Rights of an Adopted Child

My previous post sparked an idea. Perhaps it would be good to share the "Rights of an Adopted Child." These are the tenets that have guided our adoption process, and are worthwhile to keep in mind for all adopted children:

1. Children have the right to know who they are and how they joined their families.
2. Children have the right to freely ask questions.
3. Children have the right to positive attitudes about their birthparents.
4. Children have the right to be accepted as individuals with a unique genetic heritage.
5. Children have a right to be recognized by society as full and equal members of their adoptive families.
6. Information about our children's origins is private information that belongs to them.
7. Transracially adopted children have a right to a positive sense of racial or ethnic-identity.

Officially Parents!

As of May 13th, Rob and I are officially parents! Our daughter's paperwork made it through the Ethiopian court system and we are now the proud parents of a 16-month old Ethiopian girl. Her name will be Gianna (Gia) Meretech Schryver.

Our next step is waiting for a travel date, which we expect sometime in July-ish. (Keep in mind "expect" can be very fluid in meaning.)

I know you would love to see a picture.......but.......we're not quite comfortable with sharing it yet. If you are desperate, give us a call or e-mail, and we can discuss "options".

Also, word to the wise, don't ask us how she or her biological mother found themselves in a situation where they had to consider adoption. In the adoption world, that's considered personal information and it belongs to the child. When Gianna is older, she can decide if she would like to share that info. In the meantime, we'll be treating it as confidential. Asking someone why they were placed in adoption or what happened to the "real mom" is akin to asking a couple the intimate details of how they conceived their child. In short, it's tacky.