Saturday, February 23, 2008
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Adoption rate in free fall
Australia- Ethiopian children accounted for 12 per cent of all adoptions.
February 21, 2008
Thirty-five years ago there were almost 10,000 adoptions in Australia. Last year there were just 568.
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggests various medical, social and policy factors are the cause for the drop in adoptions.
"The availability of more effective birth control together with the emergence of family planning centres and sex education classes has had a substantial impact in reducing the number of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies," the Adoptions Australia report says.
"In addition, decreasing fertility rates may reflect a general change in individual preferences and social trends with regards to having children."
The increasing success of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) also has negated the need for many adoptions as has an increasing social acceptance of raising children outside marriage, the report says.
In 1971-72, there were 9,798 children legally adopted in Australia.
Three and a half decades later, in 2006-07, 568 children were adopted.
The vast majority of children adopted last financial year - 71 per cent - came from overseas.
Most were Asian - 31 per cent came from China, 20 per cent from South Korea and 11 per cent from the Philippines.
Ethiopian children accounted for 12 per cent of all adoptions.
The increase in intercountry adoptions corresponds with a fall in the number of Australian children seeking adoption.
There were just 59 local adoptions in 2006-07 and 105 "known" adoptions - in which the child is adopted by a step-parent, other relatives or carers.
"A range of factors have contributed to this fall in adoptions of Australian children including more effective birth control, family planning centres, and sex education classes, as well as changing views on parenthood and child rearing," Nicole Hunter from the AIHW said.
Over the same 25-year period, intercountry adoptions have increased from six per cent of adoptions to 71 per cent.
The proportion of South and Central American children being adopted into Australia has steadily declined as Chinese and African children gain popularity.
The report also shows that 92 per cent of adopted children were younger than five years old, while 59 per cent of local adoptions were infants.
It was more common for girls to be adopted than boys - 58 per cent compared to 42 per cent.
Birth mothers had an average age of 26.5 years - older than previous years.
About half of the children were adopted into families with no other children and three-in-five had adoptive parents aged 40 years and over.
Ninety-five per cent of the adoptive parents were in a registered marriage.
Indigenous children made up just six adoptions during 2006-07 - four were adopted by indigenous parents and two by other Australians.
The report also briefly mentions information services offered to adopted people and their birth parents once they are over the age of 18.
There were 2,851 requests for information in 2006-07.
That is the least number of requests made over the past decade and is a drop of 6 per cent over a year.
The majority - 73 per cent - of information applications were made by the adopted person and the vast majority were over the age of 25.
Birth parents made 15 per cent of inquiries and other birth relatives 7 per cent.
February 21, 2008
Thirty-five years ago there were almost 10,000 adoptions in Australia. Last year there were just 568.
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggests various medical, social and policy factors are the cause for the drop in adoptions.
"The availability of more effective birth control together with the emergence of family planning centres and sex education classes has had a substantial impact in reducing the number of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies," the Adoptions Australia report says.
"In addition, decreasing fertility rates may reflect a general change in individual preferences and social trends with regards to having children."
The increasing success of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) also has negated the need for many adoptions as has an increasing social acceptance of raising children outside marriage, the report says.
In 1971-72, there were 9,798 children legally adopted in Australia.
Three and a half decades later, in 2006-07, 568 children were adopted.
The vast majority of children adopted last financial year - 71 per cent - came from overseas.
Most were Asian - 31 per cent came from China, 20 per cent from South Korea and 11 per cent from the Philippines.
Ethiopian children accounted for 12 per cent of all adoptions.
The increase in intercountry adoptions corresponds with a fall in the number of Australian children seeking adoption.
There were just 59 local adoptions in 2006-07 and 105 "known" adoptions - in which the child is adopted by a step-parent, other relatives or carers.
"A range of factors have contributed to this fall in adoptions of Australian children including more effective birth control, family planning centres, and sex education classes, as well as changing views on parenthood and child rearing," Nicole Hunter from the AIHW said.
Over the same 25-year period, intercountry adoptions have increased from six per cent of adoptions to 71 per cent.
