to view the full article

04/28/2006
About Foster Care Month

Every day, there are 518,000 children and youth living in foster care because their own parents can't take care of them. We must address the needs of these children, who need a stable and secure home until they can either return to their parents or establish a lifelong connection to a nurturing adult.
National Foster Care Month in May provides an opportunity for people all across the nation to get involved, whether as foster parents, volunteers, mentors, employers or in other ways. It is also an opportunity to show our appreciation for the dedication of the foster families who care for these children and youth and the social workers who support them.
Click http://www.fostercaremonth.org/ About/ for more details.

04/25/2006
After the Adoption, a New Child and the Blues
By LAURIE TARKAN, The NYTimes, April 25,2006

Many adoptive parents feel delirious with happiness when bringing home their child. Yet for some, this joy can be short-lived and dissolve into what experts call post-adoption depression. For some, it is simply a low mood, for others a full-fledged plunge into despair. But most suffer secretly because of the shame and guilt of not being entirely happy over something they had chosen and, in many cases, worked so hard to get.
Click here to view the full article.

03/16/2006
Adopted in China, Seeking Identity in America
By LYNETTE CLEMETSON, New York Times; March 23, 2006

Molly Easel desperately wants to quit the Chinese dance group that her mother enrolled her in at age 5, because it sets her apart from friends in her Virginia suburb. Her mother, though, insists that Molly, now 15, will one day appreciate the connection to her culture.
Qiu Meng Fogarty, 13, prefers her Chinese name (pronounced cho mung) to Cecilia, her English name. She volunteers in workshops for children in New York adopted from China "so that they know it can all work out fine," she said.
Since 1991, when China loosened its adoption laws to address a growing number of children abandoned because of a national one-child policy, American families have adopted more than 55,000 Chinese children, almost all girls. Most of the children are younger than 10, and an organized subculture has developed around them, complete with play groups, tours of China and online support groups.
Click here to view full article.

03/16/2006
Kidsave International's Summer Miracles Program for the NY Metro area for 2006.

Millions of older children around the world are growing up in orphanages and foster care. Many lose hope. They wait and wait and wait for families, and no one ever comes. This is devastating to a child. Children need families or a connection with a stable adult to grow and
thrive. Research has shown that a connected, caring relationship with an adult is the most important factor in preventing a child from leading a life of violence and helping that child become a productive member of society.
Orphans from Colombia are coming the New York Metropolitan area for about 6 weeks as part of Kidsave's unique program called Summer Miracles. Kidsave's Summer Miracles Program gives older orphan children (ages 7 and up) the chance to experience life in a family. Miraculously, during these trips, over 90% of these children meet people who end up adopting them—quite often from families other than those who host them. More than 1,300 former orphans now have families because of Summer Miracles.
You can make an amazing difference in the life of a child by being a host, volunteer, translator, or advocate.
Kidsave's Family Visit Model provides new hope to child welfare around the world. It combines the best practices in social work and family recruiting to create caring, connected relationships for children without parents. It is being used by professionals in Los Angeles, California; Washington D.C.; Fairfax Country, Virginia; Smolensk, Russia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Moscow, Russia; Yuzhno-Sakalinsk, Russia; and Bogotá, Colombia. Kidsave is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
If you would like to make a tangible difference in a child's life this summer by hosting, advocating, volunteering, or making a donation, please
call us at (973) 519-1807, email us at lisarasp@gmail.com and mark@longviewschool.org or go to www.kidsave.org
Please help make a miracle happen in a child's life.

03/16/2004
Child Abuse Prevention Event at Warren Hospital on April 10, 2006.

To mark April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, Warren County Foster and Adoptive Family services and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey
has joined together to raise awarness about the problem of child abuse. Our feature speaker, Dr. Janet Rosenweig has appeared as an expert on child and family issues on The Today Show and Good Morning America. "Prevention can spare kids pain and suffering, spare families pain and suffering, and it can spare the government a lot of money it spends cleaning up the problem after the fact,” said Rosenzweig, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse-NJ.
To get more information regarding that event please click here.

03/14/06

National Adoption Attitudes Survey

Nearly 40% of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child. If just one in 500 of these adults adopt, all of the 134,000 children in foster care waiting for adoption would have permanent, loving families, according to the new National Adoption Attitudes Survey. Among a number of other insights now available to the adoption community, the survey revealed overwhelming support for adoption, giving America’s waiting children new reason for hope.

To read the article please click here.

03/09/06
Scholarships and Grants for Foster and Adopted Youth.

Foster and Adoptive Family Service private scholarships and grants are available! Any graduating high school seniors (foster or adopted in NJ) that would like to apply for money for college or for independent living assistance please apply. The deadline is April 7, 2006; all applications and additional documentation must be received by this date for consideration.
For detailed information please click here.

03/07/06
Did you know you can receive Tax Credit and Assistance when adopting?

NACAC reviewed related IRS publications and offers this interpretation of the issues. Please understand that neither NACAC nor NJARCH is a tax expert and these opinions should not be considered legal or financial advice. You should consult you own tax advisor before filing.

To read the article please click here.

02/24/06
State Department Issues Final Rules on Intercountry Adoption.

Regulations to implement Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions
The United States came a step closer to implementing the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions when it issued final rules February 15 relating to accreditation of adoption agencies. The Hague Convention -- formally known as the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption -- sets minimum international standards and procedures for adoptions that occur between implementing countries to ensure greater protection from exploitation of children, birth parents and adoptive parents.

To read the article please click here.

02/20/06
Lifebooks: Creating and telling your child’s story.

Adoption Learning Parents is offering a new course for adoptive parents on creating and maintaining a Lifebook for an adopted child.

The module was developed in conjunction with professionals from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and other adoption experts. The course will help adoptive parents understand the importance and purpose of a Lifebook as a lifelong project as well as identify its key components. Parents and other users will learn when and how to use it, and will be provided with the opportunity to create pages that can be the start of a Lifebook.

For more information please follow the link to the Adoption Learning Partners home page or click here.

02/16/06
NACAC's New tax Credit Flier for 2005 tax year.

In the summer of 2001, the Federal Adoption Tax Credit was updated. The most important update was to expand benefits to children with special needs adopted from the U.S. foster care system. Originally families adopting from the foster care system could claim the adoption tax credit, provided they had qualifying expenses. Unfortunately, the IRS list of qualifying expenses was limited to the cost of the adoption process, but not the day-to-day costs of raising a child with special needs. So starting in tax year 2003, families adopting a child with special needs from foster care, had access to this same tax credit without needing to document expenses. For tax year 2004, the tax credit is $10,390 and you have up to five years in which to use it.

Please follow a link in the flyer to the official IRS publication for additional information.

In order to get a flier please click here.

02/09/06

Legal loopholes open door for adoption abuse.

Napa-based adoption firm Yunona USA is closed now. Its leader was reportedly arrested in Russia last week, and the accusations that Yunona scammed more than a dozen U.S. couples is now under investigation by Napa law enforcement agencies.
But apparently little stands in the way of other adoption facilitators setting up tomorrow and operating the same way Yunona did before its recent collapse. Experts say loopholes in state, federal and international law make it difficult to stop operations like Yunona, accused of having lured couples into spending thousands of dollars to adopt foreign children who were never truly available for adoption.

To read the article click here.

02/09/06

Bill Would Clarify Rights of Fathers of Children Up For Adoption

February 1st, 2006 @ 7:09am

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A bill to clarify the rights of fathers whose children are being put up for adoption has advanced to the House floor.
Rep. Ann Hardy, who has an adopted daughter, said the state's current adoption code doesn't adequately address the role of biological fathers. The bill would require the office of vital records to send notice to a biological father and allow him 10 days to assert rights to the child.
"I had a judge in the 2nd District say he had a case where an unmarried birth father came back after five years to claim rights to the child," Hardy said. "This sets timelines." The Bountiful Republican said the bill is not about taking fathers out of the process.
"This protects all people involved," she said. "The biggest fear for adoptive parents is that they will bond with the child and something is going to come along and change that."
Larry Jenkins, an attorney and member of the Utah Adoption Council, said the bill also aims to help biological fathers who live in another state. Nonresident fathers would have 20 days after learning about the pregnancy to claim parental rights. "Right now the way the law reads, he's got to hurry up and call a Utah attorney and comply with Utah laws," Jenkins said. "I thinks there is some question about whether that comports with due process or not." The bill also removes the additional background checks required for nonresident adoptive parents. "This discrimination is really unnecessary and sometimes causes delay even though the nonresident's home state has already cleared them," she said.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

02/02/06
February marks the beginning of Black History Month.

February marks the beginning of Black History Month - an annual celebration
that has existed since 1926. But what are the origins of Black History
Month?
Much of the credit can go to Harvard Scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was
determined to bring Black History into the mainstream public arena. Woodson
devoted his life to making "the world see the Negro as a participant rather
than as a lay figure in history."
In 1926 Woodson organized the first annual Negro History Week, which took
place during the second week of February. Woodson chose this date to
co-inside with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln - two
men who had greatly impacted the black population.
Over time, Negro History Week evolved into the Black History Month that we
know today - a four-week-long celebration of African American History.
http://www.historychannel.com/blackhistory/

02/02/06
February is Black History Month.

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro
History Week" and later as "Black History Month." What you might not know is
that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when
the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as
far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they
gained a respectable presence in the history books.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhm1.html

01/31/06
DMC: My Adoption Journey

Air times on VH-1

Saturday, Feb. 25 @ 2/1c PM

Saturday, Feb. 25 @ 9/8c PM

Sunday, Feb. 26 @ 2/1c AM

In 1997, hip hop legend Darryl McDaniels should have been riding high. Run-DMC was touring Europe after a remix put them back atop the charts, and money was rolling in. Instead DMC found himself alone in a hotel room, contemplating suicide. Coping with vocal troubles and creative differences with his group, he found no joy in the spoils of the rap game. Poison, a bullet, a giant leap were all options he considered. As he now recalls it, it was a song by Sarah McLachlan, "Angel," that brought him back from the edge. "Fly away from here, from this cold hotel room," she sang. "There's vultures and thieves at your back and the storm keeps on twisting." The sadness in her voice captured an emptiness D felt but could not explain - until a few years later.
In gathering information for his autobiography in 2000, 35-year-old D got a bombshell from the only mother he's ever known - she told him he was adopted. The revelation left him stunned and confused. Amid that emotional turmoil one thing became clear: Darryl wanted answers about his true history. Beginning in October, VH1 documented D's search for his biological roots, as well as his spiritual journey of self-discovery. At the start of taping, all D knew was that, according to the parents who raised him, a 16-year-old named Bernada Lovelace, who hailed from the Dominican Republic, gave him up for adoption in 1964. Video tape rolled as D consulted with experts, researched old archives, and followed the winding trail wherever it led.
D's quest is not portrayed in a vacuum, but in the context of his larger journey towards enlightenment. This includes a storied career in which D put hip hop on the map as part of Run-DMC, and -- just as important to him -- eventually transitioned from "B-boy to B-man." This growth is reflected in his forthcoming album, Checks, Thugs and Rock n Roll. D focuses on emotional struggles, political stands, and a heartfelt goodbye to Jam Master Jay. The album pays tribute to the musical influences of DMC's youth, including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Harry Chapin.

01/26/06
How Siblings Fare in Difficult Adoptions

By Mavis Olesen, Ph.D. published in summer 2004 newsletter of North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).

When parents knowingly or unknowingly adopt a child with extremely serious special needs, children (birth or adopted) who already live in the home may be relegated to the background as the new adoptee’s behaviors and problems escalate. As time goes on, children whose very challenging siblings push them to the family’s margins may experience physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual consequences - both negative and positive. Fortunately, for these and other adoptive families, there are ways to protect siblings and find peace amidst the chaos.
To read the article click here.

01/06/06
January '06 Campaign Challenges Baby Boomers: "Share What You Know. Mentor a Child!"

BOSTON, MA, October 24, 2005—Plans have been announced for the 5th Annual National Mentoring Month (NMM) campaign scheduled for January 2006. This nationwide drive to recruit volunteer mentors for young people will target America's 77 million baby boomers with the message, "Share What You Know. Mentor A Child." January 2006 will mark the milestone 60th birthday of the Baby Boomer Generation.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2006/nmm/intro.htm

01/06/06
Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement, What Would You Call the New Stage of Life Between 60 and 80?

Boston, MA, December 8, 2005-With the Baby Boomer Generation set to celebrate its milestone 60th birthday next month, PARADE magazine has partnered with the Harvard School of Public Health and MetLife Foundation to invite the general public to help name the new stage of life that the oldest boomers are about to enter.
Thanks to advances in public health and medicine, the average 60-year-old today can expect to live to the age of 83, and millions will continue well into their 90s. This longevity revolution has spawned a new, largely unrecognized stage of life, nestled between middle-age and old-age, spanning the period from 60 to 80. As Boomers enter their 60s, they will confront the questions "What's next?" and "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?"
The cover story of PARADE's December 11 issue will invite readers to suggest new language to substitute for such terms as "senior citizen," "elderly,"
and "old"-labels likely to be rejected by Boomers. Readers may also address related questions, such as, "How would you define the meaning and purpose of this stage of life?" and "What are your thoughts on society's expectations of and attitudes towards its older citizens?" Some of the best ideas and comments may be published in a future issue of PARADE, and will be posted on www.ReinventingAging.org, the web site of the Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation Initiative on Retirement and Civic Engagement.
Information on how to submit ideas and comments is available at www.PARADE.com.
Read the entire press release.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/reinventingaging/press_release.html

11/09/05
National Adoption Awareness Month - November 2005; Answering the Call: “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent”

There are currently 523,000 children in the public child welfare system. Of these, almost 118,000 are waiting for an adoptive family. Sadly, each year, approximately 19,000 children "age out" of the system without ever being adopted.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has partnered with The Adoption Exchange Association, The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids and The Advertising Council to develop a national public service advertising campaign available in both Spanish and English to raise awareness about the children who are waiting for a family. For more information about National Adoption Awareness Month visit: http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/about_adopt_month.cfm

11/08/05
George Bush's Statement on National Adoption Month.

