Nancy's labor pains were harsh and long, close to seven years, in fact. Conceived by Ukrainian parents, her two adopted children, Alyona and Alec, began their rebirth six years later in an American city near the East Coast shoreline.
"Healing Emotional Wounds-A Story of Overcoming the Long Hard Road to Recovery from Abuse and Abandonment"""is a compelling chronicle of metamorphosis that gives testament to the power of love, encouragement, and resolve over the desperate circumstances of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. This unvarnished story recounts the tumultuous road to recovery of two six-year-olds adopted from Ukraine and takes the reader through a mosaic of emotions from anger and frustration to laughter and bewilderment.
This action-packed drama of the family's first seven years reads like fiction, but it's real. The high-stakes adventure is replete with volatile behaviors, love, intrigue, sadness, police intervention, unwavering faith, doggedness, emotional fluctuations, and humor. Three main characters emerge, along with a large supporting cast of friends, family, neighbors, and community: 1) Alec, born prematurely to a substance-abusing mother, who spent the early part of his life swathed in a blanket cocoon almost devoid of human touch; 2) Alyona, found on the streets at age four or five and returned to the orphanage by her Italian adoptive family after only six weeks due to her aggressive behavior; 3) Nancy, a single, early fiftyish professional who feels called to adopt these children. The antagonist in this saga is the history of abuse and abandonment, but the real heroes are the children, who emerge from the abyss of hopelessness to live lives of confidence, love, and expectation.
"Healing Emotional Wounds-A Story of Overcoming the Long Hard Road to Recovery from Abuse and Abandonment "affirms the hope of healing through commitment, hard work, extensive family and friend support, a "never quit" attitude, and an unyielding resilience and focus.

For anyone considering or going through Fostering for Adoption, this book gives you a detailed, personal account of the process which takes you through all the stages and prepares you to cope with the highs and lows. Fostering for Adoption is a relatively recent initiative (Children and Families Act, 2014) in the adoption legal landscape, seeking early permanence for babies and young children where adoption is most likely to be the plan for the child. This is often cited as a route to be in the best interests of the child, enabling secure attachments and stability. However, for adopters it is inherently risky, it is the adopters who take on the risk in this situation, accept the placement on a fostering basis and hope that the final outcome will be adoption. There is currently a knowledge gap on experiences of Fostering for Adoption which this book tackles. Written from an adopters' perspective of the risks and challenges, as well as the benefits that it brings, it is perfect for those who are considering the process as well as their friends and family. A book on Fostering for Adoption can't just focus on one story and one outcome so we've included case studies which cover the key experiences adopters may face when agreeing to accept a baby on a Foster to Adopt placement such as: Caring for a baby a few days after birth The paperwork, rules and fostering process The uncertainty and risk Meeting with birth parents Contact Looking after a withdrawing baby A termination of placement Written in an engaging and friendly style, this book is perfect reading for anyone looking to adopt a child and for adoption professionals seeking to understand the experience of the adopter more profoundly. Praise for Fostering for Adoption "As someone who has been through a similar journey this book resonated with me. It is honest about the ups and downs and is a great, informative book for anybody thinking of taking this route or who have family or friends that are. I can say that this book will help anyone at the beginning of their journey, to help them through the process and - start the lifetime of learning about how we can support our children." Lisa Faulkner, Author, Meant to be "Alice's book will be a great companion to anyone considering or starting on the foster to adopt process. It is well-researched and written and doesn't shy away from the many complexities and the considerations that adults must make in the best interests of children." Sally Donovan, Author of No Matter What, and Editor of Adoption Today "I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I found myself laughing and getting emotional throughout. As someone who has themselves been adopted, but who is also a social worker who has now adopted a child, this book is brilliant from every angle. A must read for anyone considering Fostering for Adoption." Jo, Social Worker, Midlands "This book gives a balanced and honest view of the whole Fostering for Adoption journey. It gets to the emotions and seriousness of decisions being made about children's lives. This is an important read for any potential adopter and will be on our book lists for sure" Angi, Social Worker, Adoption Tees Valley

