Cambodia Passes New Adoption Law

On October 23, the Cambodia National Assembly passed a law regarding intercountry adoption of the nation's children.  In the article, "Assembly passes bill on foreign adoptions," In the Phnom Penh Post, it states the new law will require prospective adoptive parents age 30- 45 to "undergo a rigorous screening before any adoption gets approval."  According to addtional news reports the law includes provisions to prevent fraud and coersion and will bring Cambodia in line with the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption guidelines.  Adoptions from Cambodia into the United States have been suspended since 2001 because of allegations of corruption and child trafficking.  To read the articles, visit
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/
From Adoption Today magazine:  http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=27850&p=

Two Local Families Need Help this Christmas

The Foster Parent Association has two local families who don't have anything for Christmas.  Can you help? 
One family has a 7 year-old boy, 10 year-old twins (boy and girl), and a 12 year-old girl. 
The other family has an 11 year-old boy, 14 year-old girl, 14 year-old boy, and a 15 year-old girl.
If you would like to help in any way, please contact Debbie Titus:  gstddt@mac.com

Stop Sex Trafficking Now!

From Childrens'HopeChest:

As you read this letter there are over 2 million children forced into prostitution and sex slavery.
This can be prevented and we can do something about it. These girls need our help and there isn’t time to waste.
Right now, pimps and prostitution rings are targeting our precious, young girls. They wait for them to leave the protection of the orphanage, and then offer them a "job."
Many of the girls simply disappear: never heard from again by their friends. But sometimes you glimpse this horror.
Like the girl who was flung from the cab of a truck once her "client" was finished with her. She was paralyzed, never to walk again.

Or the young woman the police found in a ditch on the side of a busy road. Killed at the truck stop where she worked as a prostitute.

These were kids that could have been helped by our programs.

One of these stories is too many...2 million children is unfathomable. This is a direct result of evil having its way on the earth.
As Peter tells us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8
We can’t let him continue to destroy lives. You can stop this, and help reclaim a child's future.
HopeChest stops sex trafficking before it starts. In Russia, we are taking girls into residential living centers and community centers to actively protect them from the commercial sex trade. We identify girls early, while still in the orphanage.

Our staff form meaningful relationships to role model what successful living looks like. And when that girl leaves the orphanage, she knows exactly where to go for help--to HopeChest. She is not alone.
Amongst our girls, there is no sex trafficking. In fact, our transitional living homes have a 90%+ rate of helping girls find true independent life. This is the reality of God’s Kingdom in action.
Right now these girls need you. Please go to http://www.hopechestpartners.org/
 and click the GIVE button to make a gift today.

You can make a gift in honor of a special person this Christmas. Perhaps you will honor someone who mentored you as we are helping these young women?

Help us stop sex trafficking now by reaching more girls in Russia today and into 2010.
 

http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/12/urgent-stop-sex-trafficking-now.html

Looking for last minute Christmas gifts that give back?

Here's a link to Adoptive Families' gift giving guide -
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5d167271670d7b7215&m=feef16767c6c03&ls=fdeb15777d6c067b7c107476&l=fec11375776c027f&s=fe2410767463027b701173&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2616757063077a721772
There you will find adoption-related gifts as well as gifts that support childrens' charities.

Half the Sky Foundation also has a gift guide -
http://halfthesky.org/help/holidaycatalog.php?tr=y&auid=5711212

ABC sensationalizes adoption

In the most exploitive and disparaging-of-adoption media effort yet, ABC will air a sneak peak' of their new series Find My Family on Monday, November 23rd. With a sensationalized and soap-opera style, ABC will take viewers into the lives of adoptees and birth families in their Search to be reunited.

With the tagline " Some people have spent their whole lives searching for the one thing that matters most... Their wish will now come true. Let's find your family, producers completely discount any worth of the adoptive families who have loved and raised these children. Instead the show emphasizes the loss of a child's Real family' as the one-and-only central issue of all adopted children's lives.


The entire premise of this show is upsetting on so many levels. I encourage every family of an adopted child to prepare mentally for the public reaction, and the reaction of their children who may find themselves the sudden center of assumptions about their needs, desires, and personal feelings on their adoption.

This new series is being heavily promoted on ABC. Created by the producer of Extreme Makeover, Find My Family is laden with emotional angst and tearful moments meant to increase ratings and viewership. Unfortunately, the general public's opinion and understanding of adoption is largely shaped by the media. ABC's exploitive new series will focus on the most extreme issues in adoption, and is sure to have an effect on how our children's teachers, extended family, and friends view and accept adoption.


For years, the adoptive community has sought to rectify the past vilification of birth-parents as people who gave away their children. Birth parents are now widely recognized as the First Parents of children, deserving of love, respect, and understanding. It is in no one's best interest to turn the tables and begin to portray adoptive families as second-class, or less-than' a family created biologically. This new series is a step back for everyone.

Search and reunion of adoptees and birth families is part of adoption, and always will be. All adoptive families and birth families are connected through our children, whether we accept that idea or not. Our children bind us. It is a precious, priceless connection. This show cheapens and sensationalizes what is sacred. ABC, your show is an insult, and hopefully a flop.

To continue this article:  http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=684
The article also has tips on how to discuss this issue with your adopted child.

Adoption for Life Conference

Russell D. Moore, author of Adopted for Life, will be hosting the "Adopted for Life" Conference in Louisville, KY Feb. 26 & 27, 2010.
For a list of speakers, schedule, and registration information:  http://events.sbts.edu/adopting-for-life/


Description of Moore's book:
The gospel of Jesus Christ — the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family — means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world.

Russell D. Moore does not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same. He shows that adoption is not just about couples who want children — or who want more children. It is about an entire culture within the church, a culture that sees adoption as part of the Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself.

Moore, who adopted two boys from Russia and has spoken widely on the subject, writes for couples considering adoption, families who have adopted children, and pastors who wish to encourage adoption.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman are making overseas adoption more affordable

An article from Christianity Today:

Beauty Will Rise by
Mark Moring

When Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman returned from China in 2000 with their first adopted daughter, Shaohannah, friends greeted them at the Nashville airport, congratulating them on the precious addition to their family. Several of them said, "We dream of doing what you've done. We just can't afford it."

Mary Beth stopped in her tracks. "Are you telling me that the only thing between you and rescuing one of these orphaned babies is money? If you're serious, start filling out the paperwork. We'll pay for it."

Steven laughs upon retelling the story, remembering his wait a minute, honey reaction. International adoptions cost between $10,000 and $45,000 per child.

At first Mary Beth opposed adding to their family through adoption. The couple already had three teenagers, and as a Grammy-winning musician, Steven was frequently on tour. Given their lifestyle and life stage—both were almost 40—adoption seemed impossible. But the Chapman kids, especially Emily, had left letters on their parents' pillows with comments like, "Please listen for God speaking to you about this." Steven got on board first, and Mary Beth eventually came around.

Since Mary Beth's airport offer, her brother and Steven's brother have each adopted two children from China. Other close friends have followed suit.

The Chapmans started exploring further adoption support efforts by asking Bethany Christian Services, the adoption agency they had worked with, if it had funding set aside to help people with the hefty costs. Bethany didn't. The couple researched starting their own program to help underwrite adoptions, and two years later, they founded Shaohannah's Hope.

