Introducing Anthony and Michael

Attention Michigan Parents!

Anthony (Tony) and Michael

I would inquire about these two cuties in a heartbeat but these children need to remain in Michigan in order to facilitate regular contact with siblings and relatives.

Michigan's waiting children: http://www.mare.org/WaitChild.html

Legal Risk Placement

A foster/adopt term to know:

In a legal risk placement, it is expected that the family will eventually adopt the child, even though the birth parents’ rights have not been fully terminated at the time of placement.

Introducing Dustin, Rodney, Ashley, and Katie

Dustin, Rodney, Ashley, and Katie

Dearest Reader,

I've decided to post photos of waiting kids on my blog from time to time. We are able to adopt two at the most, so unfortunately we are not the right family for Dustin, Rodney, Ashley and Katie, but maybe you are. Some kids just touch my heart. I will share those kids with you and maybe some families will be born.

Texas Adoption Resource Exchange: http://tare.dfps.state.tx.us/search/SearchMain.jsp

If you click on their name in the post title, it will link you to their page.

Forgive me if some kids are no longer available, I'm sure I won't be able to keep up with that depending on how many children I post.

Heart Gallery

The Heart Gallery is a national movement inspired by an exhibit created in New Mexico in 2001. As a result of media coverage, over 42 states have created a Heart Gallery and in 2005 the first national Heart Gallery was displayed in Washington, D.C.

A Heart Gallery is an exhibit of portraits. Portraits of children who want to be adopted. Typically photographs are donated by professional photographers who volunteer their time. A Heart Gallery exhibit is distinct because the photographs of the children are done as a portrait of the child’s personality – a more personal feeling than is derived from a typical adoption photo listing.

Children in the USA who need homes

Maybe they are looking for me and you!!!


This is a list of sites that list children, in addition to AdoptUsKids.org

I wanna make it easier on you since you are already coming here. Some of the links on ComeUnity.com are no longer working.

If you find a site, you are looking for waiting children, heart galleries, our kids, photolistings, etc. I'm made these links go directly to the photos of the kids or to the search page where you can enter specifics. If you know of something I've left out, by all means, let me know and I'll add it! Hopefully we can find homes for some children and children for some homes!!! If you've been reading my blog long, you'll know it's my philosophy that if I know ten things and you know ten things, together we know twenty! I'm all about sharing the info! I hope this helps someone, anyone :)


Covering multiple states or areas:

• Adoption Exchange (Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah & Wyoming)
• Children Awaiting Parents (a national nonprofit photolisting)
• Northwest Adoption Exchange (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington)
• Wednesday's Child (Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C. & Philiadelphia)
• Wendy's Wonderful Kids - Dave Thomas Foundation
  

By state (if the state is not listed, that state only lists their children on AdoptUsKids.org)

• Arizona (the fanciest photolistings I've ever seen! kudos to Az.!)
  
• Arkansas (there is a beautiful sibling group of 4 here #201, check them out!)
• California Kids Connection
  
• Florida (my favorite here is ZACHARY but he is not able to leave Fl.)
• Georgia
  
• Idaho
  
• Indiana
  
• Iowa (scroll down - you are there)
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Massachusetts
  
• Michigan
  
• Minnesota
  
• Minnesota - Hennipen County
  
• Nebraska
• Nevada - Washoe County
  
• New Mexico
  
• New York
  
• New York City
  
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania *NEW* <---- look A!
• Rhode Island
  
• South Dakota
  
• Texas
  
• Utah
  
• Vermont
• Virginia
  
• West Virginia
  
• Wisconsin (click on "Database of Waiting Kids")

a work in progress...

updated 5.21.09 @ 2:30 p.m. eastern

photoslistings and profiles and faces OH MY!

I want to say "now I know how a birth mom must feel when faced with dozens of profiles to look at." But I cannot possible feel the way a birth mom looking for parents for her child feels. I can feel how overwhelming it is to look at so many photographs.

I am looking for a child, and (hopefully) a birth mom or child is looking for me.

I look thought page after page, and wait to feel that "connection." That when I imagine I know what it's like for a birth mom looking at profiles, looking for that "connection" that certain je ne sais quoi.

Yesterday I found him...
But he is not allowed to leave his state (which is not our state). So instead he will remain in foster care. This is the thing I don't get. Who made these rules? OMG, can you believe that little face? Which also begs the question "what is he doing in foster care in the first place?" which a question I now find myself asking me several times a day.

As far as we know, we are still being considered for these two handsome fellows:
Again, who could let them go? Who could let ANY of them go? I know, I know, drugs, alcohol, blah blah. But it's all just breakin my heart.

Are you getting the picture? an idea of what I am going through? I WANT THEM ALL! Call me crazy, who hasn't. I just want to love them and hug them and show them what it's like to be in a real loving home where their every need is met, where they won't be scared of anything, where they won't want for anything (except maybe the odd video game).

Waiting, waiting, waiting. I'd think the social workers working on behalf of these children would be working quickly to get these kids in to a stable "forever" home. I don't get that either.

I do have an alternative motive for posting these photos here. Yes, to tug at your heart strings because I cannot adopt them all. But I want you to know there are children out there who need me AND you.

So, dear reader, this former advocate for infertility treatment, is now an advocate for foster-adoption. These are children who's parent's have had their rights terminated. They are available and there are THOUSANDS of them, HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of them. I encourage you, check them out if you have any, ANY desire at all to adopt. Their faces will touch your heart (unless it's made of stone).

ComeUnity Adoption
This is where I go every day, EVERY DAY, every lunchtime, evenings, 2 a.m.... o f t e n !

There is AdoptUsKids.org BUT not all children are listed there.

I have learned that if there is any mention of "family members" the child probably cannot leave his or her state. Sometimes their profiles state that up front, which is nice, sometimes not.

Children are beeing added to these listings every day. When we started our adoption journey, we had no clue. Notta one. We had our hearts set on a newborn. As I mentioned in a previous post, our hearts have changed.

Our child (or children) are our there, now if they'd just hurry up and find us!!!



update 5.21.09 - also waiting to hear about these two:


01.18.10 Today I received a request to remove one of the photos that was formerly posted here. It is the first such request I have received. I have honored your request.

how I spend my lunch hour (and many other hours)

I go here AdoptUsKids.org every day at least once, sometimes 2 or 3 times. All the faces staring back at me.

I can't help wonder, how did ALL these kids come to be here. They are so sweet, how could someone NOT love them to bits???

But...

I sometimes get frustrated, I see the photo first, try to find something in the face, something in the eyes, that I connect with. Then I read. Yes, this sounds good, reading more, then I get to "this child may not leave the state of such-n-such." Can that info please be moved to the top of the list so I can read it before I fall in love? Pppffffttt, I fall in love about 50 times every lunch hour! LOL.

I keep reading and looking for the child or children who call out to me. Though there are so many.

And then I wonder, how fair is it for us to be considered for more than one child at a time? Then I think how many PAPs are being considered at any one time, (remembering the birthmom who was looking at 175 profiles!).

9 months and 1 day today, where oh where is my baby, my child...

courses change

You may have noticed, our journey has changed it's course slightly. We are now looking into foster/adopting. Waiting for a newborn could take a few more years. We certainly wouldn't turn one away, but we've widened our search to include children up to five years old.

For those of you doing your home study, take note, it cost us $150 to change this on our already completed home study report. It's an addendum to our original report. We had never specified boy or girl, we'd be happy to have either.

Foster/adoption is fostering with the intention to adopt. These children are not going back to their birth parents for whatever reason.

Children in foster care are waiting for their birth parents to get their lives together so their children can come back and live in their home.

When you foster with intent to adopt, you are given a stipend (yes, the first thing I think is this system has the potential to be abused by some) until the child reaches the age of 18. The child is also on medicaid until the adoption in finalized.

Please continue to ask me anything, and PLEASE continue commenting, you comments are appreciated!

May is National Foster Care Month

Did you know there are 513,000 American children in foster care?
May is National Foster Care Month. No matter how much time you have to give, you have
the power to do something positive that will change a lifetime for a young person in need.

Get involved. Make a difference. For more information, visit
fostercaremonth.org or call 1-888-799-KIDS today!