On July 9th, 2012, the American Bar Association published a story about fraud in adoption subsidies. According to the report, hundreds of millions of the $2.5 billion paid in adoption subsidies may have been collected by adoptive parents who do not support their adopted children. The likely scenario, according to this report, is that an [...]
For the last five years, our Duluth colleagues at the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare have hosted a Summer Institute for tribal child welfare workers and administrators (see our post from last year). The theme of the Summer Institute this year was "Healing our Communities, Healing Ourselves." As a student attendee this year, [...]
FOX Carolina 21 The ACLU is assisting six families in North Carolina in filing a federal lawsuit against the state for discrimination. North Carolina currently prohibits a partner from adopting his or her partner's biological or adopted child. This law affects both same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples. Until 2010, North Carolina recognized second parent adoptions. [...]
A new study conducted for Oxygen Media surveyed more than 1,000 Americans about their views on adoption. According to the report: 86% of women and 77% of men are open to single parent adoption;73% of women and 62% of men are open to gay and lesbian couples adopting;90% of women and 84% of men thought [...]
Over the past few months we've highlighted some of the changes in Minnesota's foster care policies resulting from the 2012 legislative session. Here are some of our posts on the topic: New foster care legislation in Minnesota, part 2(Stability, Permanency, & Adoption Blog, July 18, 2012)Keywords: relative search, definition of family to a child, paternal [...]
MN Adopt is offering a training on August 6, 2012 on Working with the Mind-Body Connection: Understanding Stress and Trauma in Adopted and Foster Youth. The training will be presented by Lora Matz, LICSW. From the description: Increased levels of anxiety, depression and hopelessness are being seen in children from all socio-economic conditions, cultures and [...]
A new report authored by Movement Advancement Project, Family Equality Council, and Center for American Progress discusses how legal recognition of LGBT parents is important for their children's social, emotional, and physical well-being. Specifically, this report, entitled Securing Legal Ties for Children Living in LGBT Families, focuses on how marriage and parenting laws impact children [...]
An Ottawa man's children have been removed from his custody and will be placed for adoption because of the father's weight. According to the CBC News report, a parent's obesity can be a factor to determine a person's "fitness" to parent. Despite a 180 lb. weight loss, according to the unnamed father he is still [...]