Here is a link for a site on About.com that has a listing of the state laws, and regulations on adult adoption. Many in the forums on Adoption.com have asked about adopting their adult stepchild, so I thought I would provide a resource for those who are looking for more information on the subject of adult adoption.

Finding information on any form of adoption can be difficult, seeing as how they differ so much simply from county to county,... more

This scenario happens to families who are preparing for a stepparent adoption on a daily basis. The family has come to terms with the biological parent bailing out on the child, and after being able to move past the emotions that go along with that have decided on stepparent adoption. Sometimes it is the adoption petition that sparks a non-custodial parents newfound interest in his or her estranged child, while other times it simply seems to be life’s funny way of throwing off our plan for how we wanted things to go! A non-custodial parent whom has been... more

Weather you are a foster parent, stepparent, or recently divorced, you know about the difficulties that come with dealing with custody and visitation issues. Not only can the holidays can be stressful and hard on the adults, but it can also be extremely stressful and tense for the child as well.

Divorce is emotionally draining, especially during the holidays and special occasions. Divorced parents must communicate with even more diplomacy, patience, mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance than married couples planning holiday travel, dinners, reunions and... more

This check list is helpful to those who are still just in the begining stages of stepparent adoption, as well as those who have already completed the process, and have found that their own marriage has gone sour. An adoptive stepparent has the same custody and visitation rights as a biological parent does, so if the adoptive parent finds him or herself in a position where they wish to get out of their marriage, they can be assured that they will still be able to have contact with their adopted stepchild.

Hire the right lawyer, with the right experience,... more

Caren MacDonald reportedly lied to court officials when she told them that her son had been “touched,” in order to win custody of her then 12-year-old son. This case is coming to trial finally, after a five-year wait. The case is expected to raise issues about gay parenting, as it is her ex husbands ex boyfriend whom Caren MacDonald claimed had inappropriately touched her son.

After losing custody of her son in 2001, Caren MacDonald unexpectedly took her son out of private school one day, and then fled on a plane to Costa Rica with her son for nine... more

I found the story below on the Yahoo news page. I decided to share it, because I thought that it was an interesting, as well as thought provoking article. We all support, and think about our troups, but many do not stop to think about how badly their lives, as well as the lives of their families, are completely turned around while they are away serving for our great nation.

If parents can lose custody of their children due to being away for long periods while in the service, does this mean that courts will eventually have the power to start taking... more

When a child is involved in a custody situation where visitation occurs between two households, and/or two parental figures, parents may find themselves wanting to question their child about the visit upon the child’s return, not for the benefit of the child, but in order to pump the child for information about the other parent.

This can be very damaging to the child, who becomes caught in the middle of an impossible to get out of situation, as well as to the relationship between the child, and the parent who is pumping him or her after each visit, or whatever... more

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about International Kidnapping. I found this list on the United States Deparentment of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obsenity Section, or CEOS as it is called in short. I thought that this would be excellent information to share with anyone who has a child. Time is of the essence when dealing with a missiing child, so the more we are prepared and know as parents, the better we will be able to handle any parenting situation that might happen to come across our paths in life. No one can ever imagine themselves in this position.... more

In December of 2005, Asia Jackson of Philadelphia, called authorities to report her, then fifteen-month-old daughter, missing. Little Ansia Jackson, who's picture was featured on several different morning shows last month, as well as Without a Trace, was not taken by a stranger, but abducted by someone very close to her, her own father.

Philip Jerome Jackson, who is twenty-six years old, was found in a home located in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, along with his daughter Anisa. Pennsylvania authorities have charge Philip Jackson with kidnapping... more

1)THE RIGHT to be treated as an important human being, with unique feelings, ideas and desires and not as a source of argument between parents.

2)THE RIGHT to a sense of security and belonging derived from a loving, nurturing environment that is free of negative social influences such as drugs, alcohol, crime, bigotry and weapons in the home.

3)THE RIGHT to a continuing relationship with both parents and their extended families, based on a fair and just arrangement that will provide the... more