Open, Semi-Open or Closed Adoption

There are many women out there facing an unplanned pregnancy and if you are considering placing your unborn child up for adoption GOOD FOR YOU. As I am sure you know there are thousands of potential parents just waiting for a child to call their own. Before you begin deciding on the parents for your child you need to give some other issues some thoughts. Choosing the adoptive parents is an extremely important decision but there are other decisions that you need to make before you begin the process of choosing the family. First you need to think about whether … Continue reading →

Parent Training

If you have a child the old fashioned way there is no manual, there is no class that tells you how to deal with some of the issues that are sure to come up as the child grows. When you are going through the adoption process you go through what is called a PRIDE seminar. I am not sure what the PRIDE stands for but it is a very complete parenting training course. All parents should have to take parenting classes even if they are having biological children. There are so many issues covered during these weeks and weeks of … Continue reading →

What Does the Hague Convention Agreement Actually Say?

Adoption periodicals and websites often refer to the “Hague Convention”, to “Hague requirements” and to countries being “Hague” or “non-Hague”. What does that mean? I gave a brief overview and shared some potential concerns. But what exactly does the Hague Convention say? “Hague” refers to the international courts at the Hague in Holland. The adoption agreement referred to is formally titled “Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect to Intercountry Adoption”. The introduction states that “the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere … Continue reading →

Concerns with the Hague Convention Requirements

My last blog was an overview of the Hague Convention on International Adoption, a treaty which the U.S. put into effect two years ago and which is still being implemented in many countries, although some countries have chosen to continue adoption as usual without joining the Convention. This blog will raise some possible concerns with adoption procedures according to the Hague Convention. Hague-related concerns center not so much on countries that did not adopt the treaty, but with countries which have signed the treaty, but do not have the resources to implement all of its provisions by the effective date. … Continue reading →

Foible in Law Reveals Domestic Tragedies Nationwide

My last two blogs dealt with the Nebraska Safe Haven law which allowed parents to abandon children without fear of persecution, and with its amendment last weekend which makes the law apply to infants under 30 days only. While researching these blogs, I came across some interesting stories. Families.com readers shared my horror at the idea of what being abandoned by a parent–at an age of full awareness of what is happening–must do to a child’s psyche. However, at some other sites I found people commenting in favor of the Nebraska law, which was formerly the only one that did … Continue reading →

Nebraska Safe Haven Law Now Applies Only to Newborns

Nebraska state legislators have changed the state’s “safe haven” law, which allowed a parent to leave a child with a hospital employee without fear of facing charges, to apply only to infants in the first month of life. Last spring, Nebraska became the last U.S. state to enact a safe haven law. These laws are intended to prevent frightened new parents from abandoning the baby in an unsafe place or from hiding and possibly killing the baby. In 49 states, the law specifies the age of the infants the law applies to. In some states the law applies to newborns … Continue reading →

Avoiding an Adoption Nightmare

My last blog talked about the nightmare scenario of the Baby Jessica case in the early 1990s in which courts ruled that a 2 ½ year old child would leave the parents who had raised her for 2 ½ years and go to her biological father. This case had many unusual aspects, but the media did not always make clear that the adoption was never completed—the birth father asked for custody as soon as the mother told him about the child, when the baby was under a month old. Steps to take to avoid an adoption nightmare include: • Choose … Continue reading →

Tragic Death of a Baby–Why Not Adoption Instead?

News sources are now reporting that a 19-year-old Wisconsin woman is in jail for neglect causing the death of her young infant. Indra Book stopped breastfeeding her baby and allowed her to die. A friend of hers is charged with covering up the child’s death. The LaCrosse County District Attorney told the media that the parents could have given up the baby under the state’s safe haven laws. This would have brought the baby to safety while maintaining the anonymity of the parents. There is much that is still unknown about this case. The mother has given conflicting statements. The … Continue reading →

What is Adoption Loss?

We all know of miscarriage, or pregnancy loss. “Adoption loss” is the bereavement felt when an expected adoption does not occur. Although less than one-tenth of a percent of finalized adoptions are contested each year, parents are often heavily invested emotionally before finalization or before placement. Often they have been meeting with birthparents for several months. They may have seen the baby via ultrasound, chosen a name for the baby, shared the news with their families, prepared the baby’s room, and bought clothing specific to the gender of the expected child. Some birth parents even invite the adoptive parents to … Continue reading →

Adoption and Inheritance Rights

Can an adopted child inherit from his/her birthparents as well as adoptive parents? Can a birthparent claim some of the estate of an adopted child who dies? In some states, the answer is yes! There are two major things to keep in mind when reading this blog: 1. This blog refers to state “intestate” inheritance laws, meaning laws regarding the estate of someone who dies without having made a will. If you make a will, you can direct that your money and other assets go to your adoptive child, your birth child, your adoptive parent, your birthparent, your neighbor’s third … Continue reading →