More Adoption Tips: Resources For Parents
While adopting a child is an exciting period in a parent’s life, the adoption process may become time-intensive and taxing. In order to create as smooth as adoption process as possible, parents should seek information and resources. Informed parents should also identify resources for life-after-adoption.
One of the best ways to find information about adoption, the process as well as after adoption, is through the number of adoptive publications available. These publications focus on a variety of different subjects and have current news on the adoption world. Here are some of the many adoption publications available in the United States:
Adoption Today: Gives answers to issues about international as well as domestic adoption. Writers include adoptive parents, adoptees, and professionals in medicine, law, education, social work, child development and international and domestic adoption.
Fostering Families Today: A sister magazine to Adoption Today offering information about the foster care process. Written for foster and adoptive parents as well as the professionals who work with foster care and adoption. A myriad of topics are covered such as child rights in foster care, educational needs of children, therapy, foster-adoptive planning and sibling placement
Narrations: A quarterly newsletter focusing on the impact of the adoptive process on children ages 8 to 13. Made up completely of contributions from children touched by adoption.
Real Mom: Newsletter written to encourage and support adoptive and prospective adoptive mothers. Focuses on domestic adoption.
Adoption Blessings Journal: Christian based publication sent to the “adoption triad” of adult adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents. Focuses on the search for birth relatives as well as the trials of adopting a child. Supported by volunteer donations.
Online publications are also wonderful resources. Some websites to look at:
Adoption (.org) Services: Grants users access to over 400,000 adoption web pages; lists professionals and products; and links to forums and chat rooms.
AdoptUsKids (.org): National photo listing service for children awaiting adoption across the country; sponsored by Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families; also features a comprehensive resource center.
Adoption Institute (.org): Lists reports and contains research information on the latest programs, projects and adoption events across the country.
These and other adoption publications provide first hand knowledge on all aspects of adoption. By reading such publications as well as researching the adoption process, prospective adoptive parents can put many fears at ease.
With this knowledge the adoption process will become less frightening and be easier to pursue, allowing more and more families to realize the joy and completeness that can come with adoption.
Charlotte Beulow is a contributing business writer for Access My Library. Best known for its reference content as well as its organization of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, AML creates and maintains more than 600 databases. Visit http://www.accessmylibrary.com to learn more.
Tips For Parents Looking To Adopt A Child
An increasing number of Americans are choosing to become adoptive parents. While this is an exciting period in a new parent’s life, the adoption process can also cause anxiety.
Prospective adoptive parents should learn about the adoption process and safeguard against the obstacles that adoptive parents may face.
In order to ease the adoption process, parents should understand the difference between foster care and adoption. They should also learn about the adoption process and costs.
A common misconception for many is adoption and foster care are essentially the same. Yet, foster care and adoption have a number of differences. Foster care involves only temporary care of the child and does not grant full legal responsibility to the foster parents.
The legal responsibility for foster children is held by the foster care agency while with adoption this responsibility is transferred to the adoptive parents.
Similarly, financial responsibility belongs to the agency in foster care but remains with adoptive parents in adoption.
Also with foster care decision-making regarding the child lies in the hands of the agency and the birth mother. With adoption, the parents incur full decision making responsibility. A final larger difference is foster care is designed to help reunify the child with his/her parents while adoption focuses on incorporating the child into a new family.
If a foster parent decides to take on the adoption process, it will differ from the process of adopting a child with out being a foster parent. In either case, an application must be made to either a foster care or adoption agency and needs to be accepted by the agency. After the application is accepted, a social worker will be assigned to the family desiring adoption. The social worker will need to evaluate the family’s home life in order to judge if the family is acceptable for adoption.
The process of home life evaluation is called a home study assignment. This may seem intrusive to the family but is necessary. The entire process will take several months and will require detailed questioning about family background, childhood and present circumstances of the parents. Children and other household members will be questioned as well as two personal references as supplied by the applicants.
In addition, a full medical examination of the adoptive parents will be required to asses the family’s health history. Finally, the content of the home study report is disclosed to and agreed upon by the family and is then considered by an adoptive panel. The entire assessment and approval process should take about eight months. However, the average adoption process takes an average of two years.
The cost of adoption can be daunting to many, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $40,000. However, these costs depend on a number of factors such as whether or not the adoption is international, state requirements and whether or not the adoptive parents were fosters parents to the child. Small fees may be required upfront for some agencies, but parents should be wary if the entire cost is required to be paid immediately following application.
Learning as much as one can about the adoption process will help prepare new parents. Many resources are available online as well as at your local library.
Charlotte Beulow is a contributing business writer for Access My Library. Best known for its reference content as well as its organization of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, AML creates and maintains more than 600 databases. Visit http://www.accessmylibrary.com to learn more.
Questions Not To Ask At Funerals!