Since 2003, the ministry—now called Show Hope—has assisted more than 2,000 families, with grants totaling over $6 million and an average grant of $3,000. They rarely fund an adoption entirely. "We don't want to take the place of seeing God provide," said Mary Beth. "We just give them enough to get the roller coaster going." Families have adopted from China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Russia, and the U.S.

The Chapmans have donated a substantial sum to Show Hope, said Charley Redmond, director of operations and development. In addition, Mary Beth serves as president, Steven is vice president, and two of their children, Emily and Caleb, are on staff. (Show Hope is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.)

Among Show Hope's grant recipients are Dan and Jori Susanka of Shakopee, Minnesota. Combined with a grant from Target (Jori's employer) and funds from a home equity loan, the Susankas adopted Emmy Ruth Yeye from China in 2005. Jori, a longtime Chapman fan, said, "It's amazing that Steven and Mary Beth put their money where their mouths are, and not only talk about adoption but also live it."

Despite growing from a $250,000 budget in 2003 to nearly $2 million this year, Show Hope can help only a fraction of those who ask for assistance. Of about 150 monthly applications for grants, only 20 to 30 applicants receive money.

From Tragedy to Legacy

The Chapmans themselves adopted two more Chinese girls, Stevey Joy in 2003 and Maria Sue in 2004. In May 2008, 5-year-old Maria was killed when her brother accidentally struck her with an suv in the family driveway.

"Maria is very missed," said Mary Beth. "[But] we can definitely see God's work through [the tragedy]. People's lives have been touched and changed because of her short life."

Show Hope rarely funds an adoption entirely. 'We just give them enough to get the roller coaster going,' said Mary Beth.Maria left a legacy. Gifts to Maria's Miracle Fund are approaching $1 million. Earlier this year, Maria's Big House of Hope, a Show Hope facility for 700 orphans, opened in Luoyang in Henan, China's most populous province.

Show Hope partners with New Hope Foundation, which oversees Maria's Big House and focuses on caring for abandoned babies. Founded by Robin and Joyce Hill in 2002, New Hope works with local government leaders and the Children's Welfare Institute to care for such children, many of whom have surgically correctable deformities.

"The goal," said Show Hope director Scott Hasenbalg, "is for these children to be placed into permanent family settings." Hasenbalg said Show Hope has "ongoing communication with our operational partners … to ensure monies are being invested wisely. Our relationship with the local authorities is healthy and strong."

In early July 2009, the entire Chapman family travelled to China for the grand opening of Maria's Big House. During their visit, they traveled to Sichuan Province, the site of a May 2008 earthquake that killed more than 70,000 and left more than 5 million homeless. Steven said that because of Maria's death, his family was better able to comfort the afflicted.

"I can really understand their pain now," he said. "They've lost sons and daughters. We lost a Chinese daughter. We can comfort with the comfort that Scripture talks about."

This month, Steven will release his latest album, aptly titled Beauty Will Rise. While the songs are mostly about how Maria's death has affected his family, the title could just as well describe the Chapmans' and Show Hope's good work on behalf of orphans around the world.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/november/22.36.html?start=2

Time is running out for a 15-year old Ukranian girl who desparately wants to be adopted

Can you please help save this child by circulating this request:

Slusarchuk Alyona, DOB: Dec. 4, 1993 - turning 16 VERY soon - wants a
family very much. Calm, well balanced girl, pleasant, shy, gentle, very
nice, studies very well, performs tasks of adults with pleasure, takes
part in orphanage activities, obedient - all best characteristics from
orphanage director and staff. Really wants a family and agrees to be
adopted abroad, not afraid. The orphanage where she comes from is
involved in LOTS of social activities - singing, dancing, performing at
city concerts and competitions, sports events - a very joyful and
loving place. An interested family will receive more photos of
orphanage activities to see the environment Alyona was growing in.
Please, help save Alyona from orphanage graduation - only 6 days left
before somebody has to start applying for her!!!

If interested in adopting Slusarchuk contact:

Sundy Goodnight

SCTNow National Campaign Director
212-333-7286
www.SCTNow.org
or
Teresa Fillmon, Executive Director
His Kids, Too! - www.hiskidstoo.org
Cornerstone Adoption Services, Inc. - www.cornerstoneadoption.com

Please forward this to anyone you know who might be interested in adopting an older child.

Adoptive Families Magazine's list of the Top Adoption-Friendly Companies

Making It Work: Top Adoption-Friendly Companies

Let's hear it for companies that get the message:
Adoption benefits are vital in today's workplace.

Adoption support at work is moving into the mainstream. Reimbursement of adoption expenses up to $10,000, paid adoption leave up to three months (in addition to Family and Medical Leave Act time), and flexible work arrangements are some of the benefits now on the table.
If your company's adoption benefits aren't up to snuff, do something! Make an appointment with a big cheese at your company and recommend that adoption benefits be introduced or expanded. Or send a persuasive letter stating the case (download Adoptive Families' Instant Letter here).
Adoptive Families applauds the forward-thinking companies that go the extra mile to help their employees build families—and set an example for the rest of the nation.

see the list here

National Adoption Day

On National Adoption Day, this year on November 21, communities in all 50 states will hold courtroom celebrations to finalize more than 4,000 adoptions of children from foster care. Hundreds of judges, attorneys, agencies, adoption professionals, and child advocates volunteer their time to complete the adoptions.

The National Adoption Day Coalition named Nia Vardalos as its 2009 National Adoption Day spokesperson. The writer and actress is an advocate for U.S. foster care adoption. She and her husband, Ian Gomez, adopted their daughter from foster care in 2008.
Read her story here: http://cgcministry.blogspot.com/2009/11/nia-vardalos-writes-about-adopting-from.html

November is National Adoption Month

Currently, there are 496,000 children in the U.S. foster care system and 130,000 of these children are waiting for families to adopt them. The majority of waiting children are of color with older African American boys waiting the longest for adoption.

Adopting from Kenya

Because Kenya is party to the Hague Convention and has not yet established regulations and procedural infrastructure necessary to meet its obligations, the State Department is unable to issue U.S. immigrant visas for children adopted from Kenya.  The State Department warns Americans against beginning the adoption process for Kenyan children at this time.  For more information visit http://www.travel.state.gov/. 

International Adoption News: China, Guatemala, Liberia

CHINA   The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) announced on September 15 that, beginning December 1, all adoptive families must be registered with a Hague-accredited adoption service provider (ASP). If an adoptive family is currently registered with a non-accredited ASP, they are required to transfer their adoption to a Hague-accredited ASP no later than December 1. Families currently using the I-600A and I-600 process (non-Hague) may continue with this process.

GUATEMALA   In an effort to improve communication with families who have pending adoption cases in Guatemala, the Department of State will be creating a listserv. If you have a pending Guatemala adoption case and would like to be included, e-mail AskCI@state.gov , and provide the information listed at adoption.state.gov/guatemala.html

LIBERIA   The Government of Liberia informed the U.S. Embassy in September that it will not process any adoption cases during its suspension of intercountry adoptions, including those that were in progress before the suspension was announced, on January 26, 2009, and that it will not permit adopted children to depart Liberia. The Liberian government has made no provisions to grandfather cases under the existing laws. Therefore, any case in which a full and final adoption was not completed prior to January 26 is on hold. The Liberian government is willing to consider exceptions for certain special needs children. There is no indication when the moratorium might be lifted, and prospective parents should not apply to adopt there at this time.

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/news.php

Nia Vardalos Writes about Adopting from Foster Care

From Adoptive Families Magazine: http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1990

 

Adopting from Foster Care--with Help

"It wasn't easy to adopt an American child. Actually, the process was quite simple, but finding out how to do it was the hard part."

