May 8th, 2019 –  Court Rules Against Catholic Social Services

The U.S. Court of Appeals has recently ruled that the city fo Philadelphia can bar Catholic Social Services from placing foster children with any family unless CSS agrees to abide by non-discrimination policies. The ruling favors LBGTQ individuals and couples who are seeking to adopt in Philadelphia. Mayor Kenny welcomed the ruling, stating “Philadelphia is a welcoming, inclusive city that values the diversity of its residents. This policy is the embodiment of those values.”

April 17th, 2019 – Democrats Introduce New LGBTQ Adoption Legislature

Democrats in Michigan are trying to make it easier for LGBTQ couples to adopt in their state. The new legislature which has been introduced would prevent any adoption agencies under contract with the state from turning away LGBTQ parents based on religious beliefs. The hope is that this legislation will help to give the state a way to hold adoption agencies accountable for their discrimination.

March 1st, 2019 – Philadelphia Court Has A Backlog Of 1,400 Adoptions

Parents and children are waiting to have their adoption paperwork finalized in Philadelphia, however, a backlog is preventing them from moving forward. To make matters worse, these waiting families are not being updated on the status of their application. Officials are stating that a process which should take four to six months is now taking more than two years.

February 13th, 2019 – Couple Fights For Child They Were Supposed To Adopt

In October, a couple was supposed to adopt their daughter through private adoption – however, the situation went terribly wrong. After the child was born, she went into heroin withdrawal. Instead of being allowed to take charge of her care, the Department of Family and Child Services took custody of the baby. Now, her adoptive parents are fighting to move forward with the adoption they had planned for months.

December 5th, 2018 – Catholic Adoption Agency Fights For Right To Discriminate Against Same-Sex Couples

A federal court has heard arguments from both the city of Philadelphia and a Catholic adoption agency. The adoption agency is alleging that city contracts which require them to comply with nondiscrimination policies violate their religious freedom.

November 5th, 2018 – Readers Digest Publishes Adoption Myth List

Readers Digest, a general interest family magazine, has published their list of 16 Common Adoption Myths that everyone should know in honor of National Adoption Month. This list dispels common myths that are believed in the U.S. such as “Adopted Children Won’t Fit In”. Share this list to encourage adoption awareness this November!

October 30, 2018 – Missouri Couple Receives Help From The Gaines To Adopt A Son

One Missouri couple’s dream came true when they received a $16,203 gift that allowed them to adopt a 2-year-old boy with special needs into their family. Jason and Melinda Simmons applied to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ annual program called Chipstarter. The couple made it into the final round of contestants to discover that all of the deserving finalists received money towards their projects and charities. The Simmons family is now able to bring home their son from China with the additional funds they received through the Chipstarter Program.

September 12, 2018 – Adoptions From The Heart Receives Donation From Local Bakery

A new bakery called Nothing Bundt Cakes opened on July 1 in Wynnewood, PA. In celebration of the opening of the new store, the owners Will and Kim Wright made a donation to Adoptions From The Heart’s Birth Parent Scholarship Fund. The owners said that it is “really important to support your neighbors” and they certainly are neighbors in the same part of town as AFTH. Maxine Chalker, founder of AFTH, and Heidi Gonzalez, associate director accepted the donation of $430 on July 25.  

August 31, 2018 – Girl’s Reaction To Being Adopted Goes Viral

A beautiful and happy video of a young girl learning she is going to be adopted has gone viral reminding everyone of the beauty and joy that adoptions brings to families. The 10-year-old girl featured in the video had been in foster care for 3 years and will be adopted along with her 2 younger siblings. When the family discovered that reunification with her birth mother was not in the children’s best interest the decision was made to adopt the 3 siblings who couldn’t be happier. While the family intended to adopt months ago the process took some time and the adoption was finalized on August 23.

July 31, 2018 – Concern In Kansas Grows With Possibility Of Contracts Being Granted To Religiously Affiliated Adoption Groups

LGBT advocates have a continued growing concern regarding adoption. In May, the Kansas Governor signed a law that allowed religiously affiliated adoption and foster agencies to deny their services to gay couples based on their religious beliefs. The concern now increases as the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) decided whether it will grant contract to certain agencies with religious affiliations.

June 11, 2018 – Air Force Announces New Parental-Leave Policy Which Includes Adoptive Parents

The Air Force announced on Friday, June 9, that it has adjusted its parental-leave policies and restructured them to give parents the ability to coordinate leave time between primary and secondary caregivers. This new policy would allow the caregivers to decide how to break up the leave as time in a way that is most beneficial to their family and will apply to birth mothers, fathers, same-sex couples, adoptive parents, and surrogate parents. It outlines three different forms of leave for qualifying births or adoptions.

May 31, 2018 – Religious-Based Adoption Agencies Allowed To Discriminate Against LGBT Couples Under New Kansas Law

The Kansas governor signed Senate Bill 284 into law on Friday, May 18. The new adoption law allows religious-based adoption agencies to refuse placement into the homes of LGBT couples over religious objections. The passing of this legislation makes Kansas the second state this year to pass legislation which allows religiously-affiliated organizations to deny placements based on religious objections and the 9th state in the country to enact such a law.

