The beginning of a new year is a great time to take a few moments to plan to make the most of the opportunities that will come. Below are some suggested resolutions to get you started: Get Informed Learn about all the many avenues available for growing your family. These include adoption from private agencies and through foster care, within the United States and internationally. If you struggle … [Read more...] about Four Resolutions for Starting or Growing Your Family in the New Year
heARTbeat
On Being Open to New Opportunities: Reflections on Open Adoption During the Holiday Season
The concept of an open adoption is relatively new. A cultural shift has occurred that acknowledges the damage done in previous generations by making adoption a secret. Adoption professionals today emphasize an adoptee’s right to be aware of the adoption, and the importance of honoring the adoptee’s heritage. In the middle of the holiday season, it is not our intent to create new pressures or … [Read more...] about On Being Open to New Opportunities: Reflections on Open Adoption During the Holiday Season
Connecting the Dotted Lines on Informed Consent
Q. Why do we have to sign so many consent forms during our infertility treatments? Should we have a lawyer review the consent forms for our own safety before we sign? A. The reason for so many consent forms during the assisted reproductive technology (ART) process is not only to protect you as the patient, but also to protect your Health Care Provider as well. This originates from the legal and … [Read more...] about Connecting the Dotted Lines on Informed Consent
New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
On September 30, President Obama signed into law the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. The provisions of the law are expected to reduce the deficit by $19 million over the next 10 years. Protecting Children At Risk of Sex Trafficking The law establishes a national advisory committee to provide guidance, over the course of four years, on best practices in responding to sex … [Read more...] about New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
The Birds, the Bees and the Bewares: Paternity in Pennsylvania
What happens if I am legally married to someone and get pregnant with my new partner? Anyone can be married to one person and get pregnant by a new person. However, the difficulty in the law arises in establishing your new partner’s paternity or parentage of their own biological child when you are married. In Pennsylvania, a child born or conceived during the course of the marriage is presumed to … [Read more...] about The Birds, the Bees and the Bewares: Paternity in Pennsylvania
What Do You Need To Know When Using A Known Egg Donor?
We get variations on this question all the time: “My friend is donating her eggs to me so my husband and I will be able to have a child. What kind of legal agreements do we need before we proceed?” Here are some things to keep in mind if you wish to use a Known Donor: A Known Donor is one that the Intended Parents may find on their own without the use of an agency for locating an Egg Donor, … [Read more...] about What Do You Need To Know When Using A Known Egg Donor?
