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Adoption | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz

Domestic and International Adoptions: What’s the Difference?

By Sheryl Rentz on September 22, 2017

welcome to our home sign

When it comes to starting a family, many Americans turn to adoption. While it can be a truly rewarding process, there are certain decisions that must be made while navigating this journey.

There are two types of adoption: domestic and international. Domestic might seem like the “common” form of adoption amongst average Americans, but international adoption is on the rise. It’s not just for celebrities! Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

Can Adoption Be Only a Swipe Away?

By Sheryl Rentz on July 25, 2017

little girl on pink rocking horse

These days you can get almost anything on your phone. With just a tap on a screen, you can get food, buy a refrigerator, or send whatever your heart desires right to your doorstep. With each day, more items get added to the list.

Recently, a company named Adoptly tried applying this concept to adoption. The app functions like Tinder, a popular dating app. The app’s goal is to find the perfect child for those who are interesting in adopting. You can swipe right if you like the child or you can swipe left if you don’t. Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

How to Tell Your Children They are Adopted

By Sheryl Rentz on September 10, 2013

It’s understandable that adoptive parents may want to put off or completely skip having the adoption conversation with their adopted child, especially after having made it through the lengthy adoption process.  What if the child feels hurt, ashamed, or unwanted? What if he or she obsesses over finding his or her birth parents? Will the truth interfere with building a loving family relationship?

While the subject may stir up anxieties for many adoptive parents, most experts believe that adopted children greatly benefit from learning about his or her own life story as early as four or six years old. Author of Raising Adopted Children, Lois Ruskai Melina says that an open line of communication will ultimately help your adopted child grow into a self-assured adult. As difficult or uncomfortable as the subject may be, honesty will go a long way toward developing a stronger bond between you and your child.

Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

Important Decisions to Make When Choosing Adoption

By Sheryl Rentz on June 21, 2013

Adoption can be a rewarding and life-altering event that allows couples or single parents to provide a safe, loving home to a child in need. However, making the decision to adopt and going through the process comes with a wide range of obstacles. If you are thinking about adopting, the following considerations may be helpful: Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

National Adoption Month in November Highlights Need for Adoptive Families

By Sheryl Rentz on November 29, 2012

National Adoption Month has been celebrated in the month of November with events, campaigns, and activities to help build awareness of adoption and adoption-related issues. The specific focus this November is the adoption of children who are currently in foster care, and the focus was to find loving, permanent homes for foster children awaiting adoption. An Examiner.com news report states that presently there are more than 100,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S. waiting for permanent families, with 3,000 children in Philadelphia alone in need of permanent homes.

To celebrate National Adoption Month, a free event was held on November 19 in Philadelphia intended to be a public awareness campaign to underscore the need for children who need adoptive families. The event was a collaboration between the Philadelphia-based National Adoption Center and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and the event featured games, entertainment, interactive activities, and resource information for prospective families. Read the rest »

Registry Available for Adoptees, Birth Parents in Pennsylvania

By Sheryl Rentz on September 14, 2012

The 2010 law passed in Pennsylvania, formally called Pennsylvania Act 101, makes it easier to for Pennsylvania residents involved in adoptions to request information about the adoptee or birth parents. As reported by Montgomery News, this law allowed the state Department of Public Welfare to create the Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry (PAIR), which keeps confidential information related to the social and medical history of children adopted in the state. Birth parents, adoptive parents, or adoptees can make updates to the registry at any time.

A Pennsylvanian can reach PAIR by calling (800) 227-0225, but the information is shared only if both parties agree to it. This can eliminate the uncomfortable situation that may occur when an adoptee calls a biological parent that does not wish to be contacted. At the request of the adoptee, an authorized representative is appointed to search for birth parents or relatives, and the birth parents must provide written consent. Under PA law, a “birth relative” can refer to a parent, sibling, grandparent, stepparent, uncle, or aunt of the child’s birth family. Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

Guatemala Judge Orders U.S. Couple to Return Adopted Girl

By Sheryl Rentz on August 11, 2011

A judge in Guatemala recently ordered a couple in America to return their adopted daughter back to her birth mother, reports CNN. According to the article, Survivors Foundation, a rights organization based in Guatemala City, supports the girls’ mother. In 2006, the group alleges the girl was kidnapped, then adopted and taken to the U.S. For many years, the girl’s parents have fought to get her back. Read the rest »

Posted in: Adoption

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