Two Cats and a Cradle: April 2012

Monday, April 23, 2012

A Safe Haven

I recently saw a graphic image on Facebook of a baby in a dumpster. Absolutely heartbreaking. What desperate situation would drive a mother to discard her baby? Don't they know there are laws in place to protect them and their child? Probably not. So I thought I would do a little research on Safe Haven laws.

The Safe Haven law also called "Baby Moses law" allows mothers to anonymously give up their infants at a designated location without facing criminal charges. You can walk right into a hospital or fire station or sometimes a church and hand your baby over and walk out. The laws are different in each state, but the premise is the same to protect newborns. After the baby has been given to a safe haven provider, the local child welfare department assumes custody and places the child usually in a preadoptive home. Child Welfare department petitions the court for termination of birth parent's parental rights. Some states require the department to check with police to make sure the baby isn't a missing child. Well, duh. I can't believe all states don't require that checkpoint. Anyway... There are also procedures in place if a nonrelinquishing father wanted to petition for custody. After the court terminates parental rights, the child can be placed for adoption. It's a rough start for the baby, but better than the alternative.

Lawmakers are currently trying to raise awareness of this law and have proclaimed April Safe Haven Awareness Month. It must be kismet that I wanted to address this topic. So spread the word and give a baby a chance.

photo credit: Mitch Diamond

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Poem to Adoptive Parents

We recently attended an all-day educational adoption seminar with our agency, Bethany Christian Services. I came away with my worries calmed, some useful information and an arm-load of handouts to read and probably blog about. I also picked up a poem by Joyce Maguire Pavao to adoptive parents and I thought it was special and wanted to share it with you.

Poem to Adoptive Parents by Joyce Maguire Pavao

You cannot change the truth.

These are your children,

but they came from somewhere else.

And they are the children of those places,

and those people as well.

Help them to know about their past

and about their present.

Help them to know that they are from extended families,

that they have only have one set of parents,

but that they have more mothers and fathers.
They have grandmothers, godmothers, birth mothers,
mother countries and mother earth.
They have grandfathers, godfathers, birth fathers and fatherlands.

They have family by birth and by adoption.

They have family by choice and by chance.

Childhood is short;

They are our children to raise;

They are our children to love;

and then they are citizens of the world.

What we do to them creates the world that we live in.

Give them life. Give them truth. Give them love.

Give them all that they came with.

Give them all that they grow with.

Your children do not belong to you,

but they belong with you.

You cannot keep them from what is theirs,

but you can keep loving them.

You do not own your children,

but they are your own.

♥ Puzzle pieces are still available! Click on the fundraiser tab to get yours!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Trading Places

I know I'm late joining the party, but I've always thought of this blog as my own as well as Jenn's. So as life has gotten hectic for both of us, I decided to pitch in and give Jenn a break from writing. We're trading places this week.

I recently listened with fascination to an episode of the podcast This American Life. The show concerned two babies who were switched at birth. Astoundingly, for over 40 years both children never suspected (or at least never voiced suspicions) that they could possibly have belonged to the other family.

One of the mothers, who was handed a baby that was a full two pounds lighter than the weight listed on her birth certificate, had immediate concerns. But complications after her delivery sent her back to the hospital and when she was released, her husband convinced her not to disgrace her doctor with such wild accusations.

Both families, the Miller's and the McDonald's, lived within a few miles of each other, were friendly with each other and at one point even attended the same church. The dark-haired brooding and intellectual Miller family never inquired about the curious fact that they were raising Marti, a blonde blue-eyed member of the cheerleading team. Conversely, the blonde-haired, outgoing and lighthearted McDonald family never questioned their odd brunette daughter Sue who was much more comfortable reading indoors as her siblings played outside.

Even more bizarrely, Sue began to question her origin more often as she grew older, but Marti never suspected that her parents were anything other than her own. 43 years later Sue received a letter from her mother confirming what she had long suspected. DNA testing later proved the hospital's error.

It is natural for adolescents, experiencing bewildering and rapid changes, to look at their parents and say "who are these people? I must have been switched at birth!". However, other than as the plot of soap operas and Lifetime movies the incidence of children being switched at birth remains extremely low.

This American Life - Episode 360

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/360/switched-at-birth

Wikipedia - Switched at birth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babies_switched_at_birth

Lifetime 'Someone Else's Child'

http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/someone-elses-child

Soap opera - ABC's 'Switched At Birth'

http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/switched-at-birth

~Marlon

♥ Puzzle pieces are still available! Click on the fundraiser tab to get yours!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Comic Book Fans, This One's for You! Part Deux

As I told you last week, a good friend donated some of their Dark Horse comics to us to be sold to benefit our adoption fund. Cool, right?

I haven't posted anything to ebay in a long time and forgot how time consuming it was. I literally had to get up and take a break from posting on ebay. I only got half the books up last week and decided I would do them in two batches. The second round of comics are now up for sale! Head over to ebay and take a look. If you interested, you can either bid on ebay or if no one has bid yet, email me and we can work something out. Just like all of our fundraisers, all money raised goes into our adoption savings.

All of the comics are from the mid-1990's and are in pretty good condition, a few corner bends here and there. Click on the title to see the ebay auction. Ebay auctions will end on Sunday, April 15, 2012. If you know people that may be interested in these comics, please pass it along.

This week's comics include:

Happy Bidding! Thank you again for your support!

AUCTIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. If you are interested in a particular comic, email me and I'll let you know if it is still available.

P.S. Puzzle pieces are still available! Click on the fundraiser tab to get yours!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Comic Book Fans, This One's for You!

A good friend of ours has graciously donated some of their Dark Horse comics to us to be sold to benefit our adoption fund. How incredibly cool of them! Thank you so much, D!

I will post the comics on ebay to sell. If you interested, you can either bid on ebay or if no one has bid yet, email me and we can work something out. Just like all of our fundraisers, all money raised goes into our adoption savings.

All of the comics are from the mid-1990's and are in good condition, a few corner bends here and there. Click on the title to see the ebay auction. If you know people that may be interested in these comics, please pass it along.

This week's comics include: