Expectant mothers considering adoption don’t receive adequate options counseling, finds a new Donaldson Adoption Institute study that surveyed 223 birth mothers.
News Brief: Certificate of Citizenship Fee Increasing
On December 23, 2016, the fee to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship (COC) is more than doubling. Here’s how to apply, as well as why every child adopted internationally should have this document.
News Brief: Holiday Special on CBS Raises Awareness of Foster Adoption
The 18th annual “A Home for the Holidays” airs on December 23, 2016. The TV special raises awareness about adoption from foster care
Parent-to-Parent: Gifts for New Parents Through Adoption
From time to bond to a scrapbook from the orphanage to IKEA furniture (and assembly!), parents share their favorite gifts they received after adopting their child.
PSA: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be a Perfect Parent
Learn about adopting from foster care from AdoptUSKids.
2016 Cover Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest! See the nine photos selected from more than 1,000 entries, and read stories from the proud parents.
News Brief: Expanded Definition of Parenthood Tested in New York Court
In August 2016, New York state expanded its definition of a parent to include caretakers without biological or adoptive ties. In September 2016, a first court case put that definition to the test.
News Brief: WHO Set to Broaden Definition of “Infertile” to Include Singles and Same-Sex Couples
Under the World Health Organization’s previous definition, infertility was failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Its expanded version will apply to more families.
News Brief: IRS Increases 2017 Adoption Tax Credit
Each year, the IRS adjusts tax provisions to account for inflation. Learn about changes to the adoption tax credit for tax year 2017.
News Brief: Children in Foster Care More Likely to Have Health Problems
For the first time, a study compared the health of children who spent time in foster care with those who hadn’t, and it found higher risk levels on several fronts.
Letters to the Editor, RE: October 2016
Readers share feedback about articles from the October 2016 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
News Brief: Deportation Likely for Adam Crapser
After an October court ruling, a man adopted from South Korea by U.S. citizens at age three may be deported, almost 40 years later. Learn how to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act, which could prevent similar cases in the future.
News Brief: Senate Fails to Pass Landmark Foster Care Act
The Family First Prevention Service Act would have increased funding for prevention services and emphasized placing children in family-like settings.
News Brief: Comment on a Pending Amendment to Adoption Regulations
The Department of State has proposed changes to accreditation requirements for adoption service providers, and is currently welcoming comments from the public.
News Briefs: Intercountry Adoption Updates, October 2016
Intercountry adoption laws are updated frequently. Learn about recent changes in Peru, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Letters to the Editor, RE: September 2016
RE: “Rethinking the Family Tree and Other Tough Assignments” This article was an excellent reminder to provide other options for all students when completing school assignments about families (so as not to draw attention to something that might be a sensitive topic). I’ve had students write about who is in their family and who is…
[Book Review] When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder
Dr. Teri James Bellis, author of When the Brain Can’t Hear, is an audiologist who herself developed APD following an automobile accident. She clearly knows APD from the inside out.
[Book Review] Like Sound Through Water
Like Sound Through Water: A Mothers Journey Through Auditory Processing Disorder, by Karen J. Foli, Ph.D., is an exhaustively detailed first-person account.
[Book Review] Raising a Sensory Smart Child
Raising a Sensory Smart Child is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and pediatricians who’d like to know more about sensory integration dysfunction (SID), the inability to properly process information from the senses.
[Book Review] After Isaac
Three years after his brother’s death, at age 11, 16-year-old Aaron Saturn is just coming to terms with the loss.