Girl Scout goes for the gold Jun 12, 2008
While Villeneuve said she does not have a desire to contact or locate her birth parents, she wants to encourage others to do so if they choose to. Throughout their involvement with Lowell s Florence Crittenton League, the adoption agency that led them to Marina and her brother Joseph, the Villeneuve family has been able to provide their children with a strong sense of connection to their Colombian heritage. (Tewksbury Advocate, MA)
* International adoptions slow amid tightened rules, scandals Jun 8, 2008
Vietnam stopped accepting adoption applications this year after an investigation by the US embassy found many cases in which mostly poor birth parents had been paid or deceived into placing their children in orphanages. In many cases, an embassy report said, orphanage officials told them that the child will visit home frequently, will return home after they reach a certain age (often 11 or 12) or will send remittance payments from the United States. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Ark. justices says judge wrong to deny adoption to parents Jun 7, 2008
justices says judge wrong to deny adoption to parents By ANDREW DeMILLOAssociated Press Writer Saturday, June 07, 2008 LITTLE ROCK (AP) A Pope County judge was wrong to deny the adoptions of children to their birth parents in two cases where he said it was against public policy to allow unmarried people to adopt, the state s highest court ruled Thursday. Justices overturned Pope County Circuit Judge Gordon William McCain Jr. s rulings in two separate adoption cases, saying he had misread law... (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Critic's corner Jun 5, 2008
Comcast, EncoreRefreshing follow-up comedy by David O. Russell, the writer-director of "Spanking the Monkey." Ben Stiller (above right with David Patrick Kelly) and Patricia Arquette are a discontented couple who hit the road in search of his birth parents and his roots. Robinson knows his way around dysfunction and makes it the film's motor: The sex talk is funny and believably contemporary. (Boston Globe)
Kinship Care More Beneficial Than Foster Care, Study Finds Jun 5, 2008
"In the past, what has been difficult to reconcile is whether the benefit of a connection to family exceeds potential risks that children may face because kin caregivers tend to be single, older, of poorer health, of lower economic status, or--some may argue--more likely to share the same issues as those of the birth parents that may have harmed the children," said Rubin ... Interviews for this study were conducted with children, caregivers, birth parents, child welfare workers, and teachers at... (Science Daily)
Open Adoption Arrangement Builds Unique Families Jun 4, 2008
They have an arrangement called an open adoption, which means the birth parents share information and can even choose to visit the child and stay in touch as the baby grows ... The baby's name is appliqu;d in the middle, with a quilted family tree and fabric pieces outlining the states where his birth parents and adoptive parents grew up. (7 KETV Omaha)
Kids Living with Relatives Have Fewer Problems Than Those in Foster Homes Jun 4, 2008
Interviews were conducted with the children, caregivers, birth parents, child welfare workers and teachers at the start of the study and again at 18 months and 36 months later. The study found that 32 percent of children immediately placed in kinship care had behavioral problems 36 months later, compared with 39 percent of children who moved from foster care to kinship care, and 46 percent of children who stayed in foster care. (MEDLINEplus)
Cord blood from Hawaii saves lives worldwide Jun 3, 2008
Vol. 13, Issue 154 - Monday, June 2, 2008. STAR-BULLETIN / JULY 1998 An 8-year-old Jordy Serwin, middle, eats shave ice with Dr. Randal Wada, who did one of the first cord blood transplants at UCLA Medical Center on him. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Finding family - Ronan woman's long quest for biological parents yields surprising results Jun 3, 2008
Anybody who was adopted and goes looking for their birth parents has got to be prepared for anything, she goes on. You can create bad memories, or a lot of good can come out if it. (Missoulian, MT)
Companies increasingly offer adoption benefits May 28, 2008
Jim Huffman, Bank of America's senior vice president of benefits, said the $8,000 in financial aid for adoptive parents is akin to money that would go toward medical coverage for birth parents. 1. (MSNBC -- Business)
Guatemala annuls 15 U.S. adoption cases May 22, 2008
Allegations of baby-stealing, fraudGuatemala has been plagued by allegations of adoption fraud, including claims that babies are stolen from their birth parents or even sold by poor birth mothers. A new law that went into effect in January is aimed at cleaning up the system by creating an independent council to oversee adoptions. (MSNBC -- International)
With foster-parent shortage, new recruits make all the difference May 20, 2008
Keeping children with their birth parents makes sense to foster parent Sharon Adams. They have a bond with their birth parent. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Foster parenting has ups, downs May 17, 2008
