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After four plus years of fostering children of all ages, I decided it was finally time to put my experiences into words. This book will inform and enlighten you, as well as touch your heart. If you are already a foster parent, you will gain additional insight for your future foster care placements. If you are a new foster parent, someone who works in the foster care system or are just curious about foster care—be prepared to be educated, entertained and inspired. |
Have you ever thought about adoption? Have you felt that tug at your heart to consider bringing home a child that is waiting for a family? If you have thought about it, but that is as far as it went, this book is for you. This book takes a practical and encouraging look at some of the misconceptions as well as the roadblocks to adoption, both of which can be overcome. Read through it you—and a waiting child will be glad you did. |
From the Dust Jacket:
Against the background of growing interest in adoption as a gratifying route to the building of families, it is increasingly important to have an authoritative source for evaluating the available information. In Ideal Adoption, child psychoanalyst Dr. Shirley C. Samuels addresses critical adoption issues and provides a framework for making acceptable choices to benefit each member of the adoption triangle—the birth parents, the adoptive parents, and the adopted children. Drawing on interviews, hands-on clinical experience, and writings in the field, the author brings a wealth of current information to prospective adoptive parents, adult adoptees, birth parents, attorneys, judges, and lawmakers. The volume includes an in-depth discussion of the historical, sociological, and legal aspects of adoption, including problems relating to the decreasing numbers of adoptable infants, surrogate parenting, and how both open adoption and the need to search for one’s biological roots may affect the adoptee, his adoptive parents, and his birth parents. Also addressed is the often arduous process of finding a child, as well as the emotional needs, problems, and feelings of birth parents, the adoptive family, the adopted child, and the special-needs child. Samuels defines the laws and problems in present-day adoption and opens them up to fair, critical evaluation. Ideal Adoption offers practical, relevant information not only to past and prospective adoptive parents, but also to those professionals in psychology, adoption law, sociology, and social work who may influence adoption policy and practice. About the Author: Shirley C. Samuels, Ed.D., is a child psychoanalyst in private practice, specializing in the area of children and their birth and adoptive parents, and a marriage and family therapist. She is Clinical Coordinator at the Center for Preventive Psychiatry in White Plains, New York. Among her other professional activities, she presently serves on the Health Advisory Committee of the Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc., and is on the Board of Directors of the Union Child Day Care Center in Greenburgh, New York. She is the author of Enhancing Self-Concept in Early Childhood and Disturbed Exceptional Children, as well as a number of articles dealing with adoption and child care. Dr. Samuels, cited in Who’s Who in American Women, received her B.S. and M.S. from Syracuse University and her Ed.D. from Columbia University. |
Come join me on the winding road to ... Me 2.0!! It’s a story full of laughter, struggles, and randomness. See, I’ve been trying to figure out who the hell I am. I’m a daughter, a sister, a worker, a wife, a Mom?? Yikes!!?? You may chuckle or shed a tear or maybe even relate to me in some teeny tiny way. Or not... |
From the Back Cover:
If I Love My Kid Enough: The Reality of Raising an Adopted Child is based on the true story of Bethany. Adopted in infancy, she showed the promise of the perfect child. But early on there were indications that hers might not be a “happily ever after story.” The book traces Bethany’s erratic development and her family’s attempts to find answers for her troublesome behavior. Parents of all children can benefit from studying the lessons of Bethany’s life. In telling this one story, the authors provide both the parents’ and therapist’s points of view while probing the latest research on the early critical stages of development. This emphasis helps families focus on strengthening attachment so that they can provide the structure their children need to become mature and responsible adults. Also included are valuable strategies and resources for finding help when concerns arise. About the Author: Sara-Jane Hardman, a former teacher and school administrator, and Jean Roe Mauro, LCSW met shortly after they adopted their children and became involved in the adoption self-help movement. As the years unfolded, adoption became a central theme in their lives. Jean’s practice expanded to helping adoptive families and the pair ran conferences and workshops on adoption related issues. The authors’ work can be read in Adoptalk magazine, a publication of the Adoptive Parents Committee. They are currently preparing an online parenting course for adoptive parents for BGCenter.com. The authors live in New York. |
