Resource Library
Resource Library: WHFC in the News
2006 Archive
December
Ethiopian orphan finally gets the family he's been waiting for
American families returning from Ethiopia with newly adopted children couldn’t stop gushing over the 7-year-old orphan who carried an impressionable smile but who was invariably left behind.
The greatest gift
Until Christmas Eve, out of family custom, the baby Jesus rests well hidden inside the desk on which our stable of Bethlehem is displayed.
'It was meant to be' Adoption gives family everything they want for Christmas
Melanie and Bill Lamprey and their sons will have a perfect Christmas this year, not because of the gifts under the tree in their Collins Street home, but simply because they have each other.
Truly a special holiday gift
Lisa Erickson remembers the first time she saw her son, Samuel, inside an adoption agency in South Korea -- she felt an instant maternal connection to the tiny boy.
Carlos makes three: Londonderry parents take final steps to welcome son at annual adoption ceremony
Yesterday's adoption ceremonies at Probate Court finalized a Londonderry couple's quest for parenthood after much waiting.
Thought adopting from China was tricky?
Beijing is now changing the rules. Jeni O'Malley tells her adoption story.
Vicki Peterson, WHFC's Executive Director of External Affairs, chimes in on some of the reasons behind the new rules.
New Adoption Rules Spark Controversy
WHFC's Executive Director of External Affairs, Vicki Peterson, talks about the new regulations for adopting from China. A Boston-area WHFC family who has adopted two children from China share how they built their family and give their reactions to the new regulations.
China Puts Controversial Adoption Rules in Effect for Foreigners
WHFC's Executive Director of External Affairs, Vicki Peterson, comments in this report about the changes China has made to its adoption policy for foreigners that many are calling controversial.
Video: Adoption Bans
WHFC's Executive Director of External Affairs, Vicki Peterson, discusses the new regulations for adopting from China.
A special gift
For Christmas, Andrew Lamprey, 3, is getting a little brother, and not in the usual way.
Lifeline to Ethiopia
A year ago, in a desperately poor corner of the world, Richard Fournier of Plainville became a father for the third time.
Celebrating Ethiopian Holidays
Adoption of Ethiopian children has risen in recent years and a number of families are searching for ways to connect with their child's heritage, especially during the holidays.
Guatemalan children bring love to families
November was National Adoption Month, and it had a special significance this year for two local families.
Embracing a Child's Cultural Heritage
When 11-year-old Carmen Barsomian-Dietrich had an opportunity to celebrate her birthday at her school in Canton, she chose to celebrate her adoption day instead.
November
Home for the holidays: A narrative on how some Massachusetts families are celebrating this year
The holiday season and the traditions that accompany it are unique to every family. They hold in common the gathering of families and friends, often times the religious aspects of a family’s faith and a marking of a year’s end.
International Adoption and Interfaith Families
The Saturday before Thanksgiving is now widely recognized as National Adoption Day. In some parts of our country it is been expanded to a week or the whole month of November.
Madonna's new baby is out of Africa, famously
Madonna has spent decades reinventing herself into intriguing characters. But as she makes the rounds this week to talk about her recent adoption of a Malawian boy, many wonder exactly what her latest role is.
I Was Lucky
A child was lucky. On October 28, 1992, a 4-month-year-old baby from Chang Sha, China in need of a family was adopted by two loving parents, at the Chang Sha Social Welfare Center.
October
Unconventional, but...
THE POP STAR Madonna's adoption of a year-old boy in Malawi broke just about every rule of international adoption except one or two. I should know. My wife and I adopted two girls from China 13 and 12 years ago.
International Adoptions: Celebrities vs. Real People
Vicki Peterson, executive director of Wide Horizons for Children, was online Thursday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the celebrity adoptions of Madonna and Angelina Jolie vs. those of regular people: the process and the regulations, the controversy over "privilege" and the impact on the families at home and abroad.
Adoption Specialist Vicki Peterson comes in to discuss Madonna and Angelina Jolie's adoptions
Listen to Vicki Peterson's insightful interview with KISS 108 DJ, Matty in the Morning
Madonna speaks out over furor
Madonna called criticism of her adoption "shocking" in an interview on Wednesday's The Oprah Winfrey Show, the first time the singer addressed rumors and controversy surrounding her planned adoption of a 1-year-old boy from Malawi.
Celebs take lead in adoptions: Stars put focus on overseas children
Much-publicized celebrity adoptions by Angelina Jolie and Madonna have focused the spotlight on millions of African children in need of parents, and Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson reportedly have expressed interest in following suit.
Inside Madonna's Adoption Controversy
Tonight, inside Madonna's baby controversy, outcry from human rights groups about celebrity privilege and the legality of adopting a boy from Africa.
His Outfit Connects Babies With Parents
Duxbury resident Peter Leppanen recently was tapped to be president and CEO of Wide Horizons for Children, of Waltham, one of the largest adoption agencies in the country.
Kazakhstan
Many families thinking about international adoption may at first only consider China, Russia, South Korea or Guatemala, as these are the countries from which most internationally born children are being adopted at the current time. Kazakhstan may provide another great option for prospective aadoptive families.
September
Adopting an Attitude
Catherine and Tim Shannon will be the first to tell you they are not saints for being the adoptive parents of four young children. The Stony Creek couple simply wanted a family and decided to go out and start one.
A guide for adoptive parents
Westborough's Debra L. Shrier is a social worker and post adoption counselor at Wide Horizons for Children, a non-profit international adoption and child welfare agency. She is a parent by adoption.
