News Briefs: State Adoption Law Updates, Spring 2016

Pennsylvania, Indiana, Florida, and Iowa all made or are considering changes to their state adoption laws in the beginning of 2016. Read on to learn more.

News Brief: For Some Parents, International Adoption Decision Reflects Racial Bias

A new study by the University of Vermont concluded that race plays a role for some parents who adopt internationally rather than domestically. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 41 mostly white parents who had, collectively, adopted 33 children of various ethnic and racial backgrounds from 10 different countries, as well as the United States.

News Brief: Bill Proposes More Leave for Adoptive Parents in the Military

Representative Tammy Duckworth introduced the Military Leave Modernization Act, which would guarantee 12 weeks of leave for all military parents.

News Brief: U.S. Supreme Court Reverses Alabama’s Refusal to Recognize Same-Sex Adoption

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that denied the parental rights of a partner in a former same-sex couple.

News Brief: Further Decline in International Adoption in 2015

In 2015, parents in the United States adopted 5,648 children from 89 different countries. The number of intercountry adoptions completed by parents in the U.S. has steadily dropped since 22,884 children were adopted in 2004.

Parent-to-Parent: Embracing “Older” Parenthood

Readers who adopted as older parents share some of the drawbacks and benefits, their best advice—and the joy that comes with parenting, not matter what your age.

Ask AF: What to Talk About with the Expectant Mom?

I am curious as to what prospective adoptive families and expectant moms talk about during the match.

Ask AF: When a Child Calls Every Woman “Mommy”

Our three-year-old has been through several foster placements and calls nearly every woman she comes in contact with “Mommy."

Adoption Cost and Timing in 2014-2015

Each year, Adoptive Families polls newly formed families across the country to get actual information on the cost and length of time it took those families to complete their adoptions. We are grateful to every one of you who took our most recent Cost & Timing of Adoption Survey.

[Book Review] The Eye of Adoption

"I believe every woman currently waiting to adopt, or who knows someone who's waiting, should read this book."

Ask AF: Birth Mother Confusion

"My daughter says things that make me a little insecure, like, 'I love you as much as I love my birth mother,' or “My birth mother is my real mom.' How should I respond?

Ask AF: Not Too Late to Tell

Our son is four. We adopted him at birth. I know that you're supposed to talk about adoption from an early age–but the years kept going by and we failed to do so. Did we wait too long?