I came across this very interesting little piece that appeared in the New York Times the other day about American families raising adopted children from China and exposing both the child and the family to Chinese traditions. This is done basically to give the child a sense of identity of where they are from and their culture, as well as giving the adoptive family the opportunity to learn more about their child's roots.

This is a really great concept and as we see more families adopting from overseas, it really does give a child a good sense of self and an understanding of where they come from. There are times when we seem too quick to "Americanize" these kids, but we need to remember that all of us come from somewhere else, and we celebrate our own traditions and customs, whether we are of Italian, Irish, Jewish, German, African-American, Asian, etc., descent. We as adoptive parents should allow our children that same opportunity to celebrate their own inherent traditions.

I've never seen an episode of Dr. Phil, but I wished I had seen these two episodes. Apparently, last week a woman who scammed a family who thought they were adopting her baby was revealed and confronted on the show by the same family.

It appears this "person", Bella Kampanelli aka Melissa Christiansen, a known adoption scammer, was bilking other families out of their money as well. After she got caught by the authorities, her explanation of her behavior was that she "wanted to feel special to somebody"--the somebody being at least five different families she coerced into paying her bills and believing that her baby would go to them. To top it off, she was not even pregnant.

It goes without saying that people like Melissa Christiansen are the scum of the Earth, and they should have the book thrown at them. As we've said here before, if you choose to pursue an adoption where you deal directly with the birthmother, it pays to do as much due diligence as possible, including background checks. Of course, it may prove difficult for the other party to cooperate, but if they don't, it means they're probably up to something and it would be better for you to walk away. The end result could be devastating heartbreak for you.

If anyone has seen these shows, please comment here and let us know what exactly transpired.

It's every prospective adoptive parent's worst nightmare. A birthmother promises that she has chosen you to be the adoptive parent of her baby, but when the baby is due, the deal is broken.

Many times, the birthmother and (sometimes) the birthfather have a change of heart and decide to keep their child. Although that scenario can be heartbreaking to people expecting to adopt, it comes with the territory, and you have to expect it. Giving up a child is the most wrenching decision anyone ever has to make, so even though it can be devastating to those waiting to adopt, you can certainly understand it if someone changes their mind.

However, unfortunately, there are those who would take advantage of people and engage in adoption scams to bilk people out of money. There are some "birthmothers" who will promise their child to more than one adoptive family or, in some extreme cases, fake a pregnancy. They do this while accepting financial support from these people. When you read about these types of scams, it makes you very angry.

To combat these situations, Lynne Banks and Kelly Kiser-Mostrom have created a website based on Kiser-Mostrom's book "The Cruelest Con" that helps adoptive parents identify potential scammers as well as make sure the agencies and/or attorneys they work with are on the level. They don't charge for their work, and they strive to help people have a positive adoption experience.

It's a great tool to help anyone interested in adopting and helps to make sure that they are protected against any scams from unscrupulous people.

For all of us who have either adopted or are planning to adopt, this piece does a good job of debunking some of the preconceived (i.e., inaccurate) notions that people may have about the concept of adopting a child or about the process.

While I have some issues about the cost of adoption--true, rich people are not the only people that can adopt, but it is VERY expensive, and both domestic and international agencies are not doing this SOLELY for the good of their hearts. Let's be real--they're in business and they'd like to make a profit, or else they wouldn't be doing it in the first place.

Nevertheless, this column serves as a good template from which to gain better understanding of what adoption is all about.

Adoptions from Guatemala have proved very popular over the past few years. There were nearly 4,500 completed last year, and it looks like more will take place this year.

However, this story gives strong indications that there are many irregularities in the system within the country, and it bears closer scrutiny as more Americans turn to Guatemala and other countries in the region for adoptions as China and other lands place more restrictions on their own adoption processes.

There are allegations of women being manipulated into placing their children into the adoption system, and of monies being exchanged between unaware adoptive parents and baby brokers in Guatemala. It really is sad to read and this could only lead to further trouble down the line if anyone within the Guatemalan government had the courage to contest the system.

It goes without saying that if you plan to adopt from Guatemala you should first gather as much information as you can before you undertake the effort. Of course, information from sources such as domestic adoption agencies as well as the State Department can be spotty at best, but you have to start from somewhere. Unfortunately, there is a lot of room for abuse in the system and a lot of people can get hurt.