Homeward Bound
A man of few words, Gregory said nothing as we entered the customs line at Manila Airport. His eyes were alert and focused on the official behind the booth, as he showed his U.S. Passport. The last time Greg was in this airport, he was an infant leaving on a Filipino passport with John and me, his new parents. Visiting the Philippines has been an urgent need for our son Greg, for as long as I can remember.
August
'The best experience of our lives'
Inside the famous White Swans Hotel in the city of Guangzhou, there resides a red couch. According to Andrea Holleran, this piece of furniture has become a popular photo spot for American families who travel to China to adopt children.
Far Horizons
It's purely coincidence that two children who shared the same crib at an orphanage in Ethiopia now live 10 minutes from each other in Vermont.
Prestons of Shrewsbury find their own family in China
There were over 24,000 children adopted from abroad in 2004, according to Sen. Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, with the largest number adopted by U.S. citizens having been from Asia.
July
WHFC Family Featured in Times Square
The photo below, submitted by one of our families, was accepted to be displayed as the Kodak Picture of the Day for July 23, 2006.
Adopting a New Culture
Most young people have at least a dozen career aspirations between high school and college, and when they arrive at their destinations they are quite different from what they mapped out as teenagers.
Character Reference: West Bridgewater fourth-grader shines with "Perfect Letter Forms"
Fourth-grade Howard School teacher Sally Romano insists that even in a computer age, handwriting must not become a neglected art.
Counting Their Blessings
After a long journey from Ethiopia, Dani Knudsen, 9, burst through the doors at Logan International Airport's Terminal E and sprang into his new mother's arms.
June
Preserving Culture: Parents Encourage Daughter to Embrace Filipino Heritage
In native costume and red sandals, Christy Stuver of Quincy steps to the ‘‘Bakya’’ or the Wooden Shoes Dance.
Bringing Home Pablo
Imagine knowing your adoptive child is out there, waiting to join your family, but you can't yet bring him home.
Family Part of "Miles For Miracles" Walk
A local family has found a special way of showing its appreciation to Children's Hospital Boston: raising over $20,000 by being part of the annual "Miles for Miracles" walk since 2003.
The McCabe Family Adoption — Siblings From Russia
This television program featured the adoption story of the McCabe family who adopted through WHFC's Russia program. The segment was filmed June 13, 2006 and aired several times in June and July. A copy of the show will be available on DVD soon.
Local parents give home to kids from China
It's said that when empty-nest time comes around, parents often engage in some sort of celebration: buying a new (smaller) house, going on a long-delayed vacation. But that wasn't the case with Maureen Tripp and Pierre Spy.
Perspective: What Mick Jagger Taught Me About Motherhood
The first time my son said "no" he was 8 months old and was crawling determinedly toward a temporarily uncovered surge protector.
Seoul Connection: Korean Culture Camp Bridges Birth & Adoptive Cultures
Adoption is increasing in the United States, and "chosen" families are finding ways to strengthen their children's experience with their birth culture. Families are also working to help adopted children find friendships with other children from similar backgrounds and experiences.
Korean Adoption Quick Facts
Wide Horizons for Children, an adoption agency in Waltham, has averaged 70 Korean adoptions a year since 2000.
May
Area parents looking to adopt look to Guatemala
Susan Courtemanche pulled out two blurry, wallet-sized pictures from her billfold, one of baby Joshua at one month old and the other of baby Daniel at only one week old.
Prejudice can't silence mom's outspoken love
Cynthia Robinshaw is a New England Conservatory trained singer whose voice has been used to its best advantage at times in the defense of her children.
Randalls' twin boys are 'Made for America'
Roberta Randall beams when she looks at her beautiful twin sons, Misha and Danil. The boys say they plan to buy their mom a new car that goes real fast for Mother's Day.
Adoptive mothers among the most fulfilled mothers anywhere
Every day, mothers are deciding to love children with whom they have no biological bond. This divergence from the typical maternal instinct gives hundreds of thousands of children new homes around the world each year.
Schuster Will Meet Their Baby on Mother's Day
Fred Schuster won't be showing up for work at the hospital here for two weeks. Instead, he and his wife will be traveling to China to pick up the little girl they have chosen to adopt.
China's policies lead to drop in Bay State adoptions
Adoptions in Massachusetts have dropped by 6 percent, largely because of a sharp decline in the number of babies from China as well as a struggling local economy, according to one of the most sweeping looks at the state's adoption patterns.
Blending Families of Different Races
Kim Stevens, a mother of two Caucasian birth sons and four children adopted from the foster care system, has a series of unwritten rules in her household. #1 Rule: Racism is not tolerated. #2 Rule: Each child has permission to explore their culture and backgrounds. #3 Rule: She and her husband are always on the lookout for adult role models, who share her children's Latino and African-American heritages.
April
Tommy's friends, neighbors
Tamirat, otherwise known as Tommy, our adoptee originally from Ethiopia, has been a resident of Stamford for almost a year. It is hard to imagine our family without him; furthermore, the entire region seems to have adopted him.
Orphaned by AIDS
Two small orphans rode alone in the back of a police car at their father's funeral. They had lost their mother to AIDS a year earlier.
March
Letters: Adoption and Money
In addition to being distorted and factually inaccurate, the language used by Debora Spar in her discussion of adoption (in her article The Baby Trade) makes it clear that she has very little understanding of the work done by ethical agencies or respect for the careful consideration given by most prospective parents when making a decision about adoption.
Issues Unique to Adopting a Child of the Same Race
"Adopting a child who looks like the family poses its own challenges," said Debra Shrier, MSW, LCSW, mom by adoption and birth and a social worker at Wide Horizons For Children in Waltham.
February
To China, With Love
WHFC mom, Rita Connelly, shares her family's adoption story to help other women find the joy she found in adoption. This article appeared in the Balance Work "Go For It!" section.
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