Adoption and fostering Books

Book SynopsisWhen Deborah Gold and her husband signed up to foster parent in their rural mountain community, they did not foresee that it would lead to a roller-coaster fifteen years of involvement with a traumatized yet resilient birth family.Trade Review“Counting Down is a deeply moving memoir about both the rewards and the daunting challenges of being a foster family. By choosing to incorporate both parent and child perspectives, Deborah Gold has created a unique and valuable book. Bravo.”"(Counting Down is) definitely a must-read for any foster parent.“ * Fostering Families Today *“Counting Down provides a deep dive into fostering and adoption…. (P)rovide(s) insight into the human emotions and reasoning within a chaotic system. These insights are useful for prospective foster parents wondering what types of relationships and obstacles to expect; current foster parents will find encouragement, advice, and validation in the stories.” * Appalachian Journal *“After reading this book, I realize that foster parents are the bravest people in the world. Deborah Gold's eloquent and thorough portrayal of this experience is not only enlightening, it is revelatory. And beautifully written, with wonderful additions by her foster son Michael. Counting Down reads like a novel and should be required reading in every child psychology and women's studies class, and in every education, family law, and medical course in the country.””A beautiful and poignant story of love, commitment, strength, and understanding. Foster and adoptive parents are its natural audience; however, Ms. Gold is such an engaging writer that anyone could appreciate this inspirational story about the difficult and often disheartening subject of foster parenting. … An excellent memoir underscoring persistence, acceptance and hope.” * Growing Intentional Families Together newsletter *“Counting Down is an extraordinary story of loss and recovery that documents the breakdown and rebuilding of lives, family, and human potential. Deborah Gold is a gifted writer, and the kind of person who makes our world not only bearable but meaningful. This an intimate account of struggle, joy, and the bonds that sustain families and communities.”

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Book SynopsisWhen Deborah Gold and her husband signed up to foster parent in their rural mountain community, they did not foresee that it would lead to a roller-coaster fifteen years of involvement with a traumatized yet resilient birth family.Trade Review“Counting Down is a deeply moving memoir about both the rewards and the daunting challenges of being a foster family. By choosing to incorporate both parent and child perspectives, Deborah Gold has created a unique and valuable book. Bravo.”"(Counting Down is) definitely a must-read for any foster parent.“ * Fostering Families Today *“Counting Down provides a deep dive into fostering and adoption…. (P)rovide(s) insight into the human emotions and reasoning within a chaotic system. These insights are useful for prospective foster parents wondering what types of relationships and obstacles to expect; current foster parents will find encouragement, advice, and validation in the stories.” * Appalachian Journal *“After reading this book, I realize that foster parents are the bravest people in the world. Deborah Gold's eloquent and thorough portrayal of this experience is not only enlightening, it is revelatory. And beautifully written, with wonderful additions by her foster son Michael. Counting Down reads like a novel and should be required reading in every child psychology and women's studies class, and in every education, family law, and medical course in the country.””A beautiful and poignant story of love, commitment, strength, and understanding. Foster and adoptive parents are its natural audience; however, Ms. Gold is such an engaging writer that anyone could appreciate this inspirational story about the difficult and often disheartening subject of foster parenting. … An excellent memoir underscoring persistence, acceptance and hope.” * Growing Intentional Families Together newsletter *“Counting Down is an extraordinary story of loss and recovery that documents the breakdown and rebuilding of lives, family, and human potential. Deborah Gold is a gifted writer, and the kind of person who makes our world not only bearable but meaningful. This an intimate account of struggle, joy, and the bonds that sustain families and communities.”

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Book SynopsisChaos. Frustration. Compassion. Desperation. Hope. These are the five words that author Wendy Welch says best summarize the state of foster care in the coalfields of Appalachia. Her assessment is based on interviews with more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through “the system.”Trade Review“Fall or Fly is a compelling, unvarnished glimpse into the complex world of foster care and adoption in modern-day Appalachia. Dr. Welch provides readers with a multifaceted view of the system through the eyes of children, foster parents, and caseworkers. It will surely become a treasured resource, not only for those interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents but for those who desire a more complete understanding of the foster care system.”“Fall or Fly offers a broad view of foster care in Appalachia…. Providing multiple perspectives alongside one another preserves tensions and contradictions that are necessary for (Welch’s) thorough exploration of foster care and adoption…. Welch provides … multiple stories and personal observations that have sometimes been missing from mainstream debate.” * Appalachian Journal *“This book zeroes in on the foster care and adoption system in the Appalachian coalfields. It tells the story with an adept combination of close looks at the experiences of the three parties involved—the kids, the social workers, and the courts.” * Appalachian Mountain Books *

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Book SynopsisChaos. Frustration. Compassion. Desperation. Hope. These are the five words that author Wendy Welch says best summarize the state of foster care in the coalfields of Appalachia. Her assessment is based on interviews with more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through “the system.”Trade Review“Fall or Fly is a compelling, unvarnished glimpse into the complex world of foster care and adoption in modern-day Appalachia. Dr. Welch provides readers with a multifaceted view of the system through the eyes of children, foster parents, and caseworkers. It will surely become a treasured resource, not only for those interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents but for those who desire a more complete understanding of the foster care system.”“Fall or Fly offers a broad view of foster care in Appalachia…. Providing multiple perspectives alongside one another preserves tensions and contradictions that are necessary for (Welch’s) thorough exploration of foster care and adoption…. Welch provides … multiple stories and personal observations that have sometimes been missing from mainstream debate.” * Appalachian Journal *“This book zeroes in on the foster care and adoption system in the Appalachian coalfields. It tells the story with an adept combination of close looks at the experiences of the three parties involved—the kids, the social workers, and the courts.” * Appalachian Mountain Books *

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Book SynopsisAn indispensable resource to those families considering or affected by adoption, this book takes an informed look at adoption from a Jewish perspective and will prepare readers for the many unforeseen challenges that may arise.Trade Review"Jewish parents and parents-to-be building families by adoption, whose children will be a minority within a minority . . . will find much to think about here, as will the members of extended families. Leaders within Jewish communities (religious education teachers, rabbis, etc.) whose adoption knowledge is limited, will similarly find this book of importance."—Adoption Quarterly

