Nia Vardalos adopted a three-year-old girl from foster care, and has penned the story of her search for a child. The comments on her book release go from praise to criticism. I don’t understand the criticism. She adopted, not only that, but she didn’t take the route that many celebrities take and adopt a newborn.…
Read MoreAll articles filed in Tracy Dee Whitt
Supporting adoptive and foster families and families living with autism.
the power’s in the power washer
I was wielding our power washer, spraying down all the children’s toys in the backyard on a warm afternoon. My husband usually takes on these sorts of tasks, but I enjoy the outcome of my labors once I am finished. Okay, it really wasn’t my labors. That power washer is mighty forceful! All I had…
Read Moredoes foster care require all of us?
Being a foster parent comes with its share of immense responsibility. What type of foster parent are you going to be? How are you going to treat the children? Too many times I see foster parents who don’t take their “job” seriously. They almost see it as babysitting. Once in a while I come across…
Read MoreJeremiah’s 2!!!
Like any parent, I can’t believe my little guy is two! It’s exciting, yet at the same time, I don’t want my baby to grow up so fast. Other parents used to share their woe’s about their children heading off to their first day of kindergarten, and I never got it. Now I do. I…
Read Morecatching a passion
When you “catch” a passion for adoption, it takes hold and changes your life. There are so many people who are in the process of adoption, or who have completed adoptions who have blogs or write entire books on their experience. Since I am one of them, I think I’ve figured out why. Adoption sometimes…
Read Moreadoption date!
We have an adoption date for our foster son, Jeremiah. Really, he has been a son of our hearts since the moment we met him a year and a half ago. August 1st is the day I am looking forward to. Then, this long journey will be put to an end so a new one…
Read MoreDon’t “Nuke” the Nuclear Family – by Scott Chausse
The following is used with permission from Scott Chausse, Placement Support Services Coordinator for Ariel Clinical Services. Please do not reprint without permission. Maintaining the emotional, mental, and physical health of the nuclear family is very important in providing quality care to foster children. A family system that becomes internally stressed will be less able…
Read Moretime, time, time is tickin’ away
Waiting on the Department of Human Services. As always. Our attorney cannot schedule a court date for Jeremiah’s adoption until she hears back from our adoption worker. Our adoption worker seems to be under a little bit of stress. I don’t know if it comes from her duties at the Dept., or if it comes…
Read Morenot many people ask the hard questions
Before we decided to foster-to-adopt we were in the process of adopting internationally. During one of my visits to the vet of all places, the assistant heard about our international endeavors. She asked me why we weren’t adopting here in the good ole USA. Her question didn’t catch me off guard because I had read…
Read Moreappropriate adoption language
Since entering the world of adoption, I have noticed that books and articles on the use of correct adoption language are quite prolific. Why is this? I would assume, and have even experienced, that others lack proper etiquette when referring to adoptive parents, adopted children, and birth parents. People make comments to adopted children, asking…
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lovin' adoptin' & autism 