Anna Glendenning's commentsComments On: EverythingArticles Blogs Journals Photos created by: EveryoneAnna Announcing Becca's Arrival - Journal Entry27 Nov 2006 09:53 PM I have tears in my eyes and feel so blessed just to read the words of a man, husband and daddy like you.... Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this! Values that Last: Conclusion - Blog Entry26 Nov 2006 09:52 PM Yes, thank you Melissa you have done a wonderful job and this series has been refreshing to read! Adoptive Couple Kept their Special Needs Children in Cages - Blog Entry25 Nov 2006 12:38 PM I am not in a position to comment on specific people involved in Attachment Treatment. Nancy Thomas has offered some very useful information and ideas... There have been children die as a result of re-birthing experiments. Candace Newman in 2000 died in Colorado during such an exercise. The Law and Order episode was based on this story--which is true and resulted in some states establishing "policies" regarding restraints and attachment therapy. Oregon will NOT endorse, or recommend this type of therapy and will not allow Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan) to pay for such therapy. Utah and Colorado both have polices and laws as well regarding restraints and "holding therapy" Oregon issued a public statement in May 2003 and disallowed attachment therapy to even be offered until therapists attended a 24-month advanced training program specifically designed to allow therapist to treat adopted children and attachment issues. This is NOT to say that some of these RAD-Cult leaders haven't set up shop in Oregon--in fact I got an email from one in Oregon asking to be listed on my site--I promptly informed that therapists that my site does not endorse that KIND of therapy....Nor does the state of Oregon....I never heard back! What Happened to Those Children Kept in Cages? - Blog Entry24 Nov 2006 09:19 PM I agree 100%. When my uncle was a child he was raised in a boys orphanage. Over time we decided as a society this was not a good idea. Mainly because the orphanages were so rampant with abuse and horrible stories.... My uncle went on to be an adoptive father--and with my Aunt they Foster Parented 57 children during the 70's. After this my uncle felt that most of the children would have been better off emotionally had they been in a situation like he had...rather then living in a good home only to be torn away later... I do think with the society we have today--and the lack of ability the system seems to have in monitoring the situations in foster homes that new ways for old ideas might be good to consider... I frankly would rather see many of these children grouped together in one place...something like the old orphanages... Where MANY adults worked their shifts...and doctors, teachers and other professionals were on site and the children bonded with EACH other instead of a family they will most likely leave... I don't think this would be great for all children or for the little babies but, I do think this ideal of a family is too hard on these children. Every family is so different and children come in and have to learn a whole new set of rules and customs...it is hard on them... Of course, most people get irritated with me for such a horrible outdated suggestion... I go by my uncle and even some of the things Makala has said to me. It was so hard for her to adjust to our family at first and she made several remarks about how we did things... Dad's don't wash dishes (her new dad was strange) the word "Butt" is potty-talk at the foster home, but my new mom just said, " Be careful walking on the ice I don't want you to fall on your butt..." Even the little things were noticed.... Makala would have done well in a "Group Setting" and by the time we adopted her she would not have had the example of one decent family to compare with her new forever family...Much of our early problems stemed from the 'differences' in two good homes.... Adoptive Couple Kept their Special Needs Children in Cages - Blog Entry22 Nov 2006 11:10 PM HavaLyon-- There is money--but, like you say there are about a million other ways to make that kind of money. I honestly don't think the people who adopt large numbers of children (like more then 4 non-related kids) Don't start out for money reasons. I really do believe that these families start out with relatively normal motivations..... Where I think people get drawn into the bazaar methods they "THINK" a therapeutic comes after children are placed and families look for help. There are some strange attachment therapy methods out there--I have been very closely involved and they use the Internet to find adoptive parents who are desperate for support and help... It all sounds good in theory...and baby-step at a time a normal parent is nearly convinced that Reactive Attachment Disorder is Life and Death and that only One way of therapy has any chance to heal the child--because if the child is not healed they will become sociopaths.... This therapy has some great point, good stuff, great ideas but crosses the line. Parents dealing with the emotionally draining situations some of our special kids come into our lives with are told---oh that is RAD....RAD RAD RAD RAD.... there is also a tendency to be martyr parents--share horror stories and make a big-deal out of some things that are completely normal... The people deep inside this "group" believe this family was doing the Right thing.... They believe that there are valid reasons this family did what they did to these children. They believe these parents were saving these unattached children from a life of -----fill in the blank--- and that if the parents