The proportion of South and Central American children being adopted into Australia has steadily declined as Chinese and African children gain popularity.
The report also shows that 92 per cent of adopted children were younger than five years old, while 59 per cent of local adoptions were infants.
It was more common for girls to be adopted than boys - 58 per cent compared to 42 per cent.
Birth mothers had an average age of 26.5 years - older than previous years.
About half of the children were adopted into families with no other children and three-in-five had adoptive parents aged 40 years and over.
Ninety-five per cent of the adoptive parents were in a registered marriage.
Indigenous children made up just six adoptions during 2006-07 - four were adopted by indigenous parents and two by other Australians.
The report also briefly mentions information services offered to adopted people and their birth parents once they are over the age of 18.
There were 2,851 requests for information in 2006-07.
That is the least number of requests made over the past decade and is a drop of 6 per cent over a year.
The majority - 73 per cent - of information applications were made by the adopted person and the vast majority were over the age of 25.
Birth parents made 15 per cent of inquiries and other birth relatives 7 per cent.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
3,500 Ethiopian children have been adopted by American families since 1990
Broadneck teacher adopts Ethiopian sisters
By ELISABETH HULETTE, Staff Writer
www.hometownannapolis.com/
Published February 18, 2008
For the past few months, the Stimely family's four daughters have been throwing nightly dance parties in their living room to the tunes of Disney's wildly popular "High School Musical."
It'd be a nightly scene like any other, except that two of the girls are brand new to both American people and pop culture. The Stimelys adopted Masene, 5, and Safiya, 3, from Ethiopia in November. Their mother, Carol Bittner, said the dance parties have brought the girls closer to their new American sisters, Ruth, 7, and Lillian, 3.
"It feels good to have two new people in the family," Ruth said. "We just play and have fun."
The Stimelys are among a growing number of people adopting from Ethiopia. China and Russia have been the major hubs for adoption, but Ethiopia's star is rising, Ms. Bittner said.
A combination of the country's relatively easy adoption paperwork and large number of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic has drawn an increasing number of adoption agencies over the past few years, said Merrily Ripley, director of Adoption Advocates International, the agency that helped the Stimelys adopt Masene and Safiya.
About 3,500 Ethiopian children have been adopted by American families since 1990, and of those, about 1,250 children were adopted in 2007 alone, said Hermela Kebede, director of the Ethiopian Community Center in Washington. Government officials have estimated that 4,000 will be adopted in 2008, she said.
"That's how much it's growing," Ms. Kebede said.
Wait times for adopting Ethiopian children are longer than they've ever been, said Ms. Ripley, as agencies realize that Ethiopia's clear adoption procedures make it a good country for international adoption.
Also, because of new drugs that reduce the risk of spreading HIV, American families can now adopt HIV-positive children, Ms. Ripley said. Adoption Advocates placed about 30 HIV-positive children from Ethiopia last year, she said.
"That's something we never thought we'd be able to do 5 to 10 years ago," she said.
American families are aware that HIV, malaria, yellow fever and poverty have left many children orphaned.
"I think because they're aware of the need there, the orphans, a lot of folks are motivated by wanting to adopt a child," Ms. Ripley said.
That was one reason why the Stimelys decided to adopt from Ethiopia.
Ross Stimely, a teacher at Broadneck High School, and Ms. Bittner, who is an attorney for the federal court in Baltimore, had talked about adopting for years. It would be a way to make a difference and also grow their family, Mr. Stimely said.
They decided to work through Adoption Advocates because unlike agencies that focus on babies, Adoption Advocates works with older children and tries to keep siblings together, Ms. Bittner said. The agency has placed as many as five siblings together, Ms. Ripley said.
They applied and in May were told the agency had found two little girls who needed a family. But summer is the rainy season in east Africa, and the Stimelys had to wait until November to make the trip.
They passed the months by writing to Masene and Safiya, sending them photos of their new house, their new sisters. The trip they finally took in November with Ruth and Lillian was the furthest they had ever traveled, Mr. Stimely said.
He and Ms. Bittner met their new daughters on Nov. 19 - a date that also happened to be their 13th wedding anniversary.