By Nia Vardalos

My New Year's resolution list usually starts with the desire to lose between 10 and 3,000 pounds. In the middle, I list career goals and coveted shoes. Somewhere near the end, I'll add something about donating more often to charity and reducing my carbon footprint.

I start out with good intentions, but by mid-January, the list will be stuck to my cheek because I napped on it as I watched fit people exercise on cable TV. By the end of January, I detest the list and avoid it, all crunched up at the bottom of my purse. By February, I've bought a new purse.

This year, I got to put something different on my list. I wrote just one thing: I resolved to be a good mother. I got to write this first-time resolution because, early last year, my husband, Ian Gomez, and I adopted a little girl.

Not because an adopted child seems to be the latest Hollywood must-have accessory. But because, after 10 years of banging my head against the brick wall of infertility, I accepted the fact that there would have to be another plan for me. And (cue music swell) motherhood turned out to be the most meaningful thing I've ever done with my life. Really.

I tried many routes that fell through or didn't work out. Then I waited on many lists. The phone didn't ring. I didn't know what to do. So, I kept asking questions. Don't we have orphanages in the States? I found out that, no, we don't. But we do have 500,000 kids in foster care, and 129,000 of them are legally free for adoption and waiting for a family. I was stunned.

I realized there was simply no reason not to adopt an older child. In a white-hot moment, I knew this was what I had been waiting for.

I want to write that it was really easy. But it wasn't. The next phase took a while because the information on how to adopt from foster care just isn't out there. Not sure whom to approach, I went directly to the State and said I was open to any sex, age, and ethnic background. Oh, goodie, they exclaimed, because they could place an at-risk, multiple-sibling set in my house on a trial basis, and an adoption might come out of it if the parental rights were terminated in court after a few years.

My mouth went dry. Like, just-licked-a-pumice-stone dry. That sounded complicated. But I really, really wanted to be a parent. So, I said, "OK!"

I did ask about the children who were already legally free. I was told there was a process, and that I had to be patient. I thought I would be connected with a child who was waiting for a home. Again, they explained, I had to trust their procedures. I now felt apprehensive, thinking I might get lost in yet another situation that wouldn't resolve in a positive way.

I was sent away with a thick packet of fingerprinting forms and a daunting homestudy kit. As I sorted through the mounds of paperwork, I found out about (cue lightbulb click) FFA's.
That's when things finally accelerated.

An FFA--foster family agency--helps individuals navigate the state system. The people (I call them super-pretty angels) at the FFA we worked with were helpful, compassionate, and organized. They assisted with the paperwork, explained and set up the homestudy, and did a nationwide search for a legally free child they felt we could be good parents to. Nine months later, through their various connections, we were matched with our daughter. We finalized our adoption within a year. [Editors' note: Many states' Department of Social Services contract with private agencies, sometimes called foster family agencies, to train foster and adoptive families. To find one near you, call AdoptUSKids at 888-200-4005 or go to adoptuskids.org.]

And, yes, she is perfect. She is four now, and to say she's adapted well would be a huge understatement. The experience of transitioning this child was astonishing. We kept it quiet for almost a year, to protect her privacy and give her time to adjust.

Last November, my husband and I thought about the 129,000 kids waiting for a family and decided to announce our daughter's adoption to raise awareness of National Adoption Month. That is why I'm writing about this now. Maybe there are other people out there who want to adopt from foster care.

I will tell you this much: You will meet amazing people, who are committed to helping children achieve a fresh start. One of these groups, The Alliance for Children's Rights, invited me to be part of a fantastic event called National Adoption Day. On November 15, 2008, in over 300 cities, 4,000 children were adopted. Several hundred lawyers and judges worked to assist in the finalization of these applications, so parents who were not able to afford lawyers and court fees could adopt a child.

I met amazing people that day--single mothers who adopted older children, gay couples who were adopting again, families who had biological children and adopted others, older couples who fulfilled children's dreams of finding a family. It was a day so filled with love and joy, I felt like there were cartoon bluebirds chirping above those kids' heads. I cried like someone's crazy aunt at a graduation.
So, if you're interested...let's discuss adoption.

There seems to be the impression that it's difficult to adopt in the U.S. Having been through the system, I want to tell people how to do it: Just find a foster family agency. An FFA will help you navigate the system--will walk you through the paperwork, the necessary and thorough background screening process, and the procedure of adopting from foster care in the U.S.

I would never disparage anyone who goes outside their own country to adopt--every child deserves a home. I do want to point out that the U.S. foster adoption route includes a child's full medical and health record. In terms of your child's lifelong medical care, full disclosure helps.

U.S. foster adoption welcomes families of all income levels, and, unlike private adoption, it is virtually cost-free. The system doesn't discriminate--single parents, older couples, gays and lesbians, all may apply. A family is a family, and there are 129,000 kids waiting for one. Our daughter came to live with us, and turned our house into a home.

Nia Vardalos is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated screenwriter and actress. Her next films are the romantic comedies My Life in Ruins, and I Hate Valentine's Day, which she wrote and directed.

This piece was originally published in the Huffington Post. Reprinted with permission from Nia Vardalos.

AF Talks to Nia Vardalos

Tell us how you decided to adopt through foster care.


We had been on a few paths that fell through, including several failed U.S. newborn placements. As heartbreaking as it is for adoptive parents, the law says that the woman who gives birth gets to change her mind, and that makes sense. We were also on waiting lists for China and Greece.

I hadn't realized that children in foster care were available for adoption. But once I learned about these kids, I knew it was right for us. We chose to consider only children who were legally free, because I was not up to fighting someone in court.


How did your social workers help you get through the process?


We worked with a foster family agency. It's a free service (paid for by the government) that anyone can use, and they helped us with the paperwork and homestudy. You look online at photos of children, with a few lines of information, and if there's one you feel a connection to, your social worker goes to a social worker in that state and finds out more about the child. Perhaps that child is more suited for a home with siblings, or doesn't want to relocate from her home state.


The social workers were a well of compassion. I spent hours on the phone with ours, saying that I didn't understand why we couldn't be matched overnight. She said that there's a process, and it was going to happen. Ironically, it was nine months from the time we first met with the social workers until our daughter walked in the door.


How did your family handle the transition?

Some things happened very quickly, and some took more time. It was different from adopting a newborn, because our daughter was a fully formed personality. We followed our instincts, and realized the best thing we could do is tell her the truth. She didn't have a lot of words when she came to live with us, but we spoke with her as if she comprehended everything: "This is your room…this is Manny the dog…if you need us, we're right down the hall." Eventually, she would nod in understanding. At first, she was waking up every hour and checking her surroundings--her anxiety wouldn't let her sleep, which was understandable. We slept in her room and went to a sleep clinic, and now she sleeps from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Everything can be worked through.


What's life like for your family now?

I'm with my daughter all the time, and it's clear that I'm supposed to be her parent. We really know each other, and we laugh all the time. It's the most amazing experience.

I've realized that the reason it took me so long to be a parent, and the reason I had such incredible success with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, was so that I could use my big mouth to talk about foster care. I'm a spokesperson for several organizations, and for this year's National Adoption Day.


All in all, it's been such a lovely process that I told my social worker not to lose my number--we'd definitely do it again

Yesterday's Hope, Today's Family Photo Contest

Joint Council on International Services is sponsoring a photo contest, running from November 21, 2009 - December 31, 2009. 
Details:  http://www.jcics.org/photocontest.htm

President Obama declares November National Adoption Month

Presidential Proclamation
NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH, 2009
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

All children deserve a safe, loving family to protect and care for them. In America, thousands of young people are waiting for that opportunity. During National Adoption Month, we honor those families that have strengthened America through adoption, and we recommit to reducing the number of children awaiting adoption into loving families.

America is a country rich in resources and filled with countless caring men and women who hope to adopt. These individuals come from all walks of life, united in their commitment to love a child who is in need of the protective arms of a parent. We must do more to ensure that adoption is a viable option for them. By continually opening up the doors to adoption, and supporting full equality in adoption laws for all American families, we allow more children to find the permanent homes they yearn for and deserve.


This month, we also focus on children in foster care. These children are not in the system by their own choosing, but are forced into it by unfortunate or tragic circumstances. These young people have specific needs and require unique support. Federal, State, and local governments, communities, and individuals all have a role to play in ensuring that foster children have the resources and encouragement they need to realize their hopes and dreams.

The course of our future will depend on what we do to help the next generation of Americans succeed. This month, we celebrate those families brought together by adoption and renew our commitments to children in the foster care system.


NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2009 as National Adoption Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by reaching out to support and honor adoptive families, as well as to participate actively in efforts to find permanent homes for waiting children.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

More about Safe Families - Mentor Families

If you or your group wants to support or be a part of the Safe Families  program, but are unable to take a child into your home, consider becoming a Mentor Family. Mentor Families provide supplemental support to the Safe Families during placement.  Mentor Families will provide friendship, resources, daily living items, knowledge and prayer for families who are in crisis.  Each crisis family who enters the Safe Families for Children program will work with a Mentor Family and will benefit from support and encouragement enabling every family to get back on their feet and allowing their children to return to a crisis free home.

A Mentor provides support for either the Safe Family or the family that is in crisis.  Some examples of how a mentor may help:
 - provide diapers to the Safe Family
 - donate clothes
 - help the Safe Family transport children to school
 -  provide gas or Publix cards to the Safe Family
 - take a member of the in-crisis family to a job interview.

This would also be a fantastic service project or ministry for Sunday school classes, churches, etc.  For more information contact Alison Schminke, (407) 877- 4006, aschminke@bethany.org.

Safe Families – A program where families help families

A crisis can happen to any family at any time. When it does most of us have family and friends upon which we can rely. Many families, however, lack this important support system. This puts children in those families at risk for abuse and neglect. Bethany Christian Services has created a safety net for these children, The Safe Families for Children program, which helps parents experiencing a temporary crisis arrange for their children to stay with a safe, Christian, loving family until the crisis has passed.

The Safe Families program is seeking volunteers who can reach out to those in need in their community. These volunteers become Safe Families who open their homes to families in need by temporarily supporting children who are welcomed into their home. Safe Families will provide love, support, and a safe place for children during their placement and will work cooperatively with Bethany Christian Services and the crisis family to ensure a positive placement for all children involved. Safe Families will be provided with education and training to ensure that they are able and equipped to support children in their homes. Education, background checks, references, and a home visit will be conducted by a Bethany worker to prepare each family for the Safe Families for Children program.

Safe Family volunteers include single individuals, married couples with children of any age, and empty nesters, all of whom simply decided to make room in their hearts and homes for children in need. They can have a powerful impact in the lives of others while practicing biblical hospitality, extending the love of Christ to people in need, sharing their faith, and connecting with those from another culture – all from their own home! Volunteers make a direct impact on the life of a child!

Basic Information about Safe Families

*Even though Safe Families began in 2002, the Orlando program is just getting off the ground, commencing July 15, 2009.

*Safe Families is a DCF– funded Preventative program. It’s designed to keep children out of the foster care system. SF steps in and provides safe homes for children before their situation warrants removal by DCF and placement in foster care. The children and their families are able to stay out of the state system.

*SF needs 10 families by December and 25 families by July, 2110. (They currently have 2 families.)

*There are highly successful programs similar to Safe Families in other U.S. cities such as Chicago and Atlanta. The Chicago program, for example, currently has 500 volunteer families with 300 placements per year.

*One of the reasons the program is so successful is that it is totally voluntary. The in-crisis family voluntarily asks for help, as opposed to being in the program because their children were forcibly removed by the state. These in-crisis families do not want their children placed into foster care! These families know that the volunteers are participating because they care – not for money. Knowing their children will be temporarily staying with a loving, safe, back-ground -checked family while they recover from their crisis serves to eliminate some stress and worry.

*The children in this program are not in foster care, not abused, not neglected. Bethany hears about their families through:
- Referrals from the state – there is no abuse in the family, but the family is experiencing an economic hardship.
- Through partnerships with churches – people go to churches seeking help (this is how Bethany also recruits SF volunteers)
- Through crisis centers – such as pregnancy crisis centers, homeless shelters, etc.

*Some examples of in-crisis family situations:
- Single mother with cancer who needs someone to take care of her children while she gets treatment
- Parents losing their jobs and facing eviction and homelessness
- A pregnant teenager who was thrown out of her parents’ home
- Children whose mothers are undergoing drug rehabilitation

*Volunteers and in-crisis families always meet in a public place and no personal information is exchanged (unless this is something both parties want to do on their own).

*Volunteers have total discretion on the type and length of placements. Placements can range from a weekend to 3-4 months at most. Volunteers can accept or decline placements at any time, and can pick age groups of children. For example, if you have a family vacation planned during the month of July, you can decline placements during that month; or you may postpone placements during the holidays. Placements occur at the volunteers’ preference.

If you would like to learn more about Safe Families, would like a Safe Families coordinator speak to your group, church, Sunday School class, etc., or if you feel you can make a difference in a child’s life and contribute to the Safe Families program please contact Alison Schminke:
aschminke@bethany.org
407-877-4006

http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/3366FA3E48C61C07852574D500668B3D

Famine Crisis in Ethiopia - You can help!

From Tom Davis' blog:

URGENT: Millions Starving in Ethiopia
Today's news out of Ethiopia is not new. Millions starving. Millions without food or water. Millions trapped in extreme poverty. Millions is a concept we've accepted in our news reporting. If everyone in Colorado Springs was starving, we wouldn't quite get to "millions."

Hard to comprehend. Here's what I know. CHC's (Children's Hope Chest) kids don't starve. They don't drink dirty water. They are protected from abuse. They are sheltered from child labor. They are put through school to help develop their potential. Our kids are numbered in the thousands. And guess what? I've got 5,000 more who are waiting for a home.
This Christmas, CHC is going to launch a dynamic campaign to bring 5,000 new children into our CarePoint's throughout Africa. But with today's news of "millions" starving in Ethiopia, we've got to step up our plans a bit. I need to get the feeding centers up and running as soon as possible.

To read more and to find how you can help: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/10/urgent-millions-starving-in-ethiopia.html

For more on the Ethiopian famine from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8321043.stm

New campaign aims to promote black child adoption

By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY, 8/3/2009

Rosemary Armstrong fondly recalls the first time she met her daughter Micayla, then 2, at her foster home. The African-American toddler screamed when the caseworker tried to pick her up, but she happily sat on Armstrong's lap and smiled.