To read Presidential Proclamation please click here.

10/28/05
Bridge of Hope is recruiting host families for Russian born orphans, ages 7 to 10 for their first winter program in
January of 2006.

Bridge of Hope, in our 10th year as a hosting program for older Russian orphans, is now recruiting host families for our first winter
program in January 2006. We expect to have a small group of children, ages 7 - 10, here for approximately two weeks in the first half of
January, with specific dates to be confirmed. The application deadline is November 4th.
We are open to hearing from host families living on the East Coast or possibly in the mid-west. Host families will bear the costs of travel
to either NY or Washington, DC for a parent preparation workshop, as well as for the children's arrival and departure. One host parent
will need to be home full-time during the hosting program. Host families must have a current homestudy prior to the children's arrival.
Anyone interested in hosting during our winter program or summer 2006 should contact our Bridge of Hope Director Patrice Gancie at pgancie@cradlehope.org or at 301-587-4400, ext 205.

Linda Perilstein
Executive Director
Cradle of Hope Adoption Center
301-587-4400

10/27/05
50 years of International Adoption.

America Public Media has created a documentary and written numerous articles about intercountry adoption with a particular focus on the history of Korean Adoption and the views of adoptees. To view it on the internet, click here: http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/adoption/index.html

10/21/05

The Idea of Adoption: An Inquiry into the History of Adult Adoptee Access to Birth Records.

While this article is not new, in light of the fact that A3237, The Adoptees' Access-to-Original-Birth-Certificate Bill, is awaiting hearings in the Assembly Committee on Family, Women and Children's Services we thought it might be of interest to our visitors. The Idea of Adoption: An Inquiry into the History of Adult Adoptee Access to Birth Records, by Elizabeth J. Samuels, summarizes the legal history relevant to the debate about open records.

To read the article click here

10/21/05
New free book resource for children available from The U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach.

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach has produced a series of books for parents under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The books are valuable tools for increasing your child’s interest in learning, to develop and reinforce skills in reading and math and to provide learning experiences in everyday household activities. Topics include: Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics, Helping Your Child Succeed in School, Helping Your Child through Early Adolescence and many others. Copies of the books are available on loan from the NJARCH library or can be ordered at no cost by telephoning toll free: 1.877.433.7827. A complete list of the various titles is available at: http://www.edpubs.org/webstore/content/SearchResults.asp?FormName=Top&id=7 or you can contact the NJARCH warmline to obtain a list. The books can be ordered by e-mail at edpubs@inet.ed.gov or through the postal service at ED Pubs, Education Publications Center, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.

To visit the website click here

9/12/05
In Moscow, National Council For Adoption Conducts High-Level Meetings with Russian Adoption Officials: Moratorium Avoided

September 12, 2005, Alexandria, VA - On Friday, September 9, the Russian Duma defeated an amendment to impose a moratorium on adoptions of Russian orphans by American parents. The vote was a culmination of months of advocacy by nationalistic opponents of intercountry adoption who exploited the tragic deaths of Russian- born children reportedly at the hands of their adoptive parents. "Russian orphans have won an important vote," said National Council For Adoption President Thomas Atwood, in Moscow. "The Russian Duma and other Russian adoption leaders have made it clear with this vote that adoptions will move forward and the interests of innocent children should not be made into a political football."

Leading up to the vote, a National Council For Adoption delegation was in Moscow appealing directly to leaders at the highest levels of the Russian child welfare system. In an unprecedented atmosphere of cooperation, Russian and American adoption leaders agreed on many areas of reform, discussed positive alternatives to a shutdown of adoptions, and expressed a bilateral commitment to serving the needs of the estimated 700,000 children currently languishing in orphanages across the vast country.

"The adoption communities of both countries and all who are sincerely

concerned about the future of Russian orphans should be very encouraged by what we have accomplished here," commented Atwood following the talks. "Now that the Duma has rejected a shutdown, we can work together to achieve positive changes. We don't need to shut down all adoptions in order to protect children better."

The most critical, and possibly most productive, meeting was with Sergey Fridinsky, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation. Mr. Fridinsky communicated frankly with the NCFA delegation in addressing the serious concerns of the Russian people regarding the tragic deaths and current adoption processes. This meeting received extensive coverage in the broadcast and print Russian media. The NCFA delegation met with officials at the Ministry of Education, the arm of Russian government charged with administering adoption procedures. NCFA briefed Ambassador William Burns and Consul General James Pettit at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. In all meetings, NCFA advocated strategic ideas developed with the assistance of leaders within the American adoption community.

NCFA and adoption leaders in America are deeply concerned about the tragic deaths of these children, and have offered four specific reform ideas: timely implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption by both countries, ending the unregulated practice of "independent" adoption in Russia, accelerating post-placement reporting, and strengthening the screening and training of prospective adoptive parents. These targeted reforms would improve child protection for Russian orphans, while preserving the opportunity for thousands of others to find loving, permanent families of their own through adoption in the future.

Atwood continued, "We could not be more encouraged by the responses our reform ideas have received from Russian leaders, and by their commitments to ongoing dialogue. Together, we have created a tremendous opportunity for policy improvements. Now we must work together to achieve them."

About National Council For Adoption (NCFA)

Since 1980, NCFA has been a leading voice among national adoption and child welfare organizations. NCFA is a research, education, and advocacy nonprofit that provides adoption information, promotes ethical adoption practices, informs public policy and opinion about adoption issues, and serves as a resource for women with unplanned pregnancies, adopted persons and their families, those seeking to adopt, and adoption professionals.

8/25/05
CPFA's 24th Annual "Let's Talk Adoption" Conference

Save the date! If you would like to attend CPFA's "Let's Talk Adoption" Conference on
November 5, 2005, you need to register. If you would like to get information and register
by downloading a brochure, please click here.

7/22/05
Trenton Backpack Challenge

www.njfostercare.org is sponsoring a fundraiser for foster children with a backpack
challenge drive. Volunteers are being asked to donate a backpack full of items foster
children have a need for. Backpack items are listed by age group. If you would like to
donate a backpack and want more details, please click here.

