Seattle singer-songwriter Robert Deeble opens up about his experience with adoption. Deeble and his wife joined a foster-to-adopt program which was going along swimmingly, and they were preparing to sign the adoption paperwork when things went south for the couple. As is often case, the birth mother got cold feet and petitioned a judge for her daughter back. Deeble and his partner supported the birth mom’s decision, and they still spend time with the little girl.“It was a tricky relationship,” Deeble says. “We wanted to be supportive but not enmeshed. We used to joke about throwing a trailer in the backyard and being a weird alternative family. But we know that wouldn’t be healthy for any of us. So, we all kind of had to make our own way, and we all had to deal with our own levels of grief.”
If you would like to become a resource parent (foster parent), please contact Triad Family Services.
“Seattle Singer-Songwriter Robert Deeble Delivers Poignant Heartbreak and Uplifting Joy in New Album, Beloved”
A new documentary, “Three Identical Strangers,” tells the remarkable true story of adoption in America. Bobby Shafran went off to college only to learn that his classmates knew him already, by the name of Eddie Galland. Shafran discovers that he has a twin brother he never knew about; if that wasn’t spectacular enough, it turns out that Bobby and Eddie had another brother. This documentary is an unbelievable story about Triplets separated and adopted at birth.
Who would've thought that missing a flight could change a person’s life forever? Well, that is what took place last year for Temple Phipps, whose missed connection led her to meet Samantha Snipes on the next flight. Snipes was 8-months pregnant and was considering putting her child up for adoption. Phipps always hoped to one day have a family and said that she was interested in adopting her flight mate’s baby. Three days later, the infant was born.
The number of youths in California foster care prescribed psychiatric medications has declined dramatically. After a report conducted by The Bay Area News Group revealed disturbing trends in the state’s prescribing practices, antipsychotic drugs are now used far less frequently. Foster children prescribed multiple antipsychotics dropped from 264 in that same 2014 period to 70 in 2017 — a 73 percent drop.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation to ensure people who desire to adopt can easily access information and ask questions. The new law requires adoption agencies to supply prospective parents with a report containing contact information of agency employees. The bill also helps people interested in foster care or resource parenting.
Nearly four decades after Jim Sigler was put up for adoption he decided to put a baby picture of himself up on Facebook. Sigler wanted the community's help so that he could learn more about his origin. In the photo, you will notice a cheerleader’s jacket.
In 2004, there were 22,884 foreign adoptions in the United States. Since that time, overseas adoption rates have exponentially declined. Last year, only 4,714 children were adopted from other countries; a 12 percent drop from the previous year (5,372). State Department figures indicate an accelerating decline for the last 13 years.
If a children's book about adoption wasn’t touching enough, pop star Kelly Clarkson, a friend of Today Show host Hoda Kotb’s who we wrote about earlier this week, turned Kotb’s book into an intimate ballad. When Clarkson finished singing the song to Kotb for the first time, it expectedly ended with joyful tears on both sides of the microphone. 
Last year, Today Show host Hoda Kotb gave the gift of adoption to a little girl named Haley (1). Kotb named her daughter after Halley’s Comet. Haley Joy is a Valentine’s Day baby, of course! The experience so moved Kotb that she decided to write a new book, I’ve Loved You Since Forever.
On March 13, 2018, T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. passed away at his home in Barnstable, Mass. Dr. Brazelton developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, or “The Brazelton.” The test helps doctors determine a baby's health and assists parents in understanding the needs of their child. Dr. Brazelton argued that children, or their adoptive parents, could not afford losing bonding time in the early months. Historically, before children were eligible for adoption placement, they were institutionalized for months of observation.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) received a $10 million donation that will fund the creation of a new research center, the Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families. The focus of study, addressing the complex needs of children in foster care, mainly related to the educational system. The goal: strengthen families to prevent children from entering the foster care system.
Only about 3 percent of foster youth graduate from college. Fostering Success Michigan created a map that indicates that over half of colleges and/or states are not providing enough support for teens in foster care. The organization says schools are not providing assistance and access to higher education. Although, the report shows that California is one of the top two states regarding four-year institutions with established programs to assist foster youth.