The primary goal of foster care is reunification that is, having the foster and birth parents work with a family support team to get things back on track so the child can return home, explained Albright. Sometimes, however, that isn t possible, and leads to adoption. (Skieston Standard Democrat, MO)
Foreign adoption rules frustrating area couples May 17, 2008
Vietnam: The U.S. is advising that citizens not initiate new adoptions from Vietnam because of concerns about irregularities, such as forged documentation and mothers paid, coerced or tricked into releasing their children, as well as children offered for adoption without the knowledge or consent of their birth parents. Vietnam is allowing adoptions to be completed where a child is matched before Sept. 1. (Florida Times-Union)
Playing catch-up May 13, 2008
With birth parents, social workers and other outside agencies to consider, they are worried about stepping on people's toes. Some are unsure of the extent they should be liaising with teachers or attending school events. (Guardian Unlimited -- Society)
Moms involved in open adoptions feel gratitude on Mothers Day May 11, 2008
There isn t a day that goes by that I don t think of my birth parents, and what they did so I could become a mom, Slimak said ... All of the adoptions she does are open that is, the child is raised knowing he or she is adopted, knows about the birth parents, and maintains some sort of relationship with the birth mother ... Birth parents can back out up until the judge rules. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Woman finds parents in Palm Coast May 10, 2008
PALM COAST -- The story of Penny Bivens and her quest to find her birth parents begins in a small town in 1960s Maine on a blustery winter day ... Penny Bivens began the expensive hunt in earnest for her birth parents in May 2007 at the Texas adoption center where she was born, in a state notorious for hard-to-access adoption records ... But after losing her father Adrian Ballard in 2002 and her mother Johnnye in January 2007, the fear of meeting her birth parents melted away. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Mom to many: State honors woman and husband for work as foster parents May 10, 2008
Both former foster children of Cindy and Steve Schmidt, Clayton was adopted by the couple and Hailey was reunited with her birth parents but visits often ... Handing a foster baby back to its birth parents after having cared for it for more than a year is like giving away your birth child, Schmidt said. (Missoulian, MT)
Privacy of adoption law May 10, 2008
The New Jersey Catholic Conference has long supported mutual consent reunions and the sharing of health information between adoptees and birth parents ... Judge Philip Gruccio noted that the purpose of the Adoption Act is to protect the child placed for adoption, the adopting parents and the natural or birth parents. (NJ.com -- Times)
Lost In The Holocaust: Experts Plumb Newly Opened Archive May 9, 2008
In the 1980s, she put in a request trying to trace the birth parents of her adopted cousin, who had survived Buchenwald as a 9-year-old, then been brought by her aunt and uncle to the United States. A form letter came back saying the search had turned 00000D0B up nothing. (CBS News -- World)
Adoptees More Likely to be Troubled May 6, 2008
The Minnesota psychologist and her colleagues found that disparity could be due as often to innate factors such as perinatal care or his birth parents' genes. "The deleterious effects may quite possibly have come before the adoption ever took place," Keyes, the study's lead researcher, says. (Time.com)
Betsie Norris propels local adoption network Apr 21, 2008
She found her birth parents 22 years ago and two years later founded the network in her living room ... Betsie Norris, the gentle warrior, is driven by her knowledge of the man who raised her and her curiosity about the birth parents who did not. (Cleveland.com)
When kin aren't kind Apr 20, 2008
Their presence at the mother's home would not necessarily alarm the agency, he says, because DSS strongly encourages contact with birth parents. It was the responsibility of the guardian grandmother, he says, to set the necessary limits. (Boston Globe)
An urgency to fix the child welfare system Apr 18, 2008
Meet with the grieving birth parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who loved these children. Listen to neighbors, teachers, and school nurses talk about their often valiant efforts to get the system to engage. (Boston Globe)
A voice for the voiceless Apr 15, 2008
As advocates, volunteers meet with the children, their foster parents, birth parents, caseworkers, teachers and counselors to talk about how the child is doing. Our volunteers are gathering as much information as they can about the child, Berger said. (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
Adopted Daughter's Anger May Stem From Lack Of Early Love - 4/12/2008 Apr 12, 2008
She was 3 when she was removed from her birth parents and 6 when we brought her and her sister to live with us. Do you think my child has forgotten how to love, or maybe she was never taught. (FOX23.com, OK)
The cast will come out this weekend; bet your bottom dollar ... Apr 10, 2008
WAPELLO, Iowa Annie, a musical about an 11-year-old orphan trying to find her birth parents, will be presented by the Wapello High School Drama Department this weekend. The play is based on the Harold Gray comic strip, Little Orphan Annie. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Everyone can make a difference in preventing child abuse Apr 10, 2008
72 percent of all offenders were victims birth parents. Published: Apr 09, 2008 - 02:32:18 pm CDT. (Albert Lea Tribune, MN)
China's Adoption Criteria Apr 9, 2008
Often, the birth parents hope that their circumstances will change so that they will be able to keep their baby. Since the children are wanted, the birth mothers usually take good care of themselves during their pregnancies, and as a result, the children are typically in good health at birth, according to Chinese Children International in the article, The Advantages of China Adoption" (2005). Perhaps this is why adopting from China has become a popular choice in the world of international... (Suite101.com)
MND-B Soldiers mission to find Family, become team Apr 7, 2008
Growing up, his adoptive parents were honest about his circumstances, but Scott never got his hopes up about meeting his birth parents. I just put (the situation) in a little box, closed it, locked it and put it away inside myself, Edwin said, about dealing with being adopted. (KWTX.com, TX)
* 'God loves all children' Apr 6, 2008
Now more than half are adopted by others, and a rising number have been reunited with their birth parents, something that is only possible when a family member leaves the infant at the orphanage rather than dumping it somewhere to be found. We need a fundamental social change, said Hamad al Neer Haider, who works at the orphanage. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Jail terms over Dirty War adoption Apr 5, 2008
Sampallo knows she was born in 1978, but the circumstances of her birth, and the fate of her birth parents is unknown. On Friday, Maria Cristina Gomez Pinto, 60, and her former husband Osvaldo Rivas, 65, were sentenced to seven and eight years respectively for abducting a "minor". (Aljazeera.Net)
Labour, Tory, Lib Dem... could your vote be in your genes? Mar 29, 2008
When Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor set out to trace his birth parents at the age of 35, nothing prepared him for what he describes as a "stunning" discovery. Along with the news that his biological mother was alive and well and living in New Zealand with a family of her own, came another revelation - that his great-grandfather had been, like himself, a Liberal MP.. (BBC News -- UK)
Breech birth parents 'carry gene' Mar 28, 2008
Breech birth parents 'carry gene. Experts say breech births can be handled safely. (BBC News -- Health)
Memoirs Full of Lies Mar 23, 2008
Not only was Margaret A. Jones really Margaret Seltzer; she was white, had attended private school, grown up with her birth parents, and had never been a member of a gang. These are not small indiscrepancies. (Suite101.com)
New voices: Alison Larkin Mar 20, 2008
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. (USA Today -- Life)
Road to foreign adoption grows longer and bumpier Mar 18, 2008
The birth parents select the couple who will receive their child. Those seeking to adopt can sit on waiting lists for years and might never be chosen. (News & Observer)
Stolen children Mar 16, 2008
She was eight when she was fostered by a white family, and was only reunited with her birth parents years later: I forgot all about my real parents until a few years later when my sister came looking for me and told me who I really was, Hunter said. Ruby s Story is, literally, the tale of Hunter s life. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
New project is bringing Vivier to the world Mar 15, 2008
In Vivier, Williams says they have a composer with an "utterly unique voice." Vivier's uncertainty over his roots - born in Montreal, he never knew his birth parents - and expulsion from the seminary where he was studying, at the age of 18, were the foundation for an unorthodox life. He studied with Gilles Tremblay in Montreal and then, thanks to a grant from the Canada Council, he was able to further his studies in Europe, first in Holland and then in Cologne, with teachers who included... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Creating an Adoption Lifebook Mar 9, 2008
Begin by creating pages to tell about their birth parents and the day the child was born, including as much information as you can ... A matter-of-fact explanation that their birth parents were unable to take care of them will suffice until they are old enough to handle the information. (Suite101.com)
Womb-broking part of economic boom Mar 7, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Paradox commercial surrogacy is illegal in China, but authorities rarely enforce the ban. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Battling families have different names for adoptee; when litigation dust settles, will she be... Mar 2, 2008
As owners of the agency, Scott and Karen Banks allegedly duped birth parents in Samoa into giving up their children under the premise that they would receive an American education, return to the country at age 18 and remain in contact. However, adoptive parents in the United States reportedly viewed the adoptions as permanent. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Why Senator Is Unsealing Controversial Adoption Records Mar 1, 2008