6/27/05
Adoptions From Russia Face a Chill

By Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor

In this article, the author discusses the decline in adoptions from Russia in the United States.
Speculation about the factors contributing to this change are discussed as approvals for
American parents have slowed by a third so far this year. Also included is a breakdown of
the number of children internationally adopted by country in the past year.
To read the article please click here.

6/14/05
Adoption on the Radio (Listen to a recorded radio interview!)

In an interview by AARP, authors of the book Journeys After Adoption discuss relevant
topics involving post-adoption experiences. The information is both interesting and
helpful for all members of the adoption constellation. This is a 23-minute interview. You
will need a media player on your computer to listen. Please click the following link to
hear the interview: http://www.aarp.org/fun/radio/pt_radio/journeys_after_adoption.html

5/26/05
Grand Opening of the "Heart Gallery" June 12

The Heart Gallery of New Jersey will open its first full exhibit to the public on Sunday,
June 12, 2005 at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City New Jersey. The Heart
Gallery is a special exhibit working to help waiting children find the adoptive
families they deserve.

The exhibit in the Liberty Science Center will be displayed from June 12 until June 19.
To see details about this exhibit, go to the Liberty Science Center website: www.lsc.org

The Heart Gallery will have various exhibits across New Jersey in the following months.
To see the dates and locations for these venues, go to our events page.

For more information about the Heart Gallery, go to: http://www.heartgallerynj.com

5/24/05
Asbury Press: Adoptee Efforts to Access Records and Biological Families

Two articles recently released by the Asbury Press discuss recent efforts of adoptees
in New Jersey to gain access to their birth records and also in locating their biological
relatives. To see these articles, click on the titles below:

"Adoptees Persevere in Efforts to Locate Biological Relatives"

"Adoptees Push for Access in New Jersey to Birth Records"

4/28/05
Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc. in an Adoption Television Series:

Sunday, May 22 at 8 p.m. on Ch. 19, 62 & 894 (RNN-TV)
“Adoption with Children's Aid and Family Service” At any time, there are between 300 and
500 children in NJ who are living in foster homes, group homes and shelters, who are legally
free and who are in need of caring adults/families to adopt them. These are children of all
ages, but mainly children of color who are over the age of five years. These children want the
same things all children want - they want to be loved. They want to feel safe and secure.
They want to wake up and see the same faces and be a part of a family.

Hear the many heart warming stories of adoption thanks to the efforts of Children's Aid and
Family Service in Paramus and Hackensack, NJ. Viewers will also meet several of the
children currently living in foster care awaiting a home with a loving family. For more
information about CAFS Adoption program, call Shannon at 201-226-0300.

For more information about this television series go to:
http://www.blondinthehood.com/schedule.html

4/5/05
New Jersey Law Will Recognize Foreign Adoption Decrees

The New Jersey state Senate unanimously passed a bill (S285/A1992) on March 21 to
explicitly recognize foreign adoptions of children born abroad, providing the same force
and effect that exists for any child adopted from another state. The bill had already been
passed unanimously by the Assembly last October, and now awaits signature by the
Governor. It eliminates the need for adoptive parents to petition a court for adoption in the
state if the foreign adoption can be verified as final and complete by the federal
government – through the issuance of an IR-3 immigrant visa or a successor immigrant
visa – and the adoptive parents are residents of New Jersey.

Workers at agencies that specialize in international adoption recommend that families
readopt in NJ in spite of this Bill because the families may run into difficulties if they move
out of state. Not all states recognize adoptions done abroad. It is better to obtain a NJ
birth certificate.

To read the text and history
of the bill, go to: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S285

3/21/05
NY Times Article: Show Them Your Best 'Take Me Home' Face"

This article describes a new project in New Jersey that is promoting the adoption of older
children and sibling groups who are waiting for adoptive families. The children, currently
in the care of DYFS, are in need of good, safe homes, and are often left waiting for a
family for a long time. This project has taken professional photos of over 300 waiting
children and attached their photos and a bio to a new website, http://www.heartgallerynj.com/
in the hopes of helping to get them placed. To see the entire article, click here.

3/21/05
Courier News Article: "Groups, Bill Aim to Give Adoptees Access to Birth,
Medical Histories"

This article in the Courier News discusses ongoing efforts to allow adoptees rights
to access and view their birth history records. Various groups are giving their
support to this effort. To read the article and see a copy of the complete Bill, please
click here.

3/15/05
"Listening to Families: Overcoming the Barriers to Adopting Children from
Foster Care"

A special report from Jeff Katz, of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Foundation, explores
adopting through foster care:

Abstract -

The vast majority of potential parents who are recruited – well over 90 percent – do not
ultimately wind up adopting a child not because they don’t want to, but apparently because
they decide not to deal with a system they perceive as too frustrating, bureaucratic and just
plain unfriendly. This comprehensive study lays out detailed recommendations for changing
the system and improving children’s prospects of finding permanent, loving families.

To see the entire article, click here.

3/14/05
May is National Foster Care Month!!!

For more information about events, activities, or foster care in general, click on the
following links:

http://www.fostercaremonth.org/Home

http://event.netbriefings.com/event.nrcfcpp/Live/hunternrcfcppp6/

3/3/05
Free Online Show for Families!

Join Dr. Bryan via the Internet for a free show discussing a number of events concerning
the family. Tune in every Thursday evening at 8:00 pm EST by going to:
www.voiceamerica.com. Each week a special guest will join the discussion.

2/28/05
Congress Considers Adoption Tax Relief

By Keith Peters

The current adoption tax credit is set to expire in 2010. The federal government is now
reviewing proposals that would make the relief bill permanent. To see the full article,
please click here.

2/15/05
"Adoptees Deserve Access to Family Health Insurance" by Adam Pertman

Adam Pertman discusses new software that has been created that allows families to
track medical information about families - parents and grandparents included. As
Pertman points out, this does not help the millions of adoptees across the country as
most states still prevent adoptees from obtaining birth certificates and other documents.
To see this entire article from the Baltimore Sun, please click here.

2/1/05
Federal Adoption Law Reportedly Increases Legal Orphans

According to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 1997 Adoption and Safe
Families Act (ASFA) has been successful in increasing the number of children adopted
from foster care, in part by speeding up the termination of parental rights, but it has also
resulted in an increase in the number of children who are legal orphans. The story by Barbara
White Stack, "Federal Adoption Law Spurs Rise in Legal Orphans," published on
Dec. 26, 2004, found that in the years after ASFA was implemented, more children had their
mothers' and/or fathers' parental rights terminated than were adopted. While the average
annual increase in adoptions of foster children in the past six years has been 54%, the
average annual increase in the number of terminations has been 82%. As a result, there
are now an estimated 117,395 children who are legally severed from their parents, but
who have not been placed in an adoptive home and continue to live in foster care or
group homes.
To read the full article, go to: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04361/432140.stm

1/25/05
"Tragedy to Slavery" Experiences of Orphaned Children after the Tsunami
Disaster

This article written by Juliette Terzieff for Alternet recounts some unfortunate events
regarding orphaned children of the Tsunami disaster. Terzieff explains how children
are easily ensnared in child-trafficking practices in the region. As a result, to help curb
the trafficking, authorities have placed a temporary ban on the international adoption
of children from the area. To see the complete article, click here.

