Adoption

The recent efforts of international pop star, Madonna, to adopt another child from the nation of Malawi has yet again placed the issue of celebrity adoption on the spotlight. The singer has drawn criticism from human rights groups, adoption officials and people questioning her morality and capability to take care of more children.

Last year, Madonna adopted Malawian baby boy David Banda Mwale amid much controversy as Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in country for one year before adopting. A similar contention has arisen in light of the star’s recent efforts to adopt another Malawian child.

Concerns such as the prospective adoptive parents’ moral standing and ability to provide emotional security for children being adopted are but some of the issues raised against Madonna’s attempt to adopt four-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James.

Malawi’s child welfare chief, Simon Chisale, said, “We do not only look at the material issues, but also the moral standing of prospective adoptive parents, because we do not want our children’s morals to be corrupted,” he said.

Warren Panem, author of the self-published book ‘Chronicle of an Adoption’ is no stranger to controversies and issues that prospective adoptive parents face. Although the stories in his book are not as controversial as the Material Girl’s scenario, they are nevertheless just as time-consuming and testing. The experiences of couples who went through the adoption process are tools that Panem hopes will enabled many to understand that adopting a child may not be as easy as it seems.

Panem details the ins and outs of getting in touch with different agencies, sifting through lies, and endless meetings in the process of putting a family together. People who are thinking about adoption, going through the process, have had a failure or success, or have anything to do with adoption, you will enjoy reading about it in this Xlibris published book.

Chronicles of an Adoption recalls the frustrating times, the moments of hope, the crushed aspirations and the final success in adopting a child.

About Xlibris
Xlibris was founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Philadelphia, PA and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.

For more information, please visit http://www.xlibris.com/requestkit/index.asp?src=apr&key=mm , e-mail pressrelease@xlibris.com or call at 1-888-795-4247, to receive a free publishing guide.

In Judaism, adoption is an important as well as an intricate issue. Although the Jewish Law recognizes adoption as a legitimate way to build a family, it also evokes conflicting messages, known as halakhah, in regards to adoption. Emphasizing greatly on bloodlines and ancestry, Judaism prioritizes tradition with respect to adoption.

A child that is legally adopted under the Jewish Law and is being brought up in a traditional Jewish household is not considered an adoptee. In regards to the Jewish religion, the adopted child is considered part of the family. However, for a Jewish family that wishes to adopt a non-Jewish child, there is always an additional filter that respects the Jewish tradition through generations of Jewish families.

Under the Jewish Law, an adopted child is duty-bound in the laws of death and mourning in the event of a loss of a close relative, namely mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, son or daughter. Considered as an immediate family, the adopted child recites the traditional mourner’s prayer (Kaddish) for 12 months and is obligated in the laws of mourning.

Jewish adoptive parents should carefully consider how they communicate respect for the Jewish religion to the adopted child without diminishing the importance of the birth parents’ religion. Particularly, when it comes to open adoptions and the birth family is not Jewish, the child is likely to raise questions about the Jewish religion, the birth parents’ religion, the differences between the two, why they exist, which is better etc. In these cases, both adoptive and placing parents should communicate in a respectful way and should follow a common way on explaining all these questions to the child without prejudices and conflict.

In many cases, there are conflicts between the different factions of Judaism, namely Orthodox, Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative. Under the Jewish Law, an adopted child whose birth mother is not Jewish should be officially converted to Judaism. However, if the birth father is Jewish, Reform and Reconstructionist Jews do not proceed to conversion, while Orthodox Jews recognize conversions performed solely by Orthodox Rabbis.

All these complexities create additional challenges in regards to adoption under the Jewish Law. For children who are not born Jewish and have different race and culture in their genes, it is a difficult challenge to connect with a Jewish family, particularly when outsiders question this connection. There are cases that Chinese children are adopted by Jewish families and because their characteristics are so unique, they have been told that they are not Jewish. The same has happened with blond children with blue eyes, who do not look like typical Jews and again their identity has been questioned by third parties at school or even at the synagogue.

For all adopted children is difficult to create a solid identity. Jewish adoptive families should help children who are not born Jewish to develop a strong Jewish identity. On the other hand, they should respect the challenges that evoke from the birth family’s religion. There are cases that Jewish children have celebrated Christmas with their birth parents because the Jewish adoptive parents have accepted that their child should make his or her own choices. In any event, communication is the key.