Adopted Maine Senator Finds Birth Parents ... Adopted Maine Senator Finds Birth Parents 1. (ABC News)
Death jolts Argentine baby trial Feb 27, 2008
The birth parents then disappeared - probably among the estimated 30,000 people killed during the Dirty War. Eighty-eight of those stolen children - now in their late twenties and early thirties - have been identified. (BBC News -- Americas)
Eyes on the Future Feb 24, 2008
No one tells her about her birth parents. She speaks Arabic at home and learns French at school. (Modesto Bee, CA)
Judge rebukes prison in adoption Feb 23, 2008
The indifference of federal authorities is ironic, Alvarez said, because new federal laws designed to shorten children's stays in foster care require that they be either returned to their birth parents or given another permanent family within 12 months ... But Brewer said he and other attorneys for birth parents have routinely encountered difficulties with access on their cases. (The Palm Beach Post)
"Heart Gallery" showcases foster children Feb 22, 2008
All are legally open for adoption and are not involved with their birth parents, though some may keep in contact with siblings ... Everyone should definitely look into it, said Dr. Gravel, whose children participate in a support group for other adoptive families and keep in contact with their birth parents. (Malden Observer, MA)
Adoption case decided Feb 16, 2008
As owners of the Wellsville-based Focus on Children adoption agency, Scott and Karen Banks allegedly duped birth parents in Samoa into giving up their children under the premise that they would receive an American education, return to the country at age 18 and remain in contact. However, adoptive parents in the United States reportedly viewed the adoptions as permanent. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Dating with a twist: New service makes matches using DNA tests Feb 13, 2008
The only caveats he offers is that 's DNA matching won't work for women using hormonal contraception -- which research shows makes women most attracted to the scent of those with similar immune system DNA -- or people not raised by their birth parents. So, while there's no conclusive evidence that using DNA to help find potential partners is especially effective, it most likely can't hurt. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
As adoptees seek roots, states unsealing records Feb 13, 2008
Next January, Maine will become the eighth state to give adult adoptees full access to their original birth certificates, which lists birth parents' names ... -Delaware -- allows access unless birth parents veto disclosure ... Allows birth parents to refuse contact with their children. (USA Today)
Children of methState seeks Pinal County families willing to provide foster care Feb 3, 2008
-- Involving birth parents, foster parents and relatives as team members with the agency and one another ... -- Involving birth parents, foster parents and relatives as team members with the agency and one another. (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
Pitt DSS seeking fee for adoptees Feb 3, 2008
The law, which went into effect Jan. 1, says adoption agencies can now help adopted adults obtain health information about their birth parents, or even find them if there is written consent from both parties. After analyzing the cost of providing the service, officials from the county's Department of Social Services have determined an application fee of $400 and hourly fee of $85 would be appropriate. (The Daily Reflector)
Ill-gotten billions on plain view, invested by late dictator'sfamily and elite Feb 1, 2008
Ill-gotten billions on plain view, invested by late dictator's family and elite. Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
CASA Volunteers are Changing Lives Jan 28, 2008
The stark reality here is that social workers are often overworked with numerous cases assigned to their case loads, with their time and energy needing to be spread evenly over everyone concerned- birth parents, children, extended family and other parties involved. CASA Volunteers are a Voice for the Children. (Suite101.com)
County program gets foster kids on right track Jan 28, 2008
Most children end up in the foster care system because of abuse, neglect or abandonment by their birth parents. If they don't learn the skills needed for daily living, they're susceptible to homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, drug abuse, criminality and even suicide. (San Francisco Chronicle)
A Sister for Kate Jan 24, 2008
With domestic adoption, there are sometimes issues with the birth parents choosing to parent an adopted child ... Though Kate isn't in contact with her birth parents, she maintains a strong cultural connection to her native country. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Foster care cases up 51pc since 2002 Jan 23, 2008
Paul - I'm not sure I can agree with you on the "legally married4000 quot; idea. Who is to say that someone who is legally married is going to be a better parent than someone who is not?My partner and I have been together for 10 years, have a beautiful three and a half year old, and another on the way. We're well educated, financially secure, run a successful business, contribute to our community, and are good parents. But we're not "legally" married, so apparently we're not worthy of having... (ABC Online)