Micayla didn't talk at all to most people, but during their second meeting, she started communicating: "It was 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' from day one," Armstrong says. "It was so fast."
Armstrong and her husband, Terry, also African-American, decided to adopt from foster care after discovering they could not have a child biologically.
They met Micayla in April 2008, and her adoption was final in February 2009. Micayla, who turned 4 on Monday, bonded quickly with their two other children, Armstrong's son, Jaiere, 7, and goddaughter Alexis, 14.

'A perfect parent'
While blacks account for 15% of U.S. children, they make up 32% of the 510,000 kids in foster care, according to a May 2008 report by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a private research group. The report is based on 2006 data, the latest available. It shows that black children in foster care, especially older ones, are less likely than white ones to be adopted.
To help deal with that imbalance, a federally funded ad campaign is to be unveiled today. It is aimed at encouraging blacks to adopt from the foster care system. The ads will appear this fall on radio, TV and in newspapers.
"They're long overdue," says Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
A 1994 federal law, the Multiethnic Placement Act, prohibits denying or delaying an adoption because of race but requires "diligent" efforts to recruit parents of the same race.
The new ads, developed by the Advertising Council, are part of a series that began in 2002 to promote adoption from foster care. The ads, like prior ones, are humorous and carry the same tagline: "You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent."

'Some good news'
After similar ads aired in Spanish, "we got so many calls, we couldn't handle them," says Kathy Ledesma, project director of AdoptUsKids, a federally funded project that launched the ads.
Pertman says it makes sense to target blacks on behalf of black kids, because they are the most likely to adopt them, especially the older ones who are hardest to place. Single black women, often aunts or grandmothers, adopt nearly two-thirds of black foster kids, according to Penelope Maza, who analyzed foster care data for the federal Children's Bureau for nearly three decades until her retirement in December.
An increased effort to place black children with relatives before they enter foster care and to promote their adoption has helped to improve the imbalance, says Ruth McRoy, who researches adoption at the University of Texas-Austin.
In 1998, black children accounted for 43% of kids in the foster care system, but that share has since gone down, according to U.S. data.

"There's some good news here," Maza says.
The Donaldson report says one in five black foster kids are adopted by parents of a different race, and the majority of them are 4 years old or younger. It cites research showing that this kind of adoption can pose identity problems and recommends adoptive parents undergo training to help their kids.
New Yorker Sarah Gerstenzang, who is white, took in a black foster daughter when the girl was 5 weeks old and later adopted her. "I hear kids say to her, 'That's your mom!'" Gerstenzang says, adding that her daughter has learned to handle it.
Rosemary Armstrong says Micayla likes to ride her tricycle around the neighborhood. She says the girl has adjusted so well that she and her husband want to adopt another black foster child.
On Saturday, she's throwing Micayla a princess birthday party. She has invited 30 kids to share their joy, make jewelry and help eat the castle cake.

New Proposed Cambodian Law Would Resume International Adoption

From the October 2009 issue of Adoption Today magazine:

Cambodia is working to draft new international adoption regulations according to an August article in the Phnom Penh Post. The article, "Council of Ministers approves draft law to legalise, regulate international adoptions," by Vong Sokheng states the new International Adoption Law's objective to "regulate the principles, conditions, and procedures for international adoption, with the goal of guaranteeing the protection of children's rights and interests." The law is high priority according to a Cambodian Secretary of State quoted in the article. Adoptions from Cambodia were suspended in 2001, however Cambodia is a signatory of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

November 8 is Orphan Sunday

www.orphansunday.org
On November 8th from 4:oo to 6:00 pm CST, join voices with Steven Curtis Chapman, Jim Daly, and Dennis Rainey to reach the nation with God’s call to care for orphans. Through excellent music and the sharing of the heart of God, we hope to give a megaphone to the cries of the millions of orphans around the world. Other guests include Geoff Moore and the Children of the World Choir.



Tom Davis writes about Orphan Sunday on his blog: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/10/watch-out-for-the-firestarters.html

Invitation to Spirit Week!

Mon., Oct. 26, 2009 - Fri., Oct. 30, 2009
3 - 6 p.m.
Orlando Downtown Recreation Center
649 W. Livingston St.
Orlando, FL 32801

Family Services of Metro Orlando has been selected by the Atlanta-based Dwight D. Howard Foundation as its local partner for a multi-day event to mark its expansion into the central Florida area.
The event, Spirit Week, will be open to participation by foster youth and former foster youth (reunified, adopted, aged out) and will involve four days of fun afterschool life skills learning opportunities focusing on:
· Dealing with negative pressure

· Goal setting

· Social etiquette

· "Work to earn"

· Proper money management

Youth may but do not need to participate on all four days.

The Dwight D. Howard Foundation and Family Services of Metro Orlando are supporting the cost of youth attendance over the four day period.

On the fifth day (October 30, 2009), the Dwight D. Howard Foundation will host a Family Fun Day free for all families to be held at:
Faith World Church 7601 Forest City Rd. Orlando, FL 32810

A limited number of slots are available for youth to participate in the afterschool life skills learning activities.

RSVP to Bart Mawoussi at bmawoussi@fsmetroorlando.org or 407-398-7332.

Florida fails to protect kids' rights in court, advocates say

An article from the Orlando Sentinel by Kate Santich:

Florida gets an F for its failure to protect the legal rights of abused and neglected children, according to a ranking released Thursday by two national child-advocacy organizations. The chief criticism: Even though Florida law requires that a guardian ad litem be appointed for every kid who ends up in the child-welfare system, the guardian may be only a volunteer and not an attorney." Volunteers can't file motions, can't make objections; they can't request discovery; they can't cross-examine; they can't depose," said Amy Harfeld, executive director of the nonprofit organization First Star, one of the authors of the state-by-state report, along with the California-based Children's Advocacy Institute. "And even when children do have counsel, there's no requirement that the counsel stay on through the appellate process."

Despite the fact that most states do provide attorneys for children who have been removed from their homes, the issue has been contentious in Florida, where opponents say there is not enough money to cover the statewide Guardian ad Litem program as it is. That office has lost $5 million in state funding during the past two years and has had to prioritize which children are represented by guardians. As a result, about 5,100 Florida children were not appointed a guardian last year, as the law requires. The latest report — which flunked six other states in addition to Florida — argues that children in state custody have as much at stake as defendants in criminal proceedings, for whom the Constitution requires an attorney. Dependency courts can determine where children live, go to school, what medications they're given, and whether they ever get to see their parents or brothers and sisters.

Several messages left at the state's Guardian ad Litem program office went unanswered. But its 2009 annual report noted: "Last year, the Guardian ad Litem program spent $397,468 of its budget to provide attorney ad litem representation for dependent children. Though the program would like to be able to contract with attorneys to represent the child's legal interests in all cases where appropriate, current funding does not allow this."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-lockid-atty-101609101609oct16,0,5846487.story

Invitation to learn about a voluntary program designed to prevent child abuse and neglect for children in our community

Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 pm, Alison Schminke of Bethany Christian Services, will present Safe Families for Children, a new program which is coming to Central Florida.

What is Safe Families? It is a voluntary program designed to prevent abuse and neglect for children in our community. A Safe Family is a volunteer who opens their home and provide a child with a safe, nurturing place to live while their parents work to bring stability back to their family. Families who are in crisis are given training and support so that they can get to a place where they are ready to bring their child(ren) back home.

You are under no obligation whatsoever to sign up to become a Safe Family by attending the meeting on Oct 20. Perhaps you know someone who might be interested. The commitment is much less than becoming a foster family with children staying up to 90 days in your home. You can say no to a placement if it is not the right time to add a child to your home for a short time.