Adoption of the pet is taking the responsibility to take care of the pet or the animal completely. When the owners of the pets or the animals are not able to extend full attention in taking care of them, they just leave them in the shelters meant for animals or the pets.

The most common place from where the pet can be adopted is the shelter for animals. In the case of dogs, it is called as the dog pound. Some pet animals will be in the custody without any proof of identification and will also be not claimed by the owners. These pet animals can also be considered as the pets meant for adoption. Some people may also advertise to offer their pets for adoption. Of all the above sources, internet is considered as a very good source for adoption of pets. Many web sites can be seen where the photos and the complete information of the pets meant for adoption will be displayed.

The owners who are not responsible and also the owners who behave cruelly to their pets will mislay their pets completely. There is a separate group of people who rescue these types of animals from these arrogant owners on getting a call. They just not only rescue the animals of this type but also they give shelter to those animals that are discarded, unwanted and drift pets. In general, volunteers run these types of rescue groups to safeguard the life of pets and animals.

A person intending to adopt a pet from this rescue group has to face a lot of strict and rigid formalities. He may be asked to give a reference from veterinary. Rescue group will conduct a home visit and also check the background of the person interested in adopting the pet. He will also be expected to pay an amount towards the fees for adoption. Apart from this, the other expenses that have to be incurred are vaccination, regular veterinary care charges, picking charges for the pet, training and last but not least for the food.

If you are keen on adopting a small pet, you can check it out http://smallpet.info that helps find a pet of your choice thus saving the task of running around the places to find the right one for you.

It is necessarily important for the rescue group to complete all the above formalities to come to a conclusion regarding the new owners who are intending to adopt the pet that are with the rescue group. This will avoid the repetition of the arrogant behaviour of the owner to the pet animal again. Generally, Government runs the animal shelters. Animal shelter is the best choice for anyone to choose the animal for adoption. Animal shelters will have all range of animals from kittens to big animals. Purebreds are available in the animal shelters.

The animals in the animal shelter are given proper care by the rescue group following the require procedure. Some shelters do provide counseling for the adoption and also follow up the customers for any requirement of assistance.

For many couples desperately trying to bear children, infertility is a reality. Usually, a couple with fertility problems attempts many chances at having a biological family—including in vitro fertilizations. Many couples wish to experience the joy of carrying and giving birth to a child, but physically cannot produce a viable embryo. After trying all viable options, many couples give up hope. However, there is an option that has given infertile couples the ability to have children, even if they are not biologically their own. If a woman is capable of carrying a child to term, this option may be the light at the end of the infertility tunnel. Embryo adoption allows an adoptive couple who cannot conceive on their own the ability to carry and give birth to that life, creating a family of their own.

When a couple tries in vitro fertilization, egg and sperm are combined in a laboratory setting to create embryos. These embryos are then frozen using a cryogenic process to keep the embryo alive. Only one of these embryos is implanted, leaving the rest sitting in the preservation freezer waiting for the couple to make a decision. If the couple does not want more children, they can donate the embryos to be used by an infertile couple. Several organizations deal especially in embryo adoption and accept embryo donation from generous couples. One such organization, The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) was created to provide options for the couples facing the problem of what to do with these embryos. Another organization, Snowflakes Embryo Adoption, is part of the organization Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Nightlight specializes in assisting all potential adoptive parents with traditional adoptions or embryo adoptions. Before embryo adoption, couples were forced to either destroy the embryos or donate them as research subjects.

Embryo donations can be either open or anonymous adoptions. Upon donation of the embryos, the donating couple can choose to reveal their personal information to those who become parents and carry the embryo. Similarly, couples interested in adoption can request the adoption to be conducted anonymously. Since adoption can only take place after the child has been born, using the term “adoption” for this process is somewhat of a misnomer. Embryo adoption is a legal proceeding that involves specific documentation. Unlike adoption, when the child is born, the names of the adoptive parents will appear on the birth certificate. Once the legally-binding donation contract has been signed, the donating couple cannot place any claim on the child, especially after the child’s birth.

Just like in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption is not guaranteed to result in a pregnancy or a child. Unfortunately, only about two-third of the embryos survive the thawing process. There is only a 20 to 25 percent chance embryo implantation will successfully result in a pregnancy. However, if a couple desires to carry and give birth to a child, these chances may be their best bet.

