Beware of Adoption Scams
Attorney General Offices by State
Adoption scams can occur with birthmothers-to-be, adoptive parents, and adoption professionals.
Listed below are common situations which we have observed. Watch for the signs and be careful.
Do not jump to conclusions and try not to be overly suspicious and hurt honest people.
Agree upon and sign documents that commit all parties to an adoption situation. Memories can fail and be selective.
Forums and Email Groups
Adoption Plan Forums - Adoption Scams and Unethical Treatment
A network of warnings about possible scams from all areas of adoption. A watch list for suspecting an adoption scam, warns others of bad situations. names, area and pattern of the suspect.
Adoption Scams
Join this Yahoo email group to stay informed about adoption scams. This group can save you time and money. Read about the latest alerts.
Birthmother Scams
1. Usually the motivation for birthmother scams are to take your money. She needs money for rent, food, etc. Only give money to a birthmother-to-be through an attorney or qualified adoption professional. The amount limits and circumstances vary by state law. Do not give money directly to a birthmother.
2. If the birthmother is not available by phone and wants to call you because of an on going situation, beware! You should have a contact number and complete physical address that you can verify.
3. A birthmother may not even be pregnant or could be pregnant and has other plans for the baby, including keeping the baby or promising the baby to several waiting adoptive parents. Look for those signs.
4. The birthmother has at least one or more crisis in her life and you are part of the solution. This can include sad stories such as rape and incest. Be sensitive, but do not be drawn into the whole situation.
5. The birthmother offers a plan to bring the baby to you. Birthmothers usually want you to meet her and arrange to receive the baby at the hospital. This ploy is used to get a plane ticket which can be cashed in later. Do not give anyone a plane ticket. Many adopting parents have lost money by purchasing a plane ticket and never hearing from the, supposed, birthmother again
5. To have a match, you must meet face to face with the expectant mother. Big flag, the birthmother flakes out. She misses scheduled meetings with you or other professionals. Even with an unbelievable story she can be very convincing.
6. Proof or pregnancy or other documents are agreed upon, but never seem to arrive. She seems to always have a reason for not sending you identifying information or cannot believe that you have not received the information. A sudden miscarriage or hospitalization can happen when you request for too much information.
7. The birthmother does not want you to contact anyone else concerning her pregnancy. She does not feel comfortable meeting or talking with an attorney or other adoption professional. When pressed, she might accuse you of not trusting her and can even get angry.
8. The birthmother will not give you, but will get you the name of her doctor or clinic where she is receiving medical attention.
9. The birthmother will evade certain details regarding medical attention, signing parental rights, contacting social services or adoption professionals.
10. The birthmother changes her story about the pregnancy or her situation. If a birthmother is talking to several adoptive parents, her story can change because she cannot remember what she said to you.
11. Be careful if the birthmother is expecting twins. This is a popular situation with an adoption scam. In the natural course, ask for proof of pregnancy and how are you able to contact her doctor.
12. A favorite ploy is for someone to fix you up with a friend. That person might pose as an adoptive parent and not an adoption professional. Be careful that the friend is not the same person. If both have the same IP address watch out!
13. Fake birthmothers are very willing to match quickly and will say you are perfect, without knowing much about you. They are going to send you pictures and other thing, but never do.
14. They have always had complications with the pregnancy.....they usually claim when you cannot find them that they were at the emergency room.
15. The birthmother does not like or want to deal with an attorney or other adoption professional. She has had a bad experience with an attorney and does not want to work with them again.
16. The truth of the matter is that you need to get down to adoption business. Small talk is necessary, but keep it in prospective. The phone meetings are to establish if you are suited for a "match" and if yes, then both parties need to get the necessary paper work in order.
Adoptive Parents Scams
It seems that birthmothers-to-be also need to look for warning signs that adoptive parents may not be able to work with them or will not follow through with the agreed adoption. Birthmothers-to-be need to watch for these possible warning signs.
1. A family that tells you how much contact they want you to have and after the birth they change what they told you.
2. Adopting parents that makes demands rather than requests and makes you feel second rate.
3. A family that does not return your emails or phone calls and might not be honest with you.
4. A family that seems like they are desperate and will do anything to get your baby.
5. Adopting parent might temp you to break the law by offering you illegal funds or expensive gift beyond what the law allows.
6. The adopting parents might not be qualified, you will have to be the sole judge.
7. Adopting parents might pressure you when you are changing your mind about them, they could have many personal problems, check them out.
Adoption Professional Scams
1. Beware of any adoption professional on the Internet who cannot provide you with information. Get the basics and go from there.
2. If they are an agency, find out the state they are in and their agency license number. It is not necessary for an adoption professional to have a web site, but it helps validate their presence.
3. An adoption facilitator should be carefully looked at, in California, facilitators have to be bonded and in many state they are illegal. You need to research their business.
4. Find out the professionals legal business name, physical address, physical phone number, city business license.
5. If any adoption professional is offended by you asking questions, they are probably not your choice.
6. Check with the Better Business Bureau for any bad reports.
7. Join various Internet egroups or check boards on the Internet for any positive or negative reports.
8. Read any document you sign. Ask the "what if questions". Anything said verbally is always overridden by the contract. Make sure there is a contract.
9. Do not be lured by the fact if you sign a contract, you will have the baby you want. An adoption usually takes time.
10.If a facilitator does not have an established business with a track record and is unknown to the Internet adoption circle, DO NOT SEND MONEY UP-FRONT. A small application fee is about as far as we would recommend. Have your attorney verify the facilitators qualifications. You will need an attorney anyway.
This is a list of common occurrences, many others exist. Think about your actions and always use good judgment.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
More Women Becoming Egg Donors!
More Women Donating Eggs
Some Women Say They Donate For Money
POSTED: 9:16 pm PDT July 30, 2008
UPDATED: 8:11 am PDT July 31, 2008
LAS VEGAS -- Now more than ever, women are donating their eggs to make ends meet.
So, who's doing it, and how easy is the process?
Melissa, who declined to give her last name, admitted the main reason she's donating eggs is because she's struggling financially.
"My husband has had me stay home for the last five years. I stayed home for my children, so the money definitely benefited my family," she said.
At the Center For Egg Options in Illinois, the number of women donating has increased significantly since April.
"There's no reason to think that suddenly there's 30 percent more people who have suddenly had this inner feeling to help out people and what's changed, it’s the economy," said fertility specialist Ed Marut.
Across the country, fertility centers have also seen a surge in repeat donors and surrogates.
A woman who passes the health and psychological screenings can get thousands of dollars in return for her donation.
"The donors will make in the area of $7,000, and the surrogates will make anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 plus," said Nancy Block, founder of the Center For Egg Options.
In the Valley, Dr. Bruce Shapiro at the Fertility Center of Las Vegas said compensation is closer to $3,000 to $5,000.
But he said he hopes the economy is not the main reason more women are donating.
“We really try to have people who donate for altruistic reasons. That's the best of all worlds. Sometimes you can't be absolutely certain. You can only be certain of what a person tells you,” Shapiro said.
He said it is a fairly simple process that takes about three weeks.
“It's more invasive than donating sperm, but still, it's painless, and there's more time involved, but we try to make it as smooth a process as possible,” Shapiro said.
He said the side effects of donation usually include some aches and cramps, similar to those of a woman's period.
Some Women Say They Donate For Money
POSTED: 9:16 pm PDT July 30, 2008
UPDATED: 8:11 am PDT July 31, 2008
LAS VEGAS -- Now more than ever, women are donating their eggs to make ends meet.
So, who's doing it, and how easy is the process?
Melissa, who declined to give her last name, admitted the main reason she's donating eggs is because she's struggling financially.
"My husband has had me stay home for the last five years. I stayed home for my children, so the money definitely benefited my family," she said.
At the Center For Egg Options in Illinois, the number of women donating has increased significantly since April.
"There's no reason to think that suddenly there's 30 percent more people who have suddenly had this inner feeling to help out people and what's changed, it’s the economy," said fertility specialist Ed Marut.
Across the country, fertility centers have also seen a surge in repeat donors and surrogates.
A woman who passes the health and psychological screenings can get thousands of dollars in return for her donation.
"The donors will make in the area of $7,000, and the surrogates will make anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 plus," said Nancy Block, founder of the Center For Egg Options.
In the Valley, Dr. Bruce Shapiro at the Fertility Center of Las Vegas said compensation is closer to $3,000 to $5,000.
But he said he hopes the economy is not the main reason more women are donating.
“We really try to have people who donate for altruistic reasons. That's the best of all worlds. Sometimes you can't be absolutely certain. You can only be certain of what a person tells you,” Shapiro said.
He said it is a fairly simple process that takes about three weeks.
“It's more invasive than donating sperm, but still, it's painless, and there's more time involved, but we try to make it as smooth a process as possible,” Shapiro said.
He said the side effects of donation usually include some aches and cramps, similar to those of a woman's period.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Surrogacy Laws in Australia
Surrogacy Update- Australia
The Western Australian Government's surrogacy legislation has received overwhelming support in the Upper House where members were allowed a conscience vote.
Five members voted against the Bill, which will allow couples unable to have a child, to have a baby through a surrogate mother.
The Bill was supported by 27 MPs.
Earlier this week, the Upper House amended the Bill to ensure the birth mother is aged 25 or older, and already has a child of her own.
Liberal MP Barbara Scott was among those who voted against the legislation.
"It is my view that every child has the right, an inherent right to know its origins, to know where it came from," she said.
"This Bill delivering us today in the third reading denies that to many children who'll be the result of a surrogacy arrangement."
The Health Minister, Jim McGinty, says there is no need for the Legislative Assembly to reconvene early, because the Government will immediately begin preliminary work on the legislation.
"I'm delighted that the surrogacy bill has now been passed," he said.
"It means that we can immediately get on with drawing up the protocols, getting the regulations in place so that we can start from today implementing the new law."
The Western Australian Government's surrogacy legislation has received overwhelming support in the Upper House where members were allowed a conscience vote.
Five members voted against the Bill, which will allow couples unable to have a child, to have a baby through a surrogate mother.
The Bill was supported by 27 MPs.
Earlier this week, the Upper House amended the Bill to ensure the birth mother is aged 25 or older, and already has a child of her own.
Liberal MP Barbara Scott was among those who voted against the legislation.
"It is my view that every child has the right, an inherent right to know its origins, to know where it came from," she said.
"This Bill delivering us today in the third reading denies that to many children who'll be the result of a surrogacy arrangement."
The Health Minister, Jim McGinty, says there is no need for the Legislative Assembly to reconvene early, because the Government will immediately begin preliminary work on the legislation.
"I'm delighted that the surrogacy bill has now been passed," he said.
"It means that we can immediately get on with drawing up the protocols, getting the regulations in place so that we can start from today implementing the new law."
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Babies from Frozen Embryos
Babies from frozen embryos are just as healthy
IVF doesn't raise risk of mental, physical problems in children, study says
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25590308/
BARCELONA, Spain - More evidence is emerging that babies conceived in test tubes might be just as healthy as those conceived naturally, researchers said Tuesday.
Two studies presented at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology found that in-vitro fertilization and the freezing of embryos did not significantly increase the babies' chances of medical problems.
"These procedures are relatively safe and patients shouldn't be overly concerned," said Dr. Christopher Barratt, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Dundee in Britain.
Barratt, who was not connected to the research, said the studies were encouraging but more information was still needed.
About one percent of babies born in developed countries are conceived using techniques like in-vitro fertilization. Yet Dutch experts studying children born after in-vitro fertilization concluded that the invasive procedure is not dangerous for babies' early physical and neurological development.
"This is important in reassuring people worried about the risks of these techniques," said Dr. Sue Avery, director of The Assisted Conception Unit at Birmingham Women's Hospital in Britain. "There's naturally a fear when you start doing things like sticking needles into eggs." She was also not connected to the Dutch study.
Previous studies have shown that babies produced from artificial reproduction techniques are more likely to have major birth defects and to be underweight at birth. That is thought to be linked to factors in the parents, like the older age of mothers having infertility treatment, lifestyle or genetic factors.
Doctors have also worried that low birth weight of babies born following in-vitro fertilization could lead to disorders like cerebral palsy.
Dr. Karin Middelburg, of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands and colleagues examined more than 120 babies born after in-vitro fertilization. Those children were compared to 90 babies born to parents with fertility problems who spontaneously conceived while waiting for fertility treatment and to 450 babies conceived naturally.
Middelburg and colleagues assessed the babies' brain development when they were several months old by observing how they waved their hands, made a fist, or kicked their feet.
"When a child is wired right in the brain, he is able to show a wide range of different movements," Middelburg said.
They found that the test-tube babies moved as well as babies spontaneously born to parents waiting for infertility treatment. That showed that artificial reproduction techniques are not to blame for any early developmental problems, Middelburg said.
When those babies were compared to babies naturally conceived in the general population, researchers did not find a difference in abnormal movements.
Babies from frozen embryos weighed more
Another study presented Tuesday concluded that children born from frozen embryos weighed more at birth than those born after a fresh embryo transfer.
Embryos are sometimes kept at minus 196 degrees Celsius for up to five years before being thawed and implanted into women. Doctors are increasingly freezing embryos across Europe as a standard part of fertility treatment, and some have wondered if the procedure might be riskier than using a fresh embryo.
Click for related content
Acupuncture for fertility? Results unclear
Doctors to offer $200 IVF in Africa
Predicting IVF pregnancies may get easier
"With this study, we can be very encouraged that the data seem to point to the conclusion that these techniques are very safe," Barratt said.
Experts said one reason why frozen embryos resulted in heavier and healthier babies could be that women who produced enough eggs to freeze were probably healthier than women who only had enough embryos for a fresh transfer.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
IVF doesn't raise risk of mental, physical problems in children, study says
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25590308/
BARCELONA, Spain - More evidence is emerging that babies conceived in test tubes might be just as healthy as those conceived naturally, researchers said Tuesday.
Two studies presented at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology found that in-vitro fertilization and the freezing of embryos did not significantly increase the babies' chances of medical problems.
"These procedures are relatively safe and patients shouldn't be overly concerned," said Dr. Christopher Barratt, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Dundee in Britain.
Barratt, who was not connected to the research, said the studies were encouraging but more information was still needed.
About one percent of babies born in developed countries are conceived using techniques like in-vitro fertilization. Yet Dutch experts studying children born after in-vitro fertilization concluded that the invasive procedure is not dangerous for babies' early physical and neurological development.
"This is important in reassuring people worried about the risks of these techniques," said Dr. Sue Avery, director of The Assisted Conception Unit at Birmingham Women's Hospital in Britain. "There's naturally a fear when you start doing things like sticking needles into eggs." She was also not connected to the Dutch study.
Previous studies have shown that babies produced from artificial reproduction techniques are more likely to have major birth defects and to be underweight at birth. That is thought to be linked to factors in the parents, like the older age of mothers having infertility treatment, lifestyle or genetic factors.
Doctors have also worried that low birth weight of babies born following in-vitro fertilization could lead to disorders like cerebral palsy.
Dr. Karin Middelburg, of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands and colleagues examined more than 120 babies born after in-vitro fertilization. Those children were compared to 90 babies born to parents with fertility problems who spontaneously conceived while waiting for fertility treatment and to 450 babies conceived naturally.
Middelburg and colleagues assessed the babies' brain development when they were several months old by observing how they waved their hands, made a fist, or kicked their feet.
"When a child is wired right in the brain, he is able to show a wide range of different movements," Middelburg said.
They found that the test-tube babies moved as well as babies spontaneously born to parents waiting for infertility treatment. That showed that artificial reproduction techniques are not to blame for any early developmental problems, Middelburg said.
When those babies were compared to babies naturally conceived in the general population, researchers did not find a difference in abnormal movements.
Babies from frozen embryos weighed more
Another study presented Tuesday concluded that children born from frozen embryos weighed more at birth than those born after a fresh embryo transfer.
Embryos are sometimes kept at minus 196 degrees Celsius for up to five years before being thawed and implanted into women. Doctors are increasingly freezing embryos across Europe as a standard part of fertility treatment, and some have wondered if the procedure might be riskier than using a fresh embryo.
Click for related content
Acupuncture for fertility? Results unclear
Doctors to offer $200 IVF in Africa
Predicting IVF pregnancies may get easier
"With this study, we can be very encouraged that the data seem to point to the conclusion that these techniques are very safe," Barratt said.
Experts said one reason why frozen embryos resulted in heavier and healthier babies could be that women who produced enough eggs to freeze were probably healthier than women who only had enough embryos for a fresh transfer.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Surrogacy laws in France
Surrogacy Laws in France
The French Senate revealed Wednesday the contents of a closed-door hearing to propose guidelines pertaining to the legality of surrogate mothers, a practice that was banned in France in 1994. The talks are a precursor to a revision in bioethical law, slated for 2009.
Under the proposed reforms, the birth mother would retain “the right of repentance,” or the right to change her mind for up to three days after giving birth. On the other hand, the adoptive parents would not be permitted to “return” the baby on the grounds of its deformity or handicap.
Presiding over the Senate working committee charged with presenting the argument, Michèle André, a Socialist Party member and women’s rights activist, stressed the need to address the issue. This, she said, was necessary “to avoid merchandising women’s bodies,” and to avoid “procreative tourism” on the part of French would-be mothers who find surrogates in countries where the practice is legal, such as the USA, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Issues to be ironed out included the question of whether gay couples would be authorised to use surrogate mothers, and whether providing financial remuneration for the biological mother was legal.
The decision will come as good news to women such as Florence, a 24-year-old woman suffering from a type of haemophilia that prevents her from undergoing a pregnancy.
The activist for Maia, a pro-surrogacy group, has been on an adoption waiting list for 9 months, and sees the use of a surrogate as her best option.
In an interview with FRANCE 24, she said, “I have no shame in using a surrogate mother.” But, she added, she could not bear the idea of finding one abroad. Florence said she would rather wait until the practice was legalised in France because it is “safer" and "sounder".
The debate over surrogate motherhood resurfaced in October 2007, when a French court made a landmark decision allowing a French woman who used a surrogate in the US to register the children as her own in France. The case involved twin girls.
Under normal circumstances, French law would not recognise legal custody for a mother who had gone around the system and found a surrogate. The court stopped short of making a larger statement about the validity of surrogate motherhood, but the case nonetheless started a dialogue culminating in Wednesday’s Senate hearing.
Questioned about the Senate committee’s report, the adoptive mother in the Oct. 2007 case said she was heartened by the report. “I’m moved,” she told the AFP news service. “It’s a huge step forward.”
André concurred, saying the overall positive feedback would “open the gateway to debate.”
The French Senate revealed Wednesday the contents of a closed-door hearing to propose guidelines pertaining to the legality of surrogate mothers, a practice that was banned in France in 1994. The talks are a precursor to a revision in bioethical law, slated for 2009.
Under the proposed reforms, the birth mother would retain “the right of repentance,” or the right to change her mind for up to three days after giving birth. On the other hand, the adoptive parents would not be permitted to “return” the baby on the grounds of its deformity or handicap.
Presiding over the Senate working committee charged with presenting the argument, Michèle André, a Socialist Party member and women’s rights activist, stressed the need to address the issue. This, she said, was necessary “to avoid merchandising women’s bodies,” and to avoid “procreative tourism” on the part of French would-be mothers who find surrogates in countries where the practice is legal, such as the USA, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Issues to be ironed out included the question of whether gay couples would be authorised to use surrogate mothers, and whether providing financial remuneration for the biological mother was legal.
The decision will come as good news to women such as Florence, a 24-year-old woman suffering from a type of haemophilia that prevents her from undergoing a pregnancy.
The activist for Maia, a pro-surrogacy group, has been on an adoption waiting list for 9 months, and sees the use of a surrogate as her best option.
In an interview with FRANCE 24, she said, “I have no shame in using a surrogate mother.” But, she added, she could not bear the idea of finding one abroad. Florence said she would rather wait until the practice was legalised in France because it is “safer" and "sounder".
The debate over surrogate motherhood resurfaced in October 2007, when a French court made a landmark decision allowing a French woman who used a surrogate in the US to register the children as her own in France. The case involved twin girls.
Under normal circumstances, French law would not recognise legal custody for a mother who had gone around the system and found a surrogate. The court stopped short of making a larger statement about the validity of surrogate motherhood, but the case nonetheless started a dialogue culminating in Wednesday’s Senate hearing.
Questioned about the Senate committee’s report, the adoptive mother in the Oct. 2007 case said she was heartened by the report. “I’m moved,” she told the AFP news service. “It’s a huge step forward.”
André concurred, saying the overall positive feedback would “open the gateway to debate.”
Monday, June 2, 2008
Hoping to End the Ban on Gay Adoption in Florida
Lawmaker Hopes to End Ban on Gay Adoption in Florida
A Florida state senator has introduced a bill that would reverse a 30-year law that bars gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. Sen. Nan Rich's proposed measure would instruct judges to consider the child's best interest when placing them in a permanent home, according to WFOR, a South Florida CBS TV affiliate. A gay friend or relative would be considered as an adoptive parent if they were the child's legal guardian when the parents died.
More than 3,900 children in Florida's foster care system do not live in a permanent home.
Gov. Charlie Crist, who has publicly supported civil unions for same-sex couples, has come out against Rich's proposed legislation. State senator Ronda Storms is also working against the legislation; she has pledged to maintain the adoption prohibition against gay couples. And she just happens to chair the committee to which the measure has been assigned, and she has refused to bring it up for debate or a vote, according to WFOR.
Rich has the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the National Council of Jewish Women. She is the senate's Democratic policy chair and sits on the committees for children, families, and elder affairs. (The Advocate)
A Florida state senator has introduced a bill that would reverse a 30-year law that bars gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. Sen. Nan Rich's proposed measure would instruct judges to consider the child's best interest when placing them in a permanent home, according to WFOR, a South Florida CBS TV affiliate. A gay friend or relative would be considered as an adoptive parent if they were the child's legal guardian when the parents died.
More than 3,900 children in Florida's foster care system do not live in a permanent home.
Gov. Charlie Crist, who has publicly supported civil unions for same-sex couples, has come out against Rich's proposed legislation. State senator Ronda Storms is also working against the legislation; she has pledged to maintain the adoption prohibition against gay couples. And she just happens to chair the committee to which the measure has been assigned, and she has refused to bring it up for debate or a vote, according to WFOR.
Rich has the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the National Council of Jewish Women. She is the senate's Democratic policy chair and sits on the committees for children, families, and elder affairs. (The Advocate)
Gay Adoption
Navigating gay adoption
David Strah wears blue and green Nikes. He's the father of a 10-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. He lives in Chelsea - with his long-time boyfriend.
VIDEO COVERAGE
"I thought that the whole world was either gay people or straight people. When we [he and his partner] had children, it became people with children and people without children," Strah said.
Strah, a Gallatin graduate and author of the book "Gay Dads: A Celebration of Fatherhood," sought a domestic adoption for his two children. He considers himself lucky because he, unlike many parents who seek to adopt, had to decide whether he wished to adopt a boy within 24 hours of finalizing the petition.
He said yes.
But when his son was born, Strah and his partner faced an issue familiar to many gay people who wish to adopt. The doctors at the hospital would not recognize Strah as the parent of his newborn. Strah and his partner are just one of over 250,000 same sex couples to adopt children.
Last Thursday, NYU's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services held a workshop about queer adoption where 15 people and three panelists discussed the intricacies of adoption in the LGBT community. Julia Hall, Outspoken Peer Educator at Large and a student in the Silver School of Social Work, was inspired to plan the workshop after her internship at Sanctuary for Families, where she works in the clinical and legal department. It was there that she gained an interest in LGBT adoption.
In the two months she spent planning the event, Hall contacted Terry Boggis, director of Center Kids at the LGBT Center, who put her in contact with Strah and Carol Buell, a lawyer who dedicates one-third of her case load to alternative family cases. To round off the panel, Boggis was invited to speak as well. All three panelists are gay, and all three have adopted children.
Buell assures that the families she represents "are accepted and loved by the court system" but admits "it's taken a while to get here."
But there are still some areas in which the courts still hinder the LGBT community, according to Buell. She notes that it is a felony in the New York state to aid surrogacy arrangements.
"It has become a feminist issue," Buell said. "There are concerns about women being used as vessels, like the 'The Handmaid's Tale,' " referring to Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel about a dystopian society in which the role of certain women is simply to give birth.
The panelists recommended Family Focus in Queens for would-be parents inquiring about adoption. The organization, now in its 20th year of operation, just last year began recognizing LGBT adoptions. Many birth certificates also continue a hetero-normative tradition, according to the panelists. Some states only print certificates that read "mother/father," not "mother/mother" or "father/father." However, some states do print them as "parent/parent" according to Strah.
But in regard to birth certificates, Buell said "things gets complicated with transgender parents."
Also discussed within the topic of domestic adoption was the homelessness problem among LGBT youths. According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, citing results from the New York City Council, nearly one-third of all homeless youths are LGBT. Hall noted the Ali Forny Center for homeless LGBT in Chelsea as a resource.
While New York City is a very open place to the LGBT community, Boggis says there are still hurdles.
International adoption is particularly hard for queer individuals. The Hague Convention, an agreement signed by the United States on April 1, 2008, bans adoption of international children by gay men and women.
"[People] find it threatening, a threat to ideology, to what an American family should be," CUNY graduate student and event attendee Lynn Horridge said. "Homophobia is a huge psychological underpinning."
David Strah wears blue and green Nikes. He's the father of a 10-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. He lives in Chelsea - with his long-time boyfriend.
VIDEO COVERAGE
"I thought that the whole world was either gay people or straight people. When we [he and his partner] had children, it became people with children and people without children," Strah said.
Strah, a Gallatin graduate and author of the book "Gay Dads: A Celebration of Fatherhood," sought a domestic adoption for his two children. He considers himself lucky because he, unlike many parents who seek to adopt, had to decide whether he wished to adopt a boy within 24 hours of finalizing the petition.
He said yes.
But when his son was born, Strah and his partner faced an issue familiar to many gay people who wish to adopt. The doctors at the hospital would not recognize Strah as the parent of his newborn. Strah and his partner are just one of over 250,000 same sex couples to adopt children.
Last Thursday, NYU's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services held a workshop about queer adoption where 15 people and three panelists discussed the intricacies of adoption in the LGBT community. Julia Hall, Outspoken Peer Educator at Large and a student in the Silver School of Social Work, was inspired to plan the workshop after her internship at Sanctuary for Families, where she works in the clinical and legal department. It was there that she gained an interest in LGBT adoption.
In the two months she spent planning the event, Hall contacted Terry Boggis, director of Center Kids at the LGBT Center, who put her in contact with Strah and Carol Buell, a lawyer who dedicates one-third of her case load to alternative family cases. To round off the panel, Boggis was invited to speak as well. All three panelists are gay, and all three have adopted children.
Buell assures that the families she represents "are accepted and loved by the court system" but admits "it's taken a while to get here."
But there are still some areas in which the courts still hinder the LGBT community, according to Buell. She notes that it is a felony in the New York state to aid surrogacy arrangements.
"It has become a feminist issue," Buell said. "There are concerns about women being used as vessels, like the 'The Handmaid's Tale,' " referring to Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel about a dystopian society in which the role of certain women is simply to give birth.
The panelists recommended Family Focus in Queens for would-be parents inquiring about adoption. The organization, now in its 20th year of operation, just last year began recognizing LGBT adoptions. Many birth certificates also continue a hetero-normative tradition, according to the panelists. Some states only print certificates that read "mother/father," not "mother/mother" or "father/father." However, some states do print them as "parent/parent" according to Strah.
But in regard to birth certificates, Buell said "things gets complicated with transgender parents."
Also discussed within the topic of domestic adoption was the homelessness problem among LGBT youths. According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, citing results from the New York City Council, nearly one-third of all homeless youths are LGBT. Hall noted the Ali Forny Center for homeless LGBT in Chelsea as a resource.
While New York City is a very open place to the LGBT community, Boggis says there are still hurdles.
International adoption is particularly hard for queer individuals. The Hague Convention, an agreement signed by the United States on April 1, 2008, bans adoption of international children by gay men and women.
"[People] find it threatening, a threat to ideology, to what an American family should be," CUNY graduate student and event attendee Lynn Horridge said. "Homophobia is a huge psychological underpinning."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)