A Newsworthy Adoption Story

With all the negativity that makes it into the news each day, it’s rather refreshing to come across a story that brings a smile to your face. This month, one of those refreshing news stories was not only featured on the TODAY show but was about adoption!

When you are diagnosed with a medical condition it can often be life-changing for not only you but your entire family. Many diseases and disorders require a complete change in lifestyle that requires the assistance or participation of those around them to be successful. One Arizona woman named Kristi, was extremely fortunate who had a family who put her medical needs first when she was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU) at birth. The genetic disorder, if not treated and monitored could have terrible side effects for her entire life, including metal delays and seizures. Thankfully, her parents made her health a priority and through a specific diet, Kristi was able to thrive and lead full life.

As an adult, Kristi married and decided with her husband that they wanted to start a family. Sadly the couple discovered that with Kristi’s health condition there would be many risks and possible complications with pregnancy, and ultimately it wasn’t a risk the couple wanted to take. The loving couple began opening their home and hearts to foster children. As they fostered, the couple learned of a child with PKU in China who was in need of a home. Already having an understanding of this disorder Kristi and her husband set off to China to adopt! Once there, they decided to adopt two boys with PKU. Thankfully the boys were at an orphanage that understood their medical needs and took care of them until they were adopted. This is unfortunately not the case for all kids with PKU in China. Some children never receive treatment and suffer with health complications because of it. This moved the couple who not only advocated for these children but decided to adopt two more boys with PKU in March 2018.

The whole family is doing well and is very happy together. Kristi is thrilled she could help children who were diagnosed with the same disorder she was and finds adoption to be extremely rewarding.  

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)

1225 S. Main St #207

Greensburg, PA 15601

(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA

30 Hampstead Cir 

Wynnewood, PA 19096  

(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA    

2212 Union Blvd     

Allentown, PA 18109      

(610) 432-2384

Chesapeake, Virginia 

1407 Stephanie Way #H

Chesapeake, Virginia 23320

(757) 361-0008

Glastonbury, Connecticut 

703 Hebron Ave #1

Glastonbury, CT 06033

(860) 657-2626

Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA

1525 Oregon Pike 

Lancaster, PA 17601

(717) 399-7766

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

451 Woodland Ave

Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

(856) 665-5655

Wilmington, Delaware 

18A Trolley Square

Wilmington, DE 19806

(302) 658-8883

Decrease Of International Adoptions In Recent Years

What Is International Adoption?

International adoption refers to the process of adopting a child of a different nationality from a country other than your own. Any individuals trying to adopt a child internationally should meet the legal requirements and undergo the procedures as stipulated by the mother state. In 2005, reports indicate that over 50 % of the children who were adopted around the globe, were adopted into the US. However, in 2014 the number dropped by 72 percent.

Factors Behind The Decline Of International Adoption

In the year 2004, international adoption was at its peak in North America. Yet, currently, overseas adoption has dramatically plummeted. For instance, in 2014, only 6,441 kids were internationally adopted in the United States of America. The first question you may ask yourself is what happened to the process? Some of the factors that have contributed to the decrease of international child adoption include:

• Child Abuse - Over the years some cases of child abuse have made news. For instance, in the year 2008, Russia banned adoption by the American agencies after the death of a child which occurred after his guardian left him locked in a hot vehicle.
• Regional Politics - Politics play a significant role in a country's policy-making. Ethiopian lawmakers revoked overseas adoption in January this year citing the death of a small girl of Ethiopian nationality who died of malnutrition in the US.
• Efforts To Safeguard Children - Due to many cases of child abuse making headlines, most countries have joined hands to protect the welfare of children. There have been some cases where adoptive parents have violated their children. In an effort to protect children from such abuse, most countries have made the process of overseas adoption more complicated.
• Hague Policies - Currently, the Hague has laid strict adoption policies that were intended to solve many problems associated with adoption and make the process simpler and more straightforward. For instance, according to The Hague Adoption Convention, the concerned parties should establish a proper paper trail to record the history of the child. Unfortunately, many of these policies have contributed to the decline of international adoptions, partially because these policies are difficult for poorer countries to adhere to.
• Cultural Differences - Chances are if a family is adopting a child internationally, they will not share the same ethnicity or religion. This has been cited as a reason to decline some adoptions by some critics who wish to maintain a child’s “birth culture.”

The above factors are just some of the reasons in the long list of why international adoption has taken a nosedive over the last decade.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)

1225 S. Main St #207

Greensburg, PA 15601

(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA

30 Hampstead Cir 

Wynnewood, PA 19096  

(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA    

2212 Union Blvd     

Allentown, PA 18109      

(610) 432-2384

Chesapeake, Virginia 

1407 Stephanie Way #H

Chesapeake, Virginia 23320

(757) 361-0008

Glastonbury, Connecticut 

703 Hebron Ave #1

Glastonbury, CT 06033

(860) 657-2626

Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA

1525 Oregon Pike 

Lancaster, PA 17601

(717) 399-7766

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

451 Woodland Ave

Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

(856) 665-5655

Wilmington, Delaware 

18A Trolley Square

Wilmington, DE 19806

(302) 658-8883

New Adoption Bill Passes In The Georgia Senate

On Thursday, Feb 1, 2018, the Georgia State Senate ratified Bill HB-159, effectively overhauling adoption codes and practices in Georgia. The process of revising the adoption code here has been underway for some time, but was caught up in controversy. A previous bill failed to pass last year after the Senate inserted a clause that would have allowed adoption agencies to cite their religious beliefs and refuse to give children to LGBT couples. That bill was vetoed by the Governor.

Republican Rep. Bert Reeves of Marietta, sponsored the latest legislation, without the contentious clause, and was quoted in U.S.News, "In the nearly three decades that have passed since the last update of Georgia adoption law, Georgia has been left behind by most of the states in the nation. All types of adoptions ... have been slowed by our antiquated and outdated processes."

Major Changes

The bill makes a number of technical changes to the state's adoption code, including the following adjustments:

• Reducing the length of time a birth mother has to change her mind and take back custody of a baby from 10 days to four.
• Making it possible for adoptive parents to help a birth mother with certain living expenses in private adoptions. Expense payments for necessities such as rent, food and clothing are currently illegal for private or non-agency adoptions
• Simplifying the process for out of state parents to finalize Georgia adoptions
• Banning advertisements and payments to middlemen and unscrupulous facilitators that profit from arranging adoptions
• Adding provisions to include background checks and court registries keeping track of children when power of attorney or unusual circumstances (a parent called away by the military, for example) require a child to be transferred
• Reducing the age to participate in Georgia's reunion registry from 21 to 18

The Senate voted 53-2 to agree to the version of the bill that had previously passed the House on a unanimous vote. It is now awaiting Governor Nathan Deal's signature before becoming law.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S. Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384

Chesapeake, Virginia 
1407 Stephanie Way #H
Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
(757) 361-0008

Glastonbury, Connecticut 
703 Hebron Ave #1
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 657-2626

Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA
1525 Oregon Pike 
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 399-7766

Cherry Hill, New Jersey
451 Woodland Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 665-5655

Wilmington, Delaware 
18A Trolley Square
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302) 658-8883

U.S. Companies That Are Adoption Friendly

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption recently released its annual survey of companies that are most adoption friendly. The survey was compiled based on an analysis of benefits offered to adoptive parents including maximum amount of financial reimbursement and paid leave.

American Express

American Express is leading the way in showing its support for adoptive families. This year it jumped 30 spots to number one on the list and is being praised by the Dave Thomas Foundation for the enhancements it has made to its benefits for adoptive families. These benefits include:

• Up to $35,000 to full and part-time employees in the U.S. towards the cost of adoption
• 20 weeks of paid leave to men and women who welcome a child through adoption

Other Companies At The Top Of The List

The number of companies becoming adoption friendly by providing financial adoption benefits has steadily risen from only 12 percent in 1990 to 52 percent in 2013. That is huge progress for families who have adopted or are looking to adopt. Companies that made the top five list behind American Express include Capital One Financial, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Quality Supply Chain Co-Op and Citizens Bank.

Not The Norm

Unfortunately, the companies that made the top 100 list do not represent the norm for U.S. employers when it comes to providing adoption benefits. Most of the companies on the list represent banks and financial institutions that employ a small number of the workforce. Some large companies, such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, Starbucks and McDonalds, offer financial benefits for adoption to higher-level managers but do not extend the same benefits to hourly wage earners. Other companies provide financial benefits to adoptive parents, but give significantly less than what is given to biological parents.

For those organizations interested in providing adoption benefits, the Dave Thomas Foundations offers a Adoption-Friendly Workplace Kit to establish adoption-friendly policies within the workplace that benefit families who adopt.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S. Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384

Chesapeake, Virginia 
1407 Stephanie Way #H
Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
(757) 361-0008

Glastonbury, Connecticut
703 Hebron Ave #1
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 657-2626

Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA
1525 Oregon Pike 
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 399-7766

Cherry Hill, New Jersey
451 Woodland Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 665-5655

Wilmington, Delaware 
18A Trolley Square
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302) 658-8883