Adoption: out of the shadows
I recently attended an event to benefit the Children’s Campaign Fund, a political action committee that advocates for children in our state. The organization works to elect leaders who prioritize kids — and who promote programs and legislation that will enhance their interests and well being.
I chatted with attendees about the state’s foster care system — its problems as well as the progress that’s being made to help foster children overcome the multiple obstacles they face.
We all agreed: We need to find more innovative ways to help these children thrive.
Maybe that’s why this month’s feature, The Adoption Option: Opening Doors, Building a Family, resonates so strongly. Adoption, as writer Malia Jacobson explains, touches families, schools and neighborhoods across the country. And after being “shrouded in silence and secrecy for most of its history,” adoption is coming out of the shadows and into the sunlight where it belongs.
That’s welcome news — for parents, for children, for communities who care about families. Even better news? Foster care adoptions are on the rise. Between 1995 and 1998, they increased 40 percent; by 2008, 55,000 children were adopted from foster care.
Our story about what new parents worry about most is a must-read for every new parent. We all experience the “worry zone” with our babies. Is he eating right? Crying too much? Your fears will be considerably alleviated when you discover what the experts say about those very common concerns.
Maybe your child’s grown out of the infant stage and is old enough to encounter that notorious “mean girl” behavior. Think that conduct’s restricted to middle schoolers? Wrong. Writer Joanna Nesbit describes how the littlest kids in school — ages 4–9 — often find themselves navigating the cliques and conflicts of a challenging social scene.
That social scene takes on a whole new dimension just a few years later, when children morph into fashion-obsessed tweens (Clothes Call): Does your child clamor for clothes? Does she yearn to look like her favorite TV star — or her BFF? Get the skinny on skinny jeans — along with helpful tips for back-to-school shopping.
Been to the beach? There’s still time! Fill these glorious August sun-soaked days with waterfront magic. Jetty Island’s just a short ferry ride from downtown Everett; Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland offers a fabulous foot path and picturesque wooden bridges. Check out more tips and ideas in Bring on the Beach! And don’t forget the snacks and the sunscreen.
— Linda Morgan
Managing Editor
