I mentioned in this post about a mom who called me while I was still at the conference. She and her husband have an internationally adopted son who is bringing the family to their knees. Although he hasn’t been home that long, they have already experienced police involvement and many of the other crises and traumas all too familiar to many of you who regularly read this blog.

When their son arrived home, he was small and developmentally... more

It's too early to be thinking about the three "Rs" here, but four areas of Russia have revealed school curriculum plans for the fall that may surprise you.

According to a feature story on Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty last Friday, it will be mandatory for schools in four regions to teach the Russian Orthodox religion this fall. Ten other regions will have the choice of teaching about the religion or not.

The four mandatory regions are Belgorod,... more

In the months following the official placement of your child, you will be monitored by social services. These visits are not meant to be invasive, but rather to help you with any questions or concerns you might have, or even that your child might have.

Visits are usually done once or twice a month, you can ask for more visits if you feel that they are necessary. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Be honest about needs and concerns that you have. You can’t get help or access to services, if no one knows that you need... more

A hand-edited manuscript of Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth has been recovered and feuding heirs have finally reached an agreement that allows the book to be publicly displayed.

Here's why this matters:

When we chose to adopt, we were not looking to adopt a child with a special need. If I had become pregnant, I would not have drunk alcohol or smoked, I would have taken prenatal vitamins from the very beginning, and I would have eaten more nutritiously than I ever have in my life. While this would not have guaranteed a healthy child, the odds would have been in my favor. Instead, even though we adopted what we thought would be a healthy child, we wound up parenting a child with a special need (two actually!).

There are no... more

Are you thinking about parenting an older child or a teenager from the foster care system? Then be prepared to talk openly about sex and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Teenagers in foster care are more likely than their peers to be sexually active are and less likely to use protection.

Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum and is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Often called “the great imitator,” syphilis is sometimes indistinguishable from other diseases, because of the many common signs and symptoms.

There were over 32,000 cases of syphilis... more

I first read Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt in the first six months after Munchkin's placement. It was as if it was written for me, published just a month after her birth. Having just reread the book I know now that my first read through was too soon after placement to handle. The book affected me emotionally at the time,... more

From International Adoption: How to Choose a Country:

6. Evaluate your feelings toward each country’s heritage.

For whatever reason, some people feel drawn toward one country and not another when considering an international adoption. Listen to that voice inside of yourself that pulls you in a particular direction.

Once we had decided on International adoption,... more

Adoptees, Birth and Adoptive Parents and Everyone Else - Coping

The needs and desires of birth parents can add to an already stressful situation with even trying to get to know them and develop an ongoing relationship. Some birth mothers, who are dealing with privacy issues, do not want to discuss or have adoptees involved with the birth fathers. Refusing the adoptees the birth father connection can be very hurtful to adoptees. When birth parents desire the parental... more

Adoptees, Birth and Adoptive Parents and Everyone Else - Needs

So as you can see adoptees are darned if they do and darned if they do not, when it is adoption issues and choices, pretty sad when you think about it. The birth and adoptive parents choose this adoption journey in their lives but the adoptees did not. Others made life changing choices for us. When the truth is that the adoptees are living the life we were dealt by ours. We want to please our parents... more