Adoption
Original Air Date: 5/13/2010
Over two-percent of U S children, roughly one and a half million, are adopted. Nearly 60-percent of all Americans have some kind of personal connection to adoption. A lot has changed over the past 25 years, and while international adoptions take most of the headlines domestic adoptions continue to keep pace.
Is adoption part of your family plans? How about someone you know? What are the trends? What are the rules? And what is the process?
GUESTS
Janna Annest, Adoption Attorney
Janna Annest is an adoption attorney in Seattle, Washington. She received her J.D. with honors from the University of Washington School of Law in 2003, and has practiced with the law firm of Mills Meyers Swartling since that time. Janna currently serves as President of the Dartmouth Alumni Club of Western Washington and on the board of Adoptive Friends & Family of Greater Seattle (AFFGS). She was named a "Rising Star" by Washington Law and Politics Magazine in 2009 and 2010. Janna is also an adoptive parent.
To learn more about Janna Annest, visit: http://www.mms-seattle.com/annest.htm
Dave Ptasnik, Co-Founder/Director of Americans Adopting Orphans
To learn more about Americans Adopting Orphans, visit: http://www.americansadoptingorphans.org/
Karly Stanek, Assistant Director of Faith International Adoption
Karly Stanek grew up locally in Gig Harbor, Washington and went on to attend collegeat Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida. Following graduation, Karly returned to
Washington and is now the Assistant Director at Faith International Adoptions
located in Tacoma. Currently, she works with families locally and all over the
country to support them in their adoption journeys. Karly and the rest of the Faith
office are dedicated to uniting orphaned children throughout the world with loving
permanent homes.
To learn more about Faith International Adoptions, visit: http://www.faithadopt.org/
For More Information
Adoption in the State of Washington
In the past 25 years, adoption practice has changed significantly. Historically adoptions have predominantly served families seeking infant placements. Today any child is considered adoptable, whether he or she is an infant, older child, child with special needs, or part of a sibling group.
Adoptions are comprised of a three way relationship often called the adoption triad. Each member of the triad, birth parent, adopted child, and adoptive parents share a relationship, but with a perspective unique to his or her own life experience. Though adoption is a shared journey, no one will experience it in the exactly the same way.
The decision to adopt is an important one. To begin to understand adoption and what it may mean for you, the following basic information is provided as an overview on adoption in Washington state with some basic information on how to get started. Adoption does not end at the issuing of an adoption decree, but is a lifelong journey. As such it is important to individually explore the lifelong impact for you.
Adoption in Washington State occurs through one of the following:
- Public Agency Adoption - Department of Social and Health Service, Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS);
- Private Agency Adoption - Agencies licensed in Washington State to provide adoption services;
- Independent Adoption - Adoptions completed by an independent agent.
For more information about adoption in Washington State, visit:
http://www.nwae.org/washington.html
To learn more about adoption, visit: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/adopt/how_questions.asp
Things to consider when adopting: http://www.americansadoptingorphans.org/
Resources
For a list of resources for families, visit: http://www.nwae.org/info_WA.html
To find a local Foster Care or Adoption Therapists, visit: http://cascadia-training.org/therapists/wamap_work.html
Other local adoption agencies
Life's Vision International: http://lifesvision.org/default.aspx
WACAP (World Association for Children and Parents): http://www.wacap.org/Default.aspx
Bethany Christian Services: http://www.bethany.org/
Others useful links
