Padres adoptivos

From Empty Nester to New Parent

J and P were long time foster parents. They were about to be empty nesters as their youngest child had just gone to college when they agreed to be a respite short term foster placement for a child who needed temporary care. Little did they know that this decision would change their lives forever.

I had the honor of helping J and P complete their adoption journey with this lovely child. What began as a temporary need turned into something much bigger when J and P realized that this child desperately needed a forever home. As with many adoptions, the journey was not always easy. What began as a simple yes, we will help turned into four years of litigation expense and stress.

Navigating the adoption journey was stressful but I was able to guide them and advocate for them. Ultimately, they entered into an open adoption with the Birthmother. The beauty of open adoption is that when a birth parent knows in their heart that they cannot take care of a child it gives them a way to stay connected to the child.

Adoption laws are complicated especially when you have a situation where there is interplay between fostering and adopting. My job was to guide advocate and protect J and P interests. They trusted me even when it was hard and never wavered in their desire to give this child permanency. J and P sacrificed tremendously both financially and emotionally but ultimately in the end they finalized their adoption and, in navigating an open adoption with their birthmother, enabled their child to always know his culture and his background and never feel abandoned.

Their case is like many cases that I see in my practice. People with a desire to help children who make sacrifices and put their own needs aside so that they can provide stability and permanency one child at a time. For those who are struggling in the adoption process, have faith because just when you think you are at the end often a door will open and he will go down a path that you never expected and end up in a really good place and have the family you always dreamed of having.

— Sherriann Hicks is a Trustee and Fellow of AAAA. Her adoption practice is in Georgia. Learn about her practice, www.sherriannhicks.com.

Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month

AAAA is pleased to reshare this Press Release from the United States Senate regarding National Adoption Month.

For Immediate Release

November 17, 2021

Katie_Boyd@blunt.senate.gov (Blunt)

Jane_Meyer@klobuchar.senate.gov (Klobuchar)

Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, announced that they have introduced a resolution marking November as National Adoption Month and November 20 as National Adoption Day. This is the seventh consecutive year that Blunt and Klobuchar have led legislation to recognize National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day.

“Every child deserves a stable, loving home and the foundation for a successful future that it provides,” said Blunt. “As an adoptive parent myself, I’m proud to introduce this resolution recognizing November as National Adoption Month, and I hope it will encourage more Americans to consider expanding their families through the gift of adoption. In the Senate, I remain committed to working with parents, advocates, and colleagues to promote adoption and raise awareness for the 400,000 children in our foster care system who are in need of families.”

“National Adoption Month is an opportunity to support adoptive families who open their hearts and homes to children,” said Klobuchar. “As Senate co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Senator Blunt and I continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help make the adoption process better for children and families across our country. I’ll keep working to increase awareness about the importance of adoption and honor the dedication and commitment of adoptive families.”

For years, Blunt and Klobuchar have been leaders in the fight to give every child a permanent home.

Provisions of Blunt and Klobuchar’s legislation to protect adopted children from unregulated custody transfers, also known as rehoming, passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in June as part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization of 2021.

In May, Blunt and Klobuchar reintroduced the Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act to provide the Secretary of State with the authority to establish an Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee to focus on coordinating the development, refinement, and implementation of policy and programs on intercountry adoption.

That same month, Blunt and Klobuchar led a bipartisan letter calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to engage in efforts to resume intercountry adoptions with China, which have been indefinitely paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Intercountry Adoption Information Act, which Blunt and Klobuchar cosponsored, was signed into law in November 2020. The legislation helps ensure that Americans who are trying to adopt children from other countries are provided with updated, quality information as they navigate the intercountry adoption process.

During that same month, Blunt and Klobuchar encouraged the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness for National Adoption Month and for the importance of domestic and intercountry adoption.

In October 2020, they sent a letter urging the Department of State to prioritize policies to promote intercountry adoption and to look specifically at the fee schedule for prospective accrediting entities to ensure they do not impose undue financial burdens on families seeking to adopt internationally.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Blunt and Klobuchar sent a letter in April 2020 asking the Department of State to use all available resources to ensure that intercountry adoptions proceed in a safe and timely manner during the pandemic and that American families stranded abroad while completing these adoptions return home safely.

Blunt and Klobuchar in May 2019 reintroduced the Supporting Adoptive Families Act to help provide pre- and post-adoption support services, including mental health treatment, to help adoptive families stay strong.

Blunt and Klobuchar also partnered on the Accuracy for Adoptees Act, which became law in early 2014. This legislation cuts red tape for adoptive families and ensures that corrections made to adoptees’ state vital records would be recognized by the federal government.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

Please Click Here To View This Press Release Online

This Is Our Family!

Sarah was sixteen and pregnant. West Virginia was home, but she’d moved to Washington to live with her grandparents after learning she was pregnant. The baby’s father, Jacob, was several years older and still living in West Virginia. Sarah had chosen adoptive parents for her baby: Lisa was a family doctor, Adam was a nonprofit director, and they had a three-year-old son. They lived in Tennessee, and had been searching for an adoptive placement for almost two years.