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Book SynopsisFor decades, Katie D'Angelo and Valerie Harrison engaged in conversations about race and racism. However, when Katie and her husband, who are white, adopted Gabriel, a biracial child, Katie's conversations with Val, who is black, were no longer theoretical and academic. The stakes grew from the two friends trying to understand each other's perspectives to a mother navigating, with input from her friend, how to equip a child with the tools that will best serve him as he grows up in a white family.Through lively and intimate back-and-forth exchanges, the authors share information, research, and resources that orient parents and other community members to the ways race and racism will affect a black child's lifeand despite that, how to raise and nurture healthy and happy children. These friendly dialogues about guarding a child's confidence and nurturing positive racial identity form the basis for Do Right by Me. Harrison and D'Angelo share information on transracial adoption, understandiTrade Review"Talking about racism can be tough, but the authors present hard truths with aplomb.... Harrison and D'Angelo write with an urgency and hopefulness that make progress both a mandate and something within reach... [T]hey present statistics and contextual history, which makes for a highly informative and compelling narrative. Essential reading for those who parent or nurture Black children or anyone who wants to better understand race in America.”— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"This timely examination of discrimination and privilege is packed with insight and should be a great resource for white parents raising children of color."— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Part history lesson, part intimate narrative, and part practical guide, Do Right by Me is a well-drafted roadmap for raising healthy Black children.”—Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist "Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Spaces by Valerie I. Harrison and Kathryn Peach D'Angelo offers essential, authentic guidance to non-Black parents and caregivers raising Black children through transracial adoption or in multi-racial homes. Crucially, it emphasizes the importance of promoting a strong, positive identity based on a healthy understanding of African history, culture, art, body image and spirituality. The ethnically diverse authors were friends and colleagues at Temple University long before D'Angelo and her husband, a white couple, adopted Gabriel, a biracial baby. The profound joys of parenthood didn't prevent D'Angelo from grasping a devastating truth: "Our world does not give our son the privilege of acting like us, and moreover, it places on him the burden of managing how others feel about him." Presented as an informative dialogue between friends, Do Right by Me confronts unreformed education, healthcare and judicial systems that prevent Black children from being judged solely on their merits, and offers bold strategies for overcoming the inherent disadvantages these systems perpetuate. In the context of education, "doing right" means that parents and caregivers must actively work to ensure each Black child receives the benefits expected by their white peers, and that schools affirmatively commit to fostering well-being for Black students. As Harrison says, "passive education environments equalize nothing for Black children." While tailored to parents and caregivers, Do Right by Me is an authentic, valuable resource for any reader prepared to serve as a critical ally to Black children and their families."--Shelf Awareness

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Book SynopsisDo you know your real parents? is a question many adoptees are asked. In In Reunion, Sara Docan-Morgan probes the basic notions of family, adoption, and parenthood by exploring initial meetings and ongoing relationships that transnational Korean adoptees have had with their birth parents and other birth family members. Drawing from qualitative interviews with adult Korean adoptees in the United States and Denmark, as well as her own experiences as an adoptee, Docan-Morgan illuminates the complexities of communication surrounding reunion. The paradoxes of adoption and reunionshared history without blood relations, and blood relations without shared historygenerate questions: What does it mean to be family? How do people use communication to constitute family relationships? How are family relationships created, maintained, and negotiated over time? In Reunion details adoptive and cultural identities, highlighting how adoptees often end up shouldering communicative responsibility in thTrade Review“Bridging the fields of communication studies and critical adoption studies, In Reunion is a groundbreaking text weaving together the social sciences and humanities to grapple with what it means when we make sense of how reunion is performed—the emotional work undertaken—to consider how adoptees negotiate the discursive burden produced by the act of reuniting. Docan-Morgan attends to the language and cultural gaps and the work adoptees undertake to mitigate those chasms. She expertly and effectively positions herself as a scholar and adoptee, deftly weaving intimate vignettes of her own experiences to tell the stories of reunion.”—Kimberly D. McKee, author of Adoption Fantasies: The Fetishization of Asian Adoptees from Girlhood to Womanhood“An unparalleled text, In Reunion shines light on an understudied, paradoxical family phenomenon—transnational adoptee birth-family reunions. Sara Docan-Morgan artfully interweaves her story with stories of other Korean adoptees to unveil complexities and beauties of being in reunion. Immensely readable, In Reunion raises larger questions about family, belonging, and identity. Drawing upon her expertise as a communication scholar, Docan-Morgan illuminates the role communication plays in the unfolding of these relationships across time, space, and differences in language and culture. In Reunion is a must-read for adoptees, adoptive parents, scholars, and all who work with and support the transnational adoption constellation.” —Elizabeth A. Suter, Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Denver

