Petition Tag - adoption

There are too many lies and corrupt courts in the world, the courts need to be open so we can see that justice is done properly like the criminal courts, as child abuse should been seen as criminal and not only judge but jury and then they would be a fair hearing part of our human rights as children are taken away from loving familys and this causes more abuse to children.

John Bowbly child psychologist stated it will do more harm than good if a child and mother is separated, research shows children in care are more likely to end up criminals themselves and ASBO.

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This petition is to have Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia re-open or pass a similar bill to BILL M 203 -- 2000 PETS IN RENTAL HOUSING ACT, 2000 (http://qp.gov.bc.ca/36th4th/1st_read/mem203-1.htm), amending the Residential Tenancy Act.

In 2002, a poll conducted for the BC SPCA by McIntyre and Mustel Research, indicates that a majority (79%) of BC residents are in favour of legislation that allows pet guardians the right to keep companion animals (i.e. cat or dog) in their rental units, provided they do not cause unreasonable noise or damage.

Once again the people ask the province listen to their VOICE in this regard and enforce their WILL. The people have a VOICE and both the people and the animals deserve a LIFE with dignity. Let the people's voice be heard!

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Under current adoption law in Michigan, only married couples or single individuals are permitted to adopt. This policy makes obtaining a joint legal partnership nearly impossible for two unmarried individuals wishing to adopt a child together.

With thousands of children waiting to be adopted from the foster care system each year, the State of Michigan cannot afford to exclude any population from its adoption discussions; however, it continues to do so by prohibiting non-married individuals from legally co-parenting and permitting only one parent in a same sex couple to legally adopt a child.

If passed, the Second Parent Adoption Bill, Michigan House Bill 4249,would allow two unmarried persons to petition to adopt a child.

All children in Michigan deserve the stability of a permanent home and the security of a legal relationship with two parents.

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The children and families of pending adoptions in Guatemala have been waiting anywhere from 3 to 8 years for the process to complete.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu recently traveled to Guatemala to meet with President Alvaro Colom as well as the heads of the various entities that govern Guatemalan adoption in an effort to break the gridlock that these children's cases have encountered.

For this amazing devotion, the Guatemala900 offers this letter of thanks to Senator Landrieu.

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We will present all World Leaders with the signatures plus the stories of adoptees to make them give every adoptee the right to know their heritage. Can you imagine looking in the mirror and not knowing who looks back at you or developing a serious illness and wondering if you had known your family history, it could have been treated earlier?

Can you imagine living your whole life asking who you are and being too scared to ask in case you offend someone? Help adoptees have the same human rights as any other human being - knowledge of their heritage.

Let's stop World Leaders brushing all this under the carpet and force them to change legislation that will help give adoptees back the lives they were born with.

We want sealed adoption files opened, lost information found in all countries and our heritage returned to us.

We want to stop being punished for something that was totally out of our control when we were babies. We accept no more guilt and ask that we be given open access to our documents and free DNA testing when it is asked for.

We want all these issues dealt with, but we need YOUR help. Please sign our petition so our plight can be brought to the attention of our World Leaders

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Since Birth certification was first introduced in 400 AD there has been a section that says on it "NAME OF INFORMANT" not "NAME OF PARENT" as it should say but instead it is so that our babies and children are signed to the Government so this petition is to get that changed so that our children are our children and not signed over to the government as it is at the moment.

If you agree with this please sign this and place it everywhere so we can get it changed given that our babies are ours, we are the one's whom create them not the Government.

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Currently, it is illegal for same-sex couples to adopt children within Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania & the Northern Territory.

In 2007 the Victorian Law Reform Commission recommended that the law be amended to allow gay couples to adopt: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_adoption#Oceania) however this recommendation has not yet been implemented in the Victorian parliament. It is likely that if nothing is done, this law may never be amended.

Same-sex couple adoption has recently been legalised in NSW, which is a victory, however the Law Reform Commission recommended that this law be changed in 1997 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/09/3007592.htm) - I am standing for the possibility that it will not take 10 years to reform the Law in Victoria!

I am passionate about making a difference in the world and shifting paradigms that have not historically been shifted. What would it be like for you to be part of history? Someone who stood for equal rights in Victoria?

If this sounds like you, please sign the petition below. You don't have to be gay to show your support! I am aiming for 10,000 Victorians to sign this petition by December 19th 2010. This petition will be sent to the Attorney General of Victoria by December 20th 2010 to show Parliament that Victorians are serious about equal rights!

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The generally accepted definition of the word "adopt" as it applies to children is:

"To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child."

Whereas the definition of the word "sponsor" as it might apply to an endangered species is:

"A person or group that provides funds for an activity, esp. a person or group who donates money to a charity when the chairty requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort."

So by this very simple example it would be quite possible to sponsor a child in say China through organisations such as Hope4China or the Goodrock Foundation.
It is also possible, after much soul-searching, bureaucratic process and financial support to actually adopt a child from countries such as China or Thailand (http://www.dcfs.gov.uk).

But, it would be wholly inappropriate, not to say insulting to adopted children around the world, to seek to raise funds for the welfare and protection of say snow leopards, rhinos or pandas by asking people to “adopt” these animals; quite clearly you would not be taking them into your families and raising them as your own children – you would simply be sponsoring them a few pounds/dollars a month. And in doing so helping a worthy cause and hard working charity.

In 2006 our family was blessed with the adoption of a baby girl from China and 4 years later she herself is sponsoring a panda in China.

So please find it in your heart to support this very worthy petition and help children who have already suffered separation, loss and abandonment to regain some self-esteem by not being compared to the feeding and protection of animals.

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This Mother’s Day will be, at minimum, the third to pass for many families still awaiting the homecoming of their adopted children.

January 1, 2008 marked the dissolution of the former Guatemalan notarial adoption system. This action, along with the ratification of the Hague Adoption Convention and initiation of a new adoption law, was strongly endorsed by the U.S. Department of State and UNICEF. In good faith, American families continued to initiate new adoptions through December 31, 2007, guaranteed the protections and practices of the former notarial system under Article 56 of the Ortega Law (Articulo 56 of the Ley de Adopciones (Decreto 77-2007).

Article 56. "Adoptions in process. All the notarial and judicial processes of adoption that are still being processed at the moment when the present law becomes effective, must be registered at the Central Authority, in a term no longer than thirty days, for the effects of the registration of the case, these will continue its process in conformity with the law in effect at the time of its initiation. The cases that are not registration within the term stated will be resolved according to the procedures stated in this law”.


Today, hundreds of Guatemalan children continue to languish in institutions awaited by U.S. families while their “grandfathered” adoptions tarry in political gridlock. The rights ensured in Article 56 have been violated as these cases are scrutinized without transparency outside the practices and protections of the law. Months to years have been added to wait times as families are required to jump through bureaucratic hoops, meet deadlines (some undisclosed), endure mutiple birth mother interviews, and undergo investigations by outside authorities; all beyond the required grandfathered procedures and protections.

As awaiting families, our concerns turn to panic as attempts increase to illegally delay and terminate in-process adoptions. Since the law changed over two years ago, authorities have waged a war on adoption in which families and children have become collateral damage. When we entered into these adoptions as a humanistic endeavor to love and embrace these children as our own, we were unprepared for the violations that lay ahead: illegal raids on children's homes, wrongful seizure of children with their whereabouts undisclosed to their adoptive families, prevention of visitation rights for adoptive families, harassment and bribery of birth mothers, violations of Guatemalan women’s rights to privacy and to choose an adoption plan for their children, and enforced placement of children with extended birth family members who are unwilling and/or unable to care for them are just some of the injustices we have witnessed and endured. Today, the forward motion of all in-process adoptions has virtually ceased as a cycle of fear and retribution has taken hold. Immediate senior level government intervention is needed to end this cycle and allow righteous and fair procedures to prevail.

If these adoptions are allowed to come to their completion, they certainly will not have occurred in an expeditious manner as Article 35 of the Hague Adoption Convention urges. The cornerstone of the convention is the cooperation between states (Article 7). We need the U.S. and Guatemalan governments to work together to determine an immediate and expeditious path to process our adoptions.

The efforts to serve and protect the innocent are failing them as they lose their childhood one day, month, and now, year at a time. Long-term emotional and physical consequences are inevitable as these children languish in under funded institutions and foster care. It grows increasingly difficult for children to be placed successfully within loving families as their spirit and salvation wither outside permanent parenting. Developmental delays, psychological damage, and severe struggles to bond are just some of the many challenges families must prepare for. With every day that passes, innocence wanes for the children who have stopped believing anyone wants them. As families fight desperately to adopt these children they endure sleepless nights and anxiety filled days not knowing if they will ever be able to bring them home. With financial hardship and constant worry resulting in hopelessness, we ask, “Who will finally put an end to this needless suffering and unite our families?”

The dissolution of the former adoption system, along with allegations of fraud in specific cases, has lead to a standstill that is violating children’s rights to a family and families’ rights to a fair and legal adoption.

All those associated with Guatemala 900 believe strongly in the sanctity of family. We value and celebrate legitimate, legal adoption practice and abhor any type of unethical action that may deny a birth family of their basic human rights. We advocate for adoption reform and applaud the Guatemalan government’s efforts to end corruption and prevent the abuse of children and birth families.

We must work together to uphold the law and ensure that the actions of corrupt individuals in specific cases does not lead to additional bureaucratic delay for the families and children who are innocent. We must prevent further harm to hundreds of awaiting families and thousands of orphaned and abandoned children whose cases are legitimate and legal.

references:

HCCH. Convention On Protection Of Children And Co-Operation In Respect Of Intercountry Adoption. 29 MAY 1993. p. 8. http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.pdf&cid=69

HCCH. Guide To Good Practice Under The Hague Convention Of 29 May 1993 On Protection Of Children And Co-Operation In Respect Of Intercountry Adoption. APRIL 2008. p. 95. http://www.hcch.net/upload/00037643.doc

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MY NAME IS ANDRE O. TESTMAN, SR., I AM AN AMERICAN CITIZEN CURRENTLY RESIDING IN ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA. I AND MANY AMERICANS ARE CAPABLE AND INTERESTED IN HELPING CHANGING THE FUTURE OF A LOT OF DISADVANTAGED YOUNG ADULTS IN THE PHILIPPINES. YOUNG ADULTS WHO’S FAMILIES CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR EDUCATION. OUR DESIRE IS TO BE FREE TO ADOPT, NOT AS A LAST RESORT FOR THE CHILD, BUT ANY LEGALLY ELIGIBLE.

Proposed amendment of Republic Act No. 8552. The Republic Act No. 8552 is not beneficial for the children or the country of the Philippines itself with the restriction it stipulates for inter-country adoptions. In the act, it prohibits the adoption of adults therefore the children that are no longer adoptable will fall to the wayside and will become a burden to their country. They will be untrained, unskilled, uneducated, and unemployable and will be reliant on society for support.

We have to act and petition the government to eradicate this poverty and the educational foundation for the people of the Philippines as well as the rest of the world.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8552, DOMESTIC ADOPTION ACT OF 1998, STATES:

“It is hereby declared the policy of the State to provide every [neglected and abandoned child] with a family that will provide such child with love and care as well as opportunities for growth and development. Towards this end,[efforts shall be exerted to place the child with an adoptive family] in the [[Philippines]]. However, recognizing that inter-country adoption maybe considered as allowing aliens, [[not presently allowed by law to adopt Filipino children]] if such children cannot be adopted by qualified Filipino citizens or aliens, the State shall take measures to ensure that inter-country adoptions are allowed when the same shall prove beneficial to the child’s best interests and shall serve and protect his/her fundamental rights.”

ARTICLE III – SECTION 7 B states: ANY ALIEN POSSESSING THE SAME QUALIFICATION AS IN ARTICLE III SECTION 7-A ABOVE STATED FOR FILIPINO NATIONALS: PROVIDED, THAT HIS/HER COUNTRY HAS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, [[THAT HE/SHE HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR AT LEAST (3) CONTINUOUS YEARS PRIOR TO FILING OF THE APPLICATION FOR ADOPTION AND MAINTAINS SUCH RESIDENCE UNTL THE ADOPTION DECREE IS ENTERED]], THAT HE/SHE HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY HS/HER DIPLOMATIC OR CONSULAR OFFICE OR ANY APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT HE/SHE HAS THE LEGAL CAPACITY TO ADOPT IN HIS/HER COUNTRY AND THAT HIS/HER GOVERNMENT ALLOWS THE ADOPTEE TO ENTER HIS/HER COUNTRY AS HIS/HER ADOPTED SO/DAUGHTER.

ARTICLE III – SECTION 8 A, states: [[ ANY PERSON BELOW EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE ]] WHO HAS BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY OR JUDICIALLY DECLARED AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION:
The above [[ ]] statements are what I would like to see AMENDED .

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On April 8, 2010 7-year-old, Artyem Saviliev, adopted by a U.S. family, was flown to Russia and abandoned. The child, adopted approximately 6 months ago by a Tennessee family, is now under the protection of the Russian government.

Together we advocate for the investigation, arrest and prosecution of all individuals involved in any type of child abuse. Failing to take aggressive action against individuals involved in abuse only further compromises children’s rights. And when the reaction to abuse is the elimination of a particular service to children (intercountry adoption) instead of prosecuting the perpetrators, children are further victimized and their rights stripped away.

It should be recognized that this tragedy is an isolated incident and not representative of the more than 100,000 adoptions completed each year by American citizens.

This tragedy demonstrates the need for all of us to work together to ensure that the actions of one family does not cause harm to the thousands of children who are in need of a permanent and safe family. Further, it demonstrates the need for the immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of individuals who abuse children.

Восьмого апреля 2010 года, семилетний мальчик Артем Савельев, усыновленный американской семьй, был посажен на самолет и отправлен из Соединенних Штатов обратно в Россию и оставлен там один. Ребенок, которий был усыновлен только 6 месяцев назад семьей из Тенесси, сейчас находиться под попичительством Российского правительства.

Вместе мы хотим просить о правовом расследовании, и если необходимо, аресте и наказании всех людей вовлеченных в это дело которое является прямым ущемлением прав как этого мальчика так и всех детей которые ждут усыновлений. И если резултатом этого дела будет прекращение усыновлений американцами русских детей,то вместо того чтобы наказать виновных, это станет огромной угрозой правам всех детей.

Мы должны в прямую сказать что эта трагедия является единичным инциндентом и не в коей мере не представляет картину более 100,000 удачных усыновлений сделаних американцами в России.

Эта трагедия демонстрирует необходимость для всех нас работать вместе чтобы обеспечить увереность в том что действия одной семьи не нанесёт непоправимый ущерб тысячам детей которые нуждаются в стабильной и теплой и любящей семье. Более того, это демонтсрирует неотложную необходимость в расследовании и если необходимо в наказании виновных.

Понимая что трагический случай Артема Савельева это единичный случай который ни в коей мере не представляет общей картины многочисленных усыновлений между Россией и Америкои, мы призываем:

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1. The current animal shelter is too small and filled to capacity with animals much of the time. There is no outside run attached to the dog shelter so the dogs are unable to get fresh air during the day.

2. The cages for the cats and smaller dogs are very small which leaves the animals very little room to move around and to get proper ventilation.

3. The animal shelter lacks central heating and air conditioning. Even with the use of wall fans, the temperatures in the shelter have reached 95 to 100 degrees. In the winter, since the quarantine-side outside wall is made up of a chain-link fence, a plastic tarp is placed over it to keep the cold air out.

4. The Pflugerville Animal Shelter is not located in a very visible location. It’s behind a subdivision and as a result many citizens and animal rescue groups aren’t aware that it exists.

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Manneau and Evena Jean-Charles have began the adoption process of Stevinson, Millard and Sabine Jean-CHarles in 2007 from there homeland of Haiti.

The adoption process has been completed from the Haitain side, since the Haitian earthquake, and now under the policy involving Humanitarian Parole for Haitian Orphans signed by Secretary Janet Napolitano on January 18th 2010, we have requested our children to come to the United States, and made request via Homeland Security and the USCIS and Haitian Adoptions. All paperwork is in order.

To date the children, one of which is injured with two broken legs, and all three homeless, living in the streets of Haiti, have yet to be delivered into our care and custody.

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OBJECTIVE: The Approval of the New Jersey "Choose Life" License Plate.

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Children First Foundation (CFF), a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and support adoption as a positive choice for unwanted pregnancies or newborns, is the official sponsor of the Choose Life License Plate in New Jersey. This nationwide specialty plate helps support women who choose life and adoption.

To date, the "Choose Life" License Plate has been approved in 25 different states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia. Since the year 2000, approximately 500,000 plates have been purchased or renewed nationwide, raising over $11 million dollars throughout the country for hundreds of pro-life agencies that help women who maturely and courageously choose life and adoption for their unwanted pregnancies and newborns.

Unfortunately CFF’s plate has been unconstitutionally blocked by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission since 2003, and CFF has been forced to take legal action through its lawyers with the Alliance Defense Fund. For more history on CFF’s efforts to get the Choose Life plate on the road in New Jersey, go to:

http://www.thechildrenfirst.org/PetitionHistoryNJ.asp

You can help get the New Jersey "Choose Life" License Plate approved by signing this important petition today and by forwarding it to family, friends and colleagues.

If possible, please also help us gather more signatures by "linking" this petition on Facebook, web sites, blogs, etc. There is helpful "linking" information available at the bottom of this petition.

Thank you so much for "Taking a Stand for Life." This is a grassroots effort, and we greatly appreciate your time, support and prayers for the approval of the "Choose Life" License Plate in New Jersey.

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Some birth mothers and birth families report that having a closed adoption makes the grieving process more difficult because there is a lack of information on the child’s well-being.

Also, since there is no opportunity to communicate with the child about why you placed him or her for adoption, it may be easier for feelings of guilt to develop.

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UNICEF estimates that 490,000 children are orphans in Haiti. This translates to 6% of Haiti's total population.

In 2004, at the height of intercountry adoptions into the U.S., over 350 children were served through intercountry adoption. Thousands more including local Haitian communities were served by family preservation and other permanency services.

However, over the past three years the processing of adoptions in Haiti has slowed to a crawl. Abandoned children now endure 2 or more years of debilitating effects on their health, development and emotional well-being while awaiting the completion of their adoption.

The delays imposed over the past three years are largely the result of the Haitian government's implementation of an inadequate child welfare and protection law. This law provides insufficient child protections and does not reflect the realities of current Haitian society. While enforcement of current laws are generally seen a positive, this particular law is significantly dated and does not serve the best interest of children in need of a permanent family.

The obvious solution to the crisis is the passage and implementation of a new adoption and child protection law. Such a law has been drafted, introduced into the Haitian National Assembly and supported by the Joint Council on International Children's Services, the U.S. government, the French government and UNICEF.

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In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Technical Instructions for Tuberculosis (TB) Screening and Treatment for Panel Physicians.

The primary goal of the new protocols is to minimize the number of immigrants entering the U.S. with multi-drug-resistant TB thereby curtailing the spread of this infectious disease among the U.S. citizenry. In May and June of 2009, CDC announced that immigrants over the age of 2 from Ethiopia and China would be subject to new TB protocols.

These new protocols require a series of tests for all immigrants, including children adopted abroad by U.S. citizens. For children adopted abroad by U.S. citizens, the tests will delay the adoption by a minimum of seven days depending on the test results could delay the issuance of visa to twelve (12) months or more.

Children adopted abroad by U.S. citizens are a unique immigrant population. Given the population’s unique situation, the implementation of these instructions is not in the best interest of these vulnerable children and should not be implemented for this population for the following reasons:

1. Adopted children of American citizens, much like children born to American citizens abroad, pose a negligible threat to the public health of the United States.

2. The CDC instructions deny U.S.-based medical treatment for children adopted by U.S. citizens.

3. The most vulnerable of all children are orphans who are older and have special needs. The new protocols will result in further developmental and physical delays for the children of American citizens.

4. The instructions do not apply to American citizens living abroad or their children and should not apply to children adopted by U.S. citizens.

5. The risk of TB transmission, even in active cases, is minimal for infected children under the age of 12 years.

6. After two weeks of treatment, and three negative AFB smears an infected person is no longer contagious. The CDC instructions therefore, are unnecessary when applied to adopted children of American citizens as the children will undoubtedly be treated immediately upon their entrance into the United States.

7. The new TB protocols will result in an increase in travel expenses for U.S.-citizen adoptive parents and unknown delays during adoption processes.

The CDC instructions, therefore, are unnecessary when applied to adopted children of American citizens. The new protocols are a significant and unnecessary roadblock, which may deny these children access to a permanent family. Implementing the protocols for this population is an excessive means of protecting against multi-drug resistant TB.

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The intercountry adoption process is a long, tedious process for American citizens seeking to adopt a foreign born child. Paperwork includes home studies, finger printing and criminal checks. The process can take up to three years to complete. At the completion of the adoption, the child must be approved for a U.S. immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. and gain citizenship. The immigrant visa is required despite the fact that the “immigrant” is the child of a U.S. citizen. The U.S. is one of the few developed countries in the world that requires internationally adopted children of citizens to immigrate in order to join their new families.

Most countries recognize internationally adopted children as citizens upon the finalization of their adoption. The Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (FACE Act) would recognize that internationally adopted children deserve to be treated as children of American citizens and accorded the same citizenship process as children born abroad to American citizens.

Under the FACE Act, Adoptive parents would apply for a U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth instead of a visa. These documents provide adoptive parents with immediate proof of citizenship for their adopted child and provide immediate proof of U.S. citizenship.

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Birth Father Registries
By Carrie Craft, About.com

Somewhere in the course of our American history, fathers have become unimportant, and even a joke. You can see it in our media. Fathers are often the punch line, lack decision-making power or skill, and are portrayed as seemingly uncaring about the needs of their families. This attitude is also seen in some adoption laws. Fathers seem to have little to no say in whether or not their children are placed for adoption.

If it takes two to “tango”, shouldn’t it take two to make such an immense decision on the behalf of a child?

Now the “joke” on fathers is being carried out in birth father registries. A putative birth father registry is a listing that a man must sign, if he thinks he may be the father of a baby, in order to be notified of an impending adoption of that baby. He has up to 30 days after birth of the child to sign, or he loses all rights to the child.

This registry isn’t a bad idea, but perhaps it’s not fully thought out. At least not in the case and the situation that contributing author Erik L. Smith encountered when he tried to do the responsible thing in Ohio. He found a circus of problems; and the three ring act included no one knowing what the putative father registry was, where it was located, or why the forms were outdated. Since this report was written by Mr. Smith, Ohio has made changes in the handling of the registry, but its beginnings show that the system needs work.

How can fathers take their rights and responsibilities seriously when the very law that is meant to protect those rights is handled in such a disorganized and disrespectful way? Yes, disrespectful. I find it very disrespectful that there are laws in many states that say a man must sign this registry and then make it next to impossible for him to accomplish that task.

I can only imagine how a teen father would handle such roadblocks!

For putative father registries to work, they need to be better advertised and discussed. The laws need to be clearly outlined, as there are numerous potential problems. What if the woman has the child in another state? What if the man is in the military? Before an adoption can occur, should there be a nation wide search of registries? If there is a search, the state to state difference in the laws concerning the rights of the fathers may cause problems.

There are many men out there who have no desire to parent a child or be financially responsible. “Deadbeat Dads” is a term that is widely used and understood. These “dads” may see pregnancy as a sign of their conquest and power. In these cases, the registry can, and will, weed out the sperm donors and assist the mothers in making the best decision for their unborn children. But in cases where men have the desire to parent, or at least be a part of the decision making process, the lack of knowledge that these registries even exist are cutting them out of the picture.

I am for the registries. I think they are the best idea, so far, to ensure fathers’ rights. A lot of changes need to occur to make them as effective and fair as possible. I believe that it’s possible to make the changes necessary for these registries to work. For example, Indiana notes success since its registry’s beginnings, with both increased revenue to the State Board of Health and with the number of men who have used the registry. This is just one state, though, and one success.

But then I start to think about my own sons and how my husband and I are trying to teach them responsibility. Today everything seems to come and go so easily, with the world often sending the message, “Make a mistake and someone will clean it up for you.”

As disorganized and poorly planned as most of these registries are, in their current state, are we making it too easy for fathers to walk away - leaving all responsibility to the mothers, agencies, and potential adoptive families? Is this really what we want for our future - a future of absentee fathers, sperm donors, and overlooked responsibility?

Perhaps as a part of teaching our sons responsibility about sex, we should also include the importance of filing with the registries and being a father - either as a part of the process of parenting or planning an adoption.

*******

References

1. Smith, E.L. The Ohio Putative Father Registry---The What? July 2, 2003, published on the Adoption GuideSite at About.com.

2. Caldwell, Mardie The Need for State Birth Father Registries, originally published on the LifeTime Adoption Facilitation Center LLC website.

3. Adoption--Consent--ICPC--Putative Father Registry – March 18, 2003, published on the Family Law Reporter, Volume 29, Number 19.

4. Kirsh, Steven Indiana's Putative Father Registry Succeeds, published on Adoption.com.

5. Presumed (Putative) Fathers originally published on the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, May 31, 2003

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UPDATE (OCTOBER 16, 2008): WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT USCIS HAS AMENDED ITS POLICY AND WILL ALLOW I600-A PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENTS TO SUBMIT AN ADDITIONAL I600-A AND CONTINUE WITH THEIR ADOPTIONS!

For full details and restrictions, read the 10/14/2008 announcement in the Press Room link at www.uscis.gov. Or visit www.jcics.org/I600A.htm to read the announcement by Tom DiFilipo, President of the Joint Council on International Children's Services.

THIS IS A MAJOR VICTORY FOR THOUSANDS OF US FAMILIES WHO ARE ADOPTING INTERNATIONALLY.

Our efforts would not have succeeded without the tireless efforts of the US Congress (including Representative Pitts), Kathleen Strottman of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Michael Valverde at USCIS, Tom DiFilipio and the entire JCICS staff, and everyone who has taken the time to sign this petition and pass it along. Lastly, our thanks to gopetition.com for providing this forum; this is proof-positive that individual voices can make a positive difference.

You are still welcome to sign the petition to show your support for this cause. Thank you.

David Yurkovich and Dianne Pearce
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SECTION 1: SUMMARY OF THE CRISIS FACED BY AMERICAN ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

Recently, the rules and regulations in the United States of America regarding international adoption have changed. Congress passed The Hague into law. When this was done, Congress explicitly stated that families who are in the process of adopting a child internationally and who have been in process prior to April 1, 2008, are considered “transition cases.” As such, these families are, by law, grandfathered into the adoption rules and regulations that existed PRIOR TO April 1, 2008 until their adoptions are completed, and these families DO NOT have to re-file under the new Hague guidelines. However, the Department of State and the US Department of Homeland Security’s CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services, aka USCIS) bureau are blatantly ignoring this law and forcing all transitional families to abide by the new regulations. This not only contravenes the law as written, but also creates undue hardship for the thousands of US families affected, and will likely cause the disruption of the adoption.

Thousands of US families have been waiting in excess of 2 to 3 years for their adoptions from China and other countries to be completed. Now these families are being forced by the National Benefits Council (NBC) and USCIS to re-file under Hague, when clearly Congress wanted them to be grandfathered under the I600A rules they were subject to when they began their adoption process. Under the new rules these families will have to pay additional dollars, in some cases running into the thousands in fees to US adoption and homestudy agencies. Having already spent in excess of $10,000, many cannot afford these additional fees. In the next 2 to 3 years >10,000 US families will need to go through the I600A renewal process, which is a quick process, with approval time running from about 6 weeks to 2 months.

The new Hague (I800A) process is taking a MINIMUM of 6 months. So, should a waiting family be able to resubmit through all of the new Hague guidelines in a timely fashion, they still risk having the acceptance of their adoption referral, and the completion of their family, delayed by months, or terminated by the foreign government, and at the very least, during those months the vulnerable child that is to be adopted will languish in an orphanage. Also, since so few agencies received Hague certification, many thousands of families will be forced to re-sign with a new agency. If any person waiting in line for a China adoption changes agencies FOR ANY REASON, China requires that they resubmit their dossier, and move to the end of a line that includes adopters from many countries and is in excess of 25,000 families long.

So, after having waited in line for years to reach the front, AMERICAN FAMILIES ONLY will be unfairly shunted to the back of the line due to USCIS and NBC not following the law as written. No other country’s adopters face this hardship. In addition, having to resubmit a dossier to China will mean the family must now meet China’s newer, stricter rules. Many families who have been in line for 2 to 3 years will lose their China adoption completely under those circumstances.

The US Congress passed the new rules for USA adopters into law; however, in their wisdom, they had the foresight to see that the adoption process (particularly in China) has been moving extremely slowly, and so the US Congress particularly provided in the law that “transition cases” (those in the adoption process prior to April 1, 2008) can continue their adoption under the rules that were in effect at the time they began the process and UNTIL THEIR ADOPTION IS CONCLUDED. By breaking the law, the Department of State and Homeland Security’s CIS bureau is literally playing with the lives of thousands of families (and thousands of innocent waiting children). To date, the USCIS and NBC are telling agencies and families that they have no choice but to follow the path they have set down, which is a deliberate lie, and also blatantly defies the law as written by Congress.

NO AGENCY IS ABOVE THE LAW. We, the undersigned, respectfully demand that our elected officials contact the Department of State and Homeland Security’s CIS bureau and insist that the law be upheld as written by ALL the local USCIS offices nationwide, and the new NBC office. Thousands of couples and orphaned children are in danger of having their lives terribly altered by the arrogance and stubbornness of these government agencies who wish to ignore the law for their own benefit. This is unacceptable.

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Women in America need our help!

Average cost of birth control pills in this country is $30-$45 per pack (which we buy each month).* That's if you are one of the lucky American's in this country to even have medical insurance. Those without can pay almost TWICE that much.

There are fractions of people who want to make abortion illegal. There are still more that believe there are too many unwanted children in this country already. To these people specifically, wouldn't this be an easy solution to the problem?

If all women (no matter what your social status, financial status, race, age, religion, etc.) receive free birth control, you are helping control the over-population. It will also cut back financial burdens on women/families, especially those where an extra $30 a month would be a lot. That's potentially an extra $360 a year, or more!

Why not let all our tax money go to use!

*Info found at: http://www.womensmedcenter.com/BirthControl/?ID=5

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Baby R is the minor child of M. T. and R.S. He was born 6-7-06 in Fresno County. Baby R survived a fatal car accident while in utero, was born prematurely, and stayed in the hospital for 7 days. He lived with his mother, maternal Aunt Kimberly Fraser and her family for the first 10 months of his life. He was well loved and cared for in his first home. Baby R moved to Crescent City, CA with his mother and joined his father when he was almost 1 year of age. On November 23, 2007 Baby R was taken into custody of CPS. He has since been in a foster home.

Baby R is soon to be adopted. Kimberly Fraser has petitioned to have Baby R placed back into her home since December 2007. Even though her home has been approved by CPS in Del Norte they have yet to place Baby R in her care.

CPS and Arcata State Adoptions have REFUSED to follow state regulations and family codes. BOTH parents have requested to sign designated relinquishments to me and my husband (Kimberly & Patrick Fraser) and have an APPROVED adoptive home study done. Baby R should be in our home by now!!!!!! CPS & State Adoptions have an agenda here and are dragging their feet!!!!
Please sign if you support Baby R being given back HIS entire biological family. He has 3 siblings that want a relationship with him, he has 10 cousins who want to know him, he has aunts, uncles, great aunts & uncles, second cousins, and a GREAT GREAT Aunt who ALL want to know him. He has a right to know them ALL. It is time to STOP this nonsense and bring him home!
THANKS!

AT the very least any family member, who has the courage & love to care for a child in foster care, they should be treated fairly and given priority over strangers. The love of a biological family is strong;)

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OBJECTIVE: The Approval of the New York "Choose Life" License Plate.

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Children First Foundation (CFF), a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and support adoption as a positive choice for unwanted pregnancies or newborns, is the official sponsor of the Choose Life License Plate in New York.

To date, the "Choose Life" License Plate has been approved in 28 different states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Since the year 2000, approximately 600,000 plates have been purchased or renewed nationwide, raising over $13 million dollars throughout the country for hundreds of pro-life agencies that help women who maturely and courageously choose life and adoption for their unwanted unborn and newborn children.

Unfortunately CFF’s plate was unconstitutionally blocked in 2004 by a Moratorium imposed by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and CFF took legal action through its lawyers with the Alliance Defense Fund to protect its First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech and its Fourteenth Amendment rights to Equal Protection under the Law and Due Process. On November 8, 2011, CFF won its seven-year federal lawsuit and New York's Federal Court has ordered the NYS DMV Commissioner to approve the New York "Choose Life" License Plate. For more history on CFF’s efforts to get the Choose Life plate on the road in New York, please visit:

http://www.thechildrenfirst.org/new_york0.aspx

You can help prevent a costly appeal by Governor Cuomo's administration and help CFF get the New York "Choose Life" License Plate approved without further delay by signing this important petition today and by forwarding it to family, friends and colleagues.

If possible, please also help us gather more signatures by "linking" this petition on Facebook, web sites, blogs, etc. There is helpful "linking" information available at the bottom of this petition.

Thank you so much for "Taking a Stand for Life." This is a grassroots effort, and we greatly appreciate your time, support and prayers for the approval of the "Choose Life" License Plate in New York.

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This petition will be used to lobby the Federal Government and the Federal Attorney General to pressure them to address and resolve the urgent issues affecting adoptive families in Australia. We are seeking your support.

In November 2005 a lengthy & detailed report was presented by Bronwyn Bishop. It received bipartisan approval & inroads were made by the former government. Since the Rudd govt came to power everything is at a standstill while tensions, costs & abandonments increase. Peoples lives are being turned upside down for no logical reason.

It is a complex situation with a clear path to resolution paved, but now stalled. The petition below captures the main elements.

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Honorable Senator Bailey-Hutchison: Please CALL and save a CHILD!

Please call the San Antonio USCIS office and Patricia Torres (adoptions officer) at 210-967-7035 ext. 6354 and expedite the I171H approval for Jason and Susan Steen by 4:00 pm central time on Thursday 3/13/08!

Time is of the essence for Artem, a Russian boy who is now 16 months old waiting at the Fryazino Orphanage in Russia. If the I171H is not approved immediately this child will miss his scheduled Russian court date and may have to wait an additional 6-8 months in the orphanage and experience further developmental delays and may not receive the best medical care available!

The USCIS office in San Antonio does not issue case numbers like other USCIS offices. There were 2 mistakes made in filling paperwork that are preventing this child from being adopted:
1) Ms. Torres did not like the fact that the Child Abuse Clearance form was stapled to the Home Study. The clearance must be typed inside AND
2) Ms. Torres wanted the home study agency to provide more information on the age, gender and nationality of the child. Certainly one has enough common sense to determine that a child waiting in a Russian orphange will have a Russian passport and is a Russian citizen?

The parents were not notified of these requests for 9 weeks and the notification was by a mailed letter even though all parents are required to submit phone numbers. This is a gross inefficiency in the way the USCIS office in San Antonio operates and processes I171H approvals which are supposed to have the highest priority.

After you make this very important call please consider a Senate investigation into the inequities of the USCIS offices throughout the country. Policy is often determined by individual agents as opposed to the government agency and as a result families like the Steens are discriminated against as result of where they live and to which adoptions officer their case is assigned.

People that live in certain regional areas such as Denver and the Bay Area have almost no hope of adopting internationally without a Congressperson or Senator intervening on their behalf.

Adoptive parents are discriminated agains and discouraged to adopt internationally simply by where they happen to live and which USCIS office they are forced to use.

There are gross discrepencies between USCIS requirements, policies, what forms of payment is accepted and what rules apply AND there is a gross inequity in the individual agents themselves and what they are legally allowed to determine based on their own judgement.

In almost all states parents have very little access to USCIS offices. The Steens above have tried 10-15 times to contact the San Antonio office by email or phone with no results. Even Congressman John Carter placed a call on behalf of the Steen's yesterday with absolutely no results.

The Steens have also contacted Carolyn who is the case worker for International Adoption at your office.

Only a call from you personally may make a difference and get this I171H approval to go through for Artem a waiting child.

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O bebê Eduardo, nascido em 26/02/2008 foi dado pela mãe biológica para Maria de Lurdes e esta pediu a anuência do Ministério Público, solicitando o acolhimento de guarda provisória e pedido de adoção. No dia 06/03/2008, em audiência, a guarda foi negada e o bebê retirado dos braços de Maria de Lurdes para ficar no hospital até que ele seja dado em adoção para uma outra família.

História completa aqui: http://eduardoemalu.blogspot.com/

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Pet Rescue By Judy is an outstanding non-profit organization. She helps hundreds of needy PEOPLE, find loving companions. For example, they have a "Seniors for Seniors" program that reduces the usual adoption fee of $100--to only a $50 donation.

Recently, my Grandfather's dog Buckshot passed due to Lymphomic Cancer. Needless to say he was devastated. We went on line to Pet Rescue By Judy.com and found a beautiful pointer mix about 8 years of age. Her name is Olive, and if it weren't for her, grandpa would've taken root on the couch.

Sadly, she has one miserable neighbor that constantly complains, and therefor the county has been called on numerous occasions. Unbelievably, the county charged her with running a pet rescue out of her residential home! According to Orange County, the description of a "pet rescue" is--A facility that PRIMARILY performs services for animals.

Any REASONABLE person can see this is not the case.
A) Her home is just that--PRIMARILY her home.
B) She is non-profit
C) There are only two paid employees who frequently visit her home.
D) She MAY make some phone calls from her HOME--but last I knew that was not illegal even for a business.
E) She maintains a storage facility for the supplies such as food, beddind etc.
F) All of her animals are Fostered--in other words all but 4 which she choose to foster herself, are with other families until they are adopted.
G) There are Adoption Seminars held every Saturday at the Petsmarts in Orlando and off S.R. 50 in Titusville. So there are almost no activities done in her home. (I say almost because some of the volunteers sometimes drop by to visit--and as far as I know this is not illegal)

So if I understood correctly, the only "problem" they have is she has two "paid" employees that come to her house on a regular basis. She owns several animals herself, and fosters I believe 4 others which are listed on the website for adoption. But in Orange County a residential home is ALLOWED to have TWENTY, yes 20! dogs!!

As I said before, this residence is PRIMARILY her home, and it is my opinion, that she is providing a valuable service to the PEOPLE. And to the county as well, because of her and the volunteers, there are numerous animals that are Not in the county shelters and will NOT be euthanized. There is not one no-kill shelter in the Central Florida area that I am aware of, except those run by individuals such as Judy.

The county also stated that they COULD choose to reach an "agreement" that would allow Judy to continue her rescue. But they obviously decided not to do so. She has her HOME, her home! up for sale because she would rather move than discontinue helping abandoned and abused animals. To me, that is absolutely absurd that she would be asked to leave.

The board of directors actually had the nerve to ask her when she would be able to move out! Well, everyone knows the condition of the economy right now, and the realestate market is at an all time low. They gave her six months to vacate the property or stop "providing services to animals". So in essence what they're saying is, anyone who takes in an abandened or abused animal and provides vet care, food and shelter is in violation of county code ??? This "offense" is punishable by $250 fine PER day!!

If you believe that this is ridiculous, please sign our petition. Also, we would appreciate it if you could visit the web site-- Pet Rescue By Judy.com There is also a petition there, ABC's extreme make over is considering building her a new facility were she will have plenty of room and no longer be harrassed by either her one miserable neighbor or the county. And did I mention, it IS lawfull to operate a profit Daycare in a residential neighborhood. A person can have as many as ten adults and or children at their home. That means a minimum of 10 cars coming and going from 5:00a.m. -6:00 p.m. And this is ok! But because Judy supposedly provides a service to the animals, her 2 paid employees qualifies her for a violation! Ridiculous !

So PLEASE, lets vote to get this absurd law changed. Thanks! The Abused and Abandoned, Animals of Brevard County.

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The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter is a large kill shelter, with over 100 dogs and cats. The overcrowding causes many otherwise adoptable dogs to be killed to make space. This is inhumane and totally unacceptable and changes must be made.

Successful shelters allow volunteers; it is a proven fact. Volunteers help socialize shelter pets and become their advocate for adoption.

Long Islanders care about our shelter pets, and we want to help change this shelter into a no-kill shelter. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to allow caring volunteers to help in the mission of adoption - not euthanasia.

Euthanasia is only appropriate when it is in the best interest of an animal who is terminally ill and in pain, or has been so badly abused has become dangerous and cannot be rehabilitated.

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We request that the birth mother's revocation period be reduced form the current 30 days to ten days or less.

The thirty days is too long and puts a great deal of unnecessary stress upon the birth mother/father, the adoptive parents and child or children during the intense 30 days of uncertainty in which a birth mother could change her mind.

British Columbia has one of the longest revocation periods of any jurisdiction in North America. This does not serve the birth mother who has made her decision and causes her to agonize over her decision for thirty days.

It does not serve the adoptive parents who are worried their child will be taken away and it does not serve the child who needs consistency and stability.

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Whenever a petition for adoption of a minor is filed, the court shall order a report to the court made to assist the court to determine if the proposed adoption of the minor by the petitioner is in the minor's best interest.

Consistent with G.S. 48-1-109, the court shall order the report to be prepared.

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