Category - Adoption News

18
Apr

Another Year of International Adoptions Declining Despite Children in Needs of Families Rising

The U.S. State Department has released the FY 2015 numbers on international adoptions completed by U.S. Citizen parents, which can be found here. The State Department’s Narrative on the numbers can be found here. The number of children being placed through international adoption has yet again decreased. This past year the numbers decreased by 12% ...
13
Apr

The Long-Lasting Legacy of Dr. Karyn Purvis

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Karyn Purvis yesterday. Dr. Purvis’ invaluable research and commitment to learning more about children from hard places will influence generations to come. Dr. Purvis committed her life to studying the brain and behavior of children, including adopted children, who have experienced trauma. She used ...
30
Nov

Adoption of Sixteen Special Needs Children

As an adoption professional I am always thrilled to see when an adoptive family relays that they are open to adopting a special needs child. These children are passed over time and time again by families who are only willing to adopt what they consider to be “healthy” children. You can imagine my surprise when ...
27
Oct

What is a Central Authority?

The landscape of international adoption continues to change. Prospective adoptive parents and agencies are increasingly concerned about ensuring adoptions are completed with the highest commitment to ethical practices. The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (the Hague Convention) has been a key component in ensuring that international ...
14
Sep

Celebrities Who Adopt Can Inspire Others

We turn to celebrities to inspire our clothing choices and beauty routines. They influence what cars we dream of buying and the vacations we wish could take. But, we also love it when we hear about celebrities adopting! Why? Not only because most of us want the scoop on what celebrities are doing and what ...
19
Aug

Rising to Great Heights – An Adoption Story of Inspiration

International adoption provides loving, permanent homes to children in need across the globe. The children left behind in orphanages face a childhood with little hope. These forgotten children grow up without families and many live a life of hardship, hunger and with little opportunity for education.  Many age out of the orphanage into lives of ...
30
Jun

Four Ways Social Media Has Positively Impacted Adoption

Social media has revolutionized the way humans interact with one another. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + and the various other social media platforms have allowed people to develop relationships outside of their cities, towns, states and countries. People are interconnected in new ways. The world feels smaller than ever before. Today we are sharing four ...
18
Jun

News: Hague Countries Gather to Address Global Issues in International Adoption

From Monday June 8 through Friday June 12, an international group of adoption stakeholders met to discuss the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (the “Convention”) in the Netherlands. This was the fourth meeting of the Special Commission to review the Convention. The purpose of this meeting was to analyze how the Convention has worked to ...
12
Mar

Movie Review: Drop Box

If you have been to the movies recently you may have seen a preview for a film called The Drop Box. If you were anything like me the name was captivating and I wanted to know more about this film. As I watched the trailer my heart strings were instantly tugged and I knew that ...
4
Feb

Why Use MLJ Adoptions as Your Primary Provider?

The Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA) has shaken the world of adoption with respect to independent international adoptions. Now families are required to work with Hague Adoption Service Providers for all international adoptions. However, adoption service providers are not necessarily prepared to work with all families. This change leaves a huge gap in services in international ...
8
Jan

Should I Adopt from a Pilot Program?

You may notice that some international adoption programs are labeled as “pilot” programs. Parents interested in a country program labeled as a “pilot” program often have two important questions: (1) What does “pilot” program mean?; and (2) Should this label send me running for the hills? What does a “pilot” program mean in international adoption? ...
5
Jan

I’m Single. Can I Adopt Internationally?

The short answer to this question is yes! While single adoptive parents may have more hurdles to cross, international adoption is still a very viable option to grow your family. With such a significant need for adoptive families, it would be ideal if the requirements to adopt from a foreign country were standard across the ...
24
Nov

Why Should You Choose to Adopt from a Hague Convention Country?

In October of this year, MLJ Adoptions introduced its fourth international adoption program from a Hague Convention Country. Burkina Faso is now an option for prospective adoptive families who are interested in both adopting from Africa and adopting from a Hague Convention Country. But as prospective adoptive parents, why might you select a Hague Convention Country ...
11
Nov

Are You Seeking a Primary Provider for Your International Adoption?

Due to the Universal Accreditation Act (UAA), effective July 14, 2014, all prospective adoptive parents adopting internationally must work with a primary provider. MLJ Adoptions may be able to assist your family and act as a primary provider for families seeking to adopt from a country where no U.S. adoption service provider has a current country program. The primary ...
4
Nov

Join Us in Celebrating National Adoption Month

On Sunday, churches around the globe celebrated Orphan Sunday, a movement by the Christian Alliance for Orphans to raise awareness about how the call to care for the orphaned children of the world is a burden shared by all. Orphan Sunday, historically the first Sunday of November, is the first large-scale movement in the month ...
1
Oct

International Adoption is a Privilege

Families are led to international adoption for a wide variety of reasons, whether due to infertility or because they feel called to adopt a child in need. There are children in need in all countries across the world and the number grows daily. Choosing to open your home to a child in need involves completing ...
22
Jul

Adopting Relatives Internationally; It’s Complicated, Part 2

As was discussed in Relative Adoption and the Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA) – Part I, with the UAA’s implementation, all US citizen families seeking to adopt internationally will now need to designate a Hague Accredited or Approved primary provider. The primary provider will need to ensure that all adoption services comply with applicable ...
21
Jul

Adopting Relatives Internationally; It’s Complicated, Part 1

A benefit that Hague approved or accredited adoption agencies should offer to prospective adoptive parents is to inform and educate parents on changes in the international adoption landscape and how those changes will impact their adoption process. At MLJ Adoptions, we are fortunate to have three adoption attorneys on staff who maintain a daily focus ...
26
Jun

5 Easy Steps to Support CHIFF in 5 Minutes!

The Children in Families First Act is a congressional effort to make change for children all over the world. It would improve the way intercountry adoption works – leaving less children languishing and moving more families towards thriving. It would also provide much needed attention to ensuring diplomatic and programmatic assistance is given so that ...
16
Jun

Jackson to Speak on Universal Accreditation Act at NCFA

MLJ Adoptions is privileged to have three adoption attorneys on staff with over twenty years combined experience in adoption law. In recognition of this experience, Michele Jackson, MLJ Adoption’s founder and CEO, has been invited to share her legal expertise with adoption professionals from across the United States at the National Council for Adoption Annual ...
20
May

What is Adoption Rehoming, Disruption, Dissolution?

Often the three terms – Rehoming, Disruption, and Dissolution – are used interchangeably.  However, each has its own separate and specific meaning. Adoption Rehoming is a non-legal term describing the practice of placing an adoptive child in another family’s home.  This is more commonly used in a situation in which no adoption professional was consulted, potentially ...
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