""I wish people were there just to guide me through,"

Here is an article from the Salt Lake Tribune about some children who are aging out of the foster care system.

From Runaway to Youth Advocate

In her new book, 'Runaway Girl,' Carissa Phelps shares the story of how she turned her life around after years of trauma.  Read her story here.

Dispelling the Myths of Foster Care Adoption

from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

China Currently Working to Broaden Category of Children Who Can Be Adopted

Foreign families may be able to adopt orphans or abandoned children who are not under State care, a senior Chinese adoption official recently revealed. Regulations are being drafted to broaden the category for those eligible for adoption to include "children inplight".  More here.

From an Orphan to Promising Ballerina

This story is about Michaela DePrince, who went from being an orphan in Sierra Leone to becoming one of the most promising dancers in the U.S. 

CBS News Reports a Drop in the Foster Care Population

Foster care population drops for 6th straight year, though 26,286 of children that left the system "aged out" without  ties to their own parents and with no other home.  Read the story here.

Adoption Nutrition

The Spoon Foundation and the Joint Council on International Children's Services have partnered to create a food and nutrition resource for adoptive families called Adoption Nutrition.  It provides eating and nutrition guides for various countries such as China, Vietnam, Russia, etc. It's a great resource for those families who want to prepare foods from their child's native culture.

Some Ways Domestic Adoption Has Changed In the Past Thirty Years

An article from Adoptive Families magazine:

Perception and Reality: The Untold Story of Domestic Adoption

Adoption in the United States has undergone a seismic shift in the last 30 years. How long will it take for popular perceptions to catch up with the new, healthier reality?

"Spiderman" Andrew Garfield Takes a Humanitarian Trip to Ethiopia with Dr. Jane Aronson

Andrew Garfield, star of the film 'The Amazing Spider-Man', and Dr. Jane Aronson, founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation, share a passion for transforming the lives of children left behind.

Ukraine's Forgotten Children

Here's a story the BBC did on children in Ukraine who, after reaching age 18, were stripped of their basic human rights and sent to old age homes or psychiatric homes to live out their lives.
You can read about this here.

Christians Adopting More "Special Needs" Children

Christianity Today reports that as countries place tighter restrictions on international adoptions, more Americans are expanding their view of adoption and adopting those with "special needs."
(Please excuse the inaccurate and offensive title of the article.)

Adoptable Kids in Short Supply

But demand is high as evangelicals adopt wider variety of children than ever.  
by Ken Walker

Tighter government restrictions have reduced the number of children adopted from overseas to a 15-year low. In response, evangelicals—more willing than ever to adopt—are broadening the type of children they are willing to take in. More families, for example, are taking special-needs children, older kids, and those in foster care. Meanwhile, agencies are developing childcare subsidies and other programs to facilitate in-country adoptions.  

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