With about 70,000 domestic and international adoptions each year in the United States and Canada, adoption remains a major means of building families in both countries. Its continued success can be inferred not only from the yearly statistics, but from a report issued in 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau. To the surprise of many, the report announced the existence of 1.6 million adopted children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen. Written by a former social worker who has placed hundreds of children in foster and adoptive homes and a clinical psychologist who has counseled adopted children and parents, this book offers a comprehensive look at the adoption process by merging the best of social work with the best of psychology. Adoption can be a frustrating and intimidating undertaking for the unprepared. This guide provides prospective adoptive parents with the insider information that they need to navigate the process-and it provides students with the sort of expert opinion that they need to grasp the academic theory they receive in the classroom. Highlights include: An insider's look at the home study process Advice on single-parent adoptions Advice on gay parent adoptions Advice on parenting adopted children A look at adoption procedures in both the United States and Canada Information about international adoptions A directory of adoption agencies in the United States and Canada

Screening applicants for adoption or foster homes has life-altering consequences for the children involved, yet there are incredibly few programs available to train screeners. The educational system that certifies thousands of social workers each year does not understand the specialized training required to screen adoptive and foster parents; social work schools provide minimal interview training and what training they do provide focuses on therapeutic interview techniques rather than screening skills. There is a clear need for a book like Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, one that can be incorporated into course requirements and used by working social workers and psychologists involved with adoption and foster parent screening. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening, written by a former social worker, who has placed hundreds of children into adoptive and foster homes, and a clinical psychologist, meshes the best of psychology and social work experience into a definitive guide for screening adoption and foster home applicants. The book provides information on: evaluating aberrant behavior and unhealthy parenting attitudes interview techniques psychological testing. Adoptive and Foster Parent Screening is based on case histories, research data, and interpretive analysis. The book is written in an accessible style free of technical language, thus making it appropriate for college-level students and professionals who don't have time to sift through empirical data to obtain accessible information that they can adapt to their profession.

Mojo Triangle Travel Guide presents a road map for tourists to explore the historic triangle for the purpose of understanding America's impressive contributions to music. Each chapter begins with a brief explanation for the destination area's contribution to music and brief bios of the recording artists from each area, followed by practical information about where travelers should go to find music venues, restaurants, places to spend the night, and historical points of interest. Major feature of the book are rare photographs, interviews with many of the musicians who played important roles in the creation of America's music, and feature articles on human and cultural landmarks within the Mojo Triangle. The triangular concept of defining American music was originated by author James L. Dickerson in the early 2000s after decades of writing about the music created in the South. In 2005 he published a book, Mojo Triangle, that was named the best non-fiction work in the South for that year by the Independent Publishers Association and presented with an IPPY Award. The book was updated and reprinted in 2014.

Free yourself from the vicious cycle of diet excuses and take control of your life Accept that you are telling yourself there are reasons you are not losing weight, that keep you stuck and paralyzed. Acknowledge they are excuses so you can move forward and take action to live a healthy life free from struggle You can enjoy a full, active life in your ideal body. I'll Start on Monday will help you: . Identify the weight loss excuses you are making. . Learn how they are preventing you from attaining your ideal weight. . Discover why your past weight loss efforts have not been successful. . Apply tools hundreds have used to achieve lasting results. . Gain powerful strategies to your action plan for maximizing success. You will also be inspired by the author's personal journey, as she reveals how she overcame an unhealthy relationship with food - by changing her thinking and banishing excuses like..."I'll Start on Monday." "Until I met Coach Mardi, I continually sabotaged my healthy lifestyle. After working with her, applying the concepts and action plans she has now put into this book, I am 40 pounds lighter" - M.A., Engineer, Venezuela The Lotus flower grows in muddy water, rising above to flourish with extraordinary beauty. Just like the lotus, you have the ability to rise above challenges and create your ideal life. Coach Mardi Allen