Dealing with Discrimination During Adoption

The adoption process can be exciting and rewarding when families are able to add a new member to their homes. However, some adoption agencies are placing limits on the individuals who are able to even apply for adoption, and this is discrimination, whether the limits are based on lifestyle, race, or marital status.

There are several groups that exist to help fight these discriminative practices and give a voice to those who wish to adopt a child but are unable to find an agency that will work with them. In March of 2011, a bill was introduced that emphasizes that every child needs and deserves a family. This bill is part of a series of federal acts designed to protect gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals who wish to add children to their families. There are hundreds of thousands of children in foster care, just waiting for a family to be part of, and denying the privilege of adoption to someone based on lifestyle choices or orientation is simply unfair.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services enacted the Multiethnic Placement Act in 1997. This act prohibits the denial or delay of adoptive or foster care families based on color or race. If a person deems that an agency is discriminating based on these criteria, there are financial penalties that can be forced upon the agency. Finding civil attorneys to help fight against this discrimination can help put a stop to unfair practices. Learning more about the process of adoption can be overwhelming, but it will certainly pay off in the end for those excited about the prospect of adding to their family.

 

Filed Under: Adoption, Family Life Tagged With: , ,

If celebrities can, so can you – Interracial adoption

Interracial adoption 

Image via Wikipedia

Who said only celebrities can adopt kids from different races? Anybody can for that matter. Haven’t you heard about the average Joe who adopts kids without any prejudice towards race? Would it not be lovely to have a house full of kids with different ethnicity?

Wow! What a feeling. Just imagine your household full of little children. When one is Chinese, the other is African, while the other Norwegian. Superb! You now are a truly globalized parent. We must say!

Many parents shy away from this trend. Why? Because of the culture thing. When you are English, you would only want to adopt an English kid. Bring the kid up with English customs, sing English nursery rhymes, and at the end of the day say “Well, yeah. We actually have a kid that’s closest to being a biological one.”

Actually this approach is an olden one. All people are the same. It’s like your Linux operating system. Most Linux kernels are the same, but what is added on is something that happens according to the situation. When adopting a kid, you need not worry about the kid’s race. His or her race is just a way the kid has been presented to the world by the almighty!

Interracial adoption is being done worldwide in a big way. No more are people confined to predecessor ideologies of cultural and racial similarities. In a globalized world, such differences are blurring. People are more tolerant towards each other. They have become more understanding of any differences in people of different races. In such a situation, interracial adoption is perfectly fine.

Filed Under: Adoption, General Tagged With: , ,

The Beautiful Process of Bonding with Your Adopted Baby

Rocking chair on the deck - Antigua, Mar 2010

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Adopting a new baby can be the most exciting event ever. It is a time of great joy and anticipation, but it may also be a time for wondering and worrying if you will be able to bond with your baby. Rest assured, most adoptive couples state that the second the infant is placed in their arms, it’s love at first sight. There are a few tips that are said to help with the bonding period. Most come naturally, but even women that have carried their baby in a nine month pregnancy, often times have the same worries as an adoptive parent.
One tip is to take time to do every little thing with your baby as soon as possible. This includes bathing, changing, dressing up in all of the brand new clothes that have been patiently waiting for an owner, rocking in that new rocking chair, sharing time on the couch in front of the TV. Whatever you do, try to include your baby. It may be somewhat hard to find private time in the beginning, as loving family members will want to share in the excitement. Eventually things should calm down a bit though.
Mother/baby bonding is extremely important, but daddy will need to be included also. Going for a walk with the stroller can be an excellent bonding technique that includes everyone. Playing with the baby and taking turns giving feedings is also a great way to get dad involved in the family bonding process. Time is precious when you bring home your new baby. Making the best of every minute will build a strong bond within the entire family.
Filed Under: Adoption Tagged With: , ,

Finding the Best Adoption Agencies In Your Area

Adoption is an amazingly rewarding and special experience. As someone looking to welcome a new addition into your home by adopting, you want the process to be as smooth and straightforward as possible. Finding the right adoption agency that best suits your needs is the first and most important step in the adoption process.
Finding adoption agencies within your area is simple with the help of websites like Canada 411. This resource will retrieve local agencies to put on your list for further research. Once you have compiled the names of possible agencies, it’s important to research each one thoroughly before making a final decision.