If you think you would like to learn more, we would love to have you attend on October 20. If you could let me know you are attending it would help with knowing who to expect. You are always welcome to just show up. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested.
For questions or more information contact Tracy Matheson at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park @ 407-644-2906 ext 256.

Present-Day Slavery in the U.S.

Invitation to See Human Rights Activist and Former Slave, Micheline Slattery


Micheline Slattery, human rights activist and former slave in Haiti and the United States, will be speaking Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. at the University of Central Florida in the Key West Ballroom of the Student Union. Her presentation will be on "21st Century Slavery: Living Proof."

Slattery was born to a prominent political family in Haiti. After being orphaned at age five, she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a nearby town. As often occurs among rural families in Haiti, Slattery was forced to work as her extended familys servant, or restavec, as a child slave is commonly known there.

Beginning from the time she was five, Slattery was expected to clean the house, wash and fold the laundry, and walk for miles to collect water. If she failed to complete all her chores, she was beaten by her relatives. She still bears a scar on her left cheek from the time her cousin struck her across the face with a butcher knife.

At fourteen, Slattery was trafficked to Connecticut to serve as her cousins slave, performing domestic chores and taking care of several children. She never received compensation for her work. It took several years before she was finally able to leave and resettle in Massachusetts, where she now works as a nurse.

Slattery began speaking out last recently. She has testified before the Massachusetts State Assembly and has been featured by New England Cable News, Boston Metro and The Hartford Courant.

The event is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, UCF Political Science Department, UCF International Services Center, UCF Women's Studies Program, Lawrence J.
Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, UCF LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

Please see the attached flyer or visit www.ucfglobalperspectives.org for further information.

Announcing a Hope for Orphans Event in Greenville, SC

On Saturday, October 17th, Hope for Orphans will present "Your Church and the Orphan" at First Baptist church of Simpsonville, South Carolina (http://fbcsimpsonville.org/). Together for Adoption is privileged to be one of the sponsors of this excellent event. Join others from your church who are passionate about the needs of orphans at this group workshop experience led by Hope for Orphans (http://www.hopefororphans.org/), a ministry of FamilyLife. It will be a powerful, interactive, and fun one-day event that will provide the necessary information and tools to explore how your church can effectively minister to orphans and waiting children. This workshop will be from 9:00AM - 4:30PM on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The $20 per person cost includes lunch and snacks. To register call 1-800-358-6329 or visit: http://www.hopefororphans.org/Display.asp?Page=scheduledworkshops

Rob Mitchell, author of Castaway Kid, to share his story in Orlando

American World Adoption is sponsoring Orphan’s Ticket Home Gala on Friday, October 30th, 2009.

Where: Holy Trinity Conference CenterAgape Ballroom1217 Trinity Woods LaneMaitland, FL 32751

Guest Musician: Todd Fields

Guest Speaker: Rob Mitchell, author of Castaway Kid: Rob Mitchell is a respected financial consultant and a dedicated youth advocate, but what's not well known is that he had a tumultuous childhood. His memoir reveals his life in an orphanage after his mother abandoned him at age 3, as well as his struggle to find love and acceptance and learn to trust. Mitchell knew his mentally ill mother, who once kidnapped him from the orphanage, but had no real memories of his father, who attempted suicide but ended up brain damaged. His maternal grandmother was the boy's anchor, but she couldn't raise him, which only added to his confusion. He teetered on the edge of disaster as he matured, but at age 17 he prayed, "Jesus, if You are real, come into my nightmare. Forgive me of my sins and change me." Mitchell's story is inspiring both for its spiritual dimension and its conventional Horatio Alger narrative. His memoir will appeal to adults with difficult pasts, those who work with troubled kids and anyone who revels in seeing God change a life.

Schedule:
Registration: 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Silent Auction & Drinks: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Dinner & Presentation: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Cost per seat:$50To register, go to our link at: http://orphanstickethome.org/events-orlando.aspx
For more information on silent auction donations or table sponsorships, please contact Amy Kryszan at Amy.Kryszan@awaa.org


Many of our world's children are orphaned and have no hope for adoption or to be reunited with a family. This is why we created An Orphan's Ticket Home campaign. Our desire is to see more orphans have the chance to come home to their forever families. Your participation with us in this campaign will determine whether many of these children ever get "that ticket home." The goal of this campaign is to raise $1,000,000 in order to make it possible for orphaned children to be adopted. For some, these funds will secure birth certificates and documents to give them a legal identity, which is necessary in order to be eligible for adoption. Other children will be able to move from orphanages to safe, clean transitional homes. A ticket home will make other children's dreams come true when they are brought into loving, permanent homes. Our end goal of $1,000,000 will give 5,100 children the opportunity for a loving home. Please join us for our Orlando Orphan’s Ticket Home Gala on Friday, October 30th, 2009.

China Re-thinking One-Child Policy as the Population Ages

A story from The TimesOnline - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6841430.ece

Call for more babies as China turns to grey
Michael Sheridan in Shanghai

WHEN the head of family planning in Shanghai said young couples should have more babies because the city was growing old, it sounded like a statement of the obvious.
Yet within days there was a storm of comment on the internet and in state media as people asked whether this meant the government was preparing to relax its one-child policy.
There are signs officials are rethinking the ban, which has prevented 400m births since 1979, because on present trends China’s population will begin to decline by the middle of the century. By then, India will have overtaken it as the most populous nation.
Xie Lingli, the Shanghai family planning official, was forced to explain publicly that he had not deviated from the party line, which restricts most couples in Chinese cities to one child.
The rules allow couples who are both only-children to have two babies. Shanghai has introduced other exceptions, including more leeway for fishermen and farmers. It has also abolished a rule that couples who are allowed more than one child must wait four years between births.
“There’s a huge social demand for second children,” said Yang Henmin, an engineer in Shanghai. “In the end the government cannot control it any more than it can grasp the wind.”
The city’s family planners talk of “encouraging” more births in a change of tone that sounds distinctly like liberalisation by stealth.
“In the past we stressed birth control, not the chance to have a second child. Not many people know these exceptions to the regulations so we were just reminding them,” said Xie.
There are few babies to be seen on the streets of China’s commercial capital. The city is ageing so quickly that by 2020 more than a third of its 19m people will be 60 or over. The city’s pension fund faces bankruptcy.
It is a harbinger of change that will come as a shock to some commentators who portray China as a youthful country that is destined to rule the world. In fact, the one-child policy means China is “greying” fast. On present trends it will grow old before it has a chance to get rich.
Although China’s population has passed 1.3 billion and is still growing, it is expected to peak within three decades. By 2040, India will have 1.5 billion people versus 1.42 billion Chinese, according to Barbara Pillsbury, an expert on population control.
The Chinese media reported her forecast and the Shanghai debate shows that officials have begun to grasp the consequences of the policy.
By the middle of the century China will have more than 330m people over 60, of whom 100m will be over 80. In contrast, the US is predicted to have a younger population because of immigration and higher birth rates.
“We say that four, two, one — that’s four grandparents, two parents and one child — is the usual family structure in Shanghai,” said Tan Jie, a businessman, “so the burden of care is a heavy one.”
Then there is the gender imbalance. Pillsbury said that while the average live birth ratio is 105 boys to 100 girls, in China it is 119 to 100 — the result of abortions by couples desperate for a son.
In Mao Tse-tung’s time, the average Chinese woman had six children. Today she has 1.8. In the past, there were six younger people working to support each old person. In the one-child generation, said Pillsbury, there would be one couple to support each one.
“The figures are getting close to those in Japan and Sweden,” wrote the China Youth Daily, “so Shanghai’s intentions should be praised, but its methods are wrong.”
The newspaper warned that if other provinces did the same, the “strain on society” would be immense. “The government should not ask or encourage people to have another child; families should make the decision,” it said.
Its line seemed to suggest that a cautious debate about relaxing the policy has reached the upper echelons of the Communist party.
“China accounted for 40% of the world’s population in the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, but today it accounts for 20%,” said Wang Xinhai, a social scientist. “So China should encourage people to have even three children,” he said.
Chinese officials are defensive about a widespread misconception that the one-child limit is imposed on every couple. In the countryside, people may have a second child if their first is a girl, or disabled. No restrictions apply to China’s minorities, including Tibetans and Uighur Muslims.
But Shanghai, which was the first modern city in China, is keeping up its pioneering role. Five other provinces have followed its lead by relaxing the rule requiring four years between births. A historic change of policy may be in the early stages of gestation.

