Maine has become the sixth state in the nation to pass legislation allowing adult adoptees to access their original birth certificates. LD 10984 will become law on the 1st of January 2009.

For information on other states, and countries, where adoptees have rights to their birth information, see the OBC for Me site.

As mentioned yesterday on the International Adoption Blog, the fee increases for international adoption processes... more

A look at adoption stigma from New Zealand cites a study called, "Blood Ties With Strangers: Navigating the Course of the Adoptive Reunion over the Long Term", an in-depth look at relationships between adoptive children and their birth families.

Touted as the first study to explore the relationship beyond the so-called "honeymoon period" of reunion, it has just been published by the School of Social and Cultural Studies in Auckland.

Taking exception to Nancy Verrier's "Primal Wound" theory that states that adoption is a lifelong experience of grief for... more

Some bit and pieces of international news with adoption-related ties ... some loose, I'll admit, but interesting nonetheless ... have been collecting in the corners again, so I'll download them here for perusal.

First, anyone with links to China should check out this site, called Chinese Adoptee Links. Created with a goal to build a global network for "adopted, hapa and fostered people and friends worldwide", it "honors the diversity of our experiences, the richness of our identities, and the importance of our stories."

They also detail events around the country people may be interested in attending, from pen... more

Embryo adoption is in the news today, from a couple of different angles.

First, this on a study from Duke University and Johns Hopkins to be published in the July 6 issue of "Science" saying that sixty percent of over 1,000 infertility patients with frozen embryos are willing to donate those unused to stem cell research.

“Until now, the debate about federal funding for embryonic stem cell research has been dominated by lawmakers and advocates. But what about the preferences of infertility patients, who are ethically responsible for,... more

Today's adoption news has to start with this touching account from NPR from a man warming to the reality that he will become a father through the miracle of adoption.

Harkening back to his teen years when accidental impregnation was something to be feared and avoided, he charts the emotional path he's trod since marriage and an up-close-and-personal look at infertility.

Sweet, and well worth a click and a read.

Following from a recent International Adoption... more

Starting off the day's news with a follow-up to a couple of stories from yesterday's post, the bill proposed in the Ohio Senate making it easier for the state's families to adopt was passed unanimously. It will now move to the House for consideration.

(You may be surprised to learn that the US is only one of four countries... more

An Ohio State Senator, and adoptive dad, Eric Kearney, has sponsored a bill making adoption easier in the state that was expected to pass yesterday afternoon.

Senate Bill 30 will establish a loan program offering $2,000 to $3,000 to adoptive families adopting an Ohio child. At the moment, there are approximately 2,800 waiting children in the state.

This follows Sen. Patricia Clancy's Bill 20 which tripled Ohio's income tax credit for adoption from $500 per child to $1,500.

Good for Ohio!

The Human Rights Commissioner of Kazakhstan,... more

If you've been following the story about "Focus on Children", the Utah adoption agency recently indicted on 135 counts of fraud and immigration violations regarding its program for adoptions from Samoa, there is more news this week.

In a story that takes a look at Focus on Children and Legacy International, an agency facing the same sort of allegations, Utah Human Services Licensing director, Ken Stettler says, "We try to inform parents anytime you deal with international adoption, you're taking a risk".

As mentioned in ... more

I've been wondering lately: is it just me experiencing far too much of the dark side of humanity, or is the whole world going through a phase where extreme nastiness is popping up.

This story out of Montana would indicate that, at least in the adoption world a few determined people are pretty darned determined to be horrid.

In Bozeman, a pleasant community fundraiser for an organization that helps local families adopt orphans from overseas was protested by a guy holding up a sign that read, "Stop Immigration, Keep America White."

The group has plans to bring seven... more

I was just writing this morning on the Older Parent Blog about parental concerns over toxic substances coming anywhere near close enough to contaminate children, so this news item is timely in many ways:

THIS JUST OUT for any parents with children into the Thomas the Tank Engine Toys:

The NYTimes just announced that Thomas the Tank Engine Toys are being recalled because of lead paint used in the manufacture that could... more