Masene and Safiya are from a rural part of southern Ethiopia, where people raise sheep and goats and have neither electricity nor running water, Ms. Bittner said. The girls were apprehensive when they first arrived in the United States.
To help them adjust, the Stimelys have been cooking traditional Ethiopian food, like potato stew and injera, a sort of pancake that's a staple of the Ethiopian diet, Mr. Stimely said. Ruth and Lillian have been taking Ethiopian food to school in their packed lunches. And they're trying to learn Amharic, the regional Ethiopian language.
Lillian and Ruth have already picked up some Amharic, he said, just as Masene and Safiya have picked up the words to High School Musical. Lillian, at 3 years old, has already forgotten what it's like not to have adopted sisters, Ms. Bittner said.
"For her, it's completely normal," Ms. Bittner said. "Like, doesn't everyone have a sister from Ethiopia?"
The Stimelys hope their story will inspire more people to adopt one of the many Ethiopian children who need families. If their family can do it, anyone can, Ms. Bittner said.
"We are completely normal, regular people, except we saw a problem and acted on it," she said. "We're just raising our kids. It's just life, and you can do it and it can be great."
By ELISABETH HULETTE, Staff Writer
www.hometownannapolis.com/
Published February 18, 2008
For the past few months, the Stimely family's four daughters have been throwing nightly dance parties in their living room to the tunes of Disney's wildly popular "High School Musical."
It'd be a nightly scene like any other, except that two of the girls are brand new to both American people and pop culture. The Stimelys adopted Masene, 5, and Safiya, 3, from Ethiopia in November. Their mother, Carol Bittner, said the dance parties have brought the girls closer to their new American sisters, Ruth, 7, and Lillian, 3.
"It feels good to have two new people in the family," Ruth said. "We just play and have fun."
The Stimelys are among a growing number of people adopting from Ethiopia. China and Russia have been the major hubs for adoption, but Ethiopia's star is rising, Ms. Bittner said.
A combination of the country's relatively easy adoption paperwork and large number of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic has drawn an increasing number of adoption agencies over the past few years, said Merrily Ripley, director of Adoption Advocates International, the agency that helped the Stimelys adopt Masene and Safiya.
About 3,500 Ethiopian children have been adopted by American families since 1990, and of those, about 1,250 children were adopted in 2007 alone, said Hermela Kebede, director of the Ethiopian Community Center in Washington. Government officials have estimated that 4,000 will be adopted in 2008, she said.
"That's how much it's growing," Ms. Kebede said.
Wait times for adopting Ethiopian children are longer than they've ever been, said Ms. Ripley, as agencies realize that Ethiopia's clear adoption procedures make it a good country for international adoption.
Also, because of new drugs that reduce the risk of spreading HIV, American families can now adopt HIV-positive children, Ms. Ripley said. Adoption Advocates placed about 30 HIV-positive children from Ethiopia last year, she said.
"That's something we never thought we'd be able to do 5 to 10 years ago," she said.
American families are aware that HIV, malaria, yellow fever and poverty have left many children orphaned.
"I think because they're aware of the need there, the orphans, a lot of folks are motivated by wanting to adopt a child," Ms. Ripley said.
That was one reason why the Stimelys decided to adopt from Ethiopia.
Ross Stimely, a teacher at Broadneck High School, and Ms. Bittner, who is an attorney for the federal court in Baltimore, had talked about adopting for years. It would be a way to make a difference and also grow their family, Mr. Stimely said.
They decided to work through Adoption Advocates because unlike agencies that focus on babies, Adoption Advocates works with older children and tries to keep siblings together, Ms. Bittner said. The agency has placed as many as five siblings together, Ms. Ripley said.
They applied and in May were told the agency had found two little girls who needed a family. But summer is the rainy season in east Africa, and the Stimelys had to wait until November to make the trip.
They passed the months by writing to Masene and Safiya, sending them photos of their new house, their new sisters. The trip they finally took in November with Ruth and Lillian was the furthest they had ever traveled, Mr. Stimely said.
