http://adoption.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2013-05-13T08:15:38Z Mon, 13 May 2013 08:15:38 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/20/help-your-child-finish-the-school-year-on-a-strong-note.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/3/7/A/backtoschool.jpg" alt="Send the kids back to school with less stress on you!" /><br /> <em>Photo &#169; Carrie Craft, licensed to About.com, Inc.</em></p> <p>As we're finishing up school here this week, and man did time fly, it's easy to want to just coast in to a summer of relaxation. But, while it may be the end of the school year, it's <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/school_survival/a/What-I-Hope-Foster-Parents-Remember-To-Do-This-School-Year.htm">still important as a foster parent to help your foster child finish the year strong</a>.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/20/help-your-child-finish-the-school-year-on-a-strong-note.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/20/help-your-child-finish-the-school-year-on-a-strong-note.htm Mon, 20 May 2013 09:33:53 +0000 2013-05-20T09:33:53Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/13/successful-first-year-for-foster-focus-magazine-and-chris-chmielewski.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/H/X/C/chris-chmielewski.jpg" alt="Chris Chmielewski created Foster Focus magazine to help improve the foster care system. " /><br /> <em>Photo courtesy of Chris Chmielewski</em></p> <p>Two years ago we learned about the launch of a new magazine for foster parents and others who work within the foster care system. That magazine, <em><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/bookclub/a/Foster-Focus-Magazine.htm">Foster Focus</a></em>, launched May 2, 2011, in honor of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/celebrationinspiration/a/allaboutfcam.htm">National Foster Care Awareness Month</a>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/13/successful-first-year-for-foster-focus-magazine-and-chris-chmielewski.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/13/successful-first-year-for-foster-focus-magazine-and-chris-chmielewski.htm Mon, 13 May 2013 08:15:38 +0000 2013-05-13T08:15:38Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/12/happy-mothers-day-2.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/H/U/C/adoptive-mother.jpg" alt="Adoptive mothers are the menders of skinned knees and of hearts. " /><br /> <em>Getty Images / Mario Lalich </em></p> <p>I have to agree with the popular saying, "Motherhood is not for wimps." I think it goes double for foster and adoptive mothers. It takes a special person to mother and nurture a child that is not your biological child.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/12/happy-mothers-day-2.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/12/happy-mothers-day-2.htm Sun, 12 May 2013 08:00:38 +0000 2013-05-12T08:00:38Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/11/birthmothers-day.htm <p>It may not be well known to the rest of the world, but so some in the adoption community - today, the Saturday before Mother's Day, is Birthmother's Day. Here is a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/adoptionpoems/a/birth_mother_poems.htm">link to some poetry and other writings by birth or first mom's</a>.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/11/birthmothers-day.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/11/birthmothers-day.htm Sat, 11 May 2013 08:56:17 +0000 2013-05-11T08:56:17Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/07/mothers-day-is-coming.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/H/z/8/wordlessblogchrissy.jpg" alt="Mother's Day" /><br /> <em>Photo &#169; Carrie Craft, licensed to About.com, Inc.</em></p> <p>There are many people who don't understand what it means to parent another person's child. The comments that I receive run from, "you're such a saint" to "you're so crazy." I personally hate these types of comments. Most days I feel like I fall short of one of the above descriptors and fully live up to the other.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/07/mothers-day-is-coming.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/07/mothers-day-is-coming.htm Tue, 07 May 2013 06:49:24 +0000 2013-05-07T06:49:24Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/05/may-is-national-foster-care-awareness-month.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/H/R/C/changealifetime.gif" alt="The official graphic for the National Foster Care Awareness Month campaign. " /></p> <p>This month, all over the country, different foster care agencies celebrate and honor foster parents, but there is a larger goal: to motivate more Americans to step up and help the over 400,000 children in foster care.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/05/may-is-national-foster-care-awareness-month.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/05/05/may-is-national-foster-care-awareness-month.htm Sun, 05 May 2013 06:00:22 +0000 2013-05-05T06:00:22Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/30/new-articles-for-april-2013.htm <p>This month I focused on adoption search angels and adoption searches.</p> <p><strong>Suggested Reading/New Articles and Features:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/searchandreunion/a/What-Is-The-Spokeo-Search-Angel-Award.htm">What Is the Spokeo Search Angel Award?</a></li> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/searchangels/p/Adoption-Search-Angel-For-North-Carolina.htm">New Search Angel for North Carolina, Joanna Freitag</a></li> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/searchangels/p/Mary-Wilson-Is-An-Adoption-Search-Angel-For-The-State-Of-Texas.htm">New Search Angel for Texas, Mary Wilson</a></li> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/od/working_with_social_workers/a/Andrea-Harmon.htm">Guest Contributor: Andrea Harmon</a></li> </ul> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/30/new-articles-for-april-2013.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:12:04 +0000 2013-04-30T23:12:04Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/30/the-adoptive-family-and-adoption-reunions.htm <p>It's not easy being the adoptive parents during an adoption reunion. I think it's especially true when it's a foster care adoption and you as the foster adoptive parent know about the abuse and neglect that occurred in the birth home.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/30/the-adoptive-family-and-adoption-reunions.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/30/the-adoptive-family-and-adoption-reunions.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:07:14 +0000 2013-04-30T23:07:14Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/29/is-it-time-to-change-your-foster-care-agency-or-adoption-agency.htm <p>I noticed on a past blog comment a reader asked the following:</p> <blockquote><p><em>"My husband and I have been foster parents for one and half year. We are waiting for a fost to adopt, but the four kids we fostered have all returned to birth parents. We are with a foster family agency, but I wonder how long are we going to have to wait. We are not picky as we do want an older child boy or girl age 8-11 years old. I have heard there is a big need for adoptive parents for an older child. This does not seem to be the case with us. I wonder if we should change our agency since our agency is only foster and don't specialize with adoptions. Does that make a difference. Please we need some suggestions from people."</em></p></blockquote>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/29/is-it-time-to-change-your-foster-care-agency-or-adoption-agency.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/29/is-it-time-to-change-your-foster-care-agency-or-adoption-agency.htm Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:52:01 +0000 2013-04-29T14:52:01Z http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/26/10-things-you-can-do-now-to-become-a-foster-parent-later.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/adoption/1/3/Q/C/walkingwithstroller.jpg" alt="Preparing to be a foster parent means more than having the right gear. " /><br /> <em>Preparing to be a foster parent means more than having the right gear.<br /> _{Photo &#169; Carrie Craft, licensed to About.com, Inc.}</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/26/10-things-you-can-do-now-to-become-a-foster-parent-later.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://adoption.about.com/b/2013/04/26/10-things-you-can-do-now-to-become-a-foster-parent-later.htm Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:00:41 +0000 2013-04-26T08:00:41Z