Some States do LITTLE for Older Youth in Foster Care to be Adopted

Thed US Department of Health & Human Service Adminsitration for Children & Family Services have released the data for states who made efforts to increase adoptions of “older youth” in the foster care system across the United States. It appears some states have made strong efforts to accomplish this as indicated by the incentive dollars [...]

ORPHAN…A Movie to Boycott!!

Orphan, a new thriller about a demonic adopted child, has enraged adoptive parents who are calling for a boycott.
Melissa Faye Greene—mother of five orphaned kids recently wrote a blog entry on The Daily Beast advocating a boycott against this movie. I completely agree with her views as well as many other adoptive parents across the [...]

7 Yr. Old Foster Youth Hangs Himself!

Personal Note: When I read this article for the first time I cried for Gabriel. At age 7 he decided life was no longer worth living. It brought back to me memories of my own years in foster care.
By the age of 10 I had been in foster care since the day of my birth. [...]

Christmas Wishes!

I want to take this early morning opportunity to wish each of you, my readers, the full richness of the Spirit, Joy and Blessings of the Christmas Season!
As you rush to complete those last minute details in preparation for the day I pray each will take a moment to remember those who are less fortunate than [...]

Imagine this was YOU!

For a brief moment, close your eyes; free your mind and imagine a baby, or a 2, 4, 6, or 10 year old and playing with their favorite toy.
All of a sudden, there’s a knock on the door. The foster parent opens the door and in walks a nicely dressed lady. The lady briefly speaks [...]

December Heroes to our Foster Youth

This is the third month since this particular blog entry began. I have found it extremely interesting searching the Internet as well as various other resources available to me in making my selection
My selection this month came down to two possibilities. One was a family in my own local community (Fargo, ND) who adopted four [...]

CPS and the First Christmas

I wonder how things would have been if CPS had been around 2007 years ago for the first Christmas:
INFANT DISCOVERED IN BARN, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES LAUNCH PROBE
Nazareth Carpenter Being Held On Charges Involving Underage Mother
Bethlehem, Roman-occupied Judea – Authorities were today alerted by a concerned citizen who noticed a family living in a barn. Upon [...]

How Long Must They Languish in Limbo?

For a number of years it was the intent of our child welfare system that ALL efforts should be to reunify a family after a child was removed from their biological parent(s) for abuse or neglect. Because of this effort thousands of youth remained in foster care for a number of years without permanency. They [...]

A National Adoption Day Celebration

 
Yesterday began as just a normal fall day in Fargo, North Dakota. It was however to be a special day.
I was driving through a light snow fall to the Cass County Courthouse to attend a National Adoption Day ceremony. I had not attended one before and thus had no clue what to expect.
The outside walkway [...]

What Foster Parents Wish Social/Care Workers Knew & Did

I have mentioned in previous entries that I belong to various on line message boards dealing with foster care and adoption.
Recently I was reading threads on a board I belong to and came to one that definitely drew more attention from me than many others that day. It was entitled, “What foster parents wish social [...]

November’s Hero for Our Foster Youth

The following story hit me with both admiration for a young man trying to keep his nephews in the family and give them a good life ~ and heartbreak for the children ~ as well as for the young man.  Joseph had a difficult childhood himself yet instead of living as a victim of the [...]

Sad and Painful News

Tuesday I received very sad and painful news.
Marge Monshor, wife of Sonny Monshor passed away Tuesday afternoon. Sonny, Marge and I were reunited back in 2003 after being separated for 45 years. Sonny’s parents were my foster parents 3 times back in the 1950s and tried to adopt me twice. Sonny & Marge also attempted [...]

5 Siblings Reunited Through Adoption

This story was published in my local newspaper (Fargo Forum) this past Friday.
 I believe the story speaks for itself and needs no additional comments from me -:)
 STORY:
Mitzels’ Miracles
Mike Nowatzki, The Forum
Published Friday, October 26, 2007

Dinner is only an hour away, but 10-year-old Brandon Mitzel is hungry.
Sitting at the kitchen counter, his math homework sprawled out [...]

Florida Accepts $10 Million Settlement

The article below appeared in the Palm Beach Post in Florida. An adoptive couple sued the state due to damage done to the youth they adopted while they were in foster care. It has taken years for the settlement to be reached; which is a shame as services these youth have been greatly delayed.
Though they [...]

November – Nat’l Adoption Awareness Month

Thousands of children in foster care await a permanent family; the longer they languish in the system the more damage done to them…they need adoption!
Imagine you’ve been in foster care most or all of your life. Among all the other disappointments you’ve had to deal with, you’ve had no parents, you have been moved time [...]

Foster Care not the Best Way?

My local newspaper, The Fargo Forum, (North Dakota) allows space each Sunday for a guest OpEd piece. Below you will find an article entitled, “Foster Care Not the Best Way. The article appeared on Sunday, October 21, 2007.
After reading it I felt it needed a response though I agreed with her data. However I did [...]

Heroes for our Foster Youth!

For the past few months I have been considering a blog entry to honor those whom I feel should be considered “Heroes for our Foster Youth.”
I have decided to make this an actual reality. I know, despite the numerous problems within today’s foster care system, there are many individuals, families and organizations doing something to [...]

Foster Care Reimbursement Rates

As you read this please bear in mind that I am highly critical of our current foster care system.
I believe far too many children are  removed from their homes too quickly or for unjustified reasons.
I further believe that that there are children left in homes where they are in imminent danger when they should have [...]

All They Want for Christmas!

Almost fifty-eight years ago, in the early hours of one
morning, a young nineteen year old unwed woman gave
birth to her first child…a boy.
She spent most of her pregnancy in a home for unwed
mothers as her father would not, as he said, allow a
bastard child in his house.
She was uneducated and unable to provide even the
basic [...]

I’m a Child!

The following poem was not written by me.
I read it on a messageboard yesterday. I was moved to tears as I read it as I could so relate to it having spent my entire youth in foster care. Though I aged out of the system almost forty years ago the once closed wounds can very [...]