I’ve attended more than my share of funerals and memorial services over the last couple of years. As a result, I’ve compiled a list of questions that I’ve overheard and which I don’t think are appropriate for such solemn occasions. Here’s the list in no particular order:
.01 “Can I have his bass boat? I’ll pay you for it of course, but I’m sure Steve would have wanted me to have it at a very reasonable price. After all, we’ve been friends for all these years.” This question to the widow of a fishing buddy of mine is not altogether a heartless attempt to get a good buy on a boat. After all, the departed had recently installed a new depth finder and sonar equipment! Better still, dear old Steve’s memory would be fishing along side us when we hit the crappie beds in the spring.
As any true fishermen know, wives do not really appreciate the boat in which her dear departed husband spent so many hours relaxing. She just sees it as something that took him away from her so often. This is the time to make a deal on the boat!
.02 “He looks so life like and peaceful.” No Way! Dead folks I’ve seen in caskets at funerals I’ve attended did not look life-like!. I’m not trying to be insensitive, but the fact is that’s not them in the box! It’s just a shell and if I was lying there with all kinds of people looking down on me, I would really be insulted if they thought that was how I appeared while I was living!
.03 “How are you holding up?” How is the bereaved supposed to answer? “I feel wonderful? I thought the miserable s.o.b. would never die! Life is great!” Most of us simply would answer as I have, “I’m getting along. Tomorrow will be better!” This is one of the more stupid questions that is asked of the bereaved at almost every funeral and memorial service as a show of compassion. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m guilty of this one and probably will ask it again.
.04 “Who gets to keep the ashes?” As weird as this question sounds, it popped up not long ago at a memorial service I attended. The recently departed hadn’t left instructions as to the disposal of his remains after the cremation. Legally, of course, the ashes would have gone to the wife. In this case she didn’t want them because she was going to Hawaii to mourn alone. The thought of him sitting on the mantle piece back home while she caught a few rays, would have even further dampened the grieving process. She gave them to his daughter who asked the age old question, “What am I going to do with them?”
.05 “Are you going to be dating soon?” I actually heard this one at a memorial service of a young man who had died suddenly in a car crash. The widow was understandably distraught and fainted as the thoughtless clod who asked the question looked around as if to say, “Was it something I said?”
.06 “How exactly did he die?” Juicy details are always asked for at funerals. Maybe it’s just the ghoul in us that makes us so tactless in the midst of grieving. There are always those who get turned on talking about death and dying. There’s one at every funeral.
The situation is similar to the looky loos you see stopping on the side of the road near a serious automobile accident hoping to see a decapitated corpse, giving them a tidbit of news for anyone who will listen.
.07 “Did he have life insurance?” This one is a winner! Once again the morbid curiosity of man comes shining through a difficult situation. Usually this is asked of a widow. I wish I could hear a reply such as this,” Yes he did; quite a lot in fact. He wasn’t much good at anything while he was alive, but he was smart enough to have enough insurance to keep paying his insurance premiums. That money will keep me living on the beach in luxury for the rest of my life!” That would be a great response wouldn’t it?
As Sally Field once said, “Death is just part of living Forrest.”
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
http://www.homeandgardenbob.com
http://www.redfishbob.com
Tips For Your Childcare Selection Process
Childcare is a common topic among parents. All parents, at one time or another, find themselves in need of relief from a couple hours of parenting responsibilities or need to find a suitable daycare center when they go to work.
With so many horror stories about child care services, and nannies or babysitters who actually hurt the children placed in their care, it is no wonder why so many parents take the decision of finding the perfect facility to care for their children, so seriously.
There are ways for deciding on the right childcare environment for your child. The first step is deciding what type of child care services you need. Are you looking for part-time or do you need someone to watch your child while you work? What hours and days do you need covered? Once you decide on full or part time, the decision can be narrowed down at that point.
It is important to ask around for recommendations. Most parents utilize some form of daycare center, so another parent can be an excellent child care resource for finding a top quality service. Unfortunately, the drawback may be that the facility is completely filled and no open slots are available.
The higher quality pre-schools or child care centers often have up to a three year waiting list. Do not panic, it does not mean that your child will have to go to a lesser quality facility. It just means that you will have to do some more legwork and research.
If you find yourself unable to send your child to your initial choice in a childcare facility, there are still options available. Many churches offer quality pre-school child care services.
Not all churches that run pre-schools require church membership, but it is something to ask if you attend that particular place of worship. They may give preference to church members before offering public spots.
Most parents cannot afford a nanny. It does not mean they are mired in poverty, it’s just that they cannot afford to pay a nanny a salary, plus provide health benefits and living accommodations. If you can afford to hire one, then it is an excellent choice for childcare. The nanny can travel with you and your child for work or vacation and since the nanny lives with you, she can provide round the clock sitting in case you work odd hours or elect to have adult time away from your child.
Childcare is an issue all parents face but it does not have to cause insanity. It does take a certain percentage of your income, but having a professional take care of your child is worth every penny. If you do your homework, ask for recommendations and check the babysitter or facility out thoroughly, you can have peace of mind knowing that your child is being properly taken care of while you work or play.
Visit Mike Selvon daycare portal at http://childcare.niche-educator.com/ for more information on childcare, and leave a comment at our blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/family/. Don’t forget to claim your FREE gift.