You have to give Florida Governor Charlie Crist some credit for trying to make adoption easier and more affordable in his state.

Besides proposing an annual $3,000 subsidy for parents who adopt until the child turns 18 years of age, he is looking to create an Office of Adoption and Child Protection. Thhe head of this office would be charged with the responsibility of making sure the adoption process, especially of those children in foster care moves forward in a timely manner. In addition, children with special needs, who already get a state subsidy of about $3,600 a year, would see that increase to about $5,000.

It's gratifying to see that these steps are being taken. Adoption is by and large an expensive proposition, and anything that can be done to ease the financial burden is worth undertaking. Plus, having a state government office coordinating adoptions within that state seems like a good idea. There are way too many instances where there is a lack of information as well as solid regulation when it comes to adoptions, especially for those children in foster care. In addition, there are too many loopholes and opportunities for mismanagement of the entire process, and having someone in charge to make sure everything goes smoothly is a good thing.

This is the kind of story that puts fear into the hearts of every prospective adoptive family.

It turns out a Michigan woman defrauded three(!) adoptive couples out of thousands of dollars as she is accused of promising them they would be able to adopt her unborn child. The couples each paid money to her for rent, utilities, and cellphone bills. The child was eventually born and placed with a fourth couple.

The accused culprit, Heather Roshelle Collins, allegedly made things even worse by telling the couples that her baby would be born last October when it actually was born in August. So, for a period of three months, she continued to accept money from these couples while her child was already out of her custody.

Collins has now been charged with two felonies and released on $20,000 bond. Preliminary hearings are scheduled to take place next week.

Obviously, we all know that birthmothers do have the right to change their minds and keep their babies--all of us who have adopted domestically know the risks. However, birthmothers don't have the right to play with peoples' emotions and prey on them for bottomless financial support. That's why it is crucial that prospective adoptive parents get legal representation immediately so their rights will be protected.

Legislation has been proposed in New Hampshire that will allow same-sex couples to adopt in all 10 of the state's counties. Currently, probate judges in six counties allow these adoptions, while four do not. However, according to this story, the fact that these four counties that do not allow same-sex adoptions has nothing to do with personal views on the issue--it's more of how judges in these particular cases read and apply existing law.

Under the current law, a married couple or an unmarried couple can adopt children, but it does not specifically say that same-sex adults can do so as well. Some judges apply the law to include same-sex unmarried couples. But for judges who go "by the book," same-sex adoptions are not allowed to proceed because these couples cannot marry in New Hampshire.

The new law would allow for two unmarried adults in a "familial relationship"--meaning that the couple share a home and have the means to pay the rent or mortgage on that home--to adopt a child together. Of course, the couple would also have to prove that they have the ability to provide a stable and loving home for that child, but one would assume that process already exists within the state.

The proposed legislation certainly makes a lot of sense, and it should pass when it comes up for a vote next month.

This is another one of those editorials written by a vice president from the Focus on the Family organization that pretty much lays to waste the idea of gay adoptive parents being good role models for their children.

Bill Maier cites research that concludes that children do best in families where there is a mother and father because they have different communication styles and kids should be exposed to that. (You can draw your own conclusions.)

He also strangely brings up what Rosie O'Donnell's six-year-old adopted son said about why he doesn't have a father. I'm not a fan of Rosie O'Donnell at all, but I've always admired her for supporting and promoting adoption. But using a six-year-old kid's opinions to buttress your argument against gay adoption sounds a bit weak, doesn't it?

It's been said that Web 2.0 social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster bring people together, but this story really brings the point across.

Apparently, a Wisconsin woman who placed her baby daughter for adoption in 1985 found her child on MySpace just a few short weeks ago. The both of them had been corresponding with an adoption agency as a go-between, but they were never able to meet face-to-face. The story goes that the mother (Diana Brown) typed in her daughter's name (Ashley Gardner) on MySpace and was able to see her picture. They soon touched base via e-mail, and then finally met a few weeks later.

In addition, it appears that Ms. Gardner's parents approve of the reunion, and Ms. Brown seems to have the right attitude by saying that she was not trying to replace anyone in her life, but just there to love her.

Small world, isn't it?