From the Dust Jacket:
If Nights Could Talk is a rich gothic story of a Southern family, a tale of wealth and emotional need that spans generations. Marsha Recknagel’s story begins with the surprise appearance of her sixteen-year-old nephew, Jamie, who arrives on her doorstep and into her ordered, childless life. Fleeing a chaotic home run by Marsha’s unstable younger brother and his wife, Jamie is an ominous creature. He is dressed in Goth garb and clearly ready to take to the streets. For Marsha, to open the door is to risk opening herself up to the pain of the past. For years Jamie has been the center of an ongoing family tug-of-war, a victim of erratic court systems and tangled bureaucratic social services. Reluctantly Marsha takes him inside. Thus begins the painful, terrifying, and extraordinary process of unraveling the damage inflicted by her family on one of its own. Woven into this record of rescue is a portrait of the unified yet tormented Recknagel family. Forced to search through the heart of her family’s past, Marsha recounts stories of her oil wildcatter father, who died a mysterious death and whose presence pervades the book; of her young niece, who drinks and drugs herself to an early death; and of the brother who could not live up to the father’s expectations. Reliving this history, Marsha comes to realize that her partnership with Jamie has been inevitable, and their fates inextricable. Marsha begins as Jamie’s guide but soon discovers lessons only he can teach her. Through this, Marsha learns to accept and forgive a family dedicated to disasters. Armed with beautiful prose and a heart-wrenching story, this debut is a breathtaking saga of love and redemption. About the Author: Marsha Recknagel has an M.F.A. from Bennington College. She teaches creative writing at Rice University in Houston, Texas. |
From the Publisher:
Brody had been on the at-risk register since birth but was only removed from his alcoholic parents when he reached the age of six. Foster carer Mia Marconi was thrilled when he first arrived—a boy the same age as her son. It can be so bewildering for foster children when they arrive. The older ones are usually withdrawn and sullen. The younger ones will be screaming, spitting at you, making themselves sick and throwing themselves on the floor. For Mia, it’s normally her boisterous, happy children who provide the comfort at the beginning, because why should they trust another adult. Children always feel safe and secure when there are other children about. Mia believes it’s through making relationships with other children that they begin to trust adults again. But little did she know that six-year-old Brody was actually taking his anger and frustration out on her son. She quickly begins to realise the heavy price her family has had to pay. About the Author: Mia Marconi has an Italian father and an Irish mother. She grew up in London and has been a foster carer here for over 20 years. During that time she has welcomed more than 250 children into her home. To protect the identities of people she is writing under a pseudonym. By the Same Author: Learning to Love Amy (2014); A Child Called Hope (2014); and Little Girl Lost (2015). |
The story of this successful endeavor [New Beginnings—an Apostolic-led adoption program for unplanned pregnancies] is both enlightening and moving. You will appreciate these acts of charity personified. Many childless couples have been blessed by the arrival of a beautiful, tiny infant whom the birth mother chose not to abort, all because of New Beginnings. I personally have been blessed by two beautiful and loving granddaughters because of New Beginnings. You will not soon forget this story of divine love in action. — Jack E. Yonts, Sr. |
| If You Adopt a Child. Carl & Helen Doss. 1957. 368p. Holt. This is a book regarding the adoption of children including the situation, risks, alternatives, and how to go about adopting. It also includes a section for making a child legally yours including inheritance rights, citizenship, etc. The rest of the book is on raising the child thereafter. Includes a recommended reading list for adoptive parents. About the Author: Helen Doss has been a writer and an internationally known advocate for adoptive families for more than fifty years. She has published numerous articles in such national periodicals as American Girl and Reader’s Digest, and is the author of thirteen books, including All the Children of the World and Really Real Family and the coauthor (with Carl Doss) of If You Adopt a Child. She lives with her husband Roger Reed in Yuba City, CA. By the Same Author: The Family Nobody Wanted (1954). |
From the Dust Jacket:
Tiny Haines, Alaska, is ninety miles north of Juneau, accessible mainly by water or air—and only when the weather is good. There’s no traffic light and no mail delivery; people can vanish without a trace and funerals are community affairs. Heather Lende posts both the obituaries and the social column for her local newspaper. If anyone knows the goings-on in this close-knit town—from births to weddings to funerals—she does. Whether contemplating the mysterious death of eccentric Speedy Joe, who wore nothing but a red union suit and a hat he never took off, not even for a haircut; researching the details of a one-legged lady gold miner’s adventurous life; worrying about her son’s first goat-hunting expedition; observing the awe-inspiring Chilkat Bald Eagle Festival; or ice skating in the shadow of glacier-studded mountains, Lende’s warmhearted style brings us inside her small-town life. We meet her husband, Chip, who owns the local lumber yard; their five children; and a colorful assortment of quirky friends and neighbors, including aging hippies, salty fishermen, native Tlingit Indians, and volunteer undertakers—as well as the moose, eagles, sea lions, and bears with whom they share this wild and perilous land. Like Bailey White’s tales of Southern life or Garrison Keillor’s reports from the Midwest, NPR commentator Heather Lende’s take on her off-beat Alaskan hometown celebrates life in a dangerous and breathtakingly beautiful place. About the Author: Heather Lende writes for Haines’s Chilkat Valley News and is a frequent contributor to the Christian Science Monitor and NPR’s Morning Edition. Her column for the Anchorage Daily News was awarded the 2002 Suzan Nightingale McKay Best Columnist Award by the Alaska Press Club. Compiler’s Note: In a chapter entitled “Mother Bears” (pp. 115-126), the author describes her trip to Bulgaria to adopt Stojanka, an eight-year-old Gypsy orphan whose addition brings the total number of her children to five. |
Have you ever wondered what would be the biggest thing you could do with your life? Could you climb Everest? Swim the English Channel? What remarkable thing could you achieve if you chose to extend your experiences past where you are comfortable...if you pushed yourself to the limit? Most adoptive parents find out in the first few minutes of the adoption process. Adoption can be stressful and difficult, while remaining the most precious times in your life. Immediate Family is a wish list of information for adoptive parents—and both pre-adoptive parents and seasoned adopters will find a wealth of information, presented in language the current generation of adoptive parents can relate to. It has a hip, fresh attitude and is far from the normal dry, academic text. It validates the feelings of adoptive parents and confirms they are not alone in their doubts, confusion and impatience. Immediate Family shares stories and advice from other parents who have adopted children of all ages, domestically, via private or foster-to-adopt programs and internationally. They offer their experiences and share the things they wish they’d known then. Immediate Family offers more than just helpful tips; it builds a bridge between the children in need and the families who wait for them, using sound advice from parents who’ve been there. |
From the Dust Jacket:
In 1984 the hideously beaten body of a young woman—a wife and new mother—was discovered in a roadside ditch in a remote mountainous area of eastern Pennsylvania. She had been apparently sexually assaulted as well. She was Teresa Benigno Taylor, a beautiful Italian-American born in New York City, recently married to Kenneth Z. Taylor, a dentist from Indiana with a seemingly bright future, an engaging, athletic and articulate man whom many women had found irresistible. No sooner was her identity established than suspicion focused on Dr. Taylor. And in a very short time he was charged with this heinous and brutal crime. But whether he would be convicted of murder hung very much in the balance. Two rural police officers, under the direction of a dedicated prosecutor, slowly uncovered Kenneth Taylor’s dark past, a secret history of deception and violence. Although few then knew it, it was a past that included two previous marriages marked by terrible psychological torture and near-murder. Moreover, in the wake of Teresa’s tragic death, a wrenching struggle would also ensue between families and cultures in the bitter custody battle over the couple’s infant son—a struggle as spellbinding, and almost as horrifying, as the murder and trial. Perhaps, ironically, Teresa and her family should have known that Ken Taylor was too good to be true, certainly when she was beaten to within an inch of her life on her honeymoon, they should have guessed, but Ken had the psychopath’s natural gift for portraying himself as the innocent victim. Thugs had broken into their Las Brisas, Mexico, honeymoon villa, he explained, and he had been left unconscious trying to defend Teresa—a tale that the Mexican police rejected out of hand, but which Ken persuaded everybody back home to accept—even Teresa, who could not remember what happened, who wanted to believe her husband loved her, who needed to believe it.... It was a belief that any woman who loved her husband might have convinced herself to accept. It was a belief that cost Teresa her life. No one who was involved in the case could imagine the religious, regional and ethnic passions that would be unleashed, passions which revealed not only the fragility of American society, but paradoxically, also its extraordinary resiliency. Tracing events from Midwestern “Middle America” to the big-city East Coast, with an unrivaled sense of dramatic narrative, Peter Maas—the author of such best-sellers as Serpico, King of the Gypsies and Manhunt—takes us far beyond the conventions of a chilling true crime story to explore what both divides and ultimately unites us as a nation. About the Author: A graduate of Duke University, Peter Maas is the author of eight major works of fiction and nonfiction. |
From the Dust Jacket:
First came the bestselling book, then the Oscar-nominated movie—the story of Michael Oher and the family who adopted him has become one of the most talked-about true stories of our time. But, until now, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy have never told this astonishing tale in their own way and with their own words. For Leigh Anne and Sean, it all begins with family. Leigh Anne, the daughter of a tough-as-nails U.S. Marshal, decided early on that her mission was to raise children who would become “cheerful givers.” Sean, who grew up poor, believed that one day he could provide a home that would be “a place of miracles.” Together, they raised two high-spirited children—Collins and Sean Jr.—who shared their deep Christian faith and their commitment to making a difference. And then one day Leigh Anne met a homeless African American boy named Michael and decided that her family could be his. She and her husband taught Michael what this book teaches all of us: everyone has a blind side, but a loving heart always sees a path toward true charity. Michael Oher’s improbable transformation could never have happened if Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy had not opened their hearts to him. In this compelling, funny, and profoundly inspiring book, the Tuohys take us on an extraordinary journey of faith and love—and teach us unforgettable lessons about the power of giving. About the Author: Leigh Anne Tuohy grew up in Memphis and graduated from the University of Mississippi, where she met her future husband; she now owns an interior design company. Sean Tuohy grew up in New Orleans and played professional basketball for a summer after college; he now owns more than seventy restaurant franchises. The Tuohys live in Memphis but travel all over the country speaking about their family, their faith, and how each of us can make a difference in the world. Sally Jenkins, an award-winning columnist for The Washington Post, is the author or coauthor of several books, including Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike and The State of Jones (written with John Stauffer). She lives in New York City. |
From the Publisher:
This is the autobiography of John Graham ... a nuclear scientist, a world traveler, a multi-marathon runner, a writer with over twenty books, and an art lover, and, more than all of these, a family man who has been blessed with two families, forty years apart. This part of John’s life takes place during a period (1933-2009) when the world was changing: the status of women took a step forward; the electronic world took over our lives; publication and communication changed; war moved from set battlefield enemies to terrorists; global warming became a rallying cry by activists for all manner of purposes; and more. five days after John was born, Adolf Hitler came to power as Chancellor of the Third Reich, while, as the book is published, Barrack Obama completes his first 100 days as American President. The world has changed. It is no wonder that John’s autobiography encompasses strong opinions and makes no apology for strong likes and dislikes. |
As one of the first women sports editors at a daily newspaper, author Linda Goodspeed gained a national reputation for ski writing. She won awards, covered the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia and wrote a book about skiing. But in her late 20s and early 30s, Goodspeed lost her eyesight to a childhood eye disease, and her life changed forever—not in a good way either. At least not at first. In this compelling and inspiring story, the author details the fear and loneliness of going blind, and her determination to re-start her career and life. She moves away from home, learns blind skills like Braille and walking with a white cane, meets other blind professionals, learns how to use adaptive equipment, takes up old pursuits like downhill skiing, gets new jobs and travels to Russia to adopt a baby. In and Out of Darkness is a story of love and faith, people and perseverance, and all the uncertainties, challenges and blessings life throws at us. Sometimes difficult, sometimes funny, seldom a straight line. But never dull either. A beautifully written memoir of people and places, and the indomitable human spirit. |
From the Back Cover:
“We are going to be adopted and stay with Mummy and Daddy forever.” Danny looked up at me. Rita’s words had disturbed him. “I know why I had to leave my mum,” he said, “but why do I have to live with you?” This is the true story of the adoption of Danny and Rita. Spanning some three decades, the story tells how Tom and Nathalie, a white couple, adopted the two children of a young black woman with a serious mental illness. Rita settles in with her new family, while Danny isn’t sure. It follows the children as they get to know their birth father’s family and in time make their dramatic decision, one by one, to leave their adoptive home. But that is not the end of the story... The story begins at a time when the political landscape was different—transracial adoptions were commonplace and did not provoke the debate or stir up the strong feelings that they do today. But as events unfold, the landscape has begun to change and has implications for all those involved. This honest account of one couple’s attempt to create a family is set against a background of adoption issues that are as relevant today as they were thirty years ago. About the Author: Nathalie Seymour is the pseudonym of a retired civil servant with a background in social work. She has collaborated in a number of published research papers, articles and textbooks. |
From the Back Cover:
Congratulations. Somebody you care about is adopting or has adopted. This makes you a member of their adoption circle. And as a member of that circle, you deserve information and insights into adoption—from a perspective that addresses your particular interests and concerns. This is the adoption book for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and colleagues, caregivers and teachers of adoptive families. Whether you’re excited or worried, committed or a bit reluctant, experienced or unfamiliar with adoption, In On It is an informative, friendly and very useful adoption guide for anyone touched by adoption. Welcome. In On It explains: What is it really like to adopt these days? What’s it like to be an adoptive family? How can I help and support my loved ones during their adoption process (even if I’m still questioning and learning myself)? How can I help after they’ve become an adoptive family? I have questions about the adoption and about the child. What’s private and what’s public? What’s tactful and what’s touchy? How can I respond to other people’s questions and comments about adoption? What role can I have in the adoption? What can I look forward to? About the Author: Elisabeth O’Toole is a writer and mother of three children through adoption. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and Colorado State University and her professional experience includes roles in business, education, and with non-profit organizations. She resides with her family at various points on the continuum of calm and chaos in St. Paul, Minnesota. |
From the Back Cover:
This is the heartbreaking life story of Jodi Marie Clark. Jodi was a sweet baby girl born to an unwed mother who would have loved to keep her. That was impossible and Jodi was given up for adoption. That was the first of many good-byes as little Jodi was passed from house to house like an unwanted gift until, in desperation, her father drove seven hundred miles to his sister Judy’s farm. He dropped Jodi off, turned around, and drove out of her life for eight years. Those eight years were a blessing to Jodi and to the Keller family who loved her dearly. Their lives were forever after intertwined. At fourteen Jodi rejoined her father and her life spiraled downward and out of control. Through God’s grace and some remarkable people, Jodi was able to pull her life from the ashes. She lived a “normal” young adult life until she received devastating news. From that point on, tragedy was always just a step behind her until God, in His infinite wisdom, brought this angel home to Heaven. About the Author: J.C. Keller, a.k.a. Judy Clark Keller, is a native Wisconsinite. She married her high school sweetheart, Chuck Keller, forty-eight years ago. They are the proud parents of five terrific daughters and their husbands, nine delightful grandchildren, and one sweet little black dog named Molly. Judy loves her church, family, and Molly. Along with writing; music, and cheering for the Packers, Badgers and Brewers are some of her favorite activities. |
From the Back Cover:
In Search of a Family: A Story of an International Adoption takes the reader inside a personal journey through the unknowns of an international adoption. This true story takes place in the ex-Soviet bloc country of Ukraine. As they travel through this young, independent republic, Kevin and Ginger Carlisle encounter numerous obstacles that could derail their hopes of achieving their dream of creating a new family. Braving Ukrainian election tensions and protestors, heartbreaking events, financial concerns, and changing adoption policies, they navigate the emotional and psychological maze of the bureaucracy and physical logistics of an international adoption. An eleventh-hour attempt by the children’s family member jeopardizes their attempt in searching for a family. The Carlisles endure the hardships of the language barrier and infrastructure but are able to uncover the little-known beauty of Ukraine and its people, all while placing their life in the United States on hold. As their destiny patiently waits, they keep reciting the mantra of all those who had come before them: Keep your focus on the goal of bringing home your children. About the Author: Kevin Carlisle is a board-certified physician assistant, specializing in surgery. He has practiced medicine for more than 29 years. He graduated from Michigan State University, received his medical degree from Long Island University/Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center in New York and his M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition, his is a licensed representative with Primerica Financial Services. His hobbies include reading, gardening, cooking, and scuba diving. His is a certified dive master. He earned the highly coveted Eagle Scout designation. Ginger Carlisle is a Regional Vice President with Primerica Financial Services. She attended Adelphi University in New York, the University of Florida in Gainesville and received an M.B.A. and M.H.A. from the University of Miami. She graduated from the Montreal General Hospital nursing program at McGill University Health Centre and was a practicing registered nurse for 20 years. She enjoys traveling, scuba diving, cooking, and entertaining friends and family. |
Considering Adoption? When Dorothy has a chance to meet her birth mother, she is overwhelmed by the possible outcomes: Will she love her? Will her adoptive father be hurt? Will she ruin her birth mother’s life now? This tender story of the selfless act of adoption addresses critical issues for those considering adoption, including: Birth mothers wondering if they are doing the right thing Adoptive parents wondering if introducing their child to the birth parents might change the way their child feels about them Adopted adults thinking about trying to find their birth parents. |
From the Dust Jacket:
Have you ever asked yourself “Who do I really want to control my life?” Or maybe, “Why should l turn over control of my life to God?” In my case, God was there waiting for me to submit to His shaping, to enter into a truly vital relationship with Him. I want to share what it means to be shaped by the Master Potter, so that you, too, can enjoy the richness of His care and provision. Dale Evans Rogers is loved by millions as the Queen of the West, wife and partner to Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys. But the richest part of her life has not been the Hollywood glamour or her legendary status—it has been her experience with God who, like a Master Potter, has shaped her faith and guided her through some very difficult times. In the Hands of the Potter is an inspiring look at how God wants to shape our lives and guide us in all circumstances. Dale shares her hard-won philosophy with honesty and seasoned maturity. Using the analogy of the clay and the potter, she explores how the Lord has used adversity to create beauty in her life, and how He wants to do the same for you. Though she writes of career crises, the birth of a child with Down’s syndrome, the deaths of three beloved children, and severe health problems, it’s a tale not of tragedy but of triumph. For as Dale confronted painful situations, she learned to trust the sure hands of the Master Potter. She talks about ambition, priorities, abilities, relationships, and how they must be reshaped in our lives. Dale shares how God has been with her in the fiery trials of loss as well as the exciting moments of success, and how He wants to be there for you in your struggles and achievements. From her youthful rebellion to her success as a Hollywood celebrity to her joys and sorrows as wife and mother, Dale Evans Rogers has learned to let God be in control. She says that her circumstances and relationships “all contributed to who I became. But I also recognize that, misused, some of these qualities became destructive in my life. Only when the Master Potter began reshaping me could they become fit for His service and used to the glory of God.” About the Author: Dale Evans Rogers, the wife of Roy Rogers and the mother of nine children, is a singer, an actress, a speaker, and the author of twenty-five books, including Angel Unaware, which is regarded today as a classic. Born in Texas, she was named Texan of the Year by the Texas Press Association, Church Woman of the Year in 1964, Mother of the Year in 1967, and Grandmother of the Year in 1989. A popular speaker, she has worked with charities for abused and for retarded children. Dale now has her own TBN television program, A Date With Dale. She and Roy live in Apple Valley, California, and have a personal museum in Victorville, California. Les Stobbe has co-authored numerous books, including Reconcilable Differences and Life After Divorce with Jim Talley. By the Same Author: My Spiritual Diary (1955); To My Son: Faith at Our House (1957); Dearest Debbie: In Ai Lee (1965); Salute to Sandy (1967); The Woman at the Well (1970); Hear the Children Crying: The Child Abuse Epidemic (With Frank S. Mead; 1978); Our Values: Stories and Wisdom (With Carole C. Carlson; 1997); and Dale Evans Rogers: Rainbow on a Hard Trail (With Norman B Rohrer; 1999), among others. |
In the Year of the Ox details a personal quest that began with Hannah Amgott’s diagnosis of early menopause at age 35 and ends with the adoption of her daughter in China twelve years later. Also a tale of survival and strength, In the Year of the Ox reveals the day-to-day realities of coping with life-threatening illnesses and overcoming the many challenges inherent in the international adoption process. |
From the Publisher:
Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda’s In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (2000) shared the experiences of 24 black and biracial children who had been adopted into white families in the late 1960s and 70s. The book has since become a standard resource for families and practitioners. Now, in this companion volume, we hear from the parents of these remarkable families and learn what it was like for them to raise children across racial and cultural lines. These candid interviews shed light on the issues these parents encountered, what part race played during thirty plus years of parenting, what they learned about themselves, and whether they would recommend transracial adoption to others. Combining trenchant historical and political data with absorbing firsthand accounts, Simon and Roorda once more bring an academic and human dimension to the literature on transracial adoption. About the Author: Rita J. Simon is a University Professor in the School of Public Affairs and the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. She has published 37 books and edited 19 and is currently the editor of Gender Issues. Rhonda M. Roorda works at an educational advocacy organization in Lansing, MI, and writes for Fostering Families TODAY and Adoption TODAY magazines. By the Same Author: In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (2000) and In Their Siblings’ Voices: White Non-Adopted Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Being Raised with Black and Biracial Brothers and Sisters (2009). |
From the Back Cover:
THE BOOK THAT DISPELS THE MYTHS: 1. independent adoption is illegal or at least disreputable. Independent adoption is legal in 46 states. It is often a birth mother’s and adoptive parents’ first choice. Those involved agree that it is the most dignified way to make arrangements. 2. Most infants are placed through adoption agencies. At least two-thirds of all adopted infants in the U.S. are placed independently. 3. independent adoption is beyond the means of most couples. The expenses are usually well under $10,000. 4. There are too few infants to adopt in the U.S. Birth mothers want to find you, just as you want to find them. Nearly everyone who diligently pursues independent adoption has a baby in less than 18 months. 5. Birth mothers don’t care about their “unwanted” babies. This is the most damaging myth of all. They care very much about their babies—that’s why they choose independent adoption. Birth mothers want to select the adoptive parents. Without this control, adoption often is not an option. A SUPERIOR REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS • An extensive list of 700 newspapers that accept adoption ads; plus 3,000 newspapers that are part of state-wide networks that will run adoption ads • Sample home studies • A list of 200 adoption attorneys • State-by-state adoption laws: answers to the most-asked questions • Plus an invaluable resource for adoption professionals. Includes the names, addresses and telephone number for each state’s: Adoption Specialist, Bar Association and interstate Compact Personnel. About the Author: Ray has an adoption practice in New Jersey and South Carolina, and Laura is the Director of Advocates for Independent Adoption. They are the proud adoptive parents of two little girts, Erika and Elizabeth. |
Adoption is certainly a common occurrence in India today. Although there is no official and complete count of adoptions, the best available estimates are that about 4% of Indians are adopted, nearly half of whom have been adopted by persons who are not biologically related to them. However, adoption touches many more lives than these data suggest. |
Roy Sokol offers men a chance to be heard and women a rare opportunity to view the struggle with infertility from a male perspective. Infertility and Adoption: A Husband and Father’s Perspective brings to life the frustration, anger, humor, heartbreak, and sense of helplessness and a mental philosophy learned in Marine Corps training that helps in overcoming the psychological barriers. While miracles in technology have brought joy to new families, those very advances have placed many couples into a spiraling cycle of hope and heartbreak. One failed attempt may lead to another, but how do you give up when there is always another doctor, another procedure holding the possibility of your dream for a family? Roy Sokol has captured the emotional turmoil he and his wife, Elizabeth, endured as they tried to conceive, the years their lives were put on hold, and the excruciating sense of loss and finally great happiness. He writes too of the couple’s journey through the bewildering world of adoption-a path to parenthood fraught with financial, legal, and emotional risks of its own. |
From the Back Cover:
