The Adoption Blog

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Not easy, but not impossible. Adoption from Afghanistan.

Like most other problems, it all started with the British. Back in 1838, Afghanistan was minding its own business. I imagine everyone drinking tea, children fly kites and people calling each other “Jan.” Then Britain invaded. After that came the Indians, then the British again, then the Soviets, the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, the US, […]

By |January 21st, 2016|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Not easy, but not impossible. Adoption from Afghanistan.

Between a rock and a hard place- creative solutions for tricky adoption issues.

Chris Rock (pictured here leaving a court room on Tuesday), isn’t my client, but I wish he was. I also wish people would leave him, his ex-wife and their child alone. Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere (ha ha), you’ve heard by now that Chris Rock is the subject of an international adoption […]

By |December 1st, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Between a rock and a hard place- creative solutions for tricky adoption issues.

A tale of two Shayma’as – adoptions from Gaza.

About this time last year, 3-day-old Shayma’a al-Sheikh Ali  was admitted to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the northern Gaza Strip. She was a premature baby girl whose parents  died in an air strike. A doctor at the hospital where the infant is being treated said: “The mother and father were killed. The pregnant […]

By |August 4th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on A tale of two Shayma’as – adoptions from Gaza.

Help! I received a Request for Evidence on my Family Petition for an Adopted Child from a Hague Country!

The nice thing about the family petition is that the adoptive parent is not required to prove that the child they seek to adopt is an orphan.  Also, the I-130 family petition can also be a good way to avoid the often laborious I-800 process. That said, the I-130 for an adopted child from a Hague […]

By |August 4th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Help! I received a Request for Evidence on my Family Petition for an Adopted Child from a Hague Country!

Huge Money Saving tip, The Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act and the UAA!

In 2004, the State of Punjab enacted a very interesting piece of legislation The Punjab Destitute And Neglected Children Act 2004; provides for the creation of two government bodies (a court and a bureau) with the specific purpose of overseeing neglected and abandoned in the state of Punjab.

The bureau, is a government body that has authority to do all […]

By |June 5th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Huge Money Saving tip, The Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act and the UAA!

Not sure if you want to adopt from a Muslim country? Read this!

A couple of years ago, I was contacted by a Pakistani American who was trying to get an immigrant visa for an orphaned baby. The baby had been found outside in the freezing cold in January of 2012 in the Hindu Kush Mountains. Only God knows how she survived. After the baby came home to […]

By |June 5th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Not sure if you want to adopt from a Muslim country? Read this!

Is adoption from Gaza possible.

Is adoption possible from Gaza? Gaza’s youngest Orphan: Both parents die in air strike, baby delivered by c- section.

I read a piece in an Irish newspaper today about a baby girl in Gaza who has been born via emergency c-section after her parents had been killed in an air strike.  I’ve posted the article and […]

By |June 5th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Is adoption from Gaza possible.

Permutations, combinations and Non-Hague Adoptions. Does the sequence matter?

When I was in high school, I strongly felt that all the mathematics I was learning were completely useless and would never be applied to my life. Before we discuss adoptions at all, let’s go back to St. Louis School in Kiltimagh, Ireland where I learned about permutations, combinations and sequences.  My teacher, Mrs. Groarke […]

By |June 5th, 2015|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Permutations, combinations and Non-Hague Adoptions. Does the sequence matter?

Can it really be done? International adoption and the importance of getting it right.

I posted an article on my Facebook recently about Afghan babies who are starving to death. Here’s a link to that article. In response, a Facebook friend sent me this:

Laila Sattar I keep hearing it’s not really possible Grace.
Is it possible? Yes! But only if it’s done correctly

Let’s look at some examples of things not […]

By |December 11th, 2014|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Can it really be done? International adoption and the importance of getting it right.

Why Can’t I just do a Family Petition for my adopted baby?

You can! If you are able to meet the following criteria, there are many instances where you can file a family petition for your adopted child:

You have a full and final decree of adoption.
You get this adoption decree before the child turns 16.
You reside with the child for two years.
You have legal custody, even a […]

By |October 9th, 2014|The Adoption Blog|Comments Off on Why Can’t I just do a Family Petition for my adopted baby?