The experience of adoption-both adopting and being adopted-can stir up deep emotional pain, often related to loss and early trauma. A for Adoption provides insight and support to those families and individuals facing these complex processes and challenges. Drawing on both a psychoanalytic, theoretical framework and first-hand accounts of adopters, adoptees, and professionals within the adoption process, Alison Roy responds to the need for further and consistent support for adoptive parents and children, to help inform and understand the reality of their everyday lives. This book explores both the current and historical context of adoption, as well as its depiction within literature, before addressing issues such as conflict in relationships, the impact of significant trauma and loss, attachment and the importance of early relationships, and contact with birth families. Uniquely, this book addresses the experiences of, and provides support for, both adoptive professionals and families. It focuses on understanding rather than apportioning blame, and responds to a plea from a parent who requested "a book to help me understand my child better".

A raw and heart-wrenching literary memoir about a queer couple's attempt to adopt a child. But would you take a ginger child? a social worker asks Patrick Flanery as he and his husband embark on their four-year odyssey of trying to adopt. This curious question comes to haunt the journey, which Flanery recounts with startling candour as he explores what it means to make a family as a queer couple, to be an outsider in a foreign country, to grapple with the inheritance of intergenerational loss, and to discover that the emotions we feel are sometimes as mysterious to ourselves as to others. This uniquely powerful book moves deftly between heartbreaking memoir and illuminating meditation on parenting, adoption and queerness in contemporary culture, stopping along the way to consider recent science fiction film, camp horror television, fiction and visual art. At the end, which could also be the beginning of a new journey, Flanery asks whether we might all imagine ourselves as ginger children-fragile, sensitive, more easily hurt than we think possible, but with the hope that we are also survivors, with greater powers of resilience than we know.

America's foster care system has a noble goal-to care for children that for various reasons can no longer be cared for by their families-but years of inattention and inadequate funding have left many foster youth in a precarious state. This resource provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the American foster care system. Areas of coverage include the scaffolding of foster care systems in the various states (each of which operate their own unique systems through their social service agencies); conditions under which children are taken out of their families of origin and placed in foster care; the experiences of both young children and older teens in foster homes; challenges for foster children who "age out" of the system; and proposals to reform and improve foster care across the nation. Geared for students, this book contains chapters devoted to the background and history of foster care in America; the systems's problems, controversies, and solutions; original essay contributions exploring various facets of the system; profiles of leading foster care activists and organizations; governmental data and excerpts of primary documents on the topic; and an annotated list of important books, scholarly journals, and nonprint sources for further research. It closes with a detailed chronology, glossary of terms, and subject index. Provides a complete, accessible explanation of how the foster care system works Emphasizes the experiences of children placed in foster care Highlights efforts and proposals aimed at improving the experiences and outcomes for children and families interacting with America's child welfare system Details the challenges that face foster children that "age out" of the system

Instructions Not Supplied is the account of one family's experience in adopting three children, each of whom turned out to have special needs, and the challenges they have faced along the way. Some of the difficult situations they have faced are simply part of a family life; others are as a direct result of the children's disabilities and difficulties, including autism, attention deficit hyper-activity disorder, foetal alcohol syndrome, attachment disorder and sensory issues. A story of adoption, autism and coming together as a family, this book describes with honesty and humour how the behaviour of the children has often challenged the adults around them. It also explores the process of diagnosis and the difficulty of getting the right support both for the children and their parents, with insights for all parents and teachers of children with complex needs. The book is a unique insight into the twin challenges of adoption and disability, an invaluable read for prospective adopters and adoptive parents as well as natural parents of children with additional support needs. It is equally valuable for practitioners, as it gives an insight into the family life of those parenting such children and how best to support them.

If you would like a baby NOW, but things just aren't happening, hang in there -- We have the solution.
Frustration, anger, jealousy, and despair are common feelings in this situation. However, holding on to these emotions too long can further impair the ability to create your family. "Getting to Baby: Creating your Family Faster, Easier and Less Expensive through Fertility, Adoption, or Surrogacy" will show you how to continue your journey with hope, optimism, and success.
Jennifer and Victoria have been there and done that. The heartfelt experience that they went through for five years to create their family is touching, inspiring, and provides a lot of insight on how to create your family.
Jennifer and Victoria successfully went through the fertility process and then suffered a miscarriage at 17 weeks; tried adoption and held a baby for three days before returning home empty handed; and then discovered the secret of success through surrogacy.
Katherine and Christopher, beautiful, healthy twins were born less than 12 months from when Jennifer and Victoria met and interviewed their surrogate.
Whether you want to have your children through fertility treatments, adoption, or surrogacy, Jennifer and Victoria have learned and are sharing a lot of shortcuts that will help you save time and money.
You don't have to be a celebrity to achieve your dreams of having a family, but we can learn from them by observing which options were successful for them. Nicole Kidman and Celine Dion used fertility treatments to have children. Angelina Jolie and and Rosie O'Donnell chose to adopt children. An increasing number of celebrities are now choosing surrogacy, to include Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid.
Before you continue to spend money and waste time, read "Getting to Baby: Creating your Family Faster, Easier and Less Expensive through Fertility, Adoption, or Surrogacy" and use it as a resource to successfully create the family you deserve.

What to do when you've been called to adopt and practical advice to make it workMary Ostyn married her sweetheart at nineteen, and the pair had four kids by their eighth anniversary. When their youngest was three, God opened their eyes to the needs of orphans all over the world-and answered Mary's longing for another baby. Over the next nine years the couple adopted two boys from Korea and four girls from Ethiopia.Ostyn, a beloved adoption writer and blogger, shares-alongside stories from other adoptive families-the practical tools and resources she uses to thrive as an adoptive mom. In Forever Mom, she reveals how to:build heart connections prepare your other children for new siblingshelp babies, toddlers, and older children settle in implement attachment parentingaddress misbehavior while remaining connectednurture your marriage in the midst of it allWhether you're the parent of an adopted child or interested in pursuing adoption, Ostyn's warm advice and fresh perspective will inspire, inform, and affirm. You'll walk away confident you will be the perfect mom for whatever child God brings into your life.

Little Jamey, 21/2 years old, is placed with experienced foster carer, Cathy Glass, as an emergency. The police and social services have no choice but to remove two-year-old Jamey from home after his mother leaves him alone all night to go out partying. When he first arrives with foster carer Cathy Glass, he is scared, hungry and withdrawn, craving the affection he has been denied for so long. He is small for his age and unsteady on his feet - a result of being left for long periods in his cot. Cathy and her family find Jamey very easy to love, but as he settles in and makes progress, a new threat emerges. Coronavirus and lockdown change everything.

"The power of love can save a life"
One rainy night on the Zambian savannah, a mother's heart moves the hand of God. From a land laid waste by disease and drought emerges this incredible story of courage, suffering, and the ultimate triumph of the power of God's love. This is the true story of an infant born in the bush of southern Zambia at the height of the worst drought in years. That tiny life was awaiting the traditional burial--lying on the chest of her mother, who died during delivery. For months the relentless claw of death would try to snatch another victim, but God had a purpose for her life.
Through Tedd Galloway's eloquent and inspiring words you will learn that:
God's timing is perfect, but not always understood Genuine Christian love is colorblind Love is costly and can be painful Every life is precious to God The cost of loving doesn't compare to the joy that comes
Our world would be a different place if God's people saw each other through the eyes of the mother in this story. Be inspired as you read about the body of Christ not just talking about loving each other, but actually demonstrating it.
Tedd Galloway is a former pastor and missionary who served as a pastor in six churches. For three years he worked in Zambia, where he oversaw property development for his denomination. He has been married to Donna for thirty-nine years and is the father of three daughters. Due to a spinal injury, today he finds himself writing and guest speaking.

What happens when an abortion survivor finds her birth mother, who never knew her daughter was alive? Winner, 2018 Christianity Today Book Award, CT Women Silver Medal Winner, 2018 Illumination Book Awards, Biography & Memoir Melissa Ohden is fourteen when she learns she is the survivor of a botched abortion. In this intimate memoir she details for the first time her search for her biological parents, and her own journey from anger and shame to faith and empowerment. After a decade-long search Melissa finally locates her birth father and writes to extend forgiveness, only to learn that he has died without answering her burning questions. Melissa becomes a mother herself in the very hospital where she was aborted. This experience transforms her attitude toward women who have had abortions, as does the miscarriage of her only son and the birth of a second daughter with complex health issues. But could anything prepare her for the day she finally meets her birth mother and hears her side of their story? This intensely personal story of love and redemption illumines the powerful bond between mother and child that can overcome all odds.

We're born with a hunger for roots and a desire to pass on a legacy. The past two decades have seen a boom in family history services that combine genealogy with DNA testing, though this is less a sign of a robust connection to past generations than of its absence. Everywhere we see a pervasive rootlessness coupled with a cult of youth that thinks there is little to learn from our elders. The nursing home tragedies of the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare this devaluing of the old. But it's not only the elderly who are negatively affected when the links between generations break down; the young lose out too. When the hollowing-out of intergenerational connections deprives youth of the sense of belonging to a story beyond themselves, other sources of identity, from trivial to noxious, will fill the void. Yet however important biological kinship is, the New Testament tells us it is less important than the family called into being by God's promises. "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Jesus asks a crowd of listeners, then answers: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." In this great intergenerational family, we are linked by a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood to believers from every era of the human story, past, present, and yet to be born. To be sure, our biological families and inheritances still matter, but heredity and blood kinship are no longer the primary source of our identity. Here is a cure for rootlessness. On this theme: - Matthew Lee Anderson argues that even in an age of IVF no one has a right to have a child. - Emmanuel Katongole describes how African Christians are responding to ecological degradation by returning to their roots. - Louise Perry worries that young environmentalist don't want kids. - Helmuth Eiwen asks what we can do about the ongoing effects of the sins of our ancestors. - Terence Sweeney misses an absent father who left him nothing. - Wendy Kiyomi gives personal insight into the challenges of adopting children with trauma in their past. - Alastair Roberts decodes that long list of "begats" in Matthew's Gospel. - Rhys Laverty explains why his hometown, Chessington, UK, is still a family-friendly neighborhood. - Springs Toledo recounts, for the first time, a buried family story of crime and forgiveness. - Monica Pelliccia profiles three generations of women who feed migrants riding the trains north. Also in the issue: - A new Christmas story by Oscar Esquivias, translated from the Spanish - Original poetry by Aaron Poochigian - Reviews of Kim Haines-Eitzen's Sonorous Desert, Matthew P. Schneider's God Loves the Autistic Mind, Adam Nicolson's Life between the Tides, and Ash Davidson's Damnation Spring. - An appreciation for Augustine's mother, Monica - Short sketches by Clarice Lispector of her father and son Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faith to the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art.

In the thirty-five years since China instituted its One-Child Policy, 120,000 children mostly girls have left China through international adoption, including 85,000 to the United States. It's generally assumed that this diaspora is the result of China's approach to population control, but there is also the underlying belief that the majority of adoptees are daughters because the One-Child Policy often collides with the traditional preference for a son. While there is some truth to this, it does not tell the full story a story with deep personal resonance to Kay Ann Johnson, a China scholar and mother to an adopted Chinese daughter. Johnson spent years talking with the Chinese parents driven to relinquish their daughters during the brutal birth-planning campaigns of the 1990s and early 2000s, and, with China's Hidden Children, she paints a startlingly different picture. The decision to give up a daughter, she shows, is not a facile one, but one almost always fraught with grief and dictated by fear. Were it not for the constant threat of punishment for breaching the country's stringent birth-planning policies, most Chinese parents would have raised their daughters despite the cultural preference for sons. With clear understanding and compassion for the families, Johnson describes their desperate efforts to conceal the birth of second or third daughters from the authorities. As the Chinese government cracked down on those caught concealing an out-of-plan child, strategies for surrendering children changed from arranging adoptions or sending them to live with rural family to secret placement at carefully chosen doorsteps and, finally, abandonment in public places. In the twenty-first century, China's so-called abandoned children have increasingly become "stolen" children, as declining fertility rates have left the dwindling number of children available for adoption more vulnerable to child trafficking. In addition, government seizures of locally but illegally adopted children and children hidden within their birth families mean that even legal adopters have unknowingly adopted children taken from parents and sent to orphanages. The image of the "unwanted daughter" remains commonplace in Western conceptions of China. With China's Hidden Children, Johnson reveals the complex web of love, secrecy, and pain woven in the coerced decision to give one's child up for adoption and the profound negative impact China's birth-planning campaigns have on Chinese families.

A young American growing up in the Middle East, Carina Rourke enjoys a blissful innocence until, at age fifteen, she is captivated by an obsessive desire to peek inside of her mother's forbidden jewelry box. There, Carina discovers a shocking family secret arising from her clandestine mother's past in post-World War II Germany. On the heels of her discovery, she and her family pursue her father's dream: an exotic drive through the Middle East and Europe, which serves as a metaphoric journey for the woman Carina becomes-a silent nomad searching for identity. When they reach Paris, Carina is entranced by the city's temptations. French pastries become a dangerous addiction and an accomplice in silence . . . and so does the love of a mysterious Tunisian. Inspired by her past, The Syrian Jewelry Box: A Daughter's Journey for Truth chronicles a teenage heroine who triumphs over her identity crisis and learns the power of love.

"The power of love can save a life"
One rainy night on the Zambian savannah, a mother's heart moves the hand of God. From a land laid waste by disease and drought emerges this incredible story of courage, suffering, and the ultimate triumph of the power of God's love. This is the true story of an infant born in the bush of southern Zambia at the height of the worst drought in years. That tiny life was awaiting the traditional burial--lying on the chest of her mother, who died during delivery. For months the relentless claw of death would try to snatch another victim, but God had a purpose for her life.
Through Tedd Galloway's eloquent and inspiring words you will learn that:
God's timing is perfect, but not always understood Genuine Christian love is colorblind Love is costly and can be painful Every life is precious to God The cost of loving doesn't compare to the joy that comes
Our world would be a different place if God's people saw each other through the eyes of the mother in this story. Be inspired as you read about the body of Christ not just talking about loving each other, but actually demonstrating it.
Tedd Galloway is a former pastor and missionary who served as a pastor in six churches. For three years he worked in Zambia, where he oversaw property development for his denomination. He has been married to Donna for thirty-nine years and is the father of three daughters. Due to a spinal injury, today he finds himself writing and guest speaking.

Nancy's labor pains were harsh and long, close to seven years, in fact. Conceived by Ukrainian parents, her two adopted children, Alyona and Alec, began their rebirth six years later in an American city near the East Coast shoreline.
"Healing Emotional Wounds-A Story of Overcoming the Long Hard Road to Recovery from Abuse and Abandonment"""is a compelling chronicle of metamorphosis that gives testament to the power of love, encouragement, and resolve over the desperate circumstances of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. This unvarnished story recounts the tumultuous road to recovery of two six-year-olds adopted from Ukraine and takes the reader through a mosaic of emotions from anger and frustration to laughter and bewilderment.
This action-packed drama of the family's first seven years reads like fiction, but it's real. The high-stakes adventure is replete with volatile behaviors, love, intrigue, sadness, police intervention, unwavering faith, doggedness, emotional fluctuations, and humor. Three main characters emerge, along with a large supporting cast of friends, family, neighbors, and community: 1) Alec, born prematurely to a substance-abusing mother, who spent the early part of his life swathed in a blanket cocoon almost devoid of human touch; 2) Alyona, found on the streets at age four or five and returned to the orphanage by her Italian adoptive family after only six weeks due to her aggressive behavior; 3) Nancy, a single, early fiftyish professional who feels called to adopt these children. The antagonist in this saga is the history of abuse and abandonment, but the real heroes are the children, who emerge from the abyss of hopelessness to live lives of confidence, love, and expectation.
"Healing Emotional Wounds-A Story of Overcoming the Long Hard Road to Recovery from Abuse and Abandonment "affirms the hope of healing through commitment, hard work, extensive family and friend support, a "never quit" attitude, and an unyielding resilience and focus.

Growing up, Tiffany Rochelle had no reason to believe her mother was not who she claimed to be, but that all changed when she was nine. She learned her mother had been living under a false identity since before she was born, and that the name her mother had used on her birth certificate wasn't real. From that point, Tiffany's life was never the same. By the time she was twenty-five, her mother had used twenty-seven known aliases and had created just as many lives to go along with them. As she got older and "found" herself in the world of art, Tiffany realized that even if she could have chosen her mother, she would have chosen no differently. Tiffany knew that she would not have achieved success as an artist were it not for her mother's insane roots. Tiffany Rochelle's story shows how true the saying, "You can't choose your family" is and why you should be grateful for them.

A Sunday Times bestseller, Terrified is the first book from well-loved foster carer Angela Hart. It tells the emotionally devastating but ultimately uplifting true story of Vicky, a little girl who arrives on Angela's doorstep unwanted and unloved after suffering years of emotional abuse at the hands of her mother. Desperate never to return home, Vicky is haunted by many demons and waking nightmares. This book tells the moving story of Angela's determination to set Vicky free. 'A no holds barred insight into the reality of looking after someone else's children. A remarkable story from a remarkable woman, it brought back a lot of memories for me.' - Casey Watson, author of A Dark Secret. 'A moving story that testifies to the redemptive power of love. I hope Angela Hart inspires many others to foster.' - Torey Hayden, author of Lost Child.

On June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case Adoptive Couple vs. Baby Girl, which pitted adoptive parents Matt and Melanie Capobianco against baby Veronica’s biological father, Dusten Brown, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Veronica’s biological mother had relinquished her for adoption to the Capobiancos without Brown’s consent. Although Brown regained custody of his daughter using the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Capobiancos, rejecting the purpose of the ICWA and ignoring the long history of removing Indigenous children from their families. In A Generation Removed, a powerful blend of history and family stories, award-winning historian Margaret D. Jacobs examines how government authorities in the post–World War II era removed thousands of American Indian children from their families and placed them in non-Indian foster or adoptive families. By the late 1960s an estimated 25 to 35 percent of Indian children had been separated from their families. Jacobs also reveals the global dimensions of the phenomenon: these practices undermined Indigenous families and their communities in Canada and Australia as well. Jacobs recounts both the trauma and resilience of Indigenous families as they struggled to reclaim the care of their children, leading to the ICWA in the United States and to national investigations, landmark apologies, and redress in Australia and Canada. 

Adopted Women and Biological Fathers offers a critical and deconstructive challenge to the dominant notions of adoptive identity. The author explores adoptive women's experiences of meeting their biological fathers and reflects on personal narratives to give an authoritative overview of both the field of adoption and the specific history of adoption reunion. This book takes as its focus the narratives of 14 adopted women, as well as the partly fictionalised story of the author and examines their experiences of birth father reunion in an attempt to dissect the ways in which we understand adoptive female subjectivity through a psychosocial lens. Opening a space for thinking about the role of the discursively neglected biological father, this book exposes the enigmatic dimensions of this figure and how telling the relational story of 'reconciliation' might be used to complicate wider categories of subjective completeness, belonging, and truth. This book attempts to subvert the culturally normative unifying system of the mother-child bond, and prompts the reader to think about what the biological father might represent and how his role in relation to adoptive female subjects may be understood. This book will be essential reading for those in critical psychology, gender studies, narrative work, sociology and psychosocial studies, as well as appealing to anyone interested in adoption issues and female subjectivity.

* What are attachment difficulties? * How do they affect children? * How can you help? This book provides clear and concise answers to these important questions - and more. Much more than just a simple introduction to the subject of attachment, the book is also full of advice and practical ideas you can try. It tackles some challenging questions, such as 'what is the difference between trauma and attachment?', and explains how having an understanding of attachment is only part of the overall picture when it comes to caring for traumatized children. It is an essential read for any adult parenting or caring for a child who has experienced attachment difficulties.

This adoption resource contains a large amount of practical yet thoughtful advice and brings to the attention of adoptive or potential adoptive parent considerations that may not have been obvious before reading the book. (Relationships)