Personal Experience

My daughter and I were shopping the other day and a woman walks in and we make eye contact. She immediately says to me, “is she (referring to my daughter) adopted?” Now for a split second I hesitate. I question her motive despite the fact that she appears harmless. Now, I am Caucasian and my daughter is Asian so we don’t look alike. But, there is always the possibility that my husband is Asian which could explain why my daughter looks Asian. However, that is not the case. (This one time a total stranger walked up to me and shouted, “she (referring to my daughter) is so Jon and Kate plus eight!) Do you get it? Anyway, I said, “yes, she is adopted.” The woman (who is Asian herself) enthusiastically responds, “so am I!” I was relieved. She then proceeded to share with me her adoption story. It was such a nice change for me. So many times I hear crazy comments from people who know nothing about adoption but feel it is their right to share with me their opinions on why they think children are abandoned. Why birthmothers place their babies and children for adoption and why the cost is so outrageous and so on and so on. But, on this day. This woman shared with me her positive story and it was very refreshing to hear. I cannot share her entire story on this blog because it is her story and not mine. But I can share that she feels normal. She has a healthy relationship with her parents and a healthy attitude and heart for her birthparents. After reading so much material that is out there with a lot of it being negative, it was nice to hear something positive from an adult adoptee. Whether your story is positive or negative, it is your story and I encourage you to share it with the world. You never know when it could be just what someone needed to hear.

Haitian Orphans Come To The United States

53 Orphans arrived in Pittsburg today to be united with their adoptive parents. In addition, hundreds of emergency Visas have been granted to children who were in the process of being adopted before the earthquake in Haiti.  Rumors of a massive airlift of homeless children are making the rounds in Florida, led by Senator Bill Nelson.  Will this “Operation Pierre Pan” take place?  That’s the main question of the day. Not since the time of Operation Babylift at the end of the Vietnam War has the idea been entertained to transport hundreds of orphans to be cared for by US families.  For now we must wait, hope, and prepare for what may come.

Info taken from Rainbow Kids Weekly Newsletter

Guatemala Update for 2010

CNA’s announcement of a Two-year Limited Pilot Program

On November 20, 2009 the Department of State received a letter from the Guatemalan National Council on Adoptions (CNA) – the Guatemalan Central Authority — announcing its intention to launch a limited two-year pilot program that will allow for the adoption of a small number of older children, groups of siblings, and children with special needs.  The CNA invited the Central Authorities of Hague Convention partner countries to express interest in participating in this program, in which no more than four countries will be chosen to participate among countries that express interest.  The program is designed to re-open Guatemala’s intercountry adoptions while ensuring compliance with the Hague Convention.  The CNA has so far provided little detail about how the pilot program would function.

The Department of State, after consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), sent an expression of interest in the pilot program  to the CNA. Although we remain deeply concerned about the history of malfeasance in intercountry adoptions from Guatemala, we responded positively because of our strong interest in assisting Guatemala to reform its adoption system.

This expression of interest on the part of the United States does not mean that new adoptions from Guatemala will start any time soon, and prospective parents should not make any plans to start new adoptions in Guatemala at this time.  Our expression of interest does not in any way signal that DOS has found Guatemala’s intercountry adoption procedures in compliance with the Hague Convention on Adoption.  There is no pilot program yet, only a statement of intent from the CNA to start one.  Although the United States has expressed interest in learning more about the proposed pilot program, we cannot commit to participating until we know more about the details of the program.  We do not know if the CNA will accept the United States as one of the participants.  We also cannot predict how the pilot program will affect grandfathered cases currently being processed by the Guatemalan government.

We will keep you updated on how the Guatemalan pilot program develops and whether the United States will be a participant.

Information take from here

2010 Adoption Tax Credit

The maximum amount adoptive parents can claim for their adoption tax credit this year is $12,170. This goes for special needs and non-special needs children. 2009’s maximum amount was $12, 150. So, the increase this year was only $20.00. I think we can all guess why.

As addressed before in this earlier post, the tax credit set to expire on December 31, 2010. I urge you all to contact your congressmen and let them know how important this tax credit is to you and to your family. I did it last year and I will do it again this year. We all know that adoption is very expensive and we would like nothing more than to continue this tax credit program. It has helped thousands of families and children find each other. Follow these instructions to contact your congressmen and state reps.

To find your state Senator click here. It will take you to a drop down list of states and then to a list of your senators and finally to their home page. You can send an email to them from their home page. To find your representative click here and follow the instructions above. Good luck!!!

Information regarding the tax credit for 2010 was taken from IRS website.

2009 International Adoption Statistics

Top 20 Countries in 2009

• China – 3,000*
• Ethiopia – 2,275*
• Russia – 1,600*
• South Korea – 1,050
• Guatemala – 750
• Ukraine – 600*
• Vietnam – 480
• Haiti – 330*
• Kazakhstan – 295*
• India – 275*

• Philippines – 275
• Taiwan – 267
• Colombia – 230*
• Ghana – 100*
• Nigeria – 100
• Poland – 77
• Mexico – 70
• Thailand – 59
• Japan – 36*
• Worldwide Total – 12,700

Information taken from Across The World Adoptions.

Guatemala Re-Opening? Well……kinda

The National Council of Adoptions for Guatemala is seeking to open a 2-year pilot adoption program with four countries.  This new pilot program will be limited in the number of children placed, and will focus on harder-to-place children. The new program will not resemble the old program that placed very young infants through private attorneys. Adoptions from Guatemala were suspended January 1, 2008, due to concern with the lack of government oversight, and very poor practices of some attorneys, agencies, and orphanages. The important question to ask now is, “Will the US State Department apply to be one of the 4 countries involved with this new pilot program?”  Unless a decision is made very soon, the US will miss this opportunity to participate in this new program.  We will keep you updated as this situation develops. Information taken from Rainbow Kids

Looking for a great online adoption community?

Look no further! Adoption Families Magazine recently launched their new online community! It is filled with all sorts of information concerning adoption. International, domestic, birthparents, the paperchase, finances, anything you can think of. I recently joined and have been quite impressed with the layout and easy way to navigate the site. Click here to see the homepage and learn more about the community.

Korea Closing It’s Doors By 2012

I came across this article which predicts that South Korea will stop all international adoptions by the year 2012. It is currently the longest running international adoption program in the world having placed over 160,000 adoptees in 14 western countries. To read more about the possible shut down, click here.

What Do You Think About This?

Latest 2008 Adoption Statistics

Click here to see the 2008 results for Visa’s issued to children entering the United States.