A baby awaits those who persevere. That’s the theme of Rocky De Lorenzo’s candid, intimate memoir about infertility and adoption. Rocky and his wife, Susan, spent frustrating years and a lot of hard-earned cash trying to overcome infertility. They thought they were alone and had nowhere to turn. Then, they discovered they were wrong and that the pathway to building the family they had always dreamed of led to a foreign land they had never imagined they would visit... By reading this book, you will learn about: • The emotional toll of infertility and dashed hopes • Ways to keep your marriage strong through the struggles of infertility • The “pluses” and “minuses” of various adoption strategies • The crisis of abandoned daughters in China—and how this represents a life-affirming opportunity for infertile couples in the United States Infertility to Family: One Man’s Story is a unique book, a story of the emotional roller coaster ride of infertility told from a man’s perspective. It will bring hope to those confronting infertility and new ideas to those considering adoption. Included is an appendix listing resources for both infertility and adoption. About the Author: Rocky De Lorenzo is a speaker, an author, and an active member of Toastmasters International. He has a degree in business management and worked for more than a decade in Las Vegas casinos. He currently lives in Dover, Delaware, with his wife Susan and their daughter Shelby-Li. Infertility to Family is his first book. |
A guide to the adoption process for prospective adoptive parents, based upon the author’s own personal experience. The profiles of various private placement agencies in Massachusetts included are based upon a questionnaire the author sent out in February and March 1997. The text, however, suffers from the author’s legal background, being at times if not unreadable, then unnecessarily dense or syntactically convoluted. Table of Contents: 1. Adapting to Adoption • 2. The Adoption Tower of Babylon — The Birth of a Discipline • 3. The Adoption Alphabet — Definitions with a Difference • 4. The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome — A Special Extended Note for Individuals Coming to Adoption through Infertility • 5. A Bill of Rights for Preadoptive Parents • 6. Introduction to Agency Profiles — Adoption Agency Profiles — Other Licensed Adoption Agencies • 7. Epilogue: Adoption Interactivity — (Pre) Adoptive Parent 1997 Questionnaire About the Author: Marc Weinreich is a principal at Weinreich & Associates, a law firm located in Brookline, Massachusetts. |
From the Dust Jacket:
Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours’ notice, she adopted a preschooler. Instant Mom is Vardalos’s hilarious and poignant true chronicle of trying to become a mother while fielding nosy “frenemies” and Hollywood reporters asking, “Any baby news?” With her signature wit and candor, she describes her and husband Ian Gomez’s bumpy road to parenting, how they found their daughter, and what happened next. Vardalos includes a comprehensive how-to-adopt section and explores innovative ways to conquer the challenges all new moms face, from sleep to personal grooming. She learns that whether via biology, relationship, or adoption—motherhood comes in many forms. In Instant Mom, Vardalos shares the terrifying joys of parenthood and for the first time reveals her stubborn optimism and perseverance on her trek to finally becoming a mom, instantly. About the Author: Nia Vardalos is the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated actress and writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. An alumnus of The Second City comedy theater, she also starred in and wrote Connie and Carla and I Hate Valentine’s Day, starred in My Life In Ruins, and co-wrote Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks. Born and raised in Canada, Vardalos now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, their daughter, and many pets and is currently working on balancing her acting and writing career with motherhood and adoption advocacy. |
Rick Maurer and his wife Ilene both had successful careers with Fortune 500 companies and loving extended families—but there was something missing from their lives: they desperately wanted children. After the trauma of multiple failures with fertility doctors, Rick and Ilene were forced to accept the knowledge that they would not be able to have children naturally and decided to look into adoption. Their desire to start their family without delay, to have a young baby, and the safeguards not available domestically—led them to consider an adoption from abroad. As a publisher traveling throughout South America Rick knew the sad situations of the many children left abandoned and without loving families. In this touching story Rick describes their first meeting with Sam and later Maria, whose families had been unable to care for them. Unlike many of the thousands of less fortunate babies in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, Sam and Maria each had been placed with a foster family before being approved for adoption and ultimately placed with a family. It was love at first sight for Rick and Ilene, but many obstacles remained including language, culture, as well as uncooperative judges. This saga tells in touching detail the highs and lows of Rick and Ilene’s journey to parenthood while also weaving in the fascinating early history of this remote and little-known country. |
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