1/6/05
December 2004 Issue of New Yorker Magazine: "The Mistress's Daughter"
A Search and Reunion Story

This is an interesting and personal account of a search and reunion experience
written by A. M. Homes. If you are interested in reading this memoir, click on the
following link: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?041220fa_fact5

1/6/05
The New Cumberland Public Library in PA to Host
Korean Cultural Events

During the months of February and March the New Cumberland Public Library will
host a variety of Korean-related events to celebrate and raise awareness about
Korean culture. Activities will include folk tales, readings, martial arts demonstrations
and special guest speakers. For more information about these events, click here.

12/28/04
NJ ARCH and Children's Aid and Family Services Outreach for
"A Home For the Holidays"

Helping to raise awareness about adoption and the Dave Thomas Foundation event,
"A Home for the Holidays," representatives from both NJ ARCH and Children's Aid and
Family Services set up tables in the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey on
Wednesday, December 22nd.

Resource Coordinator Dana Fried and Assistant Director Barbara Rall at the NJ ARCH table

Path to Adoption Specialist Melissa Goring at the Children's Aid and Family Services table

12/16/04
Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc. Receives the "Wendy's Wonderful
Kids" Grant From the Dave Thomas Foundation

A new grant from the Dave Thomas Foundation aimed at facilitating permanency plans
who are currently in care was awarded to Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc.
A "recruitment adoption specialist" is needed to work with children and families to
aid in placement permanency. For more information, go to the Children's Aid and Family
Services website: www.cafsnj.org

12/16/04
Louis Wise Services' Records to be Maintained by Spence-Chapin

The now defunct adoption agency, Louis Wise Services, has come to an agreement with
Spence-Chapin to keep over 80 years worth of adoption records maintained and
accessible. All clients whose lives have been affected by Louis Wise will continue to
have limited access to their records now that the well-known and established Spence-
Chapin has agreed to house the records in their Manhattan office. To see the article by
Adam Dickter about this process, click here.

12/9/04
Star Ledger Article: Bill Widening Access to Birth Records Clears Senate
By: Susan Livio

"Adults adopted as children, who want to know their family history, took a step closer to
obtaining the right to obtain their original birth certificates under a bill the Senate
approved yesterday"

To view the entire article, click here.

12/9/04
Council On Adoptable Children Publishes Report-
Forging Connections: Challenges and Opportunities for Older Caregivers
Raising Children

This extensive report covers many of the issues facing older caregivers today. It
includes current trends, helpful advice and a glossary. To view this report, click here.

12/9/04
Helpful Links to Help Reduce Holiday Stress

The holidays are always a fun time of year, but they can be sources of stress for lots of
folks. Below are some links to articles and other web links that can help you reduce
holiday stress:

http://www.anxietysupport.org/cc11menu.htm

http://childparenting.about.com/cs/holidays/a/holidayplan.htm

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/holiday_stress.html

http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/FTWT/ftwt0211Nov.pdf

12/9/04
Indianapolis Star Article: One Family Two Worlds

This interesting article in international adoption provides great strategies and resources
for bridging cultural gaps in bi-, or multi-racial adoptive families. It includes personal
stories from families and other resources such as web sites. To view the article,
click here.

11/17/04
NJ ARCH Posts Special Chat Room Transcript Page

The NJ ARCH Chat Room occasionally hosts special guest speakers on specific
adoption topics. The transcripts for these special chats are available for your viewing
in case you miss the chat. To see these transcripts, please click here.

11/16/04
President Bush Officially Proclaims November as National Adoption Month

In a press release, President Bush signed an official proclamation claiming November as
National Adoption Month. To read the short press release supporting adoption
recognition, click here.

11/16/04
Evan B. Donaldson Foundation Reports on Adoption Disruption

The Evan B. Donaldson Foundation has submitted a press release and executive summary
of their report "What's Working for Children: A Policy Study of Adoption Stability and
Termination" This November 2004 report comments on the status of adoption in the U.S. as
well as trends in adoption stability - important information for anyone interested in adoption
issues.
Included below are the Press Release, Executive Summary and the Full Report.
To see any of these documents, click on one of the links below:

Press Release:

Executive Summary:

Full Report:

11/10/04
Reuters Report: Surgeon General Warns Individuals to Track Family Medical
History

This brief report announces that the Surgeon General of the U.S. has been urging folks to
track their own family's medical history as a general precaution. Officials have created a
computer-based program that helps people track and organize their family's medical
history. For more information, click here.

11/9/04
Get Ready for "A Home for the Holidays" sponsored by the Dave Thomas
Foundation!
It's that time of year again! The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is holding
their annual event in order to raise awareness about adoption and meet the needs
of children in waiting.

To find out more, click here:

11/8/04
National Adoption Day: "Debunking the Myths - The Facts About Foster Care
Adoption"

In this brief piece on the National Adoption Day website, there are eight common myths
about foster care adoption and their truth counterparts. The list is important for anyone
interested in, or involved with foster care adoption. To see the list, click here.

11/4/04
The New NJ ARCH Newsletter is now available!

To see the Fall 2004 newsletter, click here.

11/1/04
CPFA "Let's Talk Adoption" Conference

Concerned Person's For Adoption is holding their annual "Let's Talk Adoption"
Conference November 6, 2004. This training will include talks from adoption professionals
and a variety of interactive workshops with Continuing Educational Credit Hours available.
For more information about this training conference, please click here.

You will need Acrobat Reader to view this document. If you do not have Acrobat Reader,
you can download it free by going to: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

10/28/04
Adoption.com Article: Support Needed to Make Adoption Affordable

The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act is approaching expiration and will be put to a vote
in the U.S. Senate. Adoption.com is urging people to voice their support to renew this Act
as it helps keep adoption costs down. To see the complete article, click here.

10/12/04
Volunteer Expo Report

NJ ARCH had an outreach table at the Volunteer Expo at the Livingston Mall on
Monday, October 11. Shannon Prescott, CAFS Outreach Worker and Natalie Hamilton,
NJ ARCH Warm Line Worker manned the table for the day. In all, 5 people expressed their
interest in doing volunteer work for CAFS and/or NJ ARCH. Several people requested to
be put on the NJ ARCH Newsletter mailing list. Dozens of people were given fliers,
newsletters, and other information about NJ ARCH and its services.

10/8/04
Center for Adoption Research Article: "A Return to Orphanages?"

