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WHFC in the News
December
Critique of adoption is out of touch with reality
RE: "THE problem with saving the world's 'orphans'" (Op-ed, Dec. 11): E.J. Graff promotes her negative point of view regarding international adoptions without taking into account the reality of life for millions of children around the world who live without a family or home, clean water, medical care, or an opportunity for education.
Expanding Horizons
A locally based child welfare agency is hoping the medical work it is doing in Ethiopia will save thousands of lives.
Exploring Ethiopia: What to know before you go
Cover Story -- Emily Greising, one of WHFC's Ethiopia program coordinators, shares helpful travel tips and etiquette for families preparing to travel to Ethiopia.
'As miraculous as giving birth': International adoption brings joy to local families
When Meg and John Arbo settled into their early years of marriage, they didn't necessarily think that children would be part of the picture.
November
Quarterly meetings in Ethiopia
On Dr. Fletcher R. Wilson's first trip to Ethiopia, he decided he wouldn't let it be his last.
Adoption a journey of faith
Just after 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, a baby was born in western Louisiana. The tiny bracelet around the child's wrist listed his weight as 6 pounds, 7 ounces. But the bracelet did not give the boy's name.
A window on adoption: Family photos tell the story in storefront display
The camera has caught these families at moments of celebration - at birthdays, at weddings. In other photos, we see kids at play - on the swing set, at the beach, or tearing around the backyard.
The gift of a child wrapped in red tape
Aidai Marie Sevigny is 4, yet she often peers around at her surroundings with the wonder and amazement of an infant. When her father, William Sevigny, scoops her up and carries her on his hip, she shrieks and giggles with joy.
September
A diverse Ethiopian gathering
American parents with adopted Ethiopian children who attended last Saturday's Ethiopian New Year celebration in Cambridge's Central Square forgot to adjust to "African time."
Ethiopian hospital is boy's 'GOAL!'
Most people have probably never heard of Tigray, an impoverished region of Ethiopia where the infant mortality rate is double the global average and curable diseases like tuberculosis and dysentery are a part of everyday life, but it's a topic 12-year-old Roan Gideon knows plenty about.
OPENING UP the Lines of Communication
When it comes to talking about adoption, Michael Rich, 13, and his sister Sandra, 8, have one thing in common: They love to hear their parents tell the tale of how the four of them became a family.
August
Blending races redefines family
Brad and Angelina, meet the Remillards and the Searses. They don't have your millions or your chateau in France, but their families represent a vivid palette just like yours.
Beijing Olympics will be special for 11-year-old North Andover girl
Nicole Stevens, 11, is hoping to see some shots of the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square or the Terracotta Army in between the swimming, gymnastics and sprints that will dominate her family's television screen over the next two weeks.
Families with children from China embracing Games
For 11-year-old Nicole Stevens, the Olympics in Beijing are more than a showcase of the world's best athletes. They're a portal to her birth country and a chance to learn more about modern day China.
Two for the Road: Habesha or Ferenji?
Amesegenallo. It was the first word I learned in Amharic in preparation for the adoption of our Ethiopian son and daughter.
EMBRACING A NEW IDENTITY - 8 Ways to Infuse International Culture Into Your Family
Elizabeth McElwain is 5 years old, likes to play soccer, and has a sense of humor. "She'll tell people she's from China," said her mother Nancy, of Framingham, "then laughs like crazy."
July
Program helps parents connect with kids from overseas
Before leaving Colombia for a five-week stay with a host family in Hollis, three siblings used the Internet to find out what life in New Hampshire would be like. The children are used to a cool mountain climate in their town, which rarely gets above 65 degrees and is currently in the middle of winter.
Boy, 7, makes lemonade from lemons
There are many stories in the paper told in a gray shade of negativity: manipulative wrangling, accidents, arrests, deaths and so on. Every once in a while though you come across a real gem that reminds of the power each person has to do something great.
Brentwood youngster has lemonade stand to aid African children
Seven-year-old Jake Myers of Brentwood held a "Lemon-Aid Stand" recently at his home to raise money to help children in Cameroon and Ethiopia, Africa, raising a total of $405. With donations from extended family members, Jake raised a grand total of $1,025, exceeding his personal goal of $1,000.
June
Ethiopian orphans together again
When Billy and Trish Devany visited an Ethiopian orphanage in May 2006 to adopt their new son, Yosef, they made a promise they weren't sure they could keep.
Father's Day times four
Lou Aronica clearly remembers the moment when his first child was about to be born. He was 30 years old, unsure in his career and about to get into a cab to take his first wife to the hospital.
China Earthquake Affects Orphanages
On May 12, an earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Sichuan, China and nine other areas. The strongest earthquake to hit the region in 32 years, the devastation is extreme.
Two for the Road: The Lucky Ones
Taking an airplane from the cradle of humanity to a crib in Manhattan, 2-year-old twins, Mintesinot and Betelhem, have made a journey that will forever alter the course of their young lives - and our own.
Becoming a Parent
As we celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day, for those in the adoption process, emotions run high. Like most holidays, particular businesses depend on these appointed days for their livelihood.
