There is lots of talk around the CPS scene and in the courts about "permanency" and "consistency" in regards to the children that are in foster care. We talk about "the child's best interests", who knows best, about being able to help them. But when it comes right down to it, the judges have the final say, based on what information is provided to them.

If the child is lucky, they have someone that advocates for them in court, such as a GAL or CASA, or maybe even the foster parent. Regardless of who it is, that child needs to be heard, and an appropriate plan needs to be established... more

Well, eventually the day will arrive. You have completed mountains of paperwork, paid thousands in fees and expenses, and travelled around the world to meet your child. It all boils down to this one day. Whether you will become adoptive parents depends on one court hearing, and the Judge holding that hearing. What should you expect?

Relax, there is no need to worry. While you should be well-prepared for court, there are only a handful of known Kazakhstan adoptions that have not been completed due to the court denying the parents'... more

Well as Spring is nearing and Summer is just around the corner, it is time again to remind the kids of all the Summer Safety Rules.

I try to tell my kids to always use the buddy system when going any place away from home. That means take a friend, a brother or a sister. If one of you sprains and ankle or gets hurt or someone bothers you, then the other can go for help.

When getting your bike out, tighten up all the things like your bike seat, handle bars, and check the tires for proper air fill.

Remember protective gear like helmets, knee and elbow pads. Keep a whistle, bottle of water, and a snack with you in a back pack or pouch. Then you will be ready to ride... more

Ok, I apologize in advance if this is a bit off topic, but I have so many random thoughts and feelings and impressions from my adoption trip that I just need to “down load” and I thought this would be a great place to do it. Any of you who have or will be traveling to another country for an adoption should be able to relate to at least some of this.

Sorry is this is somewhat disjointed. Josh and I have had several “deep” conversations since we got home and we are still processing and “digesting” everything. The things we seem to really both be feeling are that for one, part of our hearts will always be in Ethiopia, and two, our experiences there were life changing, and go beyond the... more

I'd really like some feedback on this as our case was pretty extreme and my wife having a cell phone in Guatemala was more of a necessity than a luxury. However, many of you have/will travel only for a short period of time to Guatemala for visit trips and the pick up trip. I would like your input on what you did in order to communicate with those back home. This is a topic that repeats itself on the Guatemala Adoption Forum, The Big List, and other Guatemala Adoption resources.

When we first knew we would be traveling to Guatemala with the possibility of my wife remaining... more

Children and Youth in Adoption, Orphanages and Foster Care: A Historical Handbook and Guide by Lori Askeland (ed.)

This book, available on Amazon here, is part of the Children and Youth: History and Culture series. It's basically an authoritative guide, a textbook, really, for the cultural issues surrounding adoption. (Full disclosure: the editor, who also wrote some sections, is a friend of mine. She's super-smart, and an adoptive parent herself.)

Askeland's intro explains what the book is better than I can:

This book provides a historical and multicultural overview... more

In a closed adoption, you don’t know where your child is or how he or she is doing; you lose all ability to monitor their health and welfare.

There are dozens of reasons to avoid closed adoption and opt for an open one instead, but I’ll talk today about the most terrifying reason of all: the potential for harm to come to your child.

Now, most adoptive parents are good and loving people, who would never dream of harming any child. But in closed adoption, you just don’t know who will be doing the parenting…and you could be one of the unlucky ones.

There are certainly lots of horror stories out there. Probably the most famous is the Lisa Steinberg abuse case. Lisa was... more

Situation #4 Continued from the previous post

A month and a half later, we were invited to meet a couple whose baby was due in two weeks. This situation was a bit out of the ordinary (but really, is there anything ordinary about adoption?). The unborn baby’s father wanted to parent the baby, and the baby’s mother wanted to place it with some friends of her family.

The mother and father had broken up and the tension between them was high. She refused to allow the baby’s father to have custody of the child. He was willing to agree to adoption, but only in the event that a couple unknown to them and their families would adopt the baby. That couple... more

Did you know that This report states that only 11% of the 10,500 (often industrial) ingredients in cosmetics have been evaluated for safety.

Health conscious teens toss makeup

Parenting emotionally disturbed kids is hard. Unbelievably hard. For me, parenting my “flatliner” daughter has been THE hardest thing I have ever done, and vet school was no picnic.

My daughter was 21 months old when she arrived. She shut down her emotions at that time and has yet to make a decision to do otherwise. From research we have done, she has the double whammy of having biology working against her. But still, she has choices. She makes many, many choices on a daily basis. Most of them are by default… She does nothing on her own... more