The Center for Adoption Research has posted an article on their web site that discusses
what appears to be a new trend in establishing child care institutions that greatly
resemble "orphanages." The article discusses the history of orphanages, the ebb
and flow of their existence, the new proposals for reinstating orphanages, and the
political and social implications of these changes. To see this article in its entirety,
please click here.

9/30/04
Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) Releases "City Kids Count
New Jersey: Summary"

ACNJ has completed an extensive research and reporting study of the status of
children in New Jersey living in cities. The report covers areas such as; demographics,
poverty, health, abuse and neglect, early care and education, and school-aged children.
ACNJ discusses the plight of young people in New Jersey's cities, as well as
recounting the setbacks and improvements that have been made. If you would like to
view the complete report, please click here.

9/30/04
U.S. Census Bureau Completes First-Ever Profile of Adopted Children

In a recent study, the U.S. Census Bureau completed a nation-wide study in order to
profile exactly "who's who" among adopted children in America. General, easily
understood statistics and other broad relationships and conditions of adopted
children are included. For a look at the essay and the included tables and statistics,
please click here.

9/29/04
Wall Street Journal Article Cites Need for Adoptive Parents in the U.S.

This article in the Wall Street Journal gives an account of a new phenomenon in the U.S.
in that there is now a growing need for adoptive parents as there are more children who
need homes than there are parents available. This growing need has made "open"
adoptions more common. To view the complete article, click here.

9/29/04
Important Facts Affecting Adoption: American Adoption Congress Spreads
the Awareness of Upcoming November National Adoption Month

The American Adoption Congress is distributing fliers reminding folks about November
2004...National Adoption Month. Included in their flier are the following important
"adoption facts:"

- Only six states in America provide original birth records to adult adopted persons:
Alaska, Kansas, Tennessee, Delaware, Alabama and Oregon.

- Adopted people deserve the choice to have full knowledge of the biological
   heritage, the same as non-adopted persons do.

- Access to original birth/adoption records is about "rights," while reunions are about
   relationships. Having one does not guarantee, nor substitute for, the other.

- Adoption usually involves loss for all thee members of the adoption triad: the
   adopted child loses connection to the biological family; the birth parents lose the
   child they conceived; and the adoptive parents lose their ability to create their own
   genetic lineage.

- Adoption can be a very sensitive topic. While adoptions are generally a joyous
   experience for most families, it can also invoke emotional pain for some people,
   due to overwhelming emotions of loss, grief, injustice, anger or other suffering.
   No one should expect everyone else to feel exactly as they do about adoption and
   its related issues. Listen with an open heart and mind, and educate yourself about
   adoption issues that affect you and the people you care about.

9/23/04
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Posts New E-Newsletter

This year's Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Newsletter is now available online! This issue
includes articles, studies, and statistics covering the following categories: laws, policies,
and practice, research, news, resources and an Institute update.   Some interesting
articles include information about New Jersey's child welfare law reforms, risks to foster
children who AWOL, and the 50-year anniversary of Korean international adoption.

To view the August 2004 newsletter online, click here.

To request a free subscription to future Evan B. Donaldson Newsletters, click here.

9/16/04
National Adoption Month Coming Soon!

The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse has adoption events planned for
November - National Adoption Month. NAIC has collaborated with AdoptUSKids
to coordinate these events and supply information about them. For more information
please go to: http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/index.cfm

9/13/04
State of New Jersey - Department of Human Services Announces
Reform Agenda in Child Welfare

The Department of Human Services in New Jersey has issued a plan titled:
"A New Beginning: The Future of Child Welfare in New Jersey." This short document
outlines the State's key reform agendas for child welfare. To view this list, please click
here.

8/30/04
Los Angeles Times Article: Chasing Glimpses of a Past

By: Barbara Demick, Times Staff Writer

An article in the LA Times conveys the growing, sometimes joyous, and sometimes
difficult trend of search and reunions among South Korean adoptees in the United
States. With some statistics, some poignant quotes, and interesting stories,
Demick provides a peek into the lives of South Korean adoptees - a group
representing the largest number of foreign born adoptees in the U.S. To request a
copy of this article, please click here.

8/12/04
The New NJ ARCH Newsletter is Now Available !

This issue contains important information about adoption, foster care, book reviews,
question and answer by an adoption expert, a featured pre-adoptive child and much
more.

If you would like to view or download the NJ ARCH Newsletter online, please click here.

For a free paper-copy of the NJ ARCH Newsletter, please submit a request to our
warmline @ warmline@njarch.org or call us at 1.877.4ARCHNJ.

8/06/04

Free On-Line Adoption Courses Available Through
Adoption Learning Partners

For a limited time, Adoption Learning Partners and NJ ARCH are working together to offer
FREE on-line courses that focus on Adoption-related issues. These courses include:

- Journey of Attachment

- With Eyes Wide Open: A Preparation Guide to International Adoption

- Let's Talk Adoption: A Lifetime of Family Conversations

- Understanding the Adoption Tax Credit

- Conspicuous Families: A Bronze Metal Winner in Excellence in E-learning, 2002.

Most of these courses are free through Adoption Learning Partners.
The "With Eyes Wide Open" course requires a pre-payment. If you would like to take this
course, please contact the NJ ARCH and we will make pre-payment arrangements.

The other courses are FREE for a limited time. If you would like to receive a
"Certificate of Completion", contact NJ ARCH and we will pay the $25.00 certificate fee.

At the start of each course, please type: "NJ ARCH" as the referral source.

Time is limited; to take advantage of this free course offering, log onto Adoption
Learning Partners at http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/

Please note: Those with dial-up may have difficulty downloading the courses.
If you only have dial-up available, de-activate the "audio" option at the start of
each course and try logging on during "off-peak" hours - early morning and late night.

We recommend you locate a PC with high-speed connectivity (e.g.: a library, etc.)
to take full advantage of this training.

Questions? Contact the Warm Line at 877-4ARCHNJ.

