Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to do something most adoptive parents never get to do: I went to my kids’ foster home. For a year and half, BE and BC lived with the L family, not too far from where we live now. We’ve been fortunate enough to keep in touch with theContinue reading “A Rare Opportunity”
Tag Archives: foster care
Foster Care is Like Chemotherapy
I recently met someone who works to help former prisoners re-integrate into society. I asked her what she would change to improve the system. In response, she talked about the need to provide basic things for young children, such as food, housing, and education. I’ve been interested in the importance of keeping young children withContinue reading “Foster Care is Like Chemotherapy”
Foster Fridays: Don’t We Look Alike
Don’t We Look Alike, a mother/daughter blog on adoption, has introduced “Foster Fridays,” a weekly feature focusing on foster care. I’m the guest blogger for the week, so head on over and check it out!
A First Family Visit
About a week ago, we had visit with a member of the kids’ first family, one that they hadn’t seen in years. The kids experienced some anxiety about it, both before and after our visit. Afterwards, we had a debrief about expectations and how things aren’t always exactly as we remember them. The kids are stillContinue reading “A First Family Visit”
Foster Care and Broken Adoptions
I recently read this four-part series about broken adoptions in the U.S. foster care system. The article explains that in 1996, Congress passed the national Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The act was meant to address problems in the foster care system, including children who were moved from one foster home to another. However,Continue reading “Foster Care and Broken Adoptions”
Promising Babies in Six to Nine Months
In a recent report, NPR explored how the Internet is changing adoption. The reporter interviewed a prospective adoptive couple, a traditional agency, and a non-profit to learn more about this trend. Apparently online agencies are often unlicensed and make improbable claims such as the one mentioned in the title of this post. The report clearly makes theContinue reading “Promising Babies in Six to Nine Months”
On-campus Resources for Foster Children
Michigan continues to make big improvements in the state’s foster care system, and the latest one involves college. Michigan Radio recently reported that The Michigan Department of Human Services has given out seven grants to local universities. The grants will be used to pay on-campus coaches who will work with students from the foster careContinue reading “On-campus Resources for Foster Children”
Extending the Adoption Tax Credit
I love the New York Times, and I was excited to recently see an article in the publication about the adoption tax credit. The paper’s “Room for Debate” section asked five people to answer the question, “should the adoption tax credit be renewed?” Becky Fawcett, the co-founder and executive director of helpusadopt.org, advocated for theContinue reading “Extending the Adoption Tax Credit”
Savior or Saved?
Most adoptive parents I know hate it when other people treat them like a hero, simply for becoming parents through adoption. We strongly dislike the implication that we “saved” our kids. That’s why a new advertisement designed to recruit foster parents in Detroit caught my attention. My kids were adopted through foster care, so clearlyContinue reading “Savior or Saved?”
Adopting Older Children in Southeast Michigan
Metro Parent is a popular monthly parenting magazine in the Detroit area and we recently did an interview with the publication about older child adoption. Check it out!
Shannon Mackie 