Blog

Recently, I visited a tiny island nation in the South Pacific in search of a new international adoption program. The island is breathtakingly beautiful; it has been a travel destination for honeymooners and was even featured in Conde Nast Traveler magazine. The island fell victim to a tsunami a year prior to my visit and, ...

Last September, I had the privilege of attending the Empowered to Connect Conference in Nashville, TN. The conference was full of insights and “ah-ha” moments. Although my daughter had been home for over a year, I had many eye opening moments listening to Dr. Karyn Purvis speak. Dr. Purvis truly understands children who have come ...

Name: Judy Miller Title at MLJ: Adoption Education Coordinator and Support Specialist What do you actually DO with MLJ: Coordinate and teach adoption education to parents who live more than two hours from Indianapolis; teach all of the Transracial Parenting classes; provide education, guidance and support to help enhance a family’s awareness and understanding of ...

With Mother’s Day approaching I have, of course, been thinking about being a mom more than the usual—beyond myusual caretaking responsibilities, domestic diva-ing, taxi schedule, and work. I’ve thought about how privileged I am to be a mom, how sacred my role is. Perhaps, because motherhood came later for me it has been that much ...

Cinco de Mayo was first celebrated in Texas in 1867 as a source of cultural pride. The roots of Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “the fifth of May”) trace back to a fascinating history , the French Occupation of Mexico, and tie to the preservation of independence of … America. Yep. Cinco de Mayo commemorates ...

I didn’t see them until the next morning. The evening before had been wrought with a flurry of quiet hurried activity and profound emotion. The 2 a.m. changing of wet clothes into soft new and recently laundered-in-Dreft pajamas yielded nothing; I couldn’t see much in the moonlight that pooled on the floor of our hotel ...

Name: Stacy Jacobs Title at MLJ: Administrative Assistant What do you actually DO with MLJ: I do typical office work. I answer the phone, file many types of paperwork, sort the mail, make copies, and anything else that a director might need help doing. What is your favorite part about what you do with MLJ: ...

Hi MLJ blog readers. My name is Tyler Northcutt, and my wife and I are adopting from Nicaragua. So, we just got back from a week long trip to Nicaragua, where we spent time in Managua [the capitol city] and surrounding areas. This is especially exciting for us due to the fact that we are ...

Each journey to adopt a child has its own “specialness.” And our journeys were no different. In working with clients (parents) and reflecting often on the adoption process, I see a number of common themes. Adoption is complex. Sure, there are parameters and expectations, but they are on a spectrum—a delicate orchestration overseen by your ...

On March 2, 2011 Haiti signed the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Hague Convention is an international agreement between participating countries with the goals of protecting the best interests of children in intercountry adoption, and preventing the exploitation and trafficking of children. By signing the ...

The US Department of Homeland Security reports that in 2009, 12,782 orphaned children were adopted internationally by US citizens. These statistics seem, sadly, very low considering the current US population. The media, very rarely, reports on these adoptions, unless a celebrity or famous individual was the adoptive parent and for the majority of us, we ...

Sometimes I see them again. I am walking around the orphanage, wearing my daughter in a baby carrier. She is looking out, seemingly disconnected from the familiar scenes. My arms are around her. I kiss her shorn head from time to time and softly stroke the bug-bitten pale face. My husband is close, quiet, and ...

During my work with MLJ Adoptions, I often use the term “referral” when talking with current and prospective adoptive parents, and I can forget that we all need a reminder about what truly is a “referral”. A referral in the typical sense is a child that has been shown to a prospective adoptive family and ...

Adoptive parents often wonder how they should combine their own cultural traditions with that of their children. There’s an easy lesson in the history of St. Patrick’s Day, which comes from the religious significance of Lent (read Adoption Preparation and Mardi Gras). According to Roman Catholic church teaching, the forty days prior to Easter are ...

Kaitlyn DeVeydt is a Freshman at Brebeuf Jesuit who has been inspired by one of her favorite singers – teen heartthrob Justin Bieber. The most popular 17 year-old in the world is being an answer to the prayers of people in need all around the world. In Justin Bieber’s newest song “Pray”, he sings about ...