7/27/04
More U.S. Birth Mothers Placing Children with Canadian Families
(Site referenced with permission from author)

An article by Gabrielle Glaser from the Oregonian newspaper reports on a growing trend
among U.S. birth mothers opting to place their infants with Canadian families.
According to the article, this is especially true among African American birth mothers who
perceive that the more liberal and tolerant social climate in Canada will provide a more
comfortable life for their children. The article also outlines the irony of a steadily growing
number of U.S. families adopting children from overseas, while many U.S. born children
are being placed outside of the U.S. for adoption. To view the complete article please
click on the link:

http://e-magazine.adoption.com/articles/505/-more-us-birth-mothers-choose-to-place-their-infants-with-canadian-families.php

7/27/04
Adoptive Families Magazine: Challenges in Opening Birth Certificate
Records to Adoptees

Currently, only five states in the U.S. have allowed adoptees complete access to their birth
certificate records. This article outlines the challenges adoptees and their families are
confronting in the face of these social and legal changes. To read this article and to have
access to other links related to open adoption and birth records, please click on the link:

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=957

7/27/04
Children's Rights and AdoptUSKids Planning a Guide to Match
Children With Prospective Families

The Children's Rights Organization has collaborated with AdoptUSKids in writing a guide
to help match children with families. Sarah Gerstenzang at Children's Rights is urging
folks to pass along the following message:

"Children's Rights, under a contract with the Collaboration to AdoptUSKids, is writing a guide on the
process of matching children with prospective adoptive families. A valuable part of the information gathering
process will be telephone conference calls with adoptive parents (of non-infants from the U. S. foster
care system), prospective adoptive parents (of non-infants from the U. S. foster care system), youth or
young adults who have been adopted from foster care (and were old enough to remember the adoption
process), and adoption professionals. I am seeking participants for the adoptive parent, prospective adoptive
parent and youth telephone conference calls - these will be done as three separate groups. The telephone
conference calls will hopefully be scheduled for the month of July and will take approximately two hours.
Participants will be given a toll free telephone number. If you have an interest in participating, please
contact Sarah Gerstenzang at Sgerstenzang@childrensrights.org or (212) 683-2210 x301. Please feel
free to forward this email to others who might be interested!"

7/6/04
NJ ARCH Publishes a New "How to Adopt" Handbook

The NJ ARCH Handbook: "How to Adopt in New Jersey: A Roadmap to Family Building"
is now available in both electronic and hard-copy. This concise but comprehensive
handbook walks you through the various stages of adoption from beginning to end.
Topics include: definition of adoption, decision-making about adoption, kinds of
adoption, selecting an agency, the home study process, surviving the wait, post-
placement issues, and long term expectations. This is a valuable tool for anyone
in New Jersey planning to adopt.

To view and print an electronic, PDF version of this handbook, please click here.

If you would like to request a hard-copy of this handbook, please contact the
NJ ARCH Warm Line at 1.877.4ARCHNJ (1.877.427.2465) or
email us at warmline@njarch.org. Please include your name, address and phone
number and we gladly send you a copy of the handbook.

7/6/04
NJ ARCH Library Update

As part of our effort to provide resources and services to meet the needs of New Jersey's
adoption community, the NJ ARCH Library continues to grow. In recent months many new
articles have been added to our list in a number of categories including,
"General Adoption," "Special Needs," and "Adoption Support and Advice." Click on the
link to our articles page to see the growing list.

The NJ ARCH Library has also grown by increasing its available books through donations
and purchases. In the coming weeks, updated library lists will be available with book reviews
as these books can be borrowed by contacting our Warm Line.

7/6/04
Finding Joy In Your Children

Adoption.com has a great new article by Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW, titled
"Finding Joy in Your Children." This short article reminds all parents the value and
importance of remembering the good things about kids, and how happy they can
make you. With a sympathetic voice, Mr. Direnfeld offers suggestions on how to keep
a positive attitude for you and for your children, even in the face of tough times. For a look
at the article online, click here.

7/6/04
National Campaign Urges Americans to Adopt

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced their partnership with
the Collaboration to AdoptUSKids in developing a public education campaign to raise
adoption awareness. The Department cites that there are over 500,000 children in the U.S.
foster care system, with over 129,000 waiting to be adopted. To learn more about this
campaign, please click here.

7/6/04
International Adoption Statistics

According to newly released U.S. State Department figures, the number of orphans
granted immigrant visas has increased each year since 1992. Last year, 21,616 visas
were awarded, up 1,517 from 2002.

China was the source of most U.S. adoption last year, sending almost 7,000 children to
the United States. China, Russia, Guatemala, and South Korea accounted for about
three-quarters of last year's adoptions.

Changes made by the China Center of Adoption Affairs have kept the country at the top
of international adoption. In 2003, the center abolished quotas that were implemented to
limit the number of children adopted internationally.

6/21/04
Feature article in The Parent Paper: Celebrations for adopted children

Recognizing the potentially difficult topic of birthdays for adopted children and connections
between birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptive children, the Parent Paper has
published an article with advice from a few adoption professionals. This article has
contributions from NJ ARCH's own Barbara Rall and Kathy Russo. To download or view
this great article, please click here.

6/7/04
Embracing Family Offers Various Adoption Workshops

The Embracing Family Agency in Marlton, New Jersey has a variety of adoption-related
workshops available for anyone interested in adoption issues. Some of the workshop
topics include: personal biases, influences of "self," power of oppression on relationships,
family of origin influences, gossip, responding vs. reacting, attachment, addiction, blended
families, family life cycles, grieving, parenthood, team building, behavior management and
more. If you would like more detail or wish to get registration information please click here.

6/3/04
NY Times Article Touts New York's Family-to-Family Foster Care Model

The New York Times has published an article highlighting the benefits of New York City's
"Family-to-Family" foster care model. This model takes an active approach to nurturing
open relationships between foster parents and birth parents. The program has been in
effect for six years with over 28,000 participating families. The results have generally been
successful in that foster parents often remain a source of continuing support and
encouragement to birth families irrespective of reunion possibilities. To see the complete
article please click here.

5/26/04
Adoption Lawsuit May Force Change at Gladney

A staff writer from Star Telegram.com has reported that The Gladney Center for Adoption
in Florida is involved in a law suit for withholding pertinent information about an adopted
child's birth family from the child's adoptive parents. Doctors and the adoptive parents
argue that the withheld information prevented the family from providing the right care for
the adopted child's emotional and psychological needs. The article and the suit highlight
an ongoing and sensitive topic in the adoption world - that of open records and the rights
of birth families, adoptive parents, and adoptive children. This is an important issue that
deserves attention from anyone connected to adoption.

If you would like to view the complete article, please click here.

5/26/04
Open Records Bill Introduced to NJ Senate
The New Jersey Senate is reviewing an open records bill for adoption. Below is a link
to view this bill. People are encouraged to write to their legislators if they have any
opinions or views they wish to share, pro or con, about the bill.
To view the bill, click here.