Law Makers in Vietnam Discuss Child Adoption by Foreigners

Under current procedures, adoption centers can take on three roles simultaneously: receiving and caring for children; receiving humanitarian donations from individuals and organizations; and introducing children to potential adoptive parents. However, the reality has proved that such a process is likely to lead to negative actions. For example, preference is often given to those who donate more money. To improve the situation, the bill suggested that the Ministry of Justice be in charge of introducing children for adoption by foreigners. “That introduction is a step of the process of adoption and should be controlled by a State agency. It is most reasonable that the task should be assigned to the Department of International Adoption under the Ministry of Justice,” Deputy Minister of Justice Dinh Trung Tung said at the meeting. "There remains a trend of running after benefits in the introduction of children for adoption by foreigners,” he added. Meanwhile, the chairman of the NA Law Committee, Nguyen Van Thuan, said that such an assignment is not in accordance with the ministry’s state management function. The ministry should only play the role of an effective inspector and the introduction of adoption should be taken on by social organizations, he recommended. Agreeing that priority must be given to protecting adopted children’s rights and interests, some members of the NA Standing Committee demand a regulation that children nine-years-old upward have the right to select who will adopt them. The draft law should adopt a regulation on suitable conditions through which such children can voice their opinions, the chairman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, Dao Trong Thi, said. The Ministry of Justice said that the bill is based on the concept that priority is given to local people and then adoption by foreigners as the last resort. The draft law also extends the time limit for finding domestic families to adopt orphans and other needy children from 30 to 90 days before they are put up for adoption by foreigners, the ministry said. According to preliminary statistics, during the past five years, more than 20,000 children nationwide were adopted, 13,000 by Vietnamese and the remainder by foreigners.

By A. Phuong – Translated by Truc Thinh
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2009/9/74315/#

Feds give Florida $9.75 million for foster-child adoptions

As reported by Kate Santich in the Orlando Sentinel:

Florida's efforts to increase adoption rates for foster children has earned the state a $9.75 million incentive bonus from the federal government -- more than a quarter of the money awarded nationwide."
Florida has embraced a never-give-up attitude about finding families to adopt children in foster care," George Sheldon, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, said Thursday. "Even in tough economic times, people want to adopt the children most in need of safe, loving homes."
For two years in a row, record numbers of foster children have been adopted in Florida -- 3,777 kids during the past fiscal year and 3,674 the year before. There are roughly 1,000 foster children now available for adoption. The effort has been a priority of Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped launch an "Explore Adoption" public-awareness campaign spotlighting the importance of finding "forever families" for foster kids. That effort includes a Web site -- adoptflorida.org -- where prospective parents can read profiles and view photos of children available for adoption. In addition, the department earlier this year initiated a "Longest Waiting Teens" project to help find permanent homes for older kids who had languished for years as wards of the state.

Already, 25 of the 103 foster kids identified for that program have been adopted -- including 16-year-old Dalton Rosenberg, who now lives in Ocoee. His adoption was final July 1."We're supposed to be together. It's probably the greatest thing I've ever done," said Theresa Rosenberg, who had adopted another teen from foster care before Dalton and has two biological children. "They're just as needy and loving as other kids." In all, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $35 million in adoption-incentive bonuses to 38 states and Puerto Rico. In Florida, the money will go primarily to support adoption subsidies, which help ease the financial responsibilities of adoptive families.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/orl-foster-care-bonus-091709,0,1601733.story

Should Single Christians Adopt?

A blog post by Julia Duin from Her.Meneutics, Christianity Today Blog for Women - http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2009/09/adoption_single_christians_nee.html

Adoption: Single Christians Need Not Apply
When there are 132 million orphans in the world, should unmarrieds really be discouraged from reaching out to them?

National Adoption Month is coming up, and churches are mobilizing like never before to encourage people to adopt. But there is a secret underneath it all: Single Christians need not apply.
When I was considering adopting my daughter, one of the most disheartening things was the active discouragement of many Christians who told me point-blank that only married couples should adopt. It was bad enough, I thought, to be consigned to a life of singleness because of the lack of unmarried men in church. For people to say singles are unworthy to adopt a child who would otherwise be living in an orphanage boggled my mind.

The other day, I received a copy of SBC Life, the Southern Baptist Convention’s denominational magazine, where I saw David Roach’s piece “Adoption Ministries Thriving in SBC Churches.” First, the good: It pointed out how any church, large or small, can be involved in adoption ministry toward those who want to adopt, how scandalous it is how many orphans are in this world, and that it’s up to Christians to do something about it. I was gratified to learn of a few loan programs out there for those wishing to adopt, as the costs — especially for international adoption — usually climb well past $30,000. It was also refreshing to see how many parents were supporting interracial adoption. And it providing some good ideas for preparing for November 8, which is Orphan Sunday.

All the photos and the pronouns used in the article, however, referred to couples. This was true on some of the related websites, such as Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, where I found no mention that some of the adoptive parents might be single men or women. This was certainly true on the application forms attached to these sites. I e-mailed Highview's adoption ministry director about this, and she was not aware of any singles adoptions there. “The leadership of Highview believes that it is the best for children to be adopted into traditional homes with a father and a mother,” she told me.

I also e-mailed another member of Highview, Russell Moore, senior vice president at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, dean of its school of theology, and author most recently of Adopted for Life. I asked him about his stance on single adoptions, and he wouldn’t say what that might be. He just said the answer was in his new book, which he said he'd be glad to send to me. It arrived, and over the weekend, and I found one sentence addressing my concern: “Generally speaking, if you are single, pray for a marriage before you seek children.”

Well, of course. But what if God does not answer someone's prayers for marriage?
I clicked on TogetherforAdoption.org, regarding an adoption conference slated for October 2-3 at Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. The main speakers were married men. Female speakers were assigned to the break-out sessions, but there was nothing there for singles. It seems that in the organizers' minds, we are disqualified from parenthood.

About a year ago, I was talking with a publisher about ideas for books, and I mentioned my interest in writing something to encourage single adoptive parents in the evangelical world. The emerging adoption movement is so focused on couples, I thought an alternative voice was needed. That idea lasted two seconds. I was told the book would be too niche, that no one would read it, and that no evangelical publisher would print it.