Last May, I got a text from Lisa. Twenty-four years ago, we were freshman roommates at Dartmouth College. I knew she and Adam were hoping to adopt, but hadn’t seen her in person since we graduated. “Hey, we might actually have a match. Her name is Sarah and she lives . . . about half an hour from you? I think we need an attorney. Could you represent us?”

Could I?! Um, one thousand times YES!

Sarah thought her due date was May 13, so Lisa and Adam flew to Seattle on the 9th. As it turned out, Sarah didn’t deliver until May 21st. Fortunately, Lisa and Adam are enthusiastic hikers and the weather cooperated, so they were able to explore the Cascades, San Juan Islands, and greater Puget Sound area in addition to spending time with Sarah, her mother, and her grandmother.

When the baby finally arrived, Lisa was able to be present in the delivery room, although Adam wasn’t allowed to join them due to Covid restrictions. Sarah had her mother with her as well, and Jacob had driven (driven!) all the way from West Virginia with his own mother to meet the baby, which he was able to do a few hours after the baby was born. Baby Luke was healthy, Sarah was healthy, and they were discharged 24 hours after birth. Sarah and Jacob signed consents to the adoption. Lisa, Adam, Luke, Sarah, and Sarah’s mother all left the hospital together, and spent that evening with Sarah’s grandparents. A few days later, Lisa and Adam said tearful goodbyes to Sarah, and returned to Tennessee with baby Luke and a temporary custody order.

When we finalized the adoption about six weeks later, Lisa wrote this:

Luke was born to an amazing, bright, talented young woman who won us over as soon as we met her. We have given her our word that we will do our best to raise this boy in a way that honors her selfless sacrifice. She is family, and we are thankful.

She is also an artist, which is reflected in our son’s name: Luke is the patron saint of both artists and physicians, and also means “bringer of light.” He has already brought so much light, and we have no doubt he will continue to do so.

We are forever indebted to our friends who have shared their adoptive journeys with us, and who have helped us make this happen. Luke’s story is inherently different from his brother’s, and we are on this ride for life. We don’t have all the answers, but we know that he deserves to handle the truth of his story, in his own time.

This is our family! For better, for worse, for always.

— Janna J. Annest is a AAAA Fellow who handles both adoption and ART law. You can learn more about Janna’s practice on her website, www.lka-legal.com.

The Parent Trip

Yet another story of an amazing family created through adoption as we celebrate National Adoption Month! We hope you enjoy reading about Christopher and Susannah.

Christopher and Susannah Adoption Month Story

This story has been posted with permission from Evan Benn of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

POSITIVITY, PATIENCE AND LOVE

My agency, Adoptions of Wisconsin, had the privilege of helping Laura and Paul with their adoption. They are inspiring in their positive approach, especially considering that the Covid-19 pandemic hit just as their lives were changing in ways they couldn’t imagine.

Like many families pursuing adoption to build their family, Laura and Paul began their adoption journey after struggling with infertility. It was natural for them to consider adoption, given that several of their friends had adopted children, or had been adopted themselves.

The adoption process was neither easy nor swift; Laura and Paul noted that some parts moved quickly while others went more slowly. After beginning to work with Adoptions of Wisconsin, the couple felt that, “Once you finish all the paperwork and other steps it seems like it should be easy, but that’s when it gets tough.” While this can be a common feeling for waiting families, Laura and Paul made the best of their down time.

While waiting, Paul and Laura made a determined effort to stay positive while using their time to learn as much as they could about adoption and parenting. Knowing that their lives would drastically change once they had a child, the couple also used their time together to have fun and stay busy by traveling and going to concerts.

Even while striving for positivity and hopefulness, many couples still experience worrisome “what ifs” in the adoption process. Laura recalls that while facing the possibility of not having a successful match, the couple had some difficult conversations that gave them “some focus, control and helped us put things in perspective.”

After a two-year period of waiting (mostly) patiently for a match, Laura and Paul’s long wait came to an end rather abruptly. Just like that, they were matched with a birth mother… with only four days to go before she was due to give birth! Although it was exactly the news they had been waiting for, it was also the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This brought them a great deal of uncertainty and worry. The couple remarks that, “It seemed like the worst time to get what should be good news, but as it turned out, a newborn was a great curveball and diversion for the two of us and our families!”

Unbeknownst to Laura and Paul, their adoption journey was not over and the hardest part was yet to come. Their son, Liam, encountered some frightening health complications a few weeks after birth. Laura and Paul recognize that this obstacle could not have been controlled or prevented and that it was the scariest point of their journey. After several days in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), Liam thankfully recovered and could return home with Laura and Paul. The family reports that Liam has been healthy and happy ever since and they were able to start writing a new chapter in their story shortly after.