5/3/04
AdoptUSKids Announces Parent Support Group Mini-grants

Grants are worth $4,000 each. Applications must be received by July 1, 2004 to be
eligible. Awards will be announced late August or early September with projects
beginning October 1, 2004. Groups who received grants in the previous funding
cycle are not eligible. For more information, contact Sylvia R. Franzmeier at
281.353.7459 or at sylvia@airmail.net

For more information go to the AdoptUSKids website by clicking below:

4/26/04
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Posts Data for Child and
Adolescent Well-Being

The Administration for Children and Families has posted a report on child safety and well
being in the United States. This executive summary highlights the status of children waiting to
be adopted including demographic information and caregiver data. The full research report is
also available. To view the executive summary, please click on the link below.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/

4/15/04
Annual Heritage Festival Hosted by CPFA

CPFA (Concerned Persons For Adoption) is hosting their annual heritage festival on
Saturday, April 24th from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. It will be held at the First Presbyterian
Church in Whippany, NJ; 494 Route 10 West at Whippany Road. This event focuses
on adoptive families, and will include food, music, and dance from countries around
the world. For more information and to sign up go to: http://www.cpfanj.org

4/13/04
The Adoption Institute Newsletter: April 2004

The Adoption Institute has posted its electronic newsletter for 2004! This issue
contains articles on current adoption laws and policies, adoption research, other news,
and a list of adoption resources. To view this newsletter online, click on the link below:
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/whowe/newsletter_april03.html

If you would like to submit a request for a paper copy of this newsletter from the
Adoption Institute, click on the link below:
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/mail.html

4/13/04
Congressional Foster Youth Internship Program
The FYI Program raises awareness about children in foster care, and specifically, the
126,000 available for adoption. Members of Congress have formed a coalition to
aid children in the foster care system. There is an internship program available to
former foster youth who are now enrolled in college or graduate school who would
like to intern in congressional offices. For more information, go to:
www.ccainstitute.org

4/6/04
Mississippi State University Conducts Survey of Foster Parents and Kids

Mississippi State University is conducting a national survey of foster parents and kids.
The purpose of the survey is to assist in making recommendations to improve services
for foster and adoptive families including RAD. If you would like to participate in this
survey, go to: www.msstate.edu/courses/mag10/survey

3/30/04
NJ ARCH Publishes an Adoption Handbook!

NJ ARCH has published a new adoption handbook titled, "Now That You're a Family:
A Guide to Adoption Issues and Services." This useful 34-page booklet includes
valuable information for adoptive families on subjects including life-long adoption
issues, developmental concerns, birth children, services and resources, and more.
This handbook is available free of charge online or in a hard copy format.
To view this handbook online, click here:

If you would prefer a printed hard copy, you may request one from our Warm Line at:
warmline@njarch.org

3/29/04
Foster and Adoptive Family Services Offers Scholarships

FAFS (Foster and Adoptive Family Services) offers a series of privately funded academic
scholarships and opportunity grants for foster and adopted youth. These awards are in
place to assist foster and adopted youth in obtaining a higher education or in moving into
the next phase of their lives. The funding for these awards is made possible through the
generosity of dedicated benefactors and members.

To see more detailed information about these scholarships, go to:
http://www.fafsonline.org/Scholarship.html

3/29/04
Included 'Fact' not Necessarily Useful Information

The Evan B. Donaldson Director has posted an article calling attention to a problem often
found in the world of adoption. Adam Pertman warns that newspapers and magazine
articles frequently make sweeping assumptions and untrue conclusions about families
and adoption issues, reminding people to be diligent about getting the right information.
To see a copy of the article, please click here:

3/1/04
NJ ARCH posts its latest Newsletter

Want to see what's been going on at NJ ARCH? Want to get some of the latest adoption-
related information? Check out the new NJ ARCH Newsletter available online.
To see the full version of the newsletter, please click here:
If you would prefer a printed copy of the newsletter, please contact the NJ ARCH
Warm Line at 1.877.4ARCHNJ or email us at warmline@njarch.org

2/23/04
Federal Authorities Seize Birth Certificates in Hudson County

A report by John Martins of The Jersey Journal, during the week of February 16, 2004,
federal officials seized birth certificates in a county office, located in Jersey City, New
Jersey. The officials also interviewed some of the staff at the office. Records dating back
to 1902 were removed. Due to the nature of the investigation, authorities did not disclose
the reason for the search. For more information on this story and how to obtain vital
records, go to the url listed below:
http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1077271894121791.xml

2/23/04
Angel School (Adoptee's Network for Good Education and Leadership):
Korean Language Heritage Program

This course offered by the New York Mission House is designed to teach Korean language
and culture/heritage and is specifically geared for adopted children. The child must be in
Kindergarten or a higher grade level. Interested parents and siblings may also attend.

Schedule: March 13 to June 19, 2004 (except April 10 and May 29). Saturday mornings
from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Location:    78 Mt. Vernon St. Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

Tuition:    $175 per person, per semester - includes text and materials
                 $125 for second family member, $100 for third, $50 for parents to participate in
                 cultural activity portion

Registration:    $10 registration fee applied to tuition cost
                          Send form to: NJ Korean Language and Heritage Class, 1222 Anderson Ave.
                                                  Fort Lee, NJ 07024

                                                  OR register at the Opening Day Event on March 13, 2004

Download the registration application form here:

Contact:    angelnymission@hotmail.com for more details and information

2/9/04
Wings of Dove: Russian Orphans Coming to New Jersey

The Wings of Dove non-profit organization is coordinating a two-week summer program
for Russian orphans ages 6 and up. Wings of Dove seeks 6 families interested in adoption
to be a part of this program. For more information, contact Amy Martinsen at 732-229-0452.

The Russian orphanages that have coordinated with Wings of Dove are in desperate
need of blankets. If you have any blankets you would like to donate, contact Amy Martinsen
at 732-229-0452. These blankets will be hand-delivered to Russian children in need. The
best sizes would be a crib blanket up to a twin size.

2/2/04
The Importance of your Child’s Heritage

Have you adopted a child from a foreign country? Do you feel that once your child
comes home they are now “American”? They may indeed become “Americanized”
with time, but they still do have their birth country, their birth family’s history and
heritage.

It’s important to your child as well as your family to integrate portions of your
child’s ethnic heritage into your family life. Research and attend events that expose
your child and family to that culture. Whether it’s a 3-hour festival, a weekend at a
Heritage Camp or a week’s visit to your child’s country of origin, integrate that
culture into yours. Remember, once you adopt a child from another country, your
family becomes part of that culture.

A special thought:

If you are about to travel to adopt a child from another country, pick up 18 little
items from your child’s country. Give a toy or item to your child for each
birthday; what a wonderful way to remember and celebrate their roots!

Let us assist you in finding a cultural event: visit the events page of the NJ ARCH
website to see the listing of events, Heritage Camps and even “Motherland Tours”.
Celebrate your child’s history! Celebrate it as part of your family!

1/16/04
A Home for the Holidays is a huge success!

The televised, nationally broadcast, adoption event was successful in raising adoption
awareness. In response to the show, 26 people in New Jersey contacted NJ ARCH
expressing their interest in adopting waiting children. The NJ ARCH Warm Line Staff
referred all 26 callers to appropriate adoption services in their area. Thanks to all the
families and others who showed their support.

Harvard Study Raises BPA Concerns Study finds chemical leaches from plastic water bottles

Anna Rough

Child Advocacy Program Manager

The Joint Council on International Children's Services

Harvard Study Raises BPA Concerns
Study finds chemical leaches from plastic water bottles