He and Ms. Bittner met their new daughters on Nov. 19 - a date that also happened to be their 13th wedding anniversary.
Masene and Safiya are from a rural part of southern Ethiopia, where people raise sheep and goats and have neither electricity nor running water, Ms. Bittner said. The girls were apprehensive when they first arrived in the United States.
To help them adjust, the Stimelys have been cooking traditional Ethiopian food, like potato stew and injera, a sort of pancake that's a staple of the Ethiopian diet, Mr. Stimely said. Ruth and Lillian have been taking Ethiopian food to school in their packed lunches. And they're trying to learn Amharic, the regional Ethiopian language.
Lillian and Ruth have already picked up some Amharic, he said, just as Masene and Safiya have picked up the words to High School Musical. Lillian, at 3 years old, has already forgotten what it's like not to have adopted sisters, Ms. Bittner said.
"For her, it's completely normal," Ms. Bittner said. "Like, doesn't everyone have a sister from Ethiopia?"
The Stimelys hope their story will inspire more people to adopt one of the many Ethiopian children who need families. If their family can do it, anyone can, Ms. Bittner said.
"We are completely normal, regular people, except we saw a problem and acted on it," she said. "We're just raising our kids. It's just life, and you can do it and it can be great."
Friday, February 15, 2008
Children's Books about Ethiopia
Here is a great link to a list of Children's books about Ethiopia. Click HERE!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Jane Kurtz and Christopher Kurtz to speak at Naval Academy Primary School
You are cordially invited to spend the evening with children’s authors Jane Kurtz and Christopher Kurtz.
Date- Saturday, 17 November 2007
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Naval Academy Primary School,
74 Greenbury Point Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
Light refreshments will be served.
Jane Kurtz, renowned children’s book author and Board president of Ethiopia Reads, a non-profit organization that was established for the purpose of promoting children's book publishing, reading, literacy and the development of education in Ethiopia will present a slide show and speak about Ethiopia, literacy, and her life experiences. Her presentation will be complemented by her brother, Chris Kurtz, also an author, board member of Ethiopia Reads, and accomplished speaker telling his story and doing a reading. Jane and Chris grew up in Ethiopia, children of missionaries, and have fascinating stories to share.
For more information about Ethiopia Reads, please visit their website at www.ethiopiareads.org. The organization was featured in the October issue of Good Housekeeping magazine: you can download the very informative article, written by Melissa Fay Greene, about their projects from their website.
For more information about Jane Kurtz, please visit www.JaneKurtz.com.
Books will be available for purchase – all proceeds will benefit EthiopiaReads.org and its projects.
An RSVP is not required, but would be appreciated to EthiopiaReads@aol.com – or leave a voice mail for Catie Dupont at 571-243-1411.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Let's Read about Africa - The BeeKeeper of Lalibela
Let's Read about Africa
at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.
Ages: 5--10
Introduces young audiences to current and classical children's literature about Africa. Each reading is followed by an art activity. Suitable for ages 5 to 10.
The Best Beekeeper in Lalibela
Sat., Nov. 3, 10:30 a.m.
By Cristine Kessler, illus. by Leonard Jenkins, 2006
The Best Beekeeper in Lalibela tells the story of a determined young girl who defies tradition and becomes the first girl beekeeper. Read by Yohannes Gebregeorgis, an Ethiopian children's author and Director of Ethiopian operations of the non-profit EthiopiaReads.org.
(You can purchase copies of The BeeKeeper of Lalibela by visiting www.silverchicks.com or contact Catie Dupont at catie@ethiopiareads.org. For more information about titles published by Ethiopia Reads in Amharic and English, please visit www.ethiopiareads.org.)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Do You Enjoy Your Kids?
By Jeffrey D. Murrah
Do you enjoy your kids? Do others enjoy your kids? Hopefully, as a parent you are able to answer each of these questions in the affirmative. Parenting, like so many areas of life requires us to get our hands dirty. In order to enjoy our children, it is necessary for parents to extend themselves beyond their "comfort zone." Leaving the comfort zone means trying something new, novel and creative with your children.
