In June 2003, I read an article about Sweden setting 42 as the upper age limit for those who hope to adopt... which seemed awfully restrictive to this "older" writer - and apparently it was either a misprint or the Swedes agreed and tossed the law out, because I can't find any mention of it now.

In August 2004, Queensland, Australia removed the age limit of 36 without setting a new one. Some countries set a limit of "when biologically becoming a parent would still be possible" ... an interesting euphemism for menopause, I suppose.

More and more adoption opportunities for older parents are available as we live longer and healthier lives, so is there an age that's really too... more

Renowned Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, in New York City, grew up and developed his first passion for cooking in Sweden. He was adopted by a Swedish couple after having been orphaned during a tuberculosis epidemic in Ethiopia.

Our Adoption Search Blog has the scoop on rapper DMC, and the accomplishments and search by Olympic Medallist Toby Dawson are topics for discussion on our Korean Adoption Blog and Ethiopia... more

The IRS definition of a "dependent" has changed and applies to your 2005 tax returns. The new rules benefit adoptive and foster parents, according to tax expert William Perez, who says:

"The child needs to live with you for more than half the year, and must not have provided more than half of his or her own financial support. (That is, a child star's mom cannot claim her as a dependent, because she provides for more than half of her financial support, or at least I would think so.)

The change from parents providing over half the support (old rules) to the child not providing over half of the support (new rules) will make it easier for children in families receiving various... more

A comparison of the numbers of children adopted by U.S. citizens over the past three years shows new and interesting trends. While the top 3 remain the same (China, Russia, and Guatemala), Russia is showing a slight decline while China and Guatemala programs continue to grow. And for the first time since the transition from 1991 to 1992, the total number for all countries has decreased... not much (156), but it's a move we haven't seen in many years.

The fastest growing program is Ethiopia, jumping from 289 in 2004 to 441 in 2005, an increase of 52.6%.

Take a look at a comparison... more

Conference: Oregon: October 18-21, 2006 hosted by Holt International

Posted with permission. Please feel free to distribute and invite others.

A conference for international leaders working on behalf of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children around the world.

The Intent — to examine the issues and challenges facing homeless and vulnerable children.

The Goal — to bring together non-traditional partners to collaborate more effectively on behalf of children—to share ideas and strengthen the collective child welfare community.

The Challenge — to explore how global forces,... more

This summer marks the eleventh season for Camp To Belong, the only program of its kind in the U.S. The week-long camps, held around the U.S. and in Canada and the UK, reunite siblings separated in foster care and help build and maintain family memories.

Camp to Belong is a 503c non-profit and there are many ways - large and small - to help.

Interested in making a difference in other ways as well? Here are some suggestions.

My granddaughter came with me recently to a meeting of a local group of women at various stages in the adoption process. The group is a support system for couples who had gone or were going through fertility treatments without success, who are now moving forward with plans to adopt, but all the members are women (and that's a topic for another blog).

After the meeting, my granddaughter turned to me and asked, "Why are so many of them fat?" Of course, to an 8 year-old, "fat" is relative, but I have to admit that more than a few were on the high side of overweight.

I know many of the women in the group well enough to ask some pretty personal questions, so I thought I'd see if... more

With summer coming, parents are starting to think about camp possibilities - camps for their families as a whole and/or as individuals. Why are these camps a great experience? Check out Erin's post on our Transracial Adoption Blog.

I've noticed that many online listings of summer camps are country-specific, and for multi-cultural families, these may be great resources to give each child a separate experience; however, for families seeking a more inclusive experience for *all* members, these resources are limiting.

Multi-cultural Camps

I have found several inclusive summer camp... more

Conference: New York: May 11-13, 2006

17th annual statewide conference

An opportunity to meet with adoptive and foster parents, agency
professionals, state administrators, and other advocates from
throughout the state.

Conference brochure is available at http://www.nysccc.org/Conferences/2006Conf/2006ConfBrochure.pdf