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Book SynopsisExplores the role played by missionaries in the twentieth-century transnational adoption movement Between 1953 and 2018, approximately 170,000 Korean children were adopted by families in dozens of different countries, with Americans providing homes to more than two-thirds of them. In an iconic photo taken in 1955, Harry and Bertha Holt can be seen descending from a Pan American World Airways airplane with twelve Asian babieseight for their family and four for other families. As adoptive parents and evangelical Christians who identified themselves as missionaries, the Holts unwittingly became both the metaphorical and literal parental figures in the growing movement to adopt transnationally. Missionaries pioneered the transnational adoption movement in America. Though their role is known, there has not yet been a full historical look at their theological motivationswhich varied depending on whether they were evangelically or ecumenically focusedand what the effects were for American socTrade ReviewA major breakthrough in the study of the transnational adoption movement in the postwar era. In a field dominated by social scientific approaches, Chung’s emphasis on the religious dimension is unique and significant, serving to broaden and deepen our understanding of the adoption movement and its impacts. Adopting for God’s originality, depth, and insightfulness make it a necessary and significant read for scholars from many fields. -- Kevin Xiyi Yao, author of The Fundamentalist Movement among the Protestant Missionaries in China, 1920–1937A strongly written, compelling account of adoption evangelists who promoted transnational adoptions while also evangelizing for God. This book cogently demonstrates that during the Cold War context, Christians’ theological convictions had the power to shape America’s institutions of family and race. Chung’s scholarship deftly integrates Transracial Adoption Studies and Asian American Studies with a nuanced understanding of religion. -- Russell Jeung, San Francisco State UniversityAdopting for God uncovers the influential—yet flawed—gendered anti-racism work of a previous generation, and how it promoted the acceptance of Korean and mixed-race adoptions. Soojin Chung’s compelling study explains why interracial adoption and child sponsorship continue to shape the outreach of American Christians today. I highly recommend this splendid and readable study, especially for scholars concerned with the intersections of race, gender, family history, and Cold War politics. -- Dana Robert, Boston UniversityAdopting for God deals with American Christians—of both evangelical and ecumenical persuasions—who urged their fellow Americans to open their hearts and homes to non-White adoptees, especially children from war-torn Korea. * Christian Century Book Review *[S]cholars can thank Soojin Chung for another contribution to our growing understanding of the multi-faceted ways in which missionaries have shaped American culture. - Philip D. Byers, University of Notre Dame. -- Fides et Historia * Fides et Historia *Not only does Chung provide us with comprehensive timelines and biographies of adoption evangelicals; even more importantly, Chung critically assesses the consequences of their actions, establishes a connection between history and current trends, and sheds light on rich intricacies of our Christian history that are not widely known and deserve our utmost attention. Adopting for God is a formative text for anyone interested in studying the legacy of the transnational adoption movement in the US, advancing the discipline of Christian missiology, or conducting comparative research of transnational adoption across other racial and ethnic contexts. -- Maci Sepp * Reading Religion - American Academy of Religion *All audiences will learn from this volume as it is written in an accessible and engaging manner, providing context and definition, as needed, to support the points presented. It is necessary to understand the history of transnational adoption in the United States to bring context to current issues, including the identity development of adult Korean adoptees wanting to incorporate their Korean ethnicity and culture. Adopting for God impacts understanding of transnational adoption in very positive ways. -- Church History * Church History *

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Book SynopsisInvestigates social parents people who function as parents but who may not be recognized as suchin the eyes of the lawWhat makes a person a parent? Around the world, same-sex couples are raising children; parents are separating and re-partnering, creating blended families; and children are living with grandparents, family friends, and other caregivers. In these situations, there is often an adult who acts like a parent but who is unconnected to the child through biogenetics, marriage, or adoptionthe common paths for establishing legal parenthood. In many countries, this person is called a social parent. Psychologically, and especially from a child's point of view, a social parent is a parent. But the legal status of a social parent is hotly debated.Social Parenthood in Comparative Perspective considers how the law doesand how it shouldrecognize social parenthood. The book begins with a psychological account of social parenthood, establishing the impoTrade Review"Provides a groundbreaking overview of social parenthood… The book is truly global in scope: it includes perspectives from psychology, sociology, and the law, and it draws on experts from nine countries. It offers a fascinating analysis of how the law approaches, and should approach these relationships, and it is destined to become a classic work in understanding social parenthood. " * Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia School of Law *"Social parenthood is one of the most important issues that family law is confronting in countries today. Further, countries are approaching this issue in vastly disparate ways. The contributors present compelling and complementary legal analysis and insights as to how nine countries address social parenthood, underscoring the necessity for law to adjust to new iterations of families. " * Maxine Eichner, Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill *"By examining across the countries of North America and Europe whether and how laws value those relationships, Social Parenthood in Comparative Perspective makes a unique and long- overdue contribution. Comparing same-sex couples, stepparents, and non-parental primary caregivers within and among countries, this book is an invaluable resource to anyone who thinks about the meaning of family. " * Nancy D. Polikoff, author, Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law *"Timely and engaging, the comparative and interdisciplinary aspects of this volume offer many valuable contributions to the ongoing conversation about legal recognition of what the book calls ‘social parents.’ The diverse and impressive contributors make the case for law reform in response to the expanding landscape of parenting. " * Susan Frelich Appleton, Lemma Barkeloo & Phoebe Couzins Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis *

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Book SynopsisHow Korean adoptees went from being adoptable orphans to deportable immigrantsSince the early 1950s, over 125,000 Korean children have been adopted in the United States, primarily by white families. Korean adoptees figure in twenty-five percent of US transnational adoptions and are the largest group of transracial adoptees currently in adulthood. Despite being legally adopted, Korean adoptees'' position as family members did not automatically ensure legal, cultural, or social citizenship. Korean adoptees routinely experience refusals of belonging, whether by state agents, laws, and regulations, in everyday interactions, or even through media portrayals that render them invisible. In Out of Place, SunAh M Laybourn, herself a Korean American adoptee, examines this long-term journey, with a particular focus on the race-making process and the contradictions inherent to the model minority myth.Drawing on in-depth interviews with Korean adoptee adults, online surTrade ReviewIn Out of Place, SunAh M Laybourn tells a compelling story of the complex association between race, kinship, and citizenship among Korean American adoptees. This book would be terrific for any undergraduate course on the sociology of race, the family, and Asian Americans. * Grace Kao, co-author of Diversity and the Transition to Adulthood in America *Engagingly written and impeccably researched, Out of Place offers an innovative analysis of how Korean American adoptees challenge widespread beliefs about kinship, citizenship, and race in America. * Patricia Hill Collins, author of Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory *Laybourn’s pivotal work introduces readers to the idea of exceptional belonging—the granted but precarious inclusion experienced by many Korean individuals adopted into White families in the US. Her study provides a powerful framework with which to examine this type of belonging, outlining both the privileges and perils associated with White intimacies and describing how adoptees perpetuate, negotiate, and challenge such arrangements. A must read. * Carla Goar, Professor of Sociology at Kent State University *Out of Place is magnificent. It is a meticulous study of Korean transnational, transracial adoptees’ particularities that unravels conflicting claims on identity and family while providing theoretical insight into the nature of belonging. Laybourn carefully chronicles a continuum of racialized national inclusion—from adoptable Korean orphans to easily deportable adults—whose citizenship remains contingent and revocable according to state whims. * Victor Ray, author of On Critical Race Theory *

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Book SynopsisHow Korean adoptees went from being adoptable orphans to deportable immigrantsSince the early 1950s, over 125,000 Korean children have been adopted in the United States, primarily by white families. Korean adoptees figure in twenty-five percent of US transnational adoptions and are the largest group of transracial adoptees currently in adulthood. Despite being legally adopted, Korean adoptees'' position as family members did not automatically ensure legal, cultural, or social citizenship. Korean adoptees routinely experience refusals of belonging, whether by state agents, laws, and regulations, in everyday interactions, or even through media portrayals that render them invisible. In Out of Place, SunAh M Laybourn, herself a Korean American adoptee, examines this long-term journey, with a particular focus on the race-making process and the contradictions inherent to the model minority myth.Drawing on in-depth interviews with Korean adoptee adults, online surTrade ReviewIn Out of Place, SunAh M Laybourn tells a compelling story of the complex association between race, kinship, and citizenship among Korean American adoptees. This book would be terrific for any undergraduate course on the sociology of race, the family, and Asian Americans. * Grace Kao, co-author of Diversity and the Transition to Adulthood in America *Engagingly written and impeccably researched, Out of Place offers an innovative analysis of how Korean American adoptees challenge widespread beliefs about kinship, citizenship, and race in America. * Patricia Hill Collins, author of Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory *Laybourn’s pivotal work introduces readers to the idea of exceptional belonging—the granted but precarious inclusion experienced by many Korean individuals adopted into White families in the US. Her study provides a powerful framework with which to examine this type of belonging, outlining both the privileges and perils associated with White intimacies and describing how adoptees perpetuate, negotiate, and challenge such arrangements. A must read. * Carla Goar, Professor of Sociology at Kent State University *Out of Place is magnificent. It is a meticulous study of Korean transnational, transracial adoptees’ particularities that unravels conflicting claims on identity and family while providing theoretical insight into the nature of belonging. Laybourn carefully chronicles a continuum of racialized national inclusion—from adoptable Korean orphans to easily deportable adults—whose citizenship remains contingent and revocable according to state whims. * Victor Ray, author of On Critical Race Theory *

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Book SynopsisA Generation Removed is an examination of the postWorld War II international phenomenon of governments taking Indigenous children away from their primary families and placing them with adoptive parents in the United States, Canada, and Australia.Trade Review“Illuminating. . . . Jacobs’s history is essential and timely reading.”—Beth H. Piatote, Journal of American History "This is a moving, significant book. Justice, Jacobs explains, will come only when nonindigenous people acknowledge the damage done. A Generation Removed makes a major contribution toward bringing the story to light. It remains for the rest of us to read and teach it."—Sherry Smith, Western Historical Quarterly“[Jacobs] effectively elucidates the complicated policies surrounding the Indigenous child welfare crisis in a mesmerizing narrative that highlights how it’s not just an ‘American Indian story . . . but a profoundly American one.’”—Elise Boxer, South Dakota History "A Generation Removed is an important book that effectively researches and narrates a difficult and upsetting topic that has been all but ignored by mainstream American society for far too long."—Akim Reinhardt, Nebraska History"A Generation Removed is a powerful eye opener, covering a piece of history we push under the carpet at our own peril."—Alan Porter, Saskatchewan History"A solid account that calls for "a full historical reckoning" of this devastating chapter in the treatment of Native Americans."—Kirkus“Margaret Jacobs once again demonstrates her genius for writing history that combines penetrating analysis with heart-wrenching stories. Beautifully written, deeply researched, this important and amazing book examines a subject largely unknown to the public at large but all too familiar to Indigenous peoples who have suffered the pain and indignity of child removal.”—David Wallace Adams, author of Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, 1875–1928“Jacobs brings deep scholarship to a topic of searing national and transnational importance. In a respectful, clear voice, she guides the reader on a journey into the most intimate corridors of settler colonialism. This is a complex and often heart-wrenching history that provides salutary lessons for the future.”—Ann McGrath, director of the Australian Centre for Indigenous History at Australian National University and coauthor of How to Write History That People Want to Read“Using compelling stories and weighty evidence, Jacobs has uncovered a modern and ongoing story of child-stealing in the United States. She lays out the shocking history of Native American adoption and the good liberal logic that enabled it in a page-turner of a book.”—Anne F. Hyde, Bancroft Prize–winning author of Empires, Nations, and Families: A History of the North American West, 1800–1860“A Generation Removed will find a large and interested readership among researchers, university students (of all levels), as well as the broader community of people involved in adoption. This book is also clearly written and is sophisticated without being overly specialized or jargon-ridden. . . . An admirable book, compelling to read despite the tragic stories it recounts.”—Karen Dubinsky, author of Babies without Borders: Adoption and Migration across the Americas Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments A Note on Terms Abbreviations Simon Ortiz’s Question Introduction Prologue Part 1. Taking Care of American Indian Children Modern Indian Life Chapter 1. The Bureaucracy of Caring for Indian Children Dana’s Story Chapter 2. Caring about Indian Children in a Liberal Age Part 2. The Indian Child Welfare Crisis in Indian Country John’s Story Chapter 3. Losing Children Meeting Steven Unger Chapter 4. Reclaiming Care Interviewing Bert Hirsch and Evelyn Blanchard Chapter 5. The Campaign for the Indian Child Welfare Act Part 3. The Indian Child Welfare Crisis in a Global Context Tracking Down the Doucette Family Chapter 6. The Indigenous Child Welfare Crisis in Canada Meeting Aunty Di Chapter 7. The Indigenous Child Welfare Crisis in Australia and Transnational Activism Finding Russell Moore Chapter 8. Historical Reckoning with Indigenous Child Removal in Settler Colonial Nations Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMany people embark on the journey of adoption and foster care but are unprepared for the challenges that await them along the way. Replanted takes an honest look at the joys and hardships that come with choosing this journey and provides a model of faith-based support made up of three parts to help families thrive: Soil, Sunlight, and Water. Soil, or emotional support, addresses the need for grace-filled settings where families can connect with other families who understand their experience. Sunlight, or informational support, focuses on obtaining helpful training to raise children who may have unique needs or challenges. Water, or tangible support, deals with concrete resources such as medical care, child care, and financial support. Throughout the book, the Replanted model is brought to life by stories and examples based on the clinical work and personal experiences of the authors. Their candid insight will serve families who are actively involved in adoption or foster care, as well as people who are eager to help support those families.Replanted affirms that with the right support system in place, parents can answer this sacred call not only with open hearts but also with their eyes wide open.Trade Review“Jesus often drew vivid word pictures from agriculture—wheat fields and mustard seeds, fig trees and grapevines—to help us see His kingdom, ourselves, and what we most need. Replanted does the same, using rich images from the plant world in ways both poetic and practical to help us grasp and feel God’s good purposes for us as adoptive and foster families.” —Jedd Medefind, president, Christian Alliance for Orphans“The loving care of orphans and foster children is the most sacred thing in the world. Those who take on this courageous journey know that it is the greatest of life’s joys—but also full of hardships and challenges. With their ministry, the authors of this amazing book have empowered the church to support families with ‘replanted’ children. They are the most qualified people I know to speak truth into this experience. For both the heroes engaged in adoption or foster care and those of us eager to support them, this book is a must-read.” —Dr. Wess Stafford, president emeritus, Compassion International, author of Too Small to Ignore and Just a Minute“The wall. That is exactly what foster and adoptive parents hit when expectations of the journey collide with the realities of the experience. Authors Jenn¸ Josh, and Mike understand this experience well and have written an amazing, much needed resource for parents and churches. The analogy of what families need—soil (emotional support), sunlight (informational support), and water (tangible support)—truly speaks to the heart of the need. The exercises at the end of each chapter allow for every reader to build self-awareness, parenting awareness, and God awareness. I highly recommend this book for foster and adoptive parents and the ministries and organizations that support them.” —Jayne Schooler, author of Wounded Children, Healing Home and Telling the Truth to Adopted and Foster Children“Replanted openly explores the challenges faced by children impacted by early trauma believing that hope and healing can come as parents gain the support they need, as support systems become trauma-competent, and as churches become more intentional in the ways they come alongside families built through adoption and foster care. Replanted is a timely resource and encouragement for anyone, anywhere, on the journey of adoption and foster care.” —Terri Coley, coordinator of Pre+Post Adoption Support, Show Hope“Replanted provides wise counsel and guidance to those who welcome vulnerable children into their hearts and homes. This resource will challenge and equip, comfort and encourage those on God’s journey to love children from hard places, and inform the church about the crucial role it can play in supporting them.” —Sharen Ford, director of Foster Care Adoption Advocacy for Children, Focus on the Family"Jenn, Josh, and Mike have created something amazing here. Real, authentic conversation about the challenges of this journey combined with hope-filled stories and practical resources that breathe fresh wind in the sails of caregivers. Every foster and adoptive parent will want to have this book on their kitchen table!" —Michele Schneidler, cofounder of the Refresh Conference and senior vice president of programs/partnerships for the 1MILLIONHOME campaign“We have been waiting for this book that, through personal stories, discussion questions, and the Replanted model of support, brings relevant and fresh solutions to the long-recognized core issues in relinquishment and adoption. Offering hope and tools to this generation of adoptive and foster parents, it also provides the insights needed by members of the Church to extend grace and support these families.” —Rebecca MacDougall, LCSW, adoptive mother and executive branch director, Bethany Christian Services of Illinois“As a foster/adoptive parent this book would have saved me years of research and heartache. Not only do Jenn, Josh, and Mike do a fantastic job of taking all different types of research and condensing it down to what is applicable to caregivers, but they do it in a way that is engaging, full of stories, hope, laughter, and tears. They are honest about the deep paradox that exists for families and communities caring for children from trauma. They give practical advice and tools to organizations wanting to support and aid in the healing process, and they do it all with grace and faith. I couldn’t recommend this book more; potential caregivers, you need this! Support systems, they need you to know this!” —Amanda Purvis, TBRI training specialist, Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development“Replanted is a must-have resource for your library! Whether you are an adoptive or foster parent, or you desire to support the ones serving in the trenches, this book is for you. Jenn writes with humility and wisdom from her years of experience working with families. Replanted is not a ‘roses and butterflies’ type of book; it is honest and real and full of hope and practical help to bring healing to your family.” —Jami Kaeb, founder executive director, The Forgotten Initiative"Our children have complex needs. Jenn, Josh, and Mike provide parents, as well as those in support systems, with practical tools and knowledge to utilize while embarking upon the healing journey. This book is a great resource." —Daren Jones, training specialist, Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development“While beautiful and life-giving, the journey of foster care and adoption can also at times feel lonely and isolating. That’s why resources like Replanted are so crucial. This book provides a practical, insightful and proven model of support for families to not only help them survive, but to thrive in the homes, their marriages and their families.” —Jason Johnson, speaker, blogger, and author of ReFraming Foster Care: Filtering Your Foster Parenting Journey Through the Lens of the Gospel“Replanted is as close to an all-in-one handbook for foster and adoptive parents as I've come across. Jenn Hook brings the expertise of a clinician and the compassion of a ministry leader who has jumped into the trenches with many foster and adoptive parents. For those who are new to foster care and adoption, and for those considering getting involved, this book offers hope and a strong foundation. Replanted tops my list as recommended reading for all foster and adoptive parents.” —Jamie C. Finn, speaker, blogger, and author of Foster the Family, foster and adoptive mom

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Book SynopsisA family built, a family lost. Truth Has a Different Shape is a story of the power of compassion, of love and loss, revelations and relationship, and the evolution of self. Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Kari O’Driscoll was taught that strength and stoicism were one and the same. She was also taught that a girl’s job was to take care of everyone else. For decades, she believed these ideas, doing everything she could to try and keep the remaining parts of her family together, systematically anticipating disaster and fixing catastrophes one by one.Truth Has a Different Shape is one woman’s meditation on how societal and familial expectations of mothering influenced her sense of self and purpose, as well as her ideas about caretaking. As an adult, finding herself a caretaker both to her own children and to her aging parents, O’Driscoll finally reckons with the childhood trauma that shaped her world. Adoption, loss, and divorce defined her approach to motherhood, but in Truth Has a Different Shape, O’Driscoll finally pushes back. This memoir tracks her progress as she discovers how to truly care for those she loves without putting herself at risk, using mindfulness and compassion as tools for healing both herself and her difficult relationships.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisMany foster and adoptive parents lose hope when they experience challenging and oppositional child behaviors. This book gives parents the tools and strategies to respond to these outbursts â particularly those that stem from a childâs potentially traumatic history.Drawing from behavioral research within an attachment and neurobiological framework, this transformative book offers practical guidance for foster and adoptive parents and professionals who seek to better understand and respond to a child with maladaptive behaviors. Based on his clinical expertise and his personal experience of being a foster and adoptive parent, Dr. David Adams highlights how trauma can impact childrenâs brains and behaviors. With a comprehensive model for each behavior, this guide offers evidence-based strategies that parents can use to both avoid and respond to the most common behaviors including lying, disrespect, hoarding, disrespect, and defiance. Complete with sample scripts, this book equips readers with the knowledge and tools to become more aware, responsive, and empathetic.This invaluable guide is designed for parents and caregivers of foster and adopted children, as well as family therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals who work with these children and their families.

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Book SynopsisThis book includes contributions from a wide range of interested observers and practitioners in the field of children in care and adoption, focusing on a core aspect of their emotional well-being and mental health. It focuses in particular on psychoanalytic, systemic and attachment theory approaches to the question of 'belonging': can these children allow themselves to belong to their new families, and also can these new families allow themselves to belong to these children? Highly innovative clinical work with these children in various settings is discussed alongside chapters that provide thought-provoking commentaries from practitioners surveying the often extremely disturbing societal and systemic landscape for the emotional lives of these children.The book is written to be accessible to clinicians, practitioners, researchers, policy advisors and students of all disciplines who have an interest in or brief to work with fostered and adopted children. It is hoped that the book will be used for teaching purposes on courses qualifying professionals across the child development, mental health and social care spectrum.Trade Review'All children need to know that they belong. In this extraordinarily rich collection of chapters, expert authors from a wide range of professions and theoretical persuasions explore this great and often unmet need amongst the most troubled children and young people in society, and reflect on how to respond in helpful and healing ways. This book will help to establish the whole theme of belonging as an area of focus and concern both in professional practice and in academic discourse.'- Adrian Ward, author of Leadership in Residential Child Care and formerly consultant social worker at the Tavistock Clinic 'Written by a multidisciplinary group of professionals, this book should become a basic text as it is essential reading for all parents, social workers, and therapists working with a child experiencing attachment, trauma, separation, and loss. The book shows how a child and his or her caregivers' primitive protections against anxiety prohibit intimacy and dependency, and how understanding the projected feelings evoked in the adults and the child can lead to a sense of belonging to one another and avoid ruptured relationships.'- Jeanne Magagna, former Head of Psychotherapy Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children'This is a well-timed contribution to the field of social care and psychotherapy. Towards Belonging is full of practical examples, useful concepts, and philosophical riches located within real practice settings that are cognisant of, and affected by, state and social policy contexts. The book is a rallying call for the recognition of the complexity of practice at a time when financial cuts create restrictive practices that pervade mental health and social care services. What impresses in each contribution is the author's commitment to engage with head and heart in finding ways to help children to belong.'- Jim Wilson, consultant systemic family therapist and author of Child-Focused Practice: A Collaborative Systemic Approach and The Performance of Practice: Enhancing the Repertoire of Therapy with Children and FamiliesTable of ContentsSeries Editor’s Preface -- Preface -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Towards belonging: conceptual definitions -- Some reflections on “towards belonging” for children in care: guided journey or “wandering lost”? -- Towards belonging: the role of a residential setting -- Establishing a sense of belonging for looked after children: the journey from fear and shame to love and belonging -- From owning to belonging -- Belonging inside: a child in search of herself -- The smell of belonging -- Fostering relationships for looked after children -- Existential yearning: a family systemic perspective on belonging -- Endpiece

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe true story of 2 year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage.

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Book SynopsisOn a rainy morning in early 2003, Nia Vardalos found out that she had been nominated for an Oscar for writing the sceenplay for "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding". This title shows how stubborn optimism can work in one's favor, and how it was this optimism that brought Nia to her daughter against all of the odds.Trade Review"Laugh-out-loud and painful-in-the-shins...The author holds nothing back as she chronicles the years leading up to the adoption." -- Kirkus "I expected to laugh. I didn't expect to cry. And I certainly didn't expect to laugh and cry on the same page. Instant Mom is for anyone whose life plan didn't follow the path they anticipated, and shows us that unexpected obstacles can lead to beautiful rewards." -- Rachel Dratch, author of Girl Walks Into a Bar "Funny, smart,and full of grounded wisdom that shines much-needed light on adoption I couldn't stop reading this hilarious and gripping rollercoaster of a story. Nia is an authentic, rocking female role model in so many ways...and being an instant mom is just one of them." -- Jewel An instant classic. Refreshingly candid for all parents-plus anyone considering adoption.(I was adopted!) We know Nia is many things: writer, actress, director, musical theaterlover! Here, though, you learn she is a mom first. Pure, beautiful honesty." -- Kristin Chenoweth "Readers can feel the tension between desire to share her joy and good fortune and wish to maintain her child's privacy. Vardalos offers candor, humor, and poignancy in her account of adoption and parenthood as she pokes fun at parenting memoirs but delivers on emotional impact." -- Booklist "If you have ever considered bringing a child who isn't an infant into your family, it's the book you'll want to read. And if you just enjoy a good, honest memoir, it's the book for you, too." -- New York Times' Motherlode Blog

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Book SynopsisA woman unexpectedly finds her best self through a sleepy bundle handed over at the airport in this heartfelt and surprising memoir.Trade Review"In this honest and thoughtful memoir, Susanne Antonetta examines not only her own adoption journey but also family, home, and parenting. At once personal and universal, Antonetta ultimately shows us that no matter how we make a family, ‘each love has its own body of water.’" -- Ann Hood, author of The Obituary Writer"Reflecting on her troubled childhood, aging parents, and Korean-born son’s complex sense of his own origins, Antonetta wrestles with the vexing conundrum of human connection. Call it adoption, call it something else. This book ‘gives a shape to what love is.’" -- Ralph James Savarese, author of Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption"An award-winning memoirist’s moving account of how adopting a South Korean baby taught her about motherhood and love." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisWorking with Adoptive Parents gathers the current research and best practices on successful interventions in working with adoptive families and translates it into practical applications for therapists to use with this population.Table of ContentsForeword xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xxi About the Editors xxiii Contributors xxv Chapter 1 Setting the Stage: The Adoptive Parent in Context 1Virginia M. Brabender and April E. Fallon Characteristics of Adoptive Parents 2 Serving the Needs of Adoptive Parents 5 History of Adoption 8 Contemporary Controversies 16 Practical Points 20 Conclusions 21 Chapter 2 Theoretical Contributions to the Understanding of Parent-Child Bonding in Adoption 23April E. Fallon and Barbara L. Goldsmith Before the Family Becomes a Unit: Daniel Stern and Intrapsychic Reorganization 23 The Case of Dora 25 Bowlby and the Importance of Secure Attachment in Healthy Development 26 The Parallel Caregiving System: Contributions of George and Solomon 28 Ego Psychology and the Significance of Adaptation 32 Contributions of D. W. Winnicott 33 Kohut and the Development of Self-Esteem 37 Mentalization: Holding the Adopted Child in Mind 38 Separation-Individuation and the Contributions of Margaret Mahler 41 Practical Points 43 Conclusions 44 Chapter 3 Using Research to Inform Best Practices in Working With Adoptive Families 45Hal S. Shorey, Sanjay R. Nath, and Meridith Carter The History of Research on Attachment and Parent-Child Interactions 46 Research on Adoption 50 Attachment-Based Interventions for Use in Adoption 56 The Circle of Security 57 Practical Points 59 Conclusion 59 Chapter 4 The Adoptive Mother 61Virginia M. Brabender, Amanda Swartz, Mary Winzinger, and April E. Fallon The Eras of Adoptive Motherhood 61 Adolescence 80 Practical Points 84 Conclusion 85 Chapter 5 The Adoptive Father 87Rao Gogineni and April E. Fallon Important Role Functions of the Father 87 Becoming and Being an Adoptive Father 92 Practical Points 103 Conclusion 104 Chapter 6 Recognizing Diversity in Adoptive Families 105Virginia M. Brabender, April E. Fallon, Alicia Padovano, and Phil Rutter Identity Variables Within the Addressing Framework 106 Family Structure 125 Practical Points 127 Conclusion 127 Chapter 7 Adoption of Children With Special Health Care Needs 131S. Ileana Lindstrom, Sonia Voynow, and Bret A. Boyer Three Approach Classes 132 Comparison to Children in the General Population 134 Disruption of Adoption for Children With SHCN 134 Who Are the Families Who Adopt These Children? 135 Commitment 135 Preparation 137 Coping and Stress 140 Existential Issues 142 Posttraumatic Stress 142 Ambiguous Loss 143 Posttraumatic Growth 144 Marital Satisfaction 145 Practical Points 145 Conclusion 147 Chapter 8 Parenting the Young Child 149Elaine Frank and Denise Rowe Ghosts in Adoptive Families 149 Intervention With Adoptive Families: Developmental Guidance, Parent-Child Groups, and Parent-Child Therapy 153 Parenting Cornerstones for Adoptive Families 156 Enhancing the Parent-Child Relationship in Adoptive Families: Developing an Adoption Dialogue 163 Practical Points 168 Conclusion 168 Chapter 9 Adoptive Parenting of Teenagers and Young Adults 169Joseph White Developmental Themes of Adolescence and Early Adulthood 169 Individuation, Independence, and the Adoptive Parent-Child Relationship 172 Insights for Parents and Therapists 174 Identity Formation in International, Transcultural, and Transracial Adoptees 177 Practical Points 180 Conclusions 180 Chapter 10 Therapeutic Interventions With Adopted Children and Adoptive Parents: A Psychoanalytic Developmental Approach 181Theodore Fallon Jr. Introduction 181 Development of the Human Mind 181 Therapeutic Intervention in a Psychoanalytic Developmental Approach 182 Parent Problems and Child Problems in the Context of a Psychoanalytic Developmental Approach 182 Intergenerational Transmission of the Human Mind—The Missing Link 184 Evaluating the Parent-Child Dyad 185 Practical Points 194 Conclusion 194 Chapter 11 Adoptive Parent as Consultant, Educator, and Advocator 195Virginia M. Brabender and Toni Whitmore The Roots of Problems Facing Adoptive Parents 197 Action Implications 200 Practical Points 210 Conclusions 211 Chapter 12 Meeting the Needs of Adoptive Parents: Practice, Training, and Research 213Patricia G. Ramsey, Virginia M. Brabender, and April E. Fallon Practice 213 Training 223 Research 228 Practical Points 231 Conclusions 231 References 233 Author Index 271 Subject Index 281

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Book SynopsisCarrie Kipp Howard is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous books and publications. She has interests in branding and corporate identity, aviation, and parenting and adoption. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, she lives with her family in Seattle.

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Book Synopsis From one of the world's leading experts, this absorbing narrative history of the changing structure of modern families shows how children can flourish in any kind of loving home. The past few decades have seen extraordinary change in the idea of a family. The unit once understood to include two straight parents and their biological children has expanded vastly—same-sex marriage, adoption, IVF, sperm donation, and other forces have enabled new forms to take shape. This has resulted in enormous upheaval and controversy, but as Susan Golombok shows in this compelling and important book, it has also meant the health and happiness of parents and children alike. Golombok's stories, drawn from decades of research, are compelling and dramatic: family secrets kept for years and then inadvertently revealed; children reunited with their biological parents or half siblings they never knew existed; and painful legal battles to determine who is worthy of parenting their own children. Golombok explores the novel moral questions that changing families create, and ultimately makes a powerful argument that the bond between family members, rather than any biological or cultural factor, is what ensures a safe and happy future.We Are Family is unique, authoritative, and deeply humane. It makes an important case for all families—old, new, and yet unimagined.

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Book SynopsisWith knowledge and compassion, Caring for Your Adopted Child offers the wisdom that adoptive parents need to provide the best possible care for their children. Whether a child joins a family through domestic adoption, international adoption, or foster care, he or she may have needs that require additional consideration. The coauthors, both adoptive parents, weave professional and personal experiences with essential information on: • Partnering with a pediatrician before adoption • Helping a child transition into a family • Understanding health issues and conditions that are more prevalent in children who are adopted • Supporting a child’s emotional health and attachment • And promoting positive adoption conversation as a child matures This comprehensive resource offers trusted parenting advice from a leading adoption medicine expert and the American Academy of Pediatrics, focusing on the physical and emotional well-being of adopted children.Trade Review"Elaine Schulte and Robin Michaelson distill decades of professional and personal experiences into an accessible, encouraging summary of the joysand challengesof adoption... A must-read guide for anyone considering, or underway with, adopting a child." Lisa Damour, PhD, author of Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood"Dr. Schulte and Robin L. Michaelson have demonstrated a deep and passionate understanding of the evolving needs of adopted children... This book will help ease the transition from pre-adoption to adoption, and throughout childhood, and celebrates the beauty of children and family." Jane Aronson, MD, FAAP, CEO and founder, Worldwide Orphans Foundation"Destined to be on the 'must read' list for all adoptive parents." Sarah H. Springer, MD, FAAP, chair, American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, Kids Plus Pediatrics, Pittsburgh, PA"A gem of a bookadds to our knowledge of adoption of children at various ages and stages as well as circumstances from which children enter adoption. A must read for the new adoptive parent..." Victor Groza, PhD, LISW-S, Grace F. Brody Professor of Parent-Child Studies, Case Western Reserve University Mandel School"With clear and practical advice, the authors provide a road map for anyone on this most wonderful of life's journeys." Heather C. Forkey, MD, FAAP, director, Foster Children Evaluation Service and Child Protection Program, UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center" Caring for Your Adopted Child is an approachable and valuable resource for parents, pediatricians, and all professionals who care for adopted children." -- Andrew Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP , coauthor of Thinking Developmentally: Nurturing Wellness in Childhood to Promote Lifelong Health, and clinical professor of pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine"Packed with practical knowledge and delivered with a personal touch, Elaine and Robin have created a space for adoptive parents to be educated, empowered, and inspired as they love and care for their children." April Dinwoodie, trans-racially adopted person, former chief executive, The Donaldson Adoption Institute" Caring for Your Adopted Child incorporates travel, medical, emotional, psychological, and educational advice and should be on every adoptive parent's bookshelf." Susan Orban, outreach and adoption specialist, Children's Home Society of Minnesota

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Book SynopsisHouse of Fire shows that thirty years of breaking free from a cycle of violence was not enough to prepare Elizabeth di Grazia for the trials of starting her own family. Growing up in the 1970s, she suffered repeated sexual abuse, incest, and neglect. Although in the Catholic church, she was forced to have a hushed-up abortion at the age of fourteen. Within a year she was pregnant again, by another brother. Di Grazia gave birth to a son who was quickly taken away and adopted into a family she never knew. Elizabeth's story traces her healing and the creation of an intentional family. She and her partner, Jody, adopted two Guatemalan babies. They learned that provision and protection were not enough, but refused to allow denial and secrets to go unexposed became critical.

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Book SynopsisHave you begun wondering if you can survive the adoption waiting game? Are you no longer enjoying the little things in life due to ruminating about the adoption? The agony of waiting, lost matches, reevaluations, or false starts can begin to dampen the perspective adoptive parent’s outlook. Well trained adoption professionals advise “don’t keep your life on hold,” yet you sit on pins and needles. An emotional vortex looms around the corner of uncertainty. While You’re Waiting highlights the opportunity available to you during this time that is bookended by adoption decision and gotcha day. Ambiguous waiting yields a harvest of chances to get your (inner) act together for your future child and for yourself. The author compassionately challenges you to replace the "no end in sight" feeling with: Meeting the unspoken fears you have about adoption; enjoying the present moment in place of being stuck in a moment; putting an end to “real mom” or “real dad,” and “baby of my own” talk; loosening the grip of perfection and having all the answers; traversing the gateway to parental attunement; waiting well and getting well to parent well.

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Book SynopsisBelfast, 1944: American soldier James McCann meets the beautiful and impetuous Rose Rafferty. They fall in love, but their romance is forbidden – and war separates them. Boston, present day: James’s children are celebrating his life when they find a wartime letter that changes everything. They have a half-sister, born in an Irish mother and baby home, stolen by the nuns and exported to the US. Their search for justice will cross oceans and generations. It will uncover secrets and lies, revealing the abuse of the most innocent in society by the most powerful. It will pit them against Church and State and shine a light into the darkest corners of Irish history.Trade Reviewa definite page-turner * Andersonstown News, North Belfast New *a very readable account of the abuse of power and how it has affected so many. It uses true events effectively and would make a harrowing introduction to anyone unaware of Ireland’s appalling treatment of unmarried mothers and their babies in the not too distant past -- Irish Examiner

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Book SynopsisRio Hogarty's story of her life in fostering, A Heart So Big, combines the heart-warming nostalgia of Mollie Moran's Aprons and Silver Spoons with heart-breaking stories of children whose lives were blighted by being unloved and uncared for in the style of Cathy Glass.Nearly seventy years ago, Rio started to do her bit for vulnerable children, one child at a time. While she was still in school, she thought nothing of bringing home a schoolmate who needed refuge. It was the start of opening her home and her heart to children in need. And she has never stopped.A Heart So Big is the astonishing and moving story of Rio's life and how she has tried to make a difference. She has fostered over 140 children and in 2010, in an award created especially for her, she was named Mother of the Year at the annual People of the Year Awards.It includes stories of trauma - Rio has rescued children from the direst of circumstances and seen the price they pay for the failures of adults. And Rio has had her share of heartache along the way. But it is also a story full of humour, searing honesty and good old-fashioned fighting spirit.Rio Hogarty's A Heart So Big is an uplifting account of an amazing and inspiring life.'She is instinctively protective of children in need, and doesn't take "no" for an answer. She's also fearless.' The Herald

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