Economically speaking, embryo adoption runs about a third the amount of standard in vitro fertilization. For many couples, the economic aspect of infertility treatments result in closing many doors. In addition to these costs, travel expenses must be included since many organizations require you visit their location for initial screening and the actual implantation process. If the first embryo implantation does not result in pregnancy, the couple usually has a couple of additional chances. The embryo adoption process at NEDC provides couples with three chances of implantation of the adoptive embryos. Much like in vitro fertilization, the more chances necessary for embryo adoption increases the cost. Granted this is a small price for the joy of giving birth to a child and creating a family, it is outside of the means of some infertile couples. Before embarking on the embryo adoption experience, all decisions need to be made to ensure this process is an option.

Embryo adoption gives couples with the inability to have biological children but have the desire and love to start a family a second chance. To decide if embryo adoption may be an option for your and to learn more about the process, consult the Snowflakes website at www.nightlight.org/snowflakeslanding.asp or the National Embryo Donation Center at www.embryodonation.org.

Copyright 2005 by Dana Sanders. All rights reserved.

In the world of International Adoption, Guatemala is one of the most popular and least regulated Countries. Last year there were estimated to have been 1,500 Guatemalan Children and Babies who have started fresh lives abroad, but the spectre of Illegal Adoptions have haunted Guatemala for years. Stories have emerged of mothers being forced to give up their new born children and of a booming private adoption business that has now grown almost into a multi million pound industry.

One of the key questions to look into is, are illegal adoptions taking place and if so how widespread is the practice? Finally, what is in the best interests of the Children of Guatemala?

“With Overseas adoption, what is in the best interests of the children of Guatemala?”

Whilst organisations, such as UNICEF, do not claim that all of the overseas adoptions coming out of Guatemala are illegal or abusive, a new report issued from the organisation does highlight the increasing problem of child trafficking.

“Overseas adoption arose directly out of Guatemala’s harrowing history.”

Overseas Adoptions and International adoption arose directly out of Guatemala’s harrowing history. The 36 year civil war which ended officially only four years ago left nearly a quarter of a million dead or disappeared and one million homeless, half of them children.

Elizabeth Gibbons is the director of UNICEF, and a leading critic of adoption as practised in Guatemala:

‘Many, many orphaned children were taken into adoption by military officers sent into international adoption. Originally a humanitarian activity, but it became obvious that it had the potential for being a lucrative business. And the higher demand in the West the more birth control, more access to abortion so you have the problem of a huge demand, therefore a supply must be created.’

In recent years there has been a tightening up of controls in many of the major embassies and the UK, US and Canadian embassies now carry out DNA tests of both the birth mother and the baby to check out that the woman giving the baby up for adoption is the real birth mother.

‘The existence of DNA doesn’t in any way tell you whether the mother is willingly giving up the child or whether she is being coerced. The second concern is that the children who pass the DNA test are not the same ones who go with the adopting parents on the plane, they could be switched. And thirdly, that the child who is rejected for having a negative DNA result by one of three embassies that offer this test, can then be offered to another embassy with parents of a another nationality.’

‘No one respects the law or the state; everybody just does their own thing. And it’s the same with adoptions’

So with all of this abuse of the system going on, why hasn’t the government of Guatemala done anything to stop it. The general consensus is that Guatemala is in chaos with the country, now a fledgling democracy, only just emerging from under the shadows of years of Military rule

Guatemala is a difficult place from which to operate from and it is very hard to know who is in charge of what. There doesn’t appear to be a Minister in charge of Social Affairs and Adoption is very much bottom rung on the ladder.

The Chair of the Commission on the Child and the Family in the Guatemalan Parliament is Nineth Montenegro who is a vigorous critic of her own system and is campaigning to pass the “The Children’s Code” to protect the rights of the Child in Guatemala explains:

‘We’ve been working on it for three years now and parliament still hasn’t passed it. They say, if we try to regulate adoption in this way we will deny children better opportunities in wealthier countries. There has been terrible resistance to the new law. You know Guatemala is a democracy only in name, not a real democracy.

No one respects the law or the state; everybody just does their own thing. And it’s the same with adoptions.’

Part Two of this article will deal with the fun and games (euphemism for hassle) of dealing with Lawyers and Orphanages