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Adoption, Parenting, and Child Welfare Corner
Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children
Despite numerous individual differences, all internationally adopted (IA) children have one common task: they must learn a new language. But there are distinct variations in this process. One that sets adopted children from China apart is their age -- most children are adopted before the age of 3 and usually have several years of development in an English-language environment before entering our school system. Read more.
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The Center for Cognitive-Developmental Assessment and Remediation (BGCenter)specializes in psycho-educational issues of older (preschool and school age) internationally adopted children, including screening for proper school placement and services, developmental cognitive assessments, full psycho-educational and neuropsychological evaluations, second opinion on school evaluations, and ongoing support in obtaining services and programs needed for your child. Chief psychologist, Dr. Boris Gindis, focuses his expertise on language/cognitive disorders and learning disabilities in four -to 16-year-old internationally adopted children. Their remediation is through extensive psychological assessment and an all-inclusive individualized remedial plan based on school-provided services and remedial programs in the family and community. The BGCenter offers many on-line resources and courses for parents and professionals, as well as a monthly theme-based newsletter. To see recent newsletters, click here.
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Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) Distance Education Committee offers a series of webinars for prospective adoptive families, adoptive  families, adoptees, and adoption professionals, presented by renowned adoption experts.
• November 3, 2009: Parenting Adopted Adolescents
• November 5, 2009: Brothers and Sisters in Adoption
• December 1, 2009: Importance of Life Books - Talking with Adopted Children About Adoption
• December 3, 2009: Developing Cultural Competence in Adopted Children
Click here for detailed information.
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HOW OLD IS IT TO BE A MOM? By Raina Kelley
July 22, 2009 Newsweek
How Old Is Too Old?
Why the death of a 68-year-old new mom made me rethink the limits of parenthood.
As you may have already heard, María del Carmen Bousada de Lara—famous for being the world's oldest living new mom—died after a battle with cancer. She was 66 when she gave birth and just 68 at her death—leaving behind twin toddlers, who will reportedly be raised by her nephew. Continue reading.
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The Role of the Pediatrician in the Adoption Process: Before, During and After an Adoption, by Michael Traister, MD
 The above article has been provided with the permission of The American Fertility Association. The AFA's mission is to provide the most comprehensive information on family building, especially for those facing infertility. Its strategic goals for 2010 are: trying to conceive or trying to adopt, infertility prevention, male factor infertility, and family building for the lesbian and gay community. The AFA provides Education, Support, and Services. For more information on AFA: visit www.theafa.org, email info@theafa.org or call 888-917-3777.
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Post Adoption Paperwork
The above article has been provided with the permission of Adoptive Families  Magazine. Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during, and after adoption. To view the current on-line issue titles and descriptions of feature articles, columns, and expert questions, click here.
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Publisher's Weekly has created a list of contemporary books featuring kids of color. One of the great things about this list is that many of the book have nothing to do with race, just kids of many backgrounds. Click here to see the list.
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Reminder: USCIS District Offices Email Boxes to Respond to Questions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will answer questions on pending or approved inter-country adoption petitions through an email system for those who have filed inter-country adoption petitions. The email addresses may be found in each domestic and overseas office’s web page on the USCIS website.
“Given the possibility of sensitive issues regarding inter-country adoptions, prospective adoptive parents frequently have difficult and urgent questions that are not easily addressed through routine customer service channels. The new e-mail service will expedite customer communications with USCIS regarding those issues.”
This system is only for those who have a pending or approved Form I-600 or I-600A. To receive a response to an inquiry about a Form I-600 or I-600A, the sender must be the petitioner or his or her legal representative, such as an attorney with a Form G-28 on file at the USCIS office.
When sending an email, you must provide the following information:
• The petitioner's name
• The petitioner's date of birth
• The petitioner's country of birth
• The receipt number of the Form I-600 or I-600A (if any)
• The alien registration number (A-Number) associated with the case (if any)
• The name of the child to be adopted (if known)
USCIS indicates it can take up to 48 hours to retrieve information and respond to your inquiry.
Click here for general information concerning inter-country adoptions.
Click here to access your local USCIS district office.
Click here for country specific information.
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The following information has been provided by the EVAN B. DONALDSON ADOPTION INSTITUTE
HAGUE TREATY SEEN BRINGING BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
A qualitative study of international adoption workers' predictions of the manifest and
 latent consequences of the Hague Convention (interviews conducted prior to U.S. implementation) reported a mix of positive as well as unintended negative consequences, with positives including more ethical adoption practices in the U.S. and sending countries, standardization of practice, greater transparency on costs, and better protection of children against child selling. "Expectations of the Consequences of New International Adoption Policy in the U.S.," by Jo Bailey, was published in the June issue of the Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare (Volume 36, Issue 2). Possible negative consequences included smaller agencies closing and very few new agencies able to start up; the additional paperwork and training would lengthen the adoption process, deter some applicants and cause children to have longer institutional stays; and accreditation costs of $7,000-$12,000 per agency would be passed on to families. Click here to access an abstract.