Christian groups report that there are 132 million orphans in this world. If so, every available resource needs to be freed up to care for these children — meaning singles as well as couples. There are 100 million single persons over 18 in the United States alone — one-third of the population. I think it’s safe to estimate that at least a third of all adults in a typical U.S. church are single. Why is it verboten to mobilize the unmarried so they too can nourish and bring up children?

I’m not picking just on the Southern Baptists. Several years ago, I was interviewing a professor at a Catholic college who also told me singles should not adopt. In fact, he said, children would be better off staying at orphanages than being adopted by a single mom or dad. I was speechless. I have seen the conditions of orphanages in Iraq, Kazakhstan, and India. What sane person would want a child to grow up in one of those? When I see Christian adoption activists ignore singles, I conclude, sadly, that despite their rhetoric, they are not fully committed to doing what it takes to make sure every child gets a home.

Reminder: Together for Adoption Conference 2009

Join the 400 people who have already registered for Together for Adoption Conference 2009 at Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN) on October 2-3. The uniqueness of T4A’s conferences is that they focus primarily on vertical adoption (i.e., God adopting us in Christ), with a secondary and necessary focus on its profound implications for orphan care and horizontal adoption (i.e., couples adopting children). With over 132 million orphaned and vulnerable children in the world, what our world needs is Christians who have been freshly gripped by the stunning vertical reality of their adoption by God. If anything can mobilize the church to address our world’s orphan crises, it will be the good news of vertical adoption. Join us as we seek to connect the dots between our adoption by God and the adoption of children.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN.

Conference page for Together for Adoption Conference 2009 Nashville: http://www.togetherforadoption.org/?page_id=11

Worship will be led by Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace (http://www.igracemusic.com/).

Check out our new T4A video. It connects the glory of the gospel (i.e., the treasure that Jesus is) with the global orphan crisis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCK8dMoErRA

News from China Center of Adoption Affairs

Issued by the Joint Council on International Children's Services:

"During a meeting with the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, Director General Lu announced that beginning December 1, 2009, all adoptive families must be registered with a Hague Accredited Adoption Service Provider (ASP). If an adoptive family is currently registered with a non-Accredited ASP, they are required to transfer their adoption to a Hague Accredited ASP no later than December 1, 2009. Director General Lu also clarified: families currently using the I-600A and I-600 process (non-Hague) may continue with this process. Families are not required to transfer to the I-800A and I-800 process, unless deemed necessary by the United State Government."

Philippine Politician Pushing for Simpler Child Adoption Laws

MANILA - The Philippines needs simpler laws for potential parents who want to adopt orphans and neglected children, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said on Tuesday
Pimentel said he is drafting a bill that prescribes new ways of alternative child care and will consolidate all laws on domestic adoption and inter-country adoption, foster care and guardianship of children.
He said the bill, entitled “The Alternative Child Care Code of 2009,” seeks the establishment of the National Child Welfare Authority (NCWA) that will be responsible for implementing all laws relevant to alternative child care in the country.

Continue story at: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/08/18/09/simpler-child-adoption-laws-pushed

"Will abused kids lose Orlando safe haven?" by Kate Santich

From the Orlando Sentinel.

They come at all hours of the day and night, their small bodies often bruised, their lives in chaos. Some arrive in nothing but a diaper and a T-shirt.
At the Crisis Nursery in Orlando, they find a warm bed, plenty to eat and someone to hold them and keep them safe. Last year, 150 children came to the shelter, most removed from abusive or neglectful parents.
Rest of the story at: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-crisis-nursery-082809,0,6443362.story

"A New Mission to China" by Scott Calvert

A story from the Baltimore Sun.

The boy was near age 6 when he was abandoned in 1998. Police found him under a bridge in Luoyang, a city in eastern China. Unable to learn how he got there or where he came from, officers deposited him at a busy orphanage in town.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/eastern-shore/bal-md.adoption23aug23,0,774152.story

Florida Mentoring Program expands to Include Foster Children

From the Orlando Sentinel's Editorial Section:
Foster Good Outcomes
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped-mentoring-foster-kids-082082409aug24,0,5346322.story

Seminole County in Desperate Need of Guardian Ad Litem Volunteers!

From the Seminole Chronicle -

Guardian program low on help after state cuts
By Abraham AborayaAugust 19, 2009

SEMINOLE COUNTY - The volunteer organization that represents abused, neglected or abandoned children in court is looking for more volunteers in the county.
The Guardian ad Litem program emerged from the state's budget cycle with a $2.81 million cut, which, while significant, was far less than the Florida House of Representative's proposed $7.6 million.
But the cuts caused a shift in volunteers, leaving a hole that needs to be filled with 80 volunteers in total, and 40 for a training session that starts in October.
"We really need volunteers for the program desperately," said Patricia Williams, the recruiter for the guardian program. "We could easily use another 50 or 75 volunteers (in Seminole County alone). Our state government was very good and gave us as minimal a cut as possible."
A Guardian ad Litem is a person appointed by the court to represent the interests of a single person. In Florida, the guardians can sometimes be the voice of a group of children pulled from a home during an abuse, abandonment or neglect case.
The guardian takes the time to get to know what the child's interests are, and often interviews the family of the children, as well as doctors, educators and anyone else that touches the child's life.
Volunteers get about 30 hours of training before they begin work. In Florida, to volunteer you need to be 19 years old, not have a felony record and be able to produce references.
"We need someone who cares about children, who has a little bit of time, only about 10 hours a month, and the big one is the common sense requirement," Williams said. "So you have the state's requirements and then you have [my] requirements."
Statewide, as of June, there are 31,000 kids under court supervision, and 26,800 are represented by a Guardian ad Litem. In Seminole County as of July 1, there were 440 children needing guardians, and 145 volunteers in the program.
The program got a $3.8 million cut, although the cut was dampened this year by a $1 million, non-recurring boost. That means that there will be an additional $1 million coming from the budget the following year.
The cuts ultimately led to 50 positions lost statewide. Less staff means the program is depending more now on volunteers to fill in the gap.
"That was the result, unfortunately," said Deborah Moore, the public information officer for the guardian program. "It wasn't as severe as we thought it would be. We were concerned that it was going to be a much larger cut."
Williams knows first hand about the volunteering. She started working for the guardian program six years ago in Brevard County as a volunteer.
"It just was an eye-opening realization that that was going on in my own area, and I was totally unaware," Williams said. "I never had any idea the extent of what the situation is for our children.
"And it's a wonderful opportunity. It's life changing for the children. You get to improve that child's life. How many volunteer opportunities can you have that effect on generations to come?"
Valentina Jolta, 29, of Casselberry, became certified as a Guardian ad Litem in 2004 while she was getting her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. A representative from the program spoke during one of her psychology classes.
"Just hearing the need to find safe, permanent homes and knowing that I could make a difference really attracted me to the volunteer opportunity," Jolta said.
Jolta said volunteering as a guardian has been very rewarding for her.
"I would recommend it to anyone who desires to help children, that wants to make a difference," Jolta said. "I would advocate for anyone in college to have this experience, or anyone who has an interest in law, or anyone who has the love and support able to give to a child. It's a unique opportunity, and it's a very professional program.
"I just think it's a very rewarding experience. It gives a lot of personal satisfaction."
Jolta, a certified school psychologist who is employed as an educational liaison, said that working with abused children can take an emotional toll, especially if you get attached.
"I think just knowing you're making a difference is helpful, and I'm very positive," she said. "I don't think it's ever affected me negatively."

http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2009/08/19/4a8c6afa9c107