Born in ‘63 & Parenting in ’13 By Roberta Havens, MEd When I was 25, I thought by the time I was in my late forties, I would be focusing on the lives of my grown children, waiting to become a grandparent. Like many of us, I came later to marriage and raising children than … Continued
By Randie Bencanann, LCSW One of the most anxiety-provoking and mysterious aspects of open adoption is the coming together of birth parents and adopting parents. Neither party can imagine what the other side will look or be like. How will someone choose us? Who will want my baby? How will we know what to say … Continued
By Randie Bencanann, LCSW On Friday, May 17, Adoption Connection of Jewish Family and Children’s Services was honored by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for our work with LGBT families. Ellen Kahn, Director of HRC’s Family Project, came to personally present the All Children – All Families Agency Seal of Recognition*. As many of you know, … Continued
Kristy and Nate Boblitt recently were invited to prepare a talk about open adoption by LOV/CON. Adoption Connection teamed up with the Boblitts to help them complete their adoptions and we got a chance to ask them questions about the creation of their talk, and about raising healthy and happy kids. How did you get … Continued
Last year, Adoption Connection caseworker and adoptive parent Angela True, MFT, participated in the Open Adoption Interview Project, where bloggers interview other bloggers about their experiences surrounding adoption. Blogger from http://stillseriouslyandlovinit.wordpress.com asked some great questions about transracial adoption: Angela, as an adoption caseworker, what kind of education programs are available or mandatory when adopting transracially? … Continued
Five-year-old Joachim and 2-year-old Jaspar are cherished young men. When the December holidays and birthdays roll around, the brothers get to celebrate with their parents … and their birth families. Adopted at birth, Joachim and Jaspar are part of a growing trend in open adoptions: merged families where the birth parents and their extended families … Continued
By Rachel Herndon, ACSW, Birthparent Services Coordinator I recently had the pleasure of working with a 19-year-old birthmother, Allis, who herself was adopted at birth by her parents, Paul and Christina. Her adoptive parents were very supportive of her decision to place her unborn son in an open adoption and heard about a wonderful family … Continued
Her eyes bulge and take up most of the space on her round face. Her thinning, blond hair stands up in places like pieces of fine straw. My birth mother looks over 60, but she is not a day over 45. I guess alcohol, cigarettes, and the Arizona sun will do that to you. People … Continued
By Randie Bencanann, LCSW, Adoption Connection Co-director Last Wednesday, I participated in a wonderful evening sponsored by the Bay Area Doula Project. It was a panel discussion organized to bring adoption information to the doula community and local reproductive rights organizers and supporters. (Yes, it was game one of the World Series— but we were … Continued
By the time their first child was four, Abigail and Sam had experienced two painful miscarriages and diagnosed with secondary infertility. Rather than continue medical treatment, the couple turned to Adoption Connection to help expand their family. “Adoption seemed the best answer. Neither of us wanted to go through the pain of yet another miscarriage,” … Continued