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SHOW FOCUSES ON ADOPTION'S LESSONS FOR REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Executive Director Adam Pertman was a guest on Dawn Davenport's blogtalkradio for her Sept. 9 episode, "Third Party Reproduction and Adoption: Similarities and Differences." Pertman discussed some of the findings of the Institute's 2009 report, "Old Lessons for a New World," which describes how adoption's experiences and research can inform assisted reproductive technology (ART). He noted that many of the issues adoption has grappled with, including openness and identity, are applicable to children born of ART. Marna Gatlin, Founder and Director of Parents via Egg Donation, also was interviewed. To listen to the segment, click here. To read the Institute's report, click here.
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Even Babies Discriminate by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 5, 2009 - From the magazine issue dated Sep 14, 2009
Kids as young as six months judge others based on skin color. What's a parent to do?
At the Children's Research Lab at the University of Texas, a database is kept on thousands of families in the Austin area who have volunteered to be available for scholarly research. In 2006 Birgitte Vittrup recruited from the database about a hundred families, all of whom were Caucasian with a child five to seven years old.
The goal of Vittrup's study was to learn if typical children's videos with multicultural storylines have any beneficial effect on children's racial attitudes. Her first step was to give the children a Racial Attitude Measure, which asked many questions.
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International Pediatric Health Services, PLLC and orphandoctor.com were created by Dr. Jane Aronson to educate families hoping to adopt children both domestically and from abroad, starting with pre-adoption counseling to long-term developmental issues and concerns. The following services are available through her practice: Pre-Adoption Consultations, Assessment of Child's Medical History, Preparation for International Travel, Vaccines for Parents, Post-Adoption Evaluation, Follow Up Care, Doctor On-Call, Adoption of Special Needs Children.
For more information on Dr. Aronson and adoption and medical resources, as well as information on the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and articles on current research and trends in adoption, go to http://www.orphandoctor.com/. Dr. Jane Aronson can be reached at 212-207-6666 or orphandoctor@gmail.com.
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Adoptive Families Magazine, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during, and after adoption. The September/October Issue of Adoptive Families magazine is available now. This issue is packed with useful information for parents. Some of our features include:
· Bringing Up Adoption at School: Parents offer advice on deciding whether--and when--to broach the subject with your child's teacher.
· Hair Rules!: If doing your child's hair is a challenge you'll find tips and
product suggestions from parents, specific to your little one's African,
Hispanic, or Asian hair.
· A Growing Awareness: AF offers a look at what's going on in the minds of
preteens, and offers advice for talking with them and handling their complex emotions.
Plus: Surviving the wait, growing up adopted: expert parenting advice, great gear to help you co-sleep with your baby, and building identity with heritage trips.
See more in this issue and subscribe!
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A Dozen Myths of Parenting After Infertility by Joann Paley Galst, Ph.D., Chair, Mental Health Advisory Council of the American Fertility Association.
The anticipated joy of parenthood, when so long awaited, can create expectations that can be rather unrealistic, both for ourselves and our children. Following are twelve common myths of parenting after experiencing a fertility challenge. Click here to read the rest of the article.
The American Fertility Association (AFA) helps prevent infertility whenever possible and helps people build families of choice, particularly when faced with infertility. The above article has been reprinted with the permission of The American Fertility Association. For more information on AFA visit http://www.theafa.org/, or email info@theafa.org or call 888-917-3777.
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Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) Distance Education Committee offers a series of webinars for prospective adoptive families, adoptive families, adoptees, and adoption professionals presented by some of the most renowned adoption experts.
· October 1, 2009: Fostering Attachment
· October 6, 2009: Inside Transracial Adoption: When International Adoption Means Parenting Across Racial Lines
· November 3, 2009: Parenting Adopted Adolescents
· November 5, 2009: Brothers and Sisters in Adoption
Click here for detailed information.
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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the International Adoptions section of their website, including:
-Travel Preparation for Adoptive Parents and Their Families
-Overseas Medical Examination of the Adopted Child
-Follow-Up Medical Examination after Arrival in the United States
-Screening for Infectious and Noninfectious Diseases
-Immunizations
For detailed information, see International Adoptions by Cynthia R. Howard, Chandy C. John.
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