This is an interesting discussion on the adoption.com board, and there are some great answers.

The full question is:

Let's assume YOU made the rules, how long would you give biological parents to COMPLETE their case plan goals before you sent the case to TPR?

I know there can be all kinds of extenuating circumstances, but let's assume there are no insurmountable obstacles preventing the bios from completing... more

Here in Wisconsin we are rather sick of snow. We’ve had over five feet of snow and the bill for having my driveway plowed is only slightly more than the cost of the fuel oil to heat my house.

However, there is a wonderful story involving snow coming out of New York. The Children’s Aid Society of Algoma is building snowmen. What’s so special about that? They’re building over 200 snowmen; one for each child who needs a home. What a wonderful way to garner attention for children. Kids love... more

I blogged previously about the Indian Child Welfare Act. The blog explained how the tribe can take custody of a child if the child’s heritage is part of a federally recognized tribe.

This proposed legislation takes this act a step further. It would allow the tribe to receive federal foster care funds to care for the child. Previously the tribe would take custody of the child, but did not receive federal funding.

You can find a summary of the bill here.

The... more

A new bill (HB122) is being proposed in Utah that would allow foster parents to give permission for their foster children obtain a driver’s license.

One of the proponents of the bill is Senator Karen Mayne, who is a foster mother.

While on the surface this looks like a good bill, I have a few problems with it. First and foremost being my own child. Sammy will be eligible to begin driver’s training in about a year. There is no way I would want this child behind the wheel of a car.... more

Now that the race is narrowing down and it looks like we have some front runner candidates for the Republicans and the Democrats, let’s take a look at their positions on adoption.

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any candidate, nor am I saying you should vote for someone based on their position on adoption. Hillary Clinton has the most extensive list of a plan for adoption and foster care on her website. Among her suggested programs are:

1) Reward... more

I recently received an e-mail from Kids Are Waiting to alert me to an upcoming news conference. I’m sure everyone on their e-mail list received this e-mail but it is worth sharing.

On Tuesday, January 29, at 9:30 AM Eastern time Kids Are Waiting will be holding a press conference to reveal the results of a the study by Prevent Child Abuse America and Kids Are Waiting. They will discuss the financial cost to the country of child abuse and neglect.

The numbers are shocking. In 2007 the financial cost was a staggering... more

A key piece of legislation has been passed for foster children who are adopted when they are teenagers.

On September 27, President Bush signed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (HR 2669), which includes the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act amendment—legislation that makes it possible for teens in foster care to be adopted without losing access to college financial aid. Under the new law, youth who are adopted after their 13th birthday will not have to include their parents' income when determining their eligibility for financial aid.

This... more

I first met Stephen Hayes about a year and a half ago. We were looking at adopting a child who was coming from a disruption (not Hannah) and my friend, Elaine, referred me to him. After our initial phone conversation, I checked out the website of his law firm and found that Stephen Hayes had received the Angels in Adoption award in 2005.

When I first met Steve, we spent a little bit of time talking about the potential adoption, and what the... more

In my previous blog I promised to post the Wisconsin Foster Parents Bill of Rights that we are trying to get introduced into the legislature. Opinions?

Wisconsin Foster Parent Bill of Rights - DRAFT - Foster parent rights. A foster parent’s rights include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The right to be treated with consideration, dignity and respect as a professional member of the child welfare team.

(2) The right to be given standardized pre-service and appropriate ongoing training to... more

In my previous blog about the lawsuit in Rhode Island, one of my readers made a comment about something that hits my hot button and puts me up on my soap box. That is the rights of foster parents. I advocate for the rights of foster parents here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin foster care went through a fairly major overhaul several years ago. The state took over foster care in Milwaukee because it was in such horrible shape. It is no longer a county run... more