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Showing posts from November, 2008

International Adoption

When choosing to adopt a child, some prospective parents make the decision to partake in an international adoption. That is, they choose to adopt a child from a country other than their own. This process can be long and full of bureaucratic red tape, especially since it is a matter conducted entirely between the potential adoptive parents and a foreign court, which acts on behalf of the foreign government. The United States government cannot intervene on the parents' behalf. There a few reasons and some benefits to this option, however. Aside from the usual reasons for which one would choose to adopt, there are a couple of reasons why international adoption specifically may be a preference. One reason can be benevolence. The major countries from which children are adopted into the United States all have glaring social problems which drive the international adoption process. China, for example, has strict population control laws which often force Chinese parents to give their chi

Children for Adoption

A frequent question among those people looking to become adoptive parents is that of what the children are like. This is understandable, of course. After all, before welcoming a child into one's home, it is useful to know what options are available and what one can expect of the child. Since all children are different, there is no single or precise way to answer this question. By examining the various kinds of children who are generally adopted, it is possible to paint something of a general picture. One option is to adopt an infant born within the U.S. The infants placed for public adoption are generally African-American, Hispanic or mixed-race. The number of Caucasian infants placed for public adoption is relatively small in comparison, as these children are generally handled by private adoption agencies. Adopting an infant is preferable for those people who wish to raise their adopted child from a very early age, possibly to simulate the experience of raising a birth child. B

Adoption Statistics

In sports, there pundits who oppose using statistics alone to measure a player's performance. They say that these numbers only tell part of the story and fail to capture certain intangible aspects of the game that cannot be quantified. This is particularly true of adoption statistics, which are unfortunately incomplete. There is no one body which tracks adoption statistics, leaving what numbers are available scattered somewhat outdated. Useful figures can still be found, however, and serve to paint part of the adoption picture. Perhaps one of the more striking numbers is the number of Americans who are personally touched by adoption in one way or another. A study done in 1997 by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute found that 60% of Americans had an adoption experience. As defined by the authors of the study, this means that either the participant or one of their family members or close friends had adopted, had placed a child for adoption, or was adopted. Although the research

Adoptions

Adoption is were birth parents place their child undoubtedly with people they do not know. Domestic and International adoption are the two types of adoption. Domestic is where a child is placed in their birth country, and International adoption is where a child is placed outside of its birth country. There are several reasons for placing a child up for adoption, such as not being able to care for the child. But for the most part at least in the United States and the UK, the most common reason for placing a child is mistreatment to the child. Some other reasons are teenage pregnancy, gender preference, or single parenthood. The reason to want to adopt is different from situation to situation. Some couples can not have children, some want to help out by adopting, some are same-sex couples that would rather adopt. Applying to adopt varies from country to country, and occasionally within a country. Many areas have different eligibility ethics, and can require an age limit, weather a

Resources for Adopted Individuals

Adoption is a life-changing event for all involved, from the birth parents who make the brave decision to give their child up, to the adoptive parents who make an equally brave decision to welcome that child as their own. Yet one group which may go overlooked is that of the adopted children themselves. There are a number of issues that can arise for these individuals. If the child was adopted at a very young age, they may not even know they were adopted until adolescence, or even later. A possible conflict in identity may result, as these children have spent so much time in an identity which they may perceive to no longer be valid. Children who were adopted late enough in life to be cognizant of the process can have their own issues, as well, perhaps wondering why their original parents didn't keep them, or having trouble accepting their adoptive parents as legitimate. Children adopted by parents of an ethnic, racial, or cultural group other than their own often face a unique confl

Adoption Records

Requirements for gathering information for adoption records are different in each state. Information about the child being adopted or the family putting the child up for adoption in put together by the adoption agency or the local Division of Social Services. A home study is done to gatherer information about the family and the parents of the child being put up for adoption. Information collected on the child being adopted for the adoption records are basically the same in most states, it includes: medical and genetic history, a family and social background, mental health history, religious background, ethnic and racial background, and education level attained. There are some states that require more information such as dental history, immunization records, developmental history, and of course school records. Some adoption Records also hold information on whether or not the child being put up for adoption is eligible for any state of federal adoption assistance. Those states inclu

Adoption Photo listing

Adoption Photo listing is done in every state and most international countries. To those who may not know what adoption photo listing is, it is where an adoption agency or the local Division of Social Services has pictures and information of children for adoption on the internet. This is done to improve the chances of the child for finding a family. There are more than 100,000 children in the United States in foster care and hundreds of thousands around the world in orphanages or substitute care. All the children listed on photo listing are for adoption and need a permanent home. Most of these children have special needs. Many of the children are over the age of seven, and the majority of the them are much older. These children have physical, emotional, mental and/or learning disabilities. You will find several sibling groups that wish to stay together. In all states you must have finished your home study before you can adopt. After reading the description of a child you can r

Adoption Announcements

The adoption is final and you want to get the word out. You want to show and tell every body about your new family member. What's a better way than sending out adoption announcements? I know your thinking, what is an adoption announcement? Well I will tell you. An adoption announcement is a lit like a birth announcement, but instead of saying something like, we are welcoming the birth of our child, it will say something like, we are welcoming into our family. There are all sorts of different kinds of adoption announcements. Some people make their own announcements. They say it is easier to make announcements than it is to find adoption announcements for older children. Some people buy adoption announcements that contain pictures or have ribbon and bows. Some have both. Adoption announcements come in different languages. They can include the name of the child, the child's birth date, where the child is from, such as what country, the day you met the child and the date

All About Adoption Agencies

When looking to adopt, one faces the decision of whether to use an agency. This is not a simple decision, as agencies provide many support services to ease the process, but they can also be costly. Plus, it raises even more questions: Where can I find an agency near me? How do I know if the agency is reputable? Do I choose a public or private agency? This article aims to answer some of these questions, or at least aide in finding the answers. First of all, there are two types of adoption agencies-- public and private. A public agency is run by the government (either state or regional) and supported by public monies. These agencies generally assist in the adoption of foster care youth. Private adoptions agencies, on the other hand are run by a private entity. They are licensed by the state in which they operate, but are funded privately. These agencies can be of assistance in all types of adoptions. A major advantage of using an adoption agency is that they do all of the "searching

Types of Domestic Adoption

With Hollywood adoptions being all the rage, exemplified by mega-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, adoption has been pushed to the forefront of the collective American consciousness. People generally understand what adoption is, but there remain some obscure details about adoption that go unknown. For instance, are there different kinds of adoption? What is the adoption process like? What's the difference between adoptive children and foster children? These are all important questions, each of which this article will touch on briefly. First of all, there are two major types of adoption: domestic and international. This article will focus on the various kinds of domestic adoption in the United States. The most important thing to keep in mind is that once an adoption has been finalized, adoptive children and biological children are no different under the eyes of the law. Whether adopted or born into the family, all children are equal members of the family system. Open Adoption: Th