Académie des avocats spécialisés dans l'adoption et la procréation assistée
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As we celebrate National Adoption Month, here is an article written by Sally Wildman, one of our AAAA Attorneys who previously practiced adoption law in Illinois before retiring this year. The article provides some helpful tips on how to allay some of the costs of adopting.
Read the full article HERE.
— The attached article is being posted with permission from Natural Awakenings Chicago where the article was first published.
Coalition on Adoption Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Klobuchar recently brought up international adoption in a Judiciary Committee hearing with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Below is a brief transcript of the exchange.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security
November 16, 2021
KLOBUCHAR: Thank you. Last question here; along with Senator Blunt, I co-chair the congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus. Many of the members on this committee are members; it’s very bipartisan. Over in the house, it is Adam Smith and Representative Aderholt that chair the commission. And that’s why we’ve introduced the Adoptee Citizenship Act to make citizenship automatic for all international adoptees who were legally adopted by U.S. citizens as kids, regardless of when their adoption was finalized. Since 2004, international adoptions have fallen nearly 93 percent. And I have always viewed this, and part of it, of course, is a pandemic; part of it is things that Russia did, things that China did. But there’s a whole lot of kids in other countries as well that need a loving family, and there’s a whole lot of Americans that would like to adopt kids. We are proud that the domestic numbers have actually gone up during the last few administrations; with foster kids getting adopted, that’s all good. But international adoption has actually been a part of the way that our country is connected to the rest of the world. Not to mention the humanitarian issues. Will you work with me to identify barriers and find ways to ease the citizenship process for foreign-born adoptees and also in general, as we’re talking to the State Department, Senator Blunt and I about this issue to work to get back to the situation where we were welcoming adopted kids into our country?
MAYORKAS: Senator, I would be privileged to do so. I was privileged to work with then-Senator Mary Landrieu on international adoptions as well as with Ranking Member Grassley on that valiant effort.
KLOBUCHAR: All right. Thank you…
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.
AAAA is pleased to reshare this Press Release from the United States Senate regarding National Adoption Month.
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Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Marking National Adoption Month |
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| 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. |
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Please Click Here To View This Press Release Online
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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.
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.