Being surrounded by "academically ambitious" students and teachers kept George Garcia grounded in high school. Even though he lived in several homes as a teenager, his school proved to be one of the only constants in his life. The National Association for Gifted Children reports that a quarter to half of the gifted students are lost in the shuffle, due to children living in foster care or having disadvantaged backgrounds.
Two pieces of legislation being considered in California aim to shore up the foster parent approval process. They would ease the funding delays plaguing new foster parents, and streamline the approval process which is often quite long.
On Monday, March 12, Eric and Phyllis Watson gave the gift of adoption to four siblings on adoption day. Back in 2015, the Watson’s became foster parents with the potential to adopt; the very next day they learned of four children in need of a home. Two and half years later, the adoption is now official. A heartwarming story!
The Orangewood Foundation is a Santa Ana-based nonprofit that serves more than 2,000 foster youth. The organizations CEO, Chris Simonsen, says that about fifty percent of children in California’s foster care system do not graduate from high school. The startling statistic led Simonsen to open the Samueli Academy to help foster teens have a brighter future. Samueli Academy is a charter high school for foster youth. The academy also caters to low-income teens in the area who face similar obstacles.
A significant number of people who are adopted have questions about where they came from before adoption. Not all adoption is open, even when they are some birth parents would instead prefer to remain anonymous. On another hand, some adoptees are not interested in having any relationship with their biological mother and father.
Not everyone has what it takes to be a parent. Evident by some individuals harming children in incredible ways. Saying that twin sisters Delilah and Caroline have had a rough start in life is a gross understatement. The two toddlers were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL, with extensive injuries resulting from abuse. Jess Hamm, a nurse, attending to one of the sisters was so taken by what she saw that she chose to give the little girls a new start via adoption. 
A wealthy tequila company CEO and his wife have joined forces with nonprofits, Selfless Love Foundation and Adoption-Share, to create Family Match. The technology uses information about couples, such as personality, values, and interests, to match them with the right foster children for adoption. If it sounds like an internet dating website, that is because eHarmony’s former senior research scientist designed the tech.
For the first time since the establishment of the Title IV-E entitlement in 1980, significant changes are on the horizon regarding the structure of federal child welfare finance. The Family First Act Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) amends the IV-E entitlement, providing more federal resources to help families in crisis stay together. Packed into the bill is a clause that limits federal funds for placing foster youth into group homes. The child welfare community in California is less than thrilled:
Georgia’s Senate recently passed the Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act. The legislation has civil rights activists concerned; Senate Bill (SB) 375 could give child welfare organizations the ability to stop same-sex parents from adopting on the grounds of religious beliefs. The passing of SB 375 is likely to cause many protests in the coming weeks.
Lauren Koller and her husband Mel were approved as a “family in waiting” for adoption in 2015. Two years later, the phone rang, and it was their adoption agency. The news was good; a young expectant mother was considering the Kollers as candidates to adopt her baby. It turned out that Lauren and Mel were a perfect match, and four months later the gift of adoption became a dream come true.
With the Olympics on everyone’s mind, of late, we thought it prudent to share a remarkable story about going from foster care to the Olympic games. An accomplished gymnast, Simone Biles, shares that without the support and encouragement of others she would not be where she is today. 
Meg Kearney's new novel, When You Never Said Goodbye, is about an adoptee named Liz. It’s the conclusion to a trilogy which began with The Secret of Me, followed by The Girl in the Mirror. Throughout the novels, readers get a glimpse of what it is like growing up as an adopted child. It’s worth mentioning that adoption is a part of the author's life story.
In January, a group of women living at a care center started meeting to create blankets for children living in foster care. Known as the “Knotty Ladies,” the group consists of Rose Ritter, Linda McKinley, Norma Perrine and Rose Carter; all of whom want to help young people in need of support.
