Hope will be 18 in a few weeks and in 12 short weeks, she will be off to college. It’s all very exciting, and in some ways, I am a little surprised that she’s not pulling away from me a little. But, no. She’s not pulling away at all. In fact, my lovely daughter is
Missing Mothers: Journey to a Memoir
Five years ago, I took a writing class at The Loft that focused on writing about race. I had much to ponder about this subject because I have two internationally adopted children: a son adopted from South Korea at 4 months of age and a daughter adopted from Guatemala when she was 6 months old.
Photo Album: Recognizing Grief and Loss in Adoption
I remember the day when I first met my son at the adoption agency in Seoul, South Korea. I woke up that morning feeling a range of emotions from complete anticipation, to sheer happiness, to utter anxiety. I waited nearly a year to meet my son and now I was just hours away. As I
Vaccinations and Internationally Adopted Children
Originally published February 9, 2016, updated May 2, 2019. With the resurgence of measles around the U.S. and worldwide and the release of even more publications that have debunked any link between vaccinations and autism, parents are discussing vaccinations more than ever with friends, family and their medical providers. So what is a parent to
Embracing and Teaching Advocacy as Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
As parents to three amazing kids, we’ve found many things to be constant over the years: going to music festivals, a yearly trip to Duluth, nightly walks (when the weather permits), spending time with family, enjoying the lake, and finding any educational activities that we can do to embrace the many cultures in our family.
Helping Adopted Children Cope With Grief and Loss
This content was originally published by childwelfare.gov Many children in foster care have experienced traumatic separations and losses. The emotions elicited by these traumatic experiences are rooted in underlying grief, which may complicate their adjustment to the newly formed adoptive family unit. Children’s response to grief may vary, depending on their age and stage of
A Millennial’s Guide to Foster Care and Adoption
If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I’d be married to my high school sweetheart and have two kids at 25, I would have said, “You’re nuts.” But, that’s exactly what happened. I met my husband in the summer of 2008. We were 17 and just about to start our senior year
Your Child in Foster Care Could Qualify for Social Security Benefits
If you have a child in foster care, he or she might qualify for benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA oversees different benefits programs. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports that about 24,000 of the 400,000 children in foster care on any given day receive some form of Social Security benefits. That
Five Years
It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since Hope moved in from her last foster home. In some ways it seems like it couldn’t possibly be that long; in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago. I’m about 15 lbs. heavier, and I have a LOT more gray hair than I
14 Years Ago I Got “The Call”
On his birthday last week Tea (Sammy’s birthmom) texted to let me know she’d reached Sam to wish him a happy birthday. She said he told her he was “skating w/ a bunch of white ppl. Lol.” I wrote back, “Wait did he tell you that was his idea?! Going to a movie with a bunch of not