Some parents attempt raising children without leaving their comfort zone. This type of parenting emphasizes parental convenience at the expense of experiencing childhood. Like window shopping or watching squirrels, children can be admired from a distance. Admiring from a distance is a cheap substitute for enjoying who your children are.
Admiration is important to children, yet doing things with them means more. Children generally crave attention, with calls of "Mommy! Daddy! Look at me!" A way to enjoy them, and them to enjoy you is to join them. This means that instead of just giving them a movie to watch, view it with them. When your children are swimming, join them in the pool. I have seen my own children overjoyed when their grandparents join them in the swimming pool, rather than just observing. After jumping in the pool, try really enjoying your children by splashing and playing instead of floating like an iceberg.
Be creative in finding ways to enjoy your children. Making cookies for them is nice, yet making cookies with them means more. Instead of just watching them play ball, try joining them at times. Playing games with them and reading to them are also ways to enjoy your children. Since the holidays are quickly approaching, look for opportunities to join your children in doing things together.
The word 'enjoy' literally means to enter into a joyous state. To enjoy children involves reaching out and joining them in having fun. As parents join their children, a new reciprocity often develops. Children then start showing an interest in the parents' hobbies or activities. Another benefit is that parents and children know who each other helps to strengthen bonds. Knowing and enjoying who your child is as a person is preferred to what your child does. Enjoying your children also builds their self-confidence and sense of security.
Enjoying children requires effort. It is easier to voyeuristically watch them, snickering at their antics than it is to join them. Watching them can send the message to the child that they are objects for the parent's enjoyment or that they are being made fun of. Joining them sends the message to them, "you are important" and "you have value." Our children look to us for affirmation. It is up to the parents to choose if children are to be put on display or enjoyed.
Jeffrey D. Murrah is a licensed marriage and family therapist with offices in Pasadena and La Porte. He can be reached at (713) 944-4335 or his website, restorethefamily.com.
Do you enjoy your kids? Do others enjoy your kids? Hopefully, as a parent you are able to answer each of these questions in the affirmative. Parenting, like so many areas of life requires us to get our hands dirty. In order to enjoy our children, it is necessary for parents to extend themselves beyond their "comfort zone." Leaving the comfort zone means trying something new, novel and creative with your children.
Some parents attempt raising children without leaving their comfort zone. This type of parenting emphasizes parental convenience at the expense of experiencing childhood. Like window shopping or watching squirrels, children can be admired from a distance. Admiring from a distance is a cheap substitute for enjoying who your children are.
Admiration is important to children, yet doing things with them means more. Children generally crave attention, with calls of "Mommy! Daddy! Look at me!" A way to enjoy them, and them to enjoy you is to join them. This means that instead of just giving them a movie to watch, view it with them. When your children are swimming, join them in the pool. I have seen my own children overjoyed when their grandparents join them in the swimming pool, rather than just observing. After jumping in the pool, try really enjoying your children by splashing and playing instead of floating like an iceberg.
Be creative in finding ways to enjoy your children. Making cookies for them is nice, yet making cookies with them means more. Instead of just watching them play ball, try joining them at times. Playing games with them and reading to them are also ways to enjoy your children. Since the holidays are quickly approaching, look for opportunities to join your children in doing things together.
The word 'enjoy' literally means to enter into a joyous state. To enjoy children involves reaching out and joining them in having fun. As parents join their children, a new reciprocity often develops. Children then start showing an interest in the parents' hobbies or activities. Another benefit is that parents and children know who each other helps to strengthen bonds. Knowing and enjoying who your child is as a person is preferred to what your child does. Enjoying your children also builds their self-confidence and sense of security.
Enjoying children requires effort. It is easier to voyeuristically watch them, snickering at their antics than it is to join them. Watching them can send the message to the child that they are objects for the parent's enjoyment or that they are being made fun of. Joining them sends the message to them, "you are important" and "you have value." Our children look to us for affirmation. It is up to the parents to choose if children are to be put on display or enjoyed.
Jeffrey D. Murrah is a licensed marriage and family therapist with offices in Pasadena and La Porte. He can be reached at (713) 944-4335 or his website, restorethefamily.com.
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