Five foster youths had the chance of a lifetime when they were invited to write a song with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. The teenagers recently graduated from high school with the help of Treehouse, a Seattle-based organization that provides academic and other essential supports to teens in foster care. You can watch a video of the recording session online and the song, “Try So Hard,” is scheduled for release later this year.
Relatives providing foster care to children can expect compensation soon, after a federal court ruling some months ago. In Kentucky, relatives and close family friends raising children removed from abusive and neglectful homes will receive around $750 month; the stipend is commensurate with the amount awarded to licensed foster families. 
One couple shares their story of giving the gift of adoption to multiple siblings. They are hopeful that their experience, as well as television shows about fostering and adoption like "This Is Us," will inspire more people to open up their homes to children in need of support. 
Not every couple is capable of having children, so they turn to foster care and adoption agencies to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. There are instances when the process doesn’t go smoothly, and lawyers are required. The cost of finalizing international adoptions averaged $42,000, and domestic newborn adoption averaged $37,000 in 2015-16.
All of us ask existential questions throughout our life. While your average person knows where they come from, adoptees are not always so fortunate. Those who grow up in adopted families may never learn some of the reasons that could explain why they are the way “they are.” Many adoptees go searching for their blood relatives as they get older with the help of genealogy websites. The task is still tricky, one of the reasons being that states like New York keep birth certificates of adopted children sealed.
In the 21st Century, it’s hard to get by without a laptop in school; many high schools provide students with portable computers to take home for the remainder of the year. Naturally, rural parts of California don’t have the resources to afford such luxuries. iFoster, a Truckee, Calif.-based nonprofit, is helping kids in foster care closing glaring digital gaps in rural counties. Thanks to a $400,000 donation from the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) and the National Homebuyers Fund (NHF), iFoster can provide laptops to 1,100 foster youth, ages 16 to 21.
The California Senate has introduced a new piece of legislation that would extend Cal Grant access to qualifying foster kids. The aim of 
Taking steps to become a foster parent (resource parent) is a remarkable journey. It’s not always easy and, at times, the process is frustrating. However, opening up your home to a child in need is a beautiful experience, one that anyone can cherish. We invite you to read a personal essay about a couple becoming foster parents and inviting five children into their home. 
Walmart is making a new benefit to help employees with adoption expenses and has plans underway for expanding maternity and parental leave benefits for employees. The megastore will also give a one-time cash bonus (up to $1,000) for associates who qualify. Altogether, over one million hourly associates in the U.S. stand to benefit from the changes in the works. There are 87,100 such Walmart associates in California.
Almost a decade has gone by since a group of foster children filed a class-action lawsuit. In 2015, U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack ruled that the foster care system was unconstitutional, having determined that that foster kids in Texas "almost uniformly leave state custody more damaged than when they entered." The state has shown resistance to a 116-page order mandating the implementation of better child welfare policies, forcing Jack to issue a final order calling on the state to expand its foster home options. The goal is to make it easier for children to report abuse and ensure caseworkers make monthly visits to check on each child.
Not every mother who gives a child up for adoption wants future transparency. As children grow up, a desire to learn about one’s birth parents is only natural; of course, the ability to learn about a person’s origin depends on whether the adoption was open or closed. However, in some instances, adoptive parents will break sealed adoption agreements and reveal the name of child’s birth mother.
People who adopt a child know that one day they will need to have a conversation with their boy or girl about birth parents. Children are naturally curious and will ask about their birth story; the American Academy of Pediatrics has some insight to offer adoptive parents. The AAP suggests you give honest, simple, and direct explanations, explain why you chose to adopt him or her, and share just how much you desired to raise a child.
In March 2016, Hannah Mongie decided to give her newborn boy up for adoption. However, she wanted her son to one day understand why she made the decision, so she made an emotional video for the boy (now almost 2). The couple who adopted Mongie’s baby has made her a part of the extended family, making open adoption work for everyone.
Each year, around 120,000 children are adopted in the United States. Parents of adopted children now have access to a nationally recognized expert in adoption medicine at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM). Headed up by Elaine Schulte, M.D., M.P.H., those who take advantage of the program can get pre-adoption consultation services to families, post-adoption evaluation, and ongoing medical care to adopted children.