Weed out the bad from the good by following these steps:

  • Call each agency and find out about the types of adoptions they do. Request their brochures or literature for more info and to keep track f each one.
  • Inquire about the length of time the agency has been in business; young establishments may not have the experience you need, especially if you’re planning on an international adoption.
  • Speak to the Better Business Bureau about the agencies you’re interested in; if any complaints have been lodged, they’ll know.
  • Search the Internet for the name of each agency; you may find valuable feedback from people with firsthand experience. Personal reviews can be invaluable.
  • Visit the agencies you’re most interested in using. Ask questions and speak to other visitors for their opinions, too.

The right adoption agency is out there, and probably not far away. The research you do now to find the perfect agency will make it that much easier to find your perfect new addition.

Filed Under: Adoption, General Tagged With: , ,

Budget Challenges For Adopting Older Children

In addition to adoption fees and legal costs, adopting older children can present both financial advantages and challenges. While the waiting list is longer for newborns and infants, older children can usually be placed relatively quickly, and adoptive parents may have less time to prepare and save. However, because more older children are available, families may incur fewer costs because there is less searching involved.

Bringing home an older child can also bring financial surprises to formerly childless families. These children may have interests and hobbies that new parents did not plan for. Because it is important to maintain continuity in the child’s life, parents want to make sure they can afford these activities. If there are other children at home, parents may find their expenses doubling just by providing the basics such as school supplies, sports involvement and other recreational activities. At the same time, large families may find it very easy to add one more to their families when kids can hand down clothing, books and toys.

Older children may also have special emotional or physical needs that need to be considered when creating an adoption budget. Although intensive therapy costs can be substantial, they are often covered by health insurance even before the adoption is final. There may be uncovered costs such as modifying a home or creating accessibility features. Prospective parents should look closely at how their homes will need to be modified and made safer. Incidental costs that are not covered need to be included in the overall adoption budget.

Filed Under: Adoption, Children Tagged With: , , ,

Making Wise Finacial Decisions

Many people like having the opportunity to change cars every couple of years with a car lease. This option can be very attractive to individuals, but many are finding with our tough economic times and the shortages of jobs available, this may not always be a wise choice. If a person’s economic situation has changed for the worse, and they currently are leasing a car that has a payment which may be too high for them to afford, then a car refinance loan may be a great solution to help improve their financial situation.
The only option available for refinancing a leased automobile is to pay the buyout amount. Making sure that the leased car is one you actually want to keep should be your number one priority in making this decision, because you cannot refinance a car that you are deciding to turn in.
Some of the benefits of receiving a car refinance loan include freeing up cash for additional financial needs, which can allow you to make budget adjustments that will improve your financial situation. You can also consolidate your bills when you receive car loan refinancing, which will allow you to have fewer loan payments. Another great benefit of receiving a car refinance loan is having lower car payments, which will give you the ability to make your car payments. If you bought out the car that you were leasing through your new car refinance loan agreement, you can have a lower interest rate, which will actually lower your monthly payments.

Filed Under: Adoption, Family Life Tagged With: , ,

Handling New Additions to the Family

You’ve just remarried and your new husband has one adopted child. You have two biological children. Strange as it may seem, you truly feel like the “Brady Bunch” except for the almost perfect and unrealistic life this television family seemed to have.

Gezin picknickt naast hun DAF / Dutch family having a picnic

“Hate” is a strong word at your house even if the word “hate” is rarely used. If a picture is worth a thousand words then a look from one of your new children’s eyes is worth a million. How can you get these new children to like you? To see that you’re really out there to help them? That you don’t want to take the place of the missing parent, only give them a loving place to live?

