Generational adoption, where adoptees choose adoption for building their family, makes for interesting reading, as evidenced in the previous post, but especially when the job of parenting being done is spectacular and breaks a cycle of abuse.

Adopting eight older kids after serious neglect and abuse, the variety of issues these parents dealt with is heartbreaking. One sibling pair, boys ages eight and seven at adoption, are still unable... more

Do we live in a fabulous time, or what?

I'm guessing birth mother Lori Haas would vote 'yes' on that. Thanks to the wonders of the modern world, she found the son she'd been searching for.

Facebook provided the key to locating her now-twenty-year-old son after a friend suggested she give the site a try.

First time lucky, it took only a second between typing in his name and pulling up a thumbnail photo. Turns out he had been looking for her, too, and had even relocated in hopes of facilitating a meeting.

They... more

Ann Fessler, author of the eye-opening account of unwed mothers in the time between the end of WWII and Roe v. Wade, "The Girls Who Went Away", has been touring with her book through Minnesota.

As should happen, she's getting press along the way, and reaction to the press, like this commentary from a Korean-born... more

The parental rights of fathers just got a boost in Florida with a decision from the Florida Supreme Court ruling that adoption agencies must notify unmarried men when a child thought to be theirs is placed for adoption. They must then instruct him in how sign on to a registry to maintain his parental rights to the child.

If after being informed, the father does not register within thirty days, his rights may be terminated.

This follows a case where a possible father ... paternity has not yet been established in this case ... had apparently voiced a desire to parent,... more

This is one of those days when a significant portion of the adoption news is focusing on negatives, on what can go wrong in adoption, and from so many angles.

Starting in the UK, this story that has me questioning the concept of total government control of adoptions being a good idea or a way forward in reform.

Seems a couple in England took their daughter to a hospital for treatment of an abdominal ailment and doctors concluded that she had been sexually assaulted. This resulted in the child, and then her newborn sister, being removed... more

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is once again getting ready to honor Americans who qualify to be identified as 'Angels in Adoption', congressional constituents who have "... enriched the lives of foster children and orphans".

First, a bit about the CCAI for those not familiar with the organization:

Formed in 1985, it's a bipartisan caucus made up of members of Congress who are, "dedicated to improving adoption policy and practice, and to focusing public attention on the advantages of adoption."

Directors now are Senator Larry Craig,... more

A bit of celebrity adoption news starts the week.

Madonna's family is reported to be coming up to the time of home visits from Malawian adoption inspectors, according the the UK tabloid The Sun.

As par for the Sun's slippery course, they are quoting unnamed sources as saying, "This home study is a big deal -- and Madonna and Guy have been absolutely dreading it."

Oh, fercryinoutloud ...

And ... more

There's celebrating in Maine this weekend as access to original birth certificates becomes law in January, 2009 after a three-year effort by OBC for ME (Original Birth Certificates for Maine).

Maine will be the eighth state to give adoptees access to the information.

Birth mothers are the focus of this article from Minneapolis.

With stories of reunions and lifetimes of... more

The good news starts at home today, right here at Adoption.com, as a story of teddy bears and waiting kids accounts for more than 1,100 of 50,000 of the cuddly friends made in "Build-a-Bear" workshops that Adoption.com obtained for local and international distribution. Hugs all around.

Christian music star and adoptee Mark Schultz has raised a quarter of a million dollars for orphans through his Across... more

“There is a general lack of understanding, capacity, resources, will and clarity surrounding the procedures and responsibilities of agencies in each sector.”

Child trafficking is of great concern to the country at issue in the news I'm writing about today from which the quote above was made and where the top five "source countries for trafficked children" are identified as China, Nigeria, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Eritrea, and the children once trafficked in are said to be forced to work in "cannabis factories, beg on the streets, turned into domestic “slaves” and... more