On Feb. 13, 1969, Bill Jones, a gay man living in San Francisco, became the first single man in California to adopt a child by himself. It’s also quite likely that Jones was the first in the country to adopt a child under such circumstances. When he was navigating through the process, the social worker who assisted Jones told him never to mention the fact of his homosexuality. Jones is currently working on completing his memoir of those events.
Those who give the gift of adoption or become resource parents are eligible for up to six weeks of paid time off in a 12-month period. The time off for family bonding is thanks to two changes to the state’s family leave laws that went into effect January 1, 2018. New parents don’t have to use all their time off at once; they can spread it out over time.
About half a million children in the United States are in foster homes, nearly half of children in foster homes are living with a chronic disability, such as autism. Some families, those who lack the financial resources to care for the complex needs of a child, decide they cannot manage. This trend has led the foster care system to become a vital instrument for the care of children with disabilities, especially for kids with autism.
Anyone involved in adoption or foster care in need of a new television show may want to look into NBC’s ‘This Is Us.’ Most people in the field tend to agree that the program provides viewers with an accurate portrayal of what foster and adoptive families go through in life. ‘This Is Us’ follows three storylines: a couple loses a child and adopts an abandoned baby [Randall], he grows up and connects with his biological father, and in the third, Randall and his wife become foster parents.
With tax season on the horizon, it’s time to start getting your ducks in a row. If you are an adoptive or resource parent, you should find out if you qualify to claim the Child Tax Credit. The credit can reduce your tax bill by as much as $1,000 per child, but first, you must meet seven qualifying tests. All seven requirements must be met to qualify; the child's age, relationship, support, dependent status, citizenship, length of residency, and family income. 
Over the course of more than 20 years, one couple invited 17 foster children into their home. What’s more, Kelly Schultz and her husband adopted three daughters along the way; 12-year-old Brianna, 10-year-old Mylisa and 8-year-old Cheyenne. Kelly Schultz, 40, decided to foster and adopt children when she was still in high school.
Sandi Swiridoff’s daughter and son-in-law have been caring for a foster child since 2015. This Christmas, she celebrated officially becoming a grandmother after the young couple adopted the boy, who Swiridoff affectionately calls “Little Buddy.” The child formed a bond with an Australian Labradoodle named Reagan (also adopted). Swiridoff’s photos of Little Buddy and Reagan are priceless, and will be featured in a series of books to be published next year; she has also raised about $20,000 for local groups that support foster care.
In Singapore, in-vitro fertilization is legal for married couples only, surrogacy services do not exist, and LGBTs aren’t able to adopt. A gay Singaporean doctor attempted to skirt the laws by turning to the United States, paying $200,000 for a woman to carry his child through in-vitro fertilization. The doctor then tried to adopt the child, but a Singapore court ruled against his bid.
Makayla Deyling (18) usually gets her stepfather, Stephen Dabney, socks or funny T-shirts for Christmas; this year she gave him the greatest gift of all, adoption papers. Dabney has been a part of Makayla’s life since she was 5; now that she is of legal age to decide on adoption on her on, she decided to show how much he has meant to her over the years by giving him the gift of a lifetime.
Hollywood loves an underdog story; when people get ahead in life seemingly against all the odds. One could draw a parallel to adoption with ease, after all, many forces need to come together for a young person to be gifted a forever family. Many young people think that they will remain in foster care until they “age-out;” so, when they’re finally adopted it appears to be nothing less than a miracle.
LGBT Americans are entitled to the same rights as everyone else; unfortunately, not everyone shares that sentiment. Remember when Kim Davis was held in contempt for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples? Well, there is another civil servant who has garnered the public’s ire; Kentucky family court Judge W. Mitchell Nance said there would be ‘no circumstance’ in which ‘the best interest of the child’ would be ‘promoted by the adoption by a practicing homosexual.’ The Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission disagreed, voting unanimously that Judge Nance was guilty of judicial misconduct for refusing to hear same-sex adoption cases.