Opening closed books on adoption Jan 14, 2008
That leaves them without access to their birth parents' identities, and basic information about their heritage and family medical history ... Bills pending in both Assembly and Senate committees would grant adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates and medical information while offering birth parents the chance to indicate whether they wish to have contact with their offspring ... Instead of open records, New York maintains what adoption experts call a "passive registry."... (Albany Times Union)
Court annuls marriage between twins separated at birth Jan 12, 2008
The most likely route is through tracking down their birth parents. Their story was revealed to the independent peer Lord Alton in a conversation with the high court judge who annulled the marriage. (Guardian Unlimited)
Brent can't 'Wait' to tell you his top picks in 2007 Jan 6, 2008
"August Rush." Contrived and silly, sure, but also a very sensitive portrait of a boy searching for his birth parents. 5. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Fighting an uphill battle for adoptee rights Jan 6, 2008
Five years ago, Quibell was reunited with his birth parents ... The searcher met with each of his birth parents, both of whom agreed to release all identifying information (name, date of birth, place of birth and last known address) ... According to Quibell, mutual consent between adoptee and birth parent is a sensible request, but what about adoptees born before birth parents had an opportunity to say "yes" or "no" to future contact in the form of an affidavit at the time of the adoption. (The Examiner)
Renewed US concerns about Vietnamese adoptions leave American parents in limbo Jan 6, 2008
U.S. law requires that an adopted child be a genuine orphan or be given up knowingly for adoption by his birth parents. Because of the recent problems, immigration officials have begun conducting visa investigations before parents arrive to pick up the child. (International Herald Tribune)
Lecture on how to locate missing persons planned for Tuesday ... Community input sought in search for Coldwater superintendent ... CHC doctor tries to save woman hit in a ‘freak’ ferry accident ... Gas prices see 15-cent jump since Jan. 1 here ... Company puts power line project on hold ... Chatfield faces 10-year meth felony charges ... Pastor plans series on families in trouble ... ';var marqueewidth="350px";var marqueeheight="25px";var marqueebgcolor="#FFFFFF";////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE////////////var pauseit=1;var marqueespeed=1 //slow speed down by 1 for NSvar copyspeed=marqueespeedvar pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0var iedom=document.all||document.getElementByIdif (iedom)document.write(''+marqueecontent+'')var actualwidth=''var cross_marquee, ns_marqueefunction populate(){if (iedom){cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarqueecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontentactualwidth=document.all? temp.offsetWidth : document.getElementById("temp").offsetWidth}else if (document.layers){ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2ns_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent)ns_marquee.document.close()actualwidth=ns_marquee.document.width}lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20)}window.onload=populate;function scrollmarquee(){if (iedom){if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))cross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)-copyspeed+"px"elsecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"}else if (document.layers){if (ns_marquee.left>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))ns_marquee.left-=copyspeedelsens_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8}}if (iedom||document.layers){with (document){document.write('')if (iedom){write('')write('')write('')write('')}else if (document.layers){write('')write('')write('')}document.write('')}}Saturday, January 05, 2008 Jackson Lecture on how to locate missing persons planned for Tuesday Jan 5, 2008
Jackson, a Battle Creek resident, professional genealogist, public speaker and author, will present many methods and tips that may help find old neighbors, military or school friends, birth parents and adoptees who seem to have disappeared. For more of this story please. (Coldwater Daily Reporter, MI)
DSHS registry helps reunite adult adoptees with birth parents, siblings Jan 3, 2008
People usually have little or no information about their birth parents, siblings or children placed for adoption ... The Texas Vital Statistics Central Adoption Registry can reunite adult adoptees with birth parents or siblings who sign up looking for each other. (Cedar Park Hill Country News Weekender, TX)
More Fla. kids die from abuse Dec 28, 2007
A larger study of abuse reports in Missouri found that children living in households with unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die of inflicted injuries as children living with two birth parents. Alan Abramowitz, the interim head of the Department of Children and Families in Palm Beach County, said the risk factors identified in the report line up perfectly with the criteria that investigators use when deciding whether a child can remain safely at home. (The Palm Beach Post)