May
Local baby boomer finds motherhood in Kyrgyzstan
While many baby boomers are downsizing their homes or sending children off to college, Pat Locke, age 50, is just beginning a new adventure -- motherhood. She and her husband, Iain, recently adopted two sisters from Kyrgyzstan.
Hundreds of adoptive mothers celebrate their first Mother's Day
Christina Foreman, a single mother from Windsor, CT adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia in February. Her daughter Samara has special medical needs but is doing well thanks to her mother's love, strength and the expert medical care she's received.
Hundreds of adoptive mothers celebrate their first Mother's Day
Mary Ellen Scott and her husband Craig of Bloomfield became parents to a newborn baby boy in March. Mr. & Mrs. Scott adopted their son domestically just days after his birth.
Hundreds of adoptive mothers celebrate their first Mother's Day
Colleen Comeau of Rocky Hill, CT will be celebrating her first mother's day this year. She and her husband Jim arrived home with their now 20 month old daughter from China in July and May 1st was the one year anniversary of their referral call.
A Mother's Day present from Russia
This will be Robbyn Jones' first Mother's Day and she and her husband, David, feel especially blessed to share it with their 21-month-old son, Denis.
April
An age to begin anew
Ask how old the Katz children are, and you may need some time to get the answer. The four siblings have all been adopted from Ethiopia, and figuring out their Ethiopian age, US age, and school age require some calculations.
Gobez lee jay: How we adopted from Ethiopia and found a family
It was a birth announcement of sorts, the email I was writing a few days after our return from Ethiopia. But instead of a cooing, sleeping bundle swaddled in a napkin-sized blanket, there was a four-year-old boy named Dawit flopped across my lap, a stranger wearing his sister's pink rain boots.
As Ethiopian Adoptions Increase, A Network Forms
After months of applying to adopt babies in China and the United States with no results, Dawn Manogue and her husband, John Toomey, went back to their files to start over. Manogue found a pamphlet advertising an Ethiopian adoption program and saw a picture of a 3-year-old boy who had been waiting in the Ethiopian orphanage for almost a year.
International Adoptions Face Long Delays
Dorothy and Douglas Hennessey decided to adopt a second child from China in 2004, when their first daughter, Maya, was 2 years old. Based on their experience with Maya - whose adoption took 14 months - they expected she would be 3 or 4 when her sister arrived.
ADOPTION NEWS -- Today is Hague Deadline. What Does that Mean For You?
U.S. adoption agencies must receive Hague Accreditation on or before April 1,2008 (today), if they wish to continue providing inter-country adoption services through countries that have signed and enacted the Hague Convention.
Finding a "Forever Family"
The Noyce family started their surprising journey to Ethiopia from the seats of their Rochester church, where Kenyan missionaries talked about working in orphanages for children with AIDS. Alison Noyce was deeply moved by the striking video images of the children, and in that moment, she felt she was destined to adopt from Africa.
Love at First Sight
"We were let in, and everyone was still asleep or just starting to wake up. We were ushered to a room while one of the nannies went to get Tessa up and dress her. I had hoped that we could just look in and see her sleeping, but they wanted to get her dressed to meet us."
March
Heritage Travel Overview
A homeland tour is a gift of love and understanding to your child. Different types of group tours are available, so think about what you want your child and your family to take away from this experience — a general "feel" for the country's culture and people, or a more personal experience that may answer some of your child's questions about his adoption?
Kingston woman realizes lifelong dream of adopting
Diapers, sleepless nights and daycare are all a part of Charlene Bonner's new life, but she couldn't be happier.
"We Didn't Even Know What We Didn't Know."
Jayne Schooler and her husband David didn't plan to become foster parents. It could have been chance that brought that first foster child into their lives. Maybe, as Schooler believes, it was part of God's plan for them.
February
An Unexpected Surprise
Even before we were married, we discussed adoption as a part of our future family. What we didn't dream of was that our first child would be adopted, nor that our first "child" would be twins.
The Laughing Boy in My Backseat
Even as a little girl, I knew that one day I would adopt. My older brother and I were both adopted and my younger sister is my parents' biological child.
Inspired by Mother's Day, Childless Couple Chart a New Direction
Cynthia McKinzie emigrated from the Philippines to the United States when she was 15. She never looked back and had no desire to live there again.
Wayland family opens up home to new member
For such a very little person, Eden Brooke Yuhanse Jones, now just a little over 2 years old, has had a very large life. She was born in southern Ethiopia, and both her mother and father died of malaria when she was an infant.
From Ethiopia, with love
Tracy Neff still gets teary-eyed when she thinks about the first time she saw her daughter. "I met her in a tiny orphanage," Neff said. "I met her birth mother and siblings; there was a lot of sobbing between the two of us (mothers).
On the Job: Debra L. Shrier
"I am an advocate for families. My role is to help prospective adoptive couples, who are thinking about building their family through adoption, to determine if this is the right move for them."
January
New Year Ushers in New Law
For the first time, certain adult adopted people in Massachusetts can access their original birth certificates, allowing them to identify their birth parents.
Traveling Back to a Child's Birth Country
As a little girl from Korea growing up in a white family, Cassie Norton is familiar with hurtful comments like "Why does your face look flat?" and "How can you breathe through your nose?" And her mother believes these experiences affected her daughter's self-image from the start.
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