April 30, 2018 – Bill That Would Allow Adoption Agencies To Reject Gay Parents Passes In Oklahoma House

A controversial bill as passed through the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is now on it’s way to the state Senate. If S.B. 1140 passes and becomes law, it would allow an adoption agency to turn down couples based on religious grounds. The LGTB community and advocacy groups claim that the bill is discriminatory most especially towards same-sex couples. GLAAD has called the legislation “un-American.”

March 8, 2018 – Urgent Need For Fosters In Philadelphia

The Department of Human Services has started a recruitment effort seeking “resource parents” and “foster parents” that are desperately needed in the city of Philadelphia. DHS is issuing public service announcements calling for any interested parents. Families need to be a resource for so many needy children, as DHS is not going to be enough. The agency has stated that they need emergency placements for children in addition to foster parents, that are able to take children for a few days.

February 28, 2018 – Georgia Adoption Bill Causes Threats Of Boycotts To The State

On Friday, February 23, the Georgia Senate approved an adoption bill that is also being called the “Keep Faith In Adoption and Foster Care Act” with a 35-19 vote. The bill would allow agencies to reject placing a child with a family based on the couple’s religious beliefs, which could greatly impact LGBT couples. The bill will be heading to the state House for a vote. Many LGBT advocates are speaking out against the bill, stating that it is discriminatory. If the bill passes in the House Georgia faces possible boycotts from several Fortune 500 companies and Hollywood studios that shoot in the state and employ many residents.

January 30, 2018 – Invitation Given To Officer Who Adopted Baby To State Of The Union Address

Officer Ryan Holets encountered a woman at a convenience store in September of 2017 who was pregnant and attempting to inject heroin. The officer spoke with the woman who explained that she wanted her unborn baby to be safe and at that point, Holets decided to speak with his wife Rebecca about adopting the baby. The couple adopted the baby, named Hope, who is now an official member of their family along with their other 4 children. The couple’s story gained media attention and they were invited to attend the State of the Union Address as guests’ of the First Lady.

December 28, 2017 – Opioid Crisis Creating Desperate Need For Foster Care And Adoption

The increase in opioid use across the United States is not only affecting those who are addicted but the children of those who are addicted or who have died from drug overdose. The crisis is increasing the need for foster care drastically and the foster system is becoming overwhelmed. Within one year the states with the largest increase of foster care population are Indiana, West Virginia, and Georgia. Drug-related foster care cases in Indiana alone, increased over sixfold between the years of 2000 – 2015.

November 7, 2017 – The GOP Tax Bill Plans To Eliminate The Adoption Tax Credit

The new tax plan that was introduced by the GOP proposes to cut the adoption tax credit which currently exists to assist families who would otherwise not be able to afford to adopt. The credit has been available for 20 years but if the bill passes any families that finalize adoptions in 2018 would not be eligible to access that credit. After the proposal activists launched a movement called “Save the Adoption Tax Credit”.

October 27, 2017 – Kentucky Judge Resigns After Ethics Complaint Filed

A complaint filed by the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission alleging that ethics rules were violated by a Kentucky judge who objected to handling adoption cases that involved gay parents, was released on Thursday, Oct 26. The judge has claimed that his religious beliefs prevented him from handling such cases. In response to the charges, the judge has resigned from his position effective on December 16. It is not yet clear whether the Judicial Conduct Commission will continue to pursue the case after the news of the judge’s resignation.

September 8, 2017- Hundreds Calling To Adopt A Baby Found In A Duffel Bag

Over a hundred people are calling police wanting to know if they can adopt a baby who was found inside a duffel bag at a medical clinic in Georgia. According to police, a cleaning crew found the baby in a bag just after midnight outside the Family Medical Clinical. An officer who was first on the scene unofficially named him Samuel and has stated that hospital staff members are vetting all the people who are inquiring about visiting the baby. The police department is overwhelmed with all the inquiries of people wanting to adopt the child.

August 4, 2017- Couple Becomes An Instant Family After Adopting Five Siblings

An Ohio couple is overjoyed after they finally adopted five siblings. The couple had been fostering children for almost 10 years. They decided to foster after they struggled to conceive a child of their own, so they decided to help children who needed to be cared for instead. Late last month, the couple was able to adopt five siblings who were in their care for nearly three years. The siblings ranged from ages 12 to two. The mom stated that the adoption did not change how she felt because from the beginning the siblings were always her kids. Read more about their adoption story here.

July 7, 2017- DHS To Implement New Changes In State Subsidized Adoptions

The Department of Human Services in Iowa is set to implement new changes for families that receive state financial assistance to adopt children. The new changes under consideration might soon require families to document annual doctor visits. This suggested change has been brought on after the high-profile deaths of two teenage girls who were allegedly abused and neglected by their adoptive families. Having doctor’s reports is intended to create a new layer to the state’s welfare safety net. This policy change requiring adopted children to be seen by a physician and a dentist annually is expected to ensure that they are seen by someone in a position to recognize any signs of abuse or neglect. This move is being supported by both Republican and Democratic legislators so far.

June 7, 2017- Australia Changing Its Adoption Laws To Reflect The Modern Family

In Victoria, Australia, adoption laws are soon to change to allow single people the same rights to adopt children as married couples or those in a domestic partnership. Decades after the state’s Adoption Act was introduced, the government is finally preparing to shake up the legislation after recognizing that the Act does not reflect “the modern family.” This proposed re-write stems from a Law Reform Commission report recently tabled in Australian Parliament. The Law Reform Commission recommends widening the eligibility requirements for adoption in an effort to increase adoption. Single people, under the current laws, were allowed to adopt only under “special circumstances.” In America, agencies like Adoptions From The Heart do not discriminate in matters of adoption based on marital status.

May 2, 2017- Adoption Numbers Dropping In The US Put Would Be Adoptive Parents At Risk

Adoption for a number of would-be adoptive parents is looking more daunting as the overall number of U.S. adoptions has dropped significantly in recent years. Many face long waiting times and high fees, as well as competition to adopt an infant especially. It has been estimated that one million families are trying to adopt at any given time and some of the waiting families fall prey to scams. Read more about the scams some parents have endured here.

April 5, 2017- Nearly 30,000 People Adopted As Babies From Overseas Learn They Are Not U.S. Citizens

In the midst of President Trump’s tougher and stricter policies against undocumented immigrants, there is another group of uneasy people. Nearly 30,000 people who were adopted from overseas as toddlers or babies have been discovering that they are not actually U.S. citizens. The reason behind these late discoveries is due to the fact that when international adoption was still quite new, many parents wrongly believed that adoption and immigration were the same things. It was not until 2000 that it was clear that they were two separate processes. Now, many grown adoptees have learned of their true legal status accidentally when they were filing for a passport or government benefits. Read more about how this affects adoptees here.

March 2, 2017- Highlights Of New Adoption Report

A new report from the National Council for Adoption takes a look at American adoption trends in a report called Adoption: By the Numbers. The report looks at findings from the seventh edition of the National Adoption Data study. The report indicated that adoption numbers have declined overall since 2007 and the decline is attributed to a 75% decrease in the number of international adoptions. In 2015, international adoptions fell to 5,647. However, domestic adoptions have remained mostly steady and increased slightly from 18,078 in 2007 to 18,329 in 2014.

February 24, 2017- Loss Leads Family To Adopt Special Needs Children

A family that had already adopted one child, was in the process of adopting another child who ended up passing away during the adoption process. Their journey through grief led them to help special-needs children. The couple received a call in 2013 from an international adoption agency they had been working with about a little girl who had been born with cerebral palsy. Read more about their adoption journey here.

January 3, 2017- International Adoptions Of Chinese Children Are Declining

There has been a decline in the adoption of Chinese children by American families. The adoption rate has dropped by 70 percent in the last decade since the Chinese government has started working to promote domestic adoption. The decline is due to a shrinking number of abandoned children as well as the growth in domestic adoptions. Furthermore, it has been reported that fewer children are being abandoned in a lot of developing countries over the years because poverty has eased out worldwide, which was one of the main reasons for child abandonment. For more information about the decline go here.

December 7, 2016- More Ways To Support Adoption Are Needed

Over 2,500 Pennsylvania children are waiting to be adopted according to the state Department of Human Services. Within the foster care system, there are nearly 110,000 children in the United Staes awaiting adoption according to the director of communication for the National Adoption Center in Philadelphia. These numbers highlight the need to raise more awareness about adoption and different ways to make it a reality for both parents and children looking to adopt.

November, 9-2016- November Is National Adoption Awareness Month

Every year November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month. The focus of this particular month is the adoption of children who are currently in foster care. According to the Department of Children and Family Services, there are more than 100,000 children across the nation who are in the foster care system awaiting permanent families. Furthermore, over 200,000 children age out of foster care every year without being placed in permanent homes.

October 19, 2016- Adoption Subsidy Bill Passes In PA

Legislation that would enable adoptive families to appeal state provided subsidy amounts by their county Children and Youth Services agency was passed in the House by a unanimous vote on October 17th.  The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams. House Bill 1528 enables adoptive families  of children with a mental or physical handicap, serious emotional disturbance, an older child, siblings or different ethnicity to appeal to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Service for more adoption subsidies. The subsidy can cover maintenance, medical, surgical and psychological expenses, including other costs stemming from the adoption.

September 27, 2016- State House Committee Approves Adoption Bill

In Harrisburg, PA, three more bills for a legislation package that are meant to streamline and speed up adoption procedures in Pennsylvania have recently been approved. The Executive Director of the House Children and Youth Committee is responsible for advancing three bills that are part of an eight-bill package, meant to tighten up adoption procedures.  One of the bills in the package that has already passed the House and is waiting for further action in the Senate, is supposed to reduce the period of time a birth mother can revoke her consent. The new proposed time frame will be 14 days instead of 30 days.

August 15th, 2015 – New Bill Aims To Make Pennsylvania Adoption Easier

A new bill, House Bill 1526, is seeking to change adoption laws in Pennsylvania, limiting the amount of time that birth parents have to revoke their consent. To learn more about this bill, check out Fox News 43