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MASSACHUSETTS
MAKES INFANT ABANDONMENT ‘SAFE HAVEN’ LAW
PERMANENT
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation (SB2177) on Aug. 6
that will make permanent the Safe Haven Act of 2004, allowing parents
to legally abandon newborn infants 7 days or younger at designated
“safe haven” spots (hospitals, police stations or
staffed fire stations) without criminal prosecution. The current law
would have expired in June 2008, but the new one (Chapter 86 of the
Acts of 2007) strikes out the sunset clause. In addition, it requires
the state to track the effectiveness of the program. Since the
legislation passed, six babies have been surrendered at “safe
havens,” two newborns are known to have been abandoned, and
at least 35 women who have called the safe haven hotline have been
advised on pregnancy plans, according to one news report. To read the
legislation, go to:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/; to read a news
report on the law, go to: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/;
to read the Adoption Institute study on this issue, go to: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/whowe/
ILLINOIS
LAW EXTENDS SURVIVOR BENEFITS FOR ADOPTED CHILDREN
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation (HB4) into law (Public
Act 095-0279) on Aug. 17 guaranteeing that adopted children receive the
same benefits as biological children when a parent dies, including
survivor benefits from public pension plans. The legislation amends 15
pension codes for several categories of public sector
positions (judges, General Assembly members, firefighters and police)
that had previously denied benefits for adopted children if the parent
was older than 50 when the adoption took place or if the parent died
within a certain time after the adoption. The law goes into effect Jan.
1, 2008. To read the new law, go to: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/
APPEALS
COURT UPHOLDS RECOGNITION OF ADOPTIONS BY SAME-SEX COUPLES
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 3 rejected the Oklahoma
Department of Health’s challenge to a lower court’s
decision overturning a 2004 law prohibiting the recognition of
adoptions by same-sex couples finalized in other states or foreign
countries. The 35-page decision by the Court of Appeals upheld the May
2006 ruling by the U.S. District Court, which found the state law
violated the U.S. Constitution by singling out a specific group for
discrimination. The decision protects same-sex couples who adopted
while living in other states and later moved to Oklahoma with their
families, or who want to visit the state. The Oklahoma Department of
Health has stated it will not appeal the decision. To read the Appeals
Court opinion, go to: http://pub.bna.com/fl/
LESOTHO
HALTS INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS WHILE PROBING ABUSE REPORTS
The U.S. Department of State issued a noticed on Aug. 29 confirming
that the African nation of Lesotho has suspended all international and
domestic adoptions effective June 4, resulting from
as-yet-unsubstantiated reports of trafficking or abuse of adopted
Basotho children. The Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
will be investigating these allegations of trafficking and expressed
its hope that intercountry adoptions could resume as soon as possible.
To read the notice, go to: http://travel.state.gov/family/
COLLEGE
AID FOR CHILD WELFARE WORKERS PROGRESSES IN U.S. CONGRESS
Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed versions of the College Cost
Reduction Act of 2007 (HR2669), which would provide loan forgiveness
for child welfare workers who receive a degree in social work or a
related field and are employed in either public or private child
welfare services. The House bill would provide loan forgiveness of
$1,000 a year, up to $5,000, for a person working in one of the eight
areas of national need (including child welfare) and current national
service program (subtitle D of title I of the National and Community
Service Act of 1990). The Senate bill provides loan forgiveness after
an individual has been employed in child welfare for 10 years. The
separate bills, both passed in July, are now being reconciled in
conference committee between the two chambers. To read the legislation,
go to: http://www.thomas.gov/
and search for HR2669 in the bill search field.
Research
TAX CREDIT FOUND TO PRIMARILY BENEFIT
PRIVATE AND FOREIGN ADOPTIONS
A research brief published this month by Child Trends, a nonprofit and
nonpartisan research center, indicates the federal adoption tax credit
– enacted by Congress in 1966 – is not serving its
original purpose. While the tax credit was initially designed to
promote adoption of U.S children from foster care, the brief,
“The Adoption Tax Credit: Is It An Effective Approach to
Promote Foster Care Adoption?” found that the majority of
recipients adopted privately or from foreign countries rather than from
foster care. The research also showed that the tax credit
disproportionately supports those families with higher incomes, and
that it mainly supports the adoption of younger children. To read about
these findings, visit: http://www.childtrends.org/Files/
TWO STUDIES EXAMINE EXPERIENCES OF YOUTH
AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE
Based on interviews with 732 foster youth ages 17 or older, researchers
identified four subpopulations with distinctive profiles that may
forecast different trajectories in the transition to adulthood.
“Approaching the Transition to Adulthood: Distinctive
Profiles of Adolescents Aging out of the Child Welfare
System,” by Thomas Keller, Gretchen Cusick and Mark Courtney,
is in the September issue of Social
Service Review (Volume 81, Issue
3). The subgroups are labeled: “distressed and
disconnected” (43% with troubled history of multiple
placements and placement in non-family settings); “competent
and connected” (38% with fewer placements, often with kin,
and have people to count on); “struggling but
staying” (14% with numerous challenges, higher prevalence in
special education, and more amenable to intervention than first group);
and “hindered and homebound” (5% who are primarily
in first foster placement with relatives but low school achievement and
prior employment). For a free abstract, go to: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/SSR/
Another study, based on data
gathered from 10 focus groups with 88 participants –
including children in foster care, foster alumni, foster parents, and
child welfare and education professionals – identified
strategies to aid foster youth with the transition to adulthood. Those
included reducing the personnel (i.e. caseworkers and school transition
staff) children interact with on a daily basis in order to provide
stability, and consolidating multiple funding sources in order to
support one fully integrated and individualized transition plan.
“Tomorrow is Another Problem: The Experiences of Youth in
Foster Care During Their Transition into Adulthood,” by Sarah
Geenen and Laurie E. Powers, is in the August issue of Children and
Youth Services Review (Volume 29, Issue 8). To access the
abstract for
free, go to: http://www.sciencedirect.com./
ANALYSIS COMPARES INTERNET ADOPTION
PHOTO-LISTINGS IN THREE NATIONS
A comparative analysis of national internet-based photo-listing
programs for children waiting for adoption in three countries (U.S.,
Canada, and Russian Federation) identified practice issues to consider
in the development of best practices and outcome data, where available.
“Websites Featuring Children Waiting for Adoption: A
Cross-Country Review,” by Madelyn Freundlich (an Institute
Senior Fellow), Sarah Gerstenzang, and Meredith Holtan, was published
in the most recent issue of Adoption
& Fostering (Volume 31,
Issue 2). For the U.S. listing site, the number of visitors has
increased more than 300 percent to approximately 268,000 a month. To
access an abstract, go to: http://www.baaf.org.uk/res/
REVIEW CITES WAYS TO SUPPORT ATTACHMENT IN
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION A review of
interventions for internationally adopted children and families reports
the effectiveness of existing empirical evidence. Some specific models
are recommended, such as two developed by Zeanah – the New
Orleans Intervention for Maltreated Children in Foster Care and the
Bucharest Early Intervention Project, improving orphanage care.
“Interventions for Internationally Adopted Children and
Families: A Review of the Literature,” by Janet Welsh, Andres
Viana, Stephan Petrill and Matthew Mathias, was published in the June
issue of Child and
Adolescent Social Work Journal (Volume 24, Issue 3).
Some short-term interventions to support attachment by teaching
caregivers to understand child signals and respond in a sensitive
manner have been empirically validated. To access an abstract, go to: http://www.springerlink.com/content/
News
STATES SEEKING TO HELP YOUTH AGING OUT OF CARE
BY EXTENDING BENEFITS
Although all states provide some housing, counseling, scholarships and
career training for youth in the U.S. foster care who are
“emancipated” from the system at the age of 18,
states are seeking ways to extend more benefits to foster youth,
according to an article by Christine Vestal, “States Trying
to Extend Foster-Care Benefits,” published on the website
Stateline.org. Three states (Illinois, District of Columbia and
Vermont) have extended foster-care services to the age of 21, if a
youth chooses to remain in the program. Other states reportedly would
consider extending benefits through age 21 if there was more federal
support. At least 18 states offer Medicaid health-care benefits for
youth up to age 21, and some states are starting to find mentors for
youth who have not found permanent homes. Critics argue that raising
the age for foster care is only part of the solution, and that states
must do more to find permanent homes as well as to provide more
preparation for adulthood. To read the article, go to: http://www.stateline.org/live/
STIGMA LEADS TO FEW HIV-POSIITVE CHILDREN BEING
ADOPTED WITHIN INDIA
As a result of social stigma and lack of education about HIV/AIDS, many
orphaned children who are HIV-positive in India have a difficult time
being adopted domestically, according to an Aug. 27 Times of India
article by Shanthi Selvarajan, “Orphaned HIV +: Children No
One Wants.” Those children who are adopted within this group
in India tend to be adopted by wealthy Indians, by ones who live
overseas, or by foreigners. Despite various measures taken by the
government, people suffering from the disease still face stigma and
isolation. A United Nations AIDS report said in 2006 that India had the
largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, an estimated 5.7
million. To read the article, go to: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
SOUTH
KOREA PROPOSES ADDITIONAL TAX CUTS FOR FAMILIES THAT ADOPT
The South Korean Ministry of Finance and Economy has proposed tax-law
revisions that would provide additional tax cuts for childbirth and
adoption, according to an Aug. 23 article published in Hankyoreh,
“New Tax Law Revision to Ease Burden on Low-Income
Families.” The proposed revisions would allow anyone giving
birth or adopting a child to deduct 2 million won (US $2,128) from
taxed income. The revisions would mostly ease the tax burden on low-
and mid-income earners, self-employed workers and small- and
medium-sized companies. If approved, the new tax law would become
effective starting Jan. 1, 2008. To read the article, go to: http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/
Resources
PUBLICATIONS OFFER FINANCIAL STRATEGIES
FOR YOUTH LEAVING FOSTER CARE
The Finance Project, a non-profit research, consulting, technical
assistance and training firm, has published three papers designed to
provide information about the unique financial issues faced by youth
transitioning out of the foster care system, along with suggestions for
how to deal with these issues. The strategy briefs discuss funding
sources and financial plans that can aid youth entrepreneurship
opportunities, workforce development programs, and asset-building and
financial education programs. To access the three publications, visit http://www.financeproject.org/practice/
and look under featured
publications.
PAPER SUGGESTS WAYS TO PROMOTE PLACEMENT
STABILITY IN FOSTER CARE
Casey Family Programs, in collaboration with other organizations,
provides a review of current studies supporting the finding that one of
the main predictors of a successful youth experience in foster care is
placement stability. The paper, “Why Should the Child Welfare
Field Focus on Minimizing Placement Change as Part of Permanency
Planning for Children?” by Peter Pecora, includes information
on five primary areas in which practitioners could help to lower the
possibility of placement change for children. To download the paper, go
to http://www.casey.org/Resources/
and
click on the link at the top right corner of the page.
WEBSITE OFFERS EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHES
TO IMPROVING CHILD WELFARE
While a large number of child welfare systems report wanting to improve
the experiences of children and families they work with, finding
effective ways to do so can be difficult. The website of the National
Implementation Research Network (NIRN) offers many resources that focus
primarily on the application of evidence-based approaches. The website
also includes recent research findings, a newsletter, and links to
other resources. For more information, go to http://nirn.fmhi.usf.edu/.
Institute
Updates
REPORTS QUESTION EFFECTIVENESS OF
CURRENT INFANT ABANDONMENT LAWS
In an article by Richard A. Webster published Aug. 10 in New Orleans
City Business, “Help or Hindrance: Safe Haven
Law Critics Say
There’s No Proof it Saves Babies,” child-welfare
workers and others are quoted as questioning whether these laws are
serving their intended purpose. Adoption Institute Executive Director
Adam Pertman cites a report by the Institute that indicated those women
who would put their babies in danger are not in psychological condition
to think through the realities of legal abandonment. In effect, Pertman
says, states have effectively endorsed abandonment as a reasonable
resolution to unplanned pregnancy, rather than just a means to save
children in real danger. “The assumption is that kids who
wind up in Safe Haven are in mortal danger, but there are no indicators
that the women who put them there would have otherwise hurt those
kids,” he says. To read the article, go to: http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/
In a column by Issac J. Bailey
on South Carolina’s infant abandonment “safe
haven” law, “Jury Still Out on Efficacy of Daniel's
Law,” published Aug. 26 in The Sun News,
Pertman says,
“The real problem is that there's no way of knowing whether
the haven abandonments were really kids in danger. And the
research/evidence/experience is that those babies would have wound up
safe somewhere without these laws." Remarking on the argument of
proponents that the laws are worthwhile even if they save only one
baby, Pertman says, “Let’s come up with a
law/practice that aims to save them all.” To read the
article, go to: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/
; to read the Adoption Institute study on this issue, go to: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/whowe/
PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRIES IMPORTANT BUT
AIMS MAY NOT BE ‘REALISTIC’
In an Aug. 6 Associated
Press article by Michael Felberbaum,
“Va. Joins Ranks of States with Registry for Possible
Fathers,” Executive Director Pertman remarks that the
registries, which require unmarried men to register every time they
have sex with a woman in order to secure their parental rights, have an
important objective but may not work well in practice if the practice
they suggest is unrealistic. “If the intent is to engage and
empower fathers,” he say, “so far I don’t
see the evidence that that’s happening.” To read
the article, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/;
to read the Institute white paper on the rights and well-being of birth
parents, go to: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/research/
STAFF MEMBERS DISCUSS CULTURE CAMPS ON
RADIO, ADOPTED TEENS IN BOOK
Executive Director Pertman was interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio on
Aug. 1 for the show “Here on Earth” on the
importance of cultural camps for children adopted internationally or
raised in transracial families. In addition, Institute Policy &
Operations Director Hollee McGinnis contributed a chapter on search and
reunion in the recently released book for adopted teens, Adopted: The
Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Slade, published in August
by Scarecrow
Press. To listen to the radio broadcast, go to: http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/;
to learn more about
the book, go to: http://www.scarecrowpress.com/Catalog/
REGISTER NOW FOR THE NATIONAL ETHICS
CONFERENCE OCT. 15-16
The Adoption Institute, which sponsored the first-ever ethics
conference in the field in 1999, is partnering with Ethica, Inc. to
hold a second major national ethics conference, with prominent
presenters and attendees from this country and throughout the world.
Registration is now available for the event, "Adoption Ethics and
Accountability: Doing it Right Makes a Lifetime of Difference," which
will take place Oct. 15 and 16 at the Marriot Crystal Gateway in
Arlington, Va. An early registration discount and CEU credits are
available. Visit the conference website, http://www.ethicsconference.net,
for the most up-to-date program
schedule and to register. If you have questions, please e-mail Adoption
Institute Project Administrator Mari Cochran at mcochran@adoptioninstitute.org
or call 617-680-0808.
A SUCCESSFUL PARTY, WITH MORE TO COME:
EVENTS TO ENABLE OUR WORK
On August 18,
more than 30 new friends of the Institute gathered at a
beautiful home in the Massachusetts Berkshires
town of Monterey to meet
Executive Director Adam Pertman and talk with others interested in
adoption in an informal (and scenic) setting. While parents learned
about the Institute’s important work, a large group of
children ranging in age from 3 to 13 found plenty to keep themselves
busy … including tasting the delicious food at the event,
especially the brownies!
Upcoming fall events include a major fundraiser in Los Angeles on
October 25 and a Boston
Benefit Concert on November 9. The benefit
concert, “Rockin’ for Our Kids,” is in
celebration of National Adoption Month and will be held at the Spring
Valley Country Club in Sharon, MA. The concert will include cocktails,
dinner and a silent auction as well as live entertainment. To see the
invitation and/or purchase tickets using our secure PayPal site, go to:
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/events/rockinkids;
or you can
print and mail this response card to secure tickets, here: http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/events/rockinticket.
And you may not have your 2008 calendar yet, but it’s never
too soon to save the date for our 2008
Taste of Spring on May 14, 2008.
Our fourth annual food and wine benefit will be as fun and entertaining
as ever!
If you are interested in hosting an event in your area, please contact
Laura James at ljames@adoptioninstitute.org.
And if parties are not
"your thing," we welcome direct support of our work! Some of our
current projects available for support include:
• TRANSCULTURAL ADOPTION
& IDENTITY
• RIGHTS & WELL-BEING OF
BIRTHPARENTS
• EXPANDING RESOURCES FOR
CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
• ADOPTION AGENCY PRACTICES WITH
GAYS AND LESBIANS
• ADOPTIVE PARENT PREPARATION
PROJECT
• RESTORING RIGHTS TO ACCESS
BIRTH RECORDS
• SAFE HAVENS: ARE THE LAWS
WORKING?
• EDUCATE THE EDUCATORS AND
EDUCATE THE MEDIA PROGRAMS
Since its establishment in 1996,
the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute has been a pre-eminent,
independent voice for improving adoption for everyone it touches -
particularly children - through innovative programs, educational
initiatives, research and analysis, and advocacy for better practices,
policies and laws. Our award-winning web site, www.adoptioninstitute.org,
is a popular and reliable source for accurate adoption information.
Support
Our Work
The Adoption Institute was
established in 1996 with a one-time grant. To continue our work, we
depend on new and renewable sources of funding. We need the financial
support of people like you whose lives have been touched by adoption
and who care about the future of vulnerable children everywhere. Please
send a generous contribution to the Adoption Institute’s
annual fund today. To donate, please call 212-925-4089 or go online to:
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/about/support.php,
or print and complete this form http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/donate/donatereply.pdf,
and fax it to 775-796-6592, or mail it with your check or credit card
information to:
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
120 East 38th Street
New York, NY 10016
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