were not strong enough to make these hard decisions for the sake of these children--then they would all be lost forever and never heal.... I am not sure how LARGE the group is, during the past 3-years I have learned where they are, and debated with some of them. They also, will "TRADE" children (and the $$$) Deciding to switch one problem for another problem, underground. They call it Re-Homing... This is one group--and problem I hope I can find a way to stop frankly... What Happened to Those Children Kept in Cages? - Blog Entry22 Nov 2006 10:53 PM We are not likely to hear anything about how the children are doing now, due to confidentiality reasons. Children in foster care have a protective order and sometimes even the foster families don't know all the details about a child's case..... I am glad to hear there are some real charges.... And, hopefully the children can heal and find some security in their lives. So sad... The Health Benefits of Tanning - Blog Entry20 Nov 2006 04:46 PM There are specially designed Lights that people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) due to lack of sunlight (Pacific Northwest, USA) can use to help with the issues of light... I used to Tan in the winter and loved it very much. My uncle died at the age of 53 from Melanoma and I had my first Basil Cell Carcinomas removed before I turned 40. I enjoy being outside--but, always ware a hat and sunscreen now. My skin looks like mayonnaise and I don't have that healthy glow unless I use lots of makeup to cover up the damage I caused to my skin tanning for nearly 20-years. I like the spray on stuff now when I need to glow. Right now, I personally would rather skip the Vitamin D and avoid skin cancer--but during my 20's and 30's I would have found any positive reason I possibly could to justify fried skin...I just can't do it anymore. Adoptive Couple Kept their Special Needs Children in Cages - Blog Entry20 Nov 2006 01:37 PM Well, anyone who would continue to adopt children couldn't REALLY be in it for the money. But, there is money in some kinds of adoption of foster children. There is medicaid coverage until the age of 18 so families who can add children to private insurance policies usually have much lower medical costs then families with biological children. There are also federal mandates, which require states to provide Post-Adoption Support services in the way of subsidies for Special Needs Children. The Intent of these mandates were to make it possibly for more families to be able to adopt children. The majority of parents adopting a special needs child will receive a monthly adoption assistance subsidy. Usually that same rate of pay as foster parents receive. There is also over 10,000 in TAX CREDITS (right off the amount of federal tax you are required to pay) these tax credits can be used for up to 5 years. Meaning some families at the lower income levels will not pay a dime of income tax for several years. All of these benefits are supposed to Help the children but, those who want to profit will find a way. I don't think most of these families are in it for the money... Most start out the way I did wanting to parent, and being open to children who had a horrible start in life. I personally would never parent more then I do right now...but, do know that in some cases these large families work out. It is just impossible to know who will and who will not. The issues with how the children were treated in this blog are related to a fringe group of people who believe these children must be controlled and forced to submit to their parents in every way--before they can heal. Adoptive Couple Kept their Special Needs Children in Cages - Blog Entry18 Nov 2006 09:49 PM Actually these people are caught up in what I call the Attachment Cult. Some of the therapy methods and tactics being used are horrible--and there is a huge effort to convenience nearly any adoptive parent that their child has this problem. One of the MAJOR reasons I have my website www.HappyMomAnna.com is to help empower parents and not support the kinds of things SOME of these families, therapists and so-called experts advocate. If you discuss each disturbing point of this story with someone stuck in this cult they will explain why each abuse was appropriate for the situation. It is horrible. There has always been a group of people known as "Serial Adoptive Parents" there have been very few stellar--wonderful Huge special needs adoptive families. Often, these families think that if they don't take in more children, then no one will--in some cases that is true--for many children adopted by these large families really don't have anything else. There are 118,000 children waiting in the US for Adoptive Families...what else can we do with all of these children? If someone wants to and is able to take the children HOW can we stop them and how many will take a few children as their own so these stories will STOP? The Homeowner's Protection Act (HPA) of 1998 - Blog Entry12 Nov 2006 03:59 PM http://www.appraisercentral.com/1998Act.htm "The mortgagor has the option of tying the right to cancel to either of the following cancellation dates: The date on which the principal balance of the mortgage, based solely on the amortization schedule for the mortgage loan and irrespective of the outstanding balance on that date, is first scheduled to reach 80% of the original value of the property securing the loan; or The date on which the principal balance of the mortgage, based solely on actual payments, reaches 80% of the original value of the property securing the loan." http://www.appraisercentral.com/1998Act.htm |
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