This week as I was making a list of things we'd need to do at the beginning stages of our upcoming adoption, I discovered there's something new out there in the world of adoption regulations. It's called the Hague, and it's affecting families adopting from Ethiopia. More on that below, but first let me tell you a little about the Hague.

What Is It?

The Hague Treaty was completed in 1993, and has been signed by many countries around the world. The purpose of the treaty is to ensure ethical adoption practices around the world, and to protect the children being adopted... more

Families considering international adoption are often understandably concerned about the money involved. Ethiopia is one of the more reasonable countries. Some agencies working in Ethiopia are more affordable than others. Choosing to have your child escorted may end up to be a little more affordable than traveling. But still all the costs associated with an Ethiopian adoption can easily add up to $12,000 or more.

There are a variety of resources out there to assist with adoption funding. Erin over at the Transracial... more

I found an interesting blog over at iVillage.com called the Baby Naming Wizard. If you, like me, are spending time thinking of baby names these days, you'll probably be interested in this blog. As an avid Angelina-watcher, I especially was interested in a pair of posts written about Angelina Jolie's baby-naming habits. First of all, the blog's 2006 Name of the Year:

Shiloh will make parents take a fresh look at the seemingly familiar realm of Biblical and Old-South place names. (Think Jericho for boys, Shenandoah for girls.) Massive public awareness,... more

If you plan to travel to get your child and still need to get your passport, you would be wise to get this taken care of as soon as possible. Due to the new laws requiring U.S. travelers to Mexico and Canada to have passports, the passport offices are currently inundated with passport applications. This has caused many delays in passport processing.

In the past, passports have taken 6 weeks or so to be processed if you choose not to expedite your application. On March 17th, an AP news story on AOL had this to say about current processing times:

Passport... more

I wanted to revisit the agency licensure discussion to clarify, share new information, and to bring the issue back to the top of the blog for people who may have missed some of the updates I made to my licensed agencies post. In my mind this is an extremely important issue. As adoption from Ethiopia becomes more popular, there are more agencies out there handling Ethiopian adoptions, many of which are reputable.

But as always it is important for adoptive parents to do their homework. To handle adoptions in Ethiopia, American agencies have to be licensed both in the U.S. and in Ethiopia.... more

When you build your family via traditional means, chances are good that your children will come one at a time, and (of course) be newborn on arrival. As far as the sex of your baby, you get what you get.

However, when you adopt, the possibilities go on and on. Should you adopt a newborn? A 6 month old? A toddler? A school aged child? Girl? Boy? Or how about a sibling group? Girls? Boys? One of each? How old should the older child be? The younger?

My husband and I had a meal out on Friday during which most of our conversation revolved around these issues. What do we want our family to look like in a year or two? What do we feel capable of handling? Should we... more

One of our sons was born missing his right foot. When we were considering his adoption, one of the biggest issues in our minds was the cost of providing him with prosthetic legs. He needs on average one new prosthetic per year at a cost of around $10,000 per leg. That's no small chunk of change.

We were familiar with the work that Shriner's does for children with orthopedic needs, burns, and spinal cord injury. We investigated and were pleased to learn that we would be eligible for help from them, and that all costs would be covered.

As it turned out, our own health insurance was quite good - good enough... more

One of the more challenging decisions of parenthood is the question of spacing. How close is too close? Is a four year old ready to be an older sibling? What about a two year old?

The added issues of adoptive parenting can make this decision even more challenging. A two year old who's been in your family since young infancy may be less needy than a two year old who came to you at 18 months. Certainly it is wise to help the youngest become as securely attached as possible before bringing another child home. But just how long does it take to settle a child in securely?

Another issue is... more

One of the questions that adoptive families often ask is if there is an income requirement to adopt from Ethiopia. Ethiopia does not require a specific income to adopt. However, the US immigration does. Additionally, some of the agencies that work in Ethiopa do have an income requirement, so that is one of the question you'd be wise to ask any agency that you may be considering.

The immigration department requires proof of income in the form of the I-864, the Affidavit of Support. Basically, unless you are a military family, you must have an income that is 125% of the poverty level for the number of people in your family, including the child to be adopted. If you are an active-duty... more

While surfing the internet yesterday I came upon a blog by someone who felt passionately that American families should adopt in America. Unlike some who voice this opinion, this person actually HAS adopted in the US-- hooray! Many people who question adoptive family's choices haven't even adopted anywhere themselves - I have a lot of respect for people who actually live out their convictions.

I am glad that people are moved to champion the cause of domestic adoption. Actually I am glad when anyone champions adoption from any part of the world. There are so many kids in need all over the world. ... more