I love looking at and reading quotes, so I would share a few that I found about adoption that moved me. Enjoy!

"Adoption is when a child grew in its mommy's heart instead of her tummy"-- Unknown

"The family you come from isn't as important as the family you're going to have." -- Ring Lardner

"I didn't give you the gift of life, but in my heart I know. The love I feel is deep and real, as if it had been so. For us to have each other is like a dream come true. No, I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you."-- Unknown

Teen Adoption

I can understand why people tend to lean toward adopting newborns or very young children. You want to see them grow, mature, and raise them as your own. Although most people prefer to adopt babies, there are so many older youth out there in need of loving families as well. Here is a story about how God changed the heart of a couple looking to adopt a young child, but ended up going home with teenage girl, which turned out to be a wonderful blessing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3T8sQXM3RE&feature=related

Adoption in the Twin Cities

Since I am from the Twin Cities/suburbs, I decided to look up some adoption agencies nearby, and was surprise at how many I found! Are you looking for an agency in the Minnesota metro area? Some options include:

• Crossroads Adoption Service in Minneapolis, MN
• HOPE Adoption and Family Service in Oak Park Heights, MN
• International Adoption Service in Minneapolis, MN
• Hand in Hand International Adoptions in St. Paul, MN

... and so many more!

Check out this website which lists 34 different adoption agencies in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs to see what best fits you! It provides their contact information and for many even has reviews!

http://twincities.citysearch.com/yellowpages/results/Twin_Cities_MN/page1.html?gcats=30&cats=487

Celebrity Adoption

If people have kept up with their tabloids the past few years (as I like to do but maybe shouldn't!), they would be aware that a new trend has seem to emerged: celebirty adoption. Although some may be rumors, there have still been many confirmations of adoptions or couples looking into adoption. Adoption really has become a new hot topic out there, as actual celebrities are doing it like Brad and Angelina, as well as having couples adopting in television shows like Chandler and Monica in Friends. To read more about the latest news check out the following sites:

http://adoption.about.com/b/2007/04/03/celebrity-adoption-news.htm

http://adoptionblogs.typepad.com/adoption/2005/06/celebrities_ado.html

New Adoption Bill

Congress recently passed an education bill within The Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act, in which older youth adopted from foster care homes would still be able to receive college loans and grants. This new bill hopes to encourage the adoption of older children by decreasing the amount of college costs that would otherwise have to be paid by the adoptive parents. To learn more go to http://thomas.loc.gov/

National Adoption Day

On the National Adoption Day of this year which was November 17, the United States courts finalized many adoptions of children who were previously in foster homes. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness to the public of the over 100,000 children in the U.S. that are currently in foster homes. 2006 was the first year in which this day was celebrated in all 50 states, which was something get excited about. To learn more about National Adoption Day's backgroung, events, and more, visit:

http://www.nationaladoptionday.org/2007/index.asp

American Association of Open Adoption Agencies (AAOAA)

After looking at open adoption, I thought it would be nice to find a website to help learn more about it for myself and any of you who might be interested! One site I found was of the American Association of Open Adoption Agencies. The goal of AAOAA is provide the best options for those who are looking into adoption and would like to learn more about the process of open adoption. Here is a link to their website connecting you to open adoption agencies as well as much more to learn about adoption:

http://www.openadoption.org/

What is Open Adoption?

Open adoption allows for a continuing relationship between the birth family, adoptive family, and adoptee. Completely open adoptions can even include extended family members. There is definitely controversy over whether or not open adoption is healthy for all those involved, but for some it may be a very good option. I am still unsure of how I feel, because I can see how it could cause many problems and a lot of stress on the adoptive family, biological family, and the child, but at the same time, if that is what everyone wants, then maybe they should go for it. To learn more and maybe form more of your own ideas, go to:

http://faq.adoption.com/questions/what-is-open-adoption.html

Nonprofit Corporations

Since many adoption agencies are nonprofit organizations, it is important to understand what those are. A Nonprofit corporation is an organization that is created with the main purpose of serving the public or something that is of mutual benefit different from the goal of making profits. I have worked with nonprofit corporations, and hope to continue to do so in the future, as I have been impressed with many of the ones I have seen and been involved with. To learn more about Nonprofit corporations, visit the following site:

http://www.not-for-profit.org/page2.htm

From Infertility to Family: An Adoption Story

Many parents have to face the heartbreaking reality that they are not going to be able to conceive children on their own. It is a difficult and very saddening issue to think about, but thankfully, many can find hope in adoption. Here is an adoption story that shows the pain that can come from the inability to have children, but the wonderful and life changing hope and joy that is brought through both adoption as well as faith in God.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=i9X-K8jt-dY

California Association of Adoption Agencies

Here is some information on an organization that I came across, and really caught my attention as it seems pretty impressive. This is an organization that consists of 68 adoption member agencies that are either licensed county or private agencies, and has been around since 1955. Their goals are to:

Assure every child the right to an appropriate permanent home.

Establish standards for California's adoption agencies.

Advocate for legislation that protects children and families

Check them out! http://www.california-adoption.org/

Some Statistics

Adoption is a major part of the world we live in, with so many people considering adoption and so many children who are still in need of a loving family. Here are some stats that I found interesting....

-In 1992, there were 127,441 children adopted in the United States.

-Nearly 40% of adults consider adopting a child. If only one out of 500 of those adults adopt, all of the 134,000 children in foster care would have a permanent place they could call home.

-According to the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth there are an estimated 3.3 adoption seekers for every actual adoption.

These statistics and many others can be found on adoption.com. Take a look!

http://statistics.adoption.com/

The Red Thread

"An invisible read thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break" ~Ancient Chinese Belief

This belief is about the process of adoption, suggesting that a red thread connects children from the time they were born, to those people who will be an important part of their lives. A book written by Grace Lin called "The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale", is about the invisible read thread that was attached between a baby and it's adoptive parents. To take a closer look or even purchase this book, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Thread-Adoption-Fairy-Tale/dp/0807569224

Adoption in Minnesota

One thing that is required in many places, and a necessity to adopt in Minnesota is having a home study- which is something you should be well aware of if looking to adopt. A home study is kind of like an investigation. You have to submit to background checks, fingerprinting, and verification of financial means. You will also have to discuss personal things about your marriage or divorce (if applicable), parenting styles, how you view relationships, as well as making sure your home meets the size and safety criteria.

Are you looking at the options available with adoption in Minnesota? Here is a website that provides hopeful adoptive families as well as expecting mothers, with the resources that they need. This ranges from links to various adoption agencies, adoption records, and other resources that could be found useful for those interested in adopting.

http://www.adoption.org/adopt/adoption-agency-minnesota.php

Christian World Adoption

As a Christian, I believe that God's hand is in every adoption that takes place. Just one of the reasons why this agency stood out to me was because they too, view that God plays a crucial role in adoption, and it is by His love and grace that children can find families to call their own. This is an international Christian adoption agency. It is nonprofit, and they are looking to place children from all over the world into loving homes by the grace of God. Click on the link below to learn more about this agency or call at 1-888-97ADOPT.

http://www.cwa.org/

"The Adoption Guide"

This site is an extension of the magazine "Adoptive Families", and it contains a large amount of useful information on adoption. It has links explaining things such as the options one has when adopting, the process that the average family goes through when adopting, the cost of adoption, and additional advice for adoptive parents.

Click here: http://www.theadoptionguide.com/

A Growing Process: Inter-Country Adoptions

Through the past decade, adoption has grown significantly. Over 200,000 foreign-adoptive children are already living in the United States, with an additional 20,000 inter-country adoptions are occuring per year. Adoptive parents are suggested to familiarize themselves somewhat with the process of inter-country adoptions before applying, in order to help them understand the various circumstances they may come across.

Here is a link to learn more about the inter-country adoption process:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=063807b03d92b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=063807b03d92b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Watch an Adoption Story

I'm not going to lie, but this video almost made me cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy! It is just so amazing how people are being connected from all over the world to form families, and to start this wonderful process! This is a heartwarming video showing the process that one family went through when adopting their new member of their family from China. Take a closer look and see how this might touch you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvU3PcPTrOQ

Uniting Lives

Sometimes when people are in great need, they still do not know where to turn or who to turn to. Here is a helpful website that provides resources for expecting mothers to view and post their story on when looking for hopeful, adoptive parents:

http://www.adoptionplan.com/forum/

Adoption Story

Here is an adopting family: Scott, Sandy, and Lauren













There are many families out there who are looking to adopt, and now it is easy to even find out more about some of these families through various websites. Many sites will tell the families story, their background and more. To find out out more about this family click here to connect: http://grauadoptionletter.homestead.com/

ABC Adoption

Adoption can be a wonderful option for many people no matter where they are coming from. Sometimes the best way to really understand it is to talk with people who have already adopted, and here is a website that offers you that option! This website provides links describing adoption in greater detail and various services that are available, as it can get confusing with everything that it out there. It also contains a blog and chat for those interested in learning more about adoption and even swapping stories with others!

Check this out: http://www.abcadoptions.com/

Adoption- What is it?

Adoption is something for children who are not able to live with their birth families for any variety of reasons. It is a process in which children legally become a part of their adoptive families. The new families are then completely responsible for the child, and are to care for them into adulthood. There is so much that adoption entails, and that is just a very brief, most basic description of what it is.

I have become interested in adoption for various reasons. One is that you are hearing about it all of the time whether it is with family friends or even the media and entertainment. Another reason why adoption interests me is because I have worked with children who are adopted, and I am very intrigued to learn more about the process.

To learn more about some adoption basics click here:
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/familycare/adoption/thinkingaboutadoption/whatisadoption.cfm

"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing"