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