February 24, 2014

Adoption News Round-Up

Take a look at what’s been going on in the adoption world recently:

Actress Lesley Sharp talks with the Telegraph about her experience being adopted, and how her decision to go on BBC’s genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are” was impacted by her experience playing the role of a mother in a play whose daughter gets pregnant. It’s inspiring to watch the usually private actress open up and share her story for others who may be going through similar situations.

Germany rejected a same-sex adoption case on a technicality, despite that they had already ruled in favor of successive adoption (allowing a partner to adopt a child already adopted by their civil partner) a year prior.

An adoptive family faces a unique situation when civil riots break out in Ukraine while they’re there trying to adopt four Ukranian children. For David Bundy, the children’s adoptive father as well as a news journalist, this battle of interests presented a particular set of challenges. “‘I had to remember that my purpose was to get the four children home safely and not get shot or arrested,” said Bundy, 47, who’s been a news photographer for 22 years.”

This brave journalist shares her story of how meeting the real Philomena helped her come to terms with her own adoption story.

If you know anyone who’s looking into international adoption, this is an adoption scam to be aware of…

Oklahoma lawmakers are getting ready to hear about an adoption reform bill that will help prevent situations like Baby Veronica’s. “HB 2442, officially named the Oklahoma Truth in Adoption Act, would require biological fathers to appear in front of a judge to relinquish rights before an adoption could proceed.”

We LOVE seeing adoption rights being given to people who didn’t previously have them. Anyone willing to take in, love and parent a child should be given the right. Just as we support basic human rights, we support basic adoption rights. Now in India, “The right to adopt a child – till now restricted to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains – now extends to Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis and all other communities. In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that any person can adopt a child under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 irrespective of religion he or she follows and even if the personal laws of the particular religion does not permit it.”

A huge step for adoption!