Consider these ideas:

  • You’re not alone. Your own children will be struggling too—they have to share everything they used to take for granted before.
  • Listening is your greatest tool for future success. Find out what your new children enjoy and make it a point to ask them about it.
  • Make sure your children from your first marriage don’t get lost in the shuffle. Spend one on one time as needed.
  • Be sincere in your feelings and allow your spouse’s children (as well as your own) the space they need to adjust to the new situation.
  • Plan outings together with the intent on getting to know each other. There should be no judgment here, just an opportunity to discover one another away from home.

Be patient. As with all change, it takes time to get comfortable and feel as if the family is a unit. Give everyone, including yourself; some needed time to make the shift.

Filed Under: Adoption, Family Life Tagged With: , ,

Tips for Selecting an Adoption Professional

The love for a child doesn’t grow in your belly, it grows in your heart. Choosing to adopt a child is one of the most loving and gratifying things a person can do. But it can also be one of the most difficult because there are so many different rules and regulations. Adoption laws vary by state, and regulations can vary by agency, making it very confusing for many people.

A way to help you get through the adoption process is to use the services of an adoption professional. It is very important that you work with an adoption professional that you can trust and that has experience in the type of adoption you want to pursue. So, first you should do some research and record the names of adoption professionals in your area.

Look at your list and eliminate any professionals that do not specialize in the type of adoption you want. Next, get referrals from former clients or even other adoption professionals. If you hear something that doesn’t resonate with you, remove them from the list. Next, look at the cost and fees for the professional and eliminate those that are out of your budget. Look at the adoptive parent requirements of the remaining professionals on your list, including age, health, income, martial status. Remove any professionals that have requirements that you do not meet.

Ask the adoption professionals these questions, and then make your final decision:

•    How long does the average adoptive parent have to wait when utilizing your services?
•    Do you offer any pre-adoption or post-adoption services?
•    How many adoptions have you completed? How many have failed?
•    How do you receive medical information on the children?

Filed Under: Adoption Tagged With: , ,

Adoption Types –Open Adoption

Open adoption has become increasingly popular over the past few years, especially since 20 years ago this was not an option. Many adoption professions feel that being open about a child’s birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adoption process as a whole is beneficial to all parties involved. It allows the placing parents the ability to prepare for the grieving of adopting out their child, and it also gives the adopting parents the ability to prepare to immediately bond with the child.

During an open adoption, both the adoptive parents and the birthparents have some knowledge about each other and they may have even chosen each other. Also, information like medical histories and genetic information are typically given freely during an open adoption. The degree of openness during the adoption process is really up to both families. It can be as little as being present at birth and handing over some medical history, to the families visiting with each other every weekend. Children that were adopted openly typically know from birth that they are adopted.

There are many benefits to having an open adoption, which have been proven by some long term research. Benefits include:
•    No confusion about who is the parent
•    No fear that the birthparents will try to reclaim the child because they know the parents and they know the child
•    Children can easily ask about their adoption, even the difficult ones about why they were adopted
•    Birthparents report a confidence in their difficult decision when they know how the child is doing and have a sense of security knowing how the adoptive parents are taking care of the child.

Filed Under: Adoption Tagged With: , ,

Adoption Types – Military Adoption

Many people may think that because they are in the military that they can not adopt. This is far from true. It has never been easy for a family in the military to adopt a child, but it is not impossible. Because military families move around a lot, some agencies are reluctant to place children with them. Since military families know this, they are sometimes reluctant to try to adopt. But times are changing and many agencies are re-thinking their thoughts on military adoption.

Many adoption agencies see the issue of relocation as a major problem with military families, even though the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) allows a child from one state to be adopted by a family who moves to a different state. The ICPC is an informal agreement between states, it is not a law, so some agencies simply choose not to implement it into their practices.

If a military family wants to adopt a child, they need to strongly advocate for themselves. This includes proving that the new agency in their new state is just as stringent and thorough in its homestudy and follow-up processes as the original agency is in their previous state. This usually comes into play when a military family starts the adoption process in one state and is then required by to move to another state and the family wants to continue the adoption process while residing in their new state.

A great alternative is to find adoption professionals that specialize in helping military families adopt. There are adoption professionals that will not only assist military personnel living in the United States, but they can also help military families that are living abroad.

Filed Under: Adoption Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts