Do you have an artistic child? Here is a great opportunity for families touched by adoption to participate in a Children’s Art Exhibit, being put on by the Joint Council on International Children’s Services.

The Joint Council on International Children’s Services, or JCICS describes themselves on their website as “the oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non-profit international adoption organizations in the world. Our membership includes adoption agencies, child welfare organizations, parent support groups and medical specialists... more

In one of my earlier posts, I gave a list of books for adults and children. One that I cannot one of my earlier posts, believe I left off of the children’s list is "Little Miss Spider," by David Kirk. If you are unfamiliar with the Little Miss Spider books, they are a series of books featuring a bug family made up of all different types of bugs. It is also now an animated television show on Nick Jr.

In some of the books and on the television show, Miss Spider... more

Here is an awesome new resource for adoptive parents. It is the University of Washington Center for Adoption Medicine website. http://www.adoptmed.org

This site is full of information, including how to have them evaluate a referral, how to schedule an appointment once your child is home (if you live in that area), and perhaps best of all, an “Ask the Doc” blog, where adoptive parents can post questions and have them answered by a doctor who specializes in treating children adopted internationally.

I do realize that not all transracially-adopted... more

Ok, I have to admit that I love movies. I come from a long line of movie buffs, and I love them! I like comedies, dramas, musicals, action films, foreign films…not so much horror…and I especially love old movies. One of my all-time favorites is “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, starring Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Sydney Poitier. If you do not know the film, it was made in 1967, and is about a white couple (Hepburn and Tracy) and how they handle it when their daughter comes home with a black fiancé (Poitier). The parents believe themselves to be open-minded and certainly... more

This article is currently on the New York Times website. It is titled “Adopted in China, Seeking Identity in America” and was written by Lynette Clemetson.

The article is written about adoptees from China, but easily applies to any transracially adopted child and family. It focuses on children adopted from China who are now teenagers, and how this first group of current-day adopted children are handling issues of race and culture.

The article states, “As the oldest of the adopted children move through their teenage years, they are beginning — independently and with a mix of enthusiasm... more

I just found the most wonderful podcast on transracial adoption. It was recommended on another adoption board by an African American woman, and in her recommendation, she stated that this was the first time she heard a white woman who truly understands racism.

Here is the link. (It's a .wma audio file.)

This podcast is presented by Children’s Home Society and Family Services, who we used for our Ethiopian adoption. They make education... more

Heritage camps are a great way for transracial families of all different make-ups to celebrate and learn about their adopted children’s cultures together.

Culture camps are usually held in the summer for 3-7 days, and offer classes, activities, lots of socialization and other great experiences for families to enjoy together.

There are camps designed for families with children of all ages and camps designed for children of specific ages. There are camps for almost every race and culture and they are held in many different locations across the country. The number... more

My best friend gave me a book (my favorite kind of present!) that I want to share with you all. It is called "I Am America" and it was written by Charles R. Smith Jr. I apologize in advance to any readers who aren't in the U.S.A. This is definitely a book written for Americans. :)

The book is large, bright photos of beautiful, "normal" looking kids, of all different races. Each page has several photos and the book reads as a poem. It starts, "I am America. I am proud. I am diverse, soft-spoken and loud." The poem goes on about different hair types, different skin colors,... more

I just found a really wonderful website! It is from the New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children, and it is an “Ask the Experts” page for questions about transracial adoption! How great is that?? Here is the link, http://www.nysccc.org/T-Rarts/askme.html

You can read through the archives and get lots of great information and advice, or you can post your own question, if you have one. The experts are two older, transracial adoptees who are highly educated and experienced. I found this to be a wonderful resource and hope you enjoy it and take advantage of it.

On the main webpage the give a list of resources, which... more

My kids are being good and I am on a roll so here is one more great article for your reading pleasure...

This one is from the Adoption.com magazine, which I adore. This article is called "Blending the Color of Families through Adoption: A Questioning Look at Some of the Fears, Phobias and Fallacies," and it is written by Rita Jenkins, who is an African-German adult adoptee. The article gives tons of Jenkins' personal insights on adoption, race, etc.

Jenkins definitely has a different "tone" to her writing than a lot of other adoption authors, and I am interested to hear what you think. She definitely does... more