The next sound you hear will be that of me tooting my own horn. It will be a short, subdued toot, but a toot nonetheless.

Reason for a tiny toot? This news item on adoption that quotes me.

When contacted by the Agence France-Press for information, my immediate inclination was to ask that any report on the present adoption climate be balanced, and I think including my comments may have added a bit to that.

If you're following the ... more

I wrote yesterday about steps being taken in Kentucky to improve the lot of children in foster care in the state, and added a suggestion for urging your state to follow suit.

Today, it's South Carolina in the spotlilght, as Gov. Mark Sanford appoints people to his Children in Foster Care and Adoption Services Task Force, a group he created to find ways to improve the foster care and adoption systems in the state.

If you're in South Carolina and want to get involved, write... more

Before I get to any other news, I'd like to ask that you take a minute to read Deb's blog from yesterday on the ribbon campaign starting up in support of the Socklaufer family.

Gary and Cynthia Stocklaufer have been denied the adoption of a relative's child ... a relative who chose them in her adoption plan ... because Gary is fat.

If you're interested in getting involved and wearing a baby blue ribbon to show your disapproval of such blatant prejudice, please do.

In a very interesting report a ... more

In what probably means diddly-squat to the children involved, Members of the Belarusian Parliament are contemplating issues of orphans.

Supposedly, the Council of Ministers has submitted some amendments to the law on "social security of orphan children and children left without parental care" that address compensation of foster and guardian families and "family type" children's homes.

Yes, it's all about reimbursement for heating bills and such since, "the expenses on raising a child are quite high and they need to be compensated ... ".

Adoption... more

For a completely different take on the reports out of Britain claiming that too many children are being removed by officials from families, here's one that says MORE children should be taken away from their parents.

Focusing on beatings and killings of innocent victims by uncontrolled youths, the story strongly ties the issues together.

There was an outcry at the recent news that 2,120... more

Thirty-Nine families in Seneca, Ohio are quite unhappy about a recent slip up by the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services. A new computer program, which is known as the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System was given to the county by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in the hopes of making the system easier for workers to use …that apparently was not the case.

A breakdown in communication as to how the system should be used, caused thirty-nine children’s medical cards to be issued with... more

Dominating adoption news, this story out of the UK about a pregnant woman recording social workers as they threaten to take her child away shortly after birth and attempting to intimidate her and her husband, then posting the recording on YouTube.

Adding insult to injury and really shooting themselves in the foot in the process, the powers-that-be set their sights on having the recording removed from the public site, then succeeded. (There's a link to a site where you can access the recording listed below.)

The recording includes conversation that has a social worker... more

In my best, "Gee whiz, it's about time" impression of innocence, I'll start today's news with the stunning revelation that adopted kids will now have the same benefits as biological children in Illinois.

Yep. Apparently up until the recent passage of House Bill 49, the law in that state did not ensure that legally adopted children would be treated the same as bio kids when parents died and pension plans came into play.

The process of fixing this abomination of legal mumbo-jumbo required the amendment of 15 pension codes for public positions like General... more

Following Julie's post the other day on bullying and the red flags it prompts, this story on what parents can do seemed like something that should be passed along.

Taking the stance that bullying is not something to be ignored and that kids shouldn't be left to their own devises for dealing with it, a long and helpful list of tips on how to deal with the situation is included.

Although bullying does not necessarily equal violence, it can, and violence in schools is a real and horrifying... more

Continuing to follow the situation in Guatemala that's been spinning out over the past few days, it's beginning to look like the Casa Quivira case is already unraveling, as authorities have released two babies, deeming their adoptions "legal".

The US Embassy seems to be pushing for the investigation to move along rapidly, and I'm sure families and children are thankful for all the help they can get in sorting this mess out.

Hopefully, they get around to the others soon, and apologize to everyone damaged.

And speaking of damaged orphans, ... more