Post # 8 : The TODAY show explores affording the cost of Adoption

This short article from Carrie's adoption blog talks about how the Today Show talked about adoption costs. They featured an organization called helpusadopt.org. The Co-Founders quoted that their adoption agent said that if they couldn't afford adoption that they had to either go into financial ruin or not adopt. They didn't appreciate that answer. They were going to do something to help. Helpusadopt.org in a national non-profit organization that gives grants to adoptive families. The "families aren't judged based on race, religion, marital status, or sexual preference. Families do need to have completed an adoption home study"; where someone from an agencies comes to review your home and family life to see if you're suitable to adopt. Grants range from $500 to $1500. "Applications for June 2009 grants are due Friday, April 17, 2009.

Response to new Maine adoption laws

The site I looked at was informative about the new laws. I think it's nice that the older children have to agree about their adoptive parents and can't be randomly placed with anyone. Who may adopt wasn't very clear about same sex couples, but I think it might fall under unmarried persons unless the gay marriage laws get changed soon. It's nice that anyone of any age can get adopted so then you have a chance of getting adopted when your 18. Even thought the system kicks you out after that. I think that the putiative father info. was talking about the birth fathers and thier right to records after the adoption was finallized. What about the birthmothers? Do they get that right? There was a list of things that the birthparents have to pay for: medical bills, legal fees, etc. Which is good because then the adopting personell won't have to pay for everything on thier own. The infant safe haven lwas are to help infants 31 weeks who aren't with good parents I think. Legal personel take them away to where they are safe. WHich is good for the infant. I wish they were more clear on gay couple adoption. ...

Maine Adoption Laws

Looking for recent Maine adoption laws, I came across a site that has bullets of the new laws. Here's what I found. Parents need to consent to the adoption. Also children fourteen and older must consent with the adoption as well. Parental consent isn't needed when the parent has abandoned the child or has failed their parental responsibilities. Adopted adults 18 and older came get access to their birth records to find out who their birth parents are. The parents of adopted children younger than 18 can get the records for them. People who may adopt are a married husband and wife. An unmarried person, and a resident or nonresident. Anyone may be adopted regardless of their age. Advertising when not an agency is prohibited. There was stuff about infant safe haven laws and regulation of adoption fees and putative fathers...it was kind of confusing but informative.

Liam's Third Response

Samara, I think you are doing a good job describing the difficulties of adopting. It must be very frustrating for adoptions to take as long as three years. There must be some regulations though to protect the welfare of children, and also the rights of the adopting parents. They have to find a good balance between protecting people and having the process move ahead efficiently. I like that you have given examples from around the world. Where in the world do you think the adoption process works the best?

Everett - Response to 4,5,6

I feel that your blog is interesting to read, and well done. Nice job on your citations, 95 each time. Your notes seemed to become slighly less informative as I went on, I don't know if this is because the article was less informative but your article #6 was the weakest of all of them. I felt that you might have been able to give more information on what the man did in the adoption scam. Good work though. Keep it up.

EM

Katie's 3rd Response

Samara, everything in your articles was correct except for your citations, where you did not put the author's surname first (Moran, Katie). Besides that, I thought the information you've been coming across is very interesting and you're doing a good job connecting with it. Have you found anything about adoption in overpopulated countries, where they're trying to encourage it, like China? That would be a different perspective to the article on Russia. Also, do you think you're going to steer your research towards an international level, or focus it within the US? I'm not sure if there are any adoption agencies around here, or in Maine at all, but they would obviously be a good source to get in touch with. If they were willing, you could also talk to parents who have adopted, and find out what it was like, how long it took, how much money, any strains caused by the process, the reasons.
Nice work!

Jeanette's 3rd Response

Hey Samara. I like your blog and I like your focus about a broad rage of topics under 'Adoption.' The notes were pretty informative. One suggestion I want to make is to put more of your thoughts in the responses. They were good, but if you added more of your thoughts, I think it would help you when you have to write your I-Search. I like where this is going!

p.s, Did you hear/read about the new Maine adoption laws that went into effect this past month? The laws gave adults who had been adopted the right to their birth certificate and information about their birth-parents.