Reflecting fondly on their adoption journey, Paul and Laura feel extremely fortunate and believe that every single hard bit of the adoption process was worth it to bring their amazing son – this child who was destined to be theirs – into their lives. The couple also feels incredibly grateful for his wonderful birth mother, with whom they regularly communicate.

Laura and Paul have spent the past year watching Liam grow, play and learn—especially witnessing his progression in learning Spanish at his daycare. Although the pandemic has limited what families have been able to partake in, the silver lining is that Paul, Laura and Liam have been able to spend a significant amount of time together. As pandemic conditions improve and as Liam gets older, they are looking forward to traveling and sharing more experiences as a family.

In hindsight, Laura and Paul stand strongly behind their decision to adopt. With the help of a great support system of family, friends, and Adoptions of Wisconsin, they were able to stay positive and focused on building a solid foundation for their family while waiting to share their love with a child. Laura reflects, “It’s not an easy path, but it is very worth it,” following up by teasing the next chapter of their journey: seeking to share their love with another child through adoption!

— Lynn Bodi is an Attorney and Shareholder of The Law Center, S.C. in Madison, Wisconsin (www.lawcenterwisconsin.com). She practices both adoption and ART law.

Home Sweet Home At Any Age

As an adoption professional for nearly 30 years, I have had the privilege of representing clients in over 2,500 adoptions. While the majority of those have been newborn adoptions, the ones that have really grabbed my heart are the adoptions older children and adults. My oldest adoptee was almost 60. There is no age limit in Florida on who can be adopted –. the desire to be a part of a family does not extinguish with age. The tears that are shed at these final hearings are often far sweeter knowing these families are created by mutual choice, as older adoptees must consent to their adoption.

Approximately 23,000 kids age out of foster care each year without being reunited with family or being placed in a permanent home. Without family or a dependable adult to rely on for guidance and assistance, their chances of success diminish. Many will not complete high school. Few will complete college. They are at higher risks for homelessness, joblessness, incarceration, depression, and suicide. They are victimized physically and susceptible to being trafficked. Many fall prey to financial scams, usury interest rates, and are subject to identity theft before they reach the age of 18. Many embark into adulthood with no one upon whom they can rely. Most still yearn for a family and a place to call home. There are over 71,000 waiting to be adopted.

For almost ten years my family and I have opened our hearts and our home to a number of these young people. Some have stayed but a few weeks or months, some for many years. Our walls are full of photos of our ‘extended family’. One day a very special young man named Derrick came into our lives. After many months, he asked us if we would adopt him. “You are already a part of our family” I said. “But I want to make it legal. Permanent.” he replied. So, we did.

On our adoption day we decorated our car with “It’s a boy” stickers and drove to the courthouse, joined by fifty or more of our family and friends. When the Judge asked him why he wanted to be adopted, he responded, “You never know what a difference you make in someone else’s life. I am thankful that my Mom touched mine and took her time to invest in me. As a result of her love and the love of my family, the pain of my years in foster care is beginning to be erased. I want to be an advocate like her to let others know that someone believes in them, and that they are defined not by their past but only by their dreams of the kind of person they want to be.”

At 11:30 AM, on a beautiful sunny Friday morning, the Judge legally pronounced us a family. Our tears of joy were shared by everyone present. We celebrated for three days so that those who could not make it to the hearing could still be a part of our official becoming a family.

Over the years our relationship has only deepened. My son has stretched us as much as we have him. In becoming a part of our family he has seen first-hand that being committed to one another does not mean that families are perfect, or that its members always agree with each other. Putting down permanent roots has given him the courage to spread his wings. When he first moved out of state, homesick and overwhelmed, he called and said, “I can’t do this, I want to come home.” After reassuring him that he could always come home, we talked through the problems and by morning he was resolved to stay and conquer his fears. It has been a privilege to watch him grow into the confident man he has become. He is an outspoken advocate and voice for those in care, fighting to increase their chances of becoming successful adults. In 2022 he will graduate from law school.

When asked “What can I do to increase the success for kids aging out of foster care?” we would encourage you to open your heart and your home to become a mentor or family for just one more, especially a teen or young adult. My son encourages everyone to adopt teens and young adults, whether in care or those who have aged out, saying, “When you adopt an older child at least you know what you are getting.” But that is one of those areas where we may not agree. We never knew on the day he chose us just how much more joy he would bring into our lives. We are so thankful he’s a part of our family and in following his advice, we adopted one more!

— Susan Stockham is a Fellow of AAAA and practices adoption and ART law in Florida

From Empty Nester to New Parent

Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month

Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month

This Is Our Family!

The Parent Trip

POSITIVITY, PATIENCE AND LOVE

Home Sweet Home At Any Age

Misión de la AAAA

Información de contacto

Enlaces rápidos

Category: Adoptive Parents

Padres adoptivos

Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month

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Misión de la AAAA

Información de contacto

Enlaces rápidos