September 2, 2010
The fact that a superstar kept a secret at all is an amazing feat but to keep the fact that you adopted a child private for four months seems like an eternity in celebrity years. Sandra Bullock did just that! Good for you, Sandra! You go girl! It turns out that baby Louis has been in her family since January. She said of her friends and family who kept her secret, “I was blessed with the same friends I’ve had since before things got really special for me and blessed in life. And when things get bad, they’re still the same friends.” Also admirable is that she did not ask for any special privileges. She went through the entire adoption process like anyone else would.
It’s important to be surrounded by supportive people when you adopt a child. Being a famous person doesn’t exempt you from that need. It’s great that she is surrounded by genuine, caring and trustworthy people. Louis is very lucky to be joining such a great circle!
Sandra, if you are reading this (and I’m sure you are 
!), please enter your review and let us know the adoption professional you used. The rest of us would all like to recommend and/or work with a professional that keeps that kind of information private and puts the best interests of the child first. Congratulations, Sandra and all the other people who have stepped into this special world of adoption!
August 31, 2010
US shuts the door on Nepal adoptions this month amid concerns from the State Department that the Nepalese children’s documents were not authentic. Unfortunately the legitimately orphaned children will be the ones to suffer. The cases that are currently pending would be handled “as expeditiously as possible with the best interests of children in mind,” said State Department officials.
The US follows a long list of other countries who have already suspended adoptions including Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy and Britain. Even in the US, the number of adoptions from Nepal were significantly reduced last year as the US warned of a possible suspension. The length of the suspension will correlate with the speed in which Nepal’s government ratifies the Hague Convention or at the very least puts more stringent standards in place to ensure the legitimacy of the orphan child’s documents.
Our hearts go out to those parents awaiting the arrival of their child from Nepal. We are hoping for a swift resolution! Were you or someone you know affected by the suspension of Nepal adoptions? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
August 25, 2010
That’s the decision that the British adoption agency must now make. When Britain passed gay rights legislation in January 2009, 12 Catholic adoption services were forced to either close down or cut their ties with the church. Catholic Care is the last agency to have to make the decision.
In a ruling last Thursday, a powerful watchdog group funded by the British government ruled that the agency was practicing discrimination based on sexual orientation because it “departs from the principle of treating people equally.”
What do you think? Should the agency cease to provide adoption services or allow gay couples to adopt?
August 24, 2010
I was listening to Dawn Davenport’s 8/18/10 episode of the Creating a Family podcast about moving from Infertility Treatment to Adoption. Dawn always produces a top notch podcast with a variety of enlightening information. You should check it out! There was one point in this podcast when Dawn and her guests were discussing adoption agencies requiring their clients to stop infertility treatments while in the adoption process. It’s interesting when agencies discourage (or refuse) people from continuing treatments while they are pursuing adoption. I understand why from an adoption agency’s standpoint but should continuing treatment ultimately be a personal decision by the prospective parents?
I’ve heard people say if you’ve seen one adoption situation, you’ve seen one adoption situation. I would say the same for people making the decision to start the adoption process after failed attempts at infertility treatments. Each situation is so personal and there isn’t a blueprint for when to “give up” on fertility treatments. Each person is the architect of their own journey. Should an adoption agency have a right to say no to continuing infertility treatments? If you are planning to continue infertility treatment while in the adoption process, be sure to check with your prospective agency to understand their policy upfront.
Should prospective parents who have the emotional and financial resources have the right to continue down parallel paths especially since the wait for children can be very lengthy both domestically and internationally? Or should adoption agencies be allowed to require clients to stop treatment? What do you think? Add your comments below.
August 20, 2010
Not true according to a new study by researchers from the University of Virginia and George Washington University! The research looked at gender development and adjustment of children adopted at birth by 50 heterosexual couples, 27 lesbian couples and 29 gay couples.
For the first time this study also included teachers and caregivers. Prior studies only included data from the parents. In addition to the parental evaluation, outside caregivers and teachers were also asked to evaluate the preschoolers in this study. They found that the children thrived whether they had one mother and one father, two mothers, or two fathers. Parenting stress, parenting strategies, and couple relationship satisfaction, however, were significant factors contributing to child behavior problems. “In comparison, parental sexual orientation was unrelated to children’s adjustment.” The study showed that the boys and girls in the study acted like other same-aged, same gender children. Critics will abound, however, researchers say that denying lesbian and gay parents from adopting because it will affect the child’s development and gender identify is unjustified.
Does that mean that Florida, Mississippi and Utah will soon legalize adoption by same-sex couples? What do you think about this study? Give us your thoughts below.
August 19, 2010
Surrounded by her family and friends on Friday, August 13th, actress Sandra Bullock was able to exhale as a judge in New Orleans signed off on baby Louis’ adoption documents at the finalization hearing. Sandra has had a very rough year. Hopefully she did something fabulous to celebrate this happy occasion. Congratulations, Sandra. For those of you who have finalized adoptions, how did you spend the day?
August 17, 2010
I was just talking to someone today who is starting the process of finding an adoption agency. In my discussion with her, I realized I have my own tip to share that I rarely see mentioned anywhere in articles about choosing an agency but it’s critical. Most agencies have more than one case worker or social worker. When you are interviewing an agency one of the top questions you should ask is who will be assigned to your specific case and you should meet with them, too, if at all possible. You will be spending a great deal of time with them and should be comfortable with them. You should also ask what will happen if you are in the process and you are just not connecting with your case worker. Your agency may not allow you to switch but at least you’ll know and can make an informed decision. It is important to understand the competency and communication style of all the professionals that will be on your adoption team. What was the most important lesson you learned in the process of choosing or working with an agency? Please share your tips in the comments section.
August 16, 2010
There are many great resources out there with tips for choosing an adoption agency. First, it will come as no surprise that we feel passionately about researching prospective agencies very carefully. Our goal is to give birth parents/adoptive parents information that will help them find the right adoption professional for them and their situation. That’s why we created AdoptionAgencyReviews.com! We personally struggled greatly with that part of the process so we are hoping to make it easier for others. If you want to seek out multiple sources of information, Here are a couple: Creating A family is a great site with lots of great information about adoption (and infertility, for those of us who desire information on both topics). Also, The Adoption Guide has a wealth of information. Do you have a tip for choosing an adoption agency or other adoption professional? Enter a comment to help others.
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