Whenever I begin a new class of people training to become foster parents, there are always a few couples or singles in the group interested in fostering to adopt. They usually have many questions and are filled with excitement about adding to their family. Foster to adopt is not a quick route, but it is probably the least expensive one. There is such a great need as there are thousands of kids in foster care in need of homes within the U.S.

One of the main focuses during National Adoption Month, which is November, is the adoption of children in foster care. That is how our three boys joined our family, through foster care adoption. November is coming quickly. Is 2008 the year you decide to add to your family through foster care? November 5th is the date we finalized our adoption. Huh. I just thought of that.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I used to love dressing up (OK, I still do) and scaring trick-or-treaters as they came to our door. I was a rotten, rotten adolescent.

I have learned, however, that not every child enjoys enduring fright just to get a miniature Snickers bar. I would probably walk through an open flame for chocolate, but that's just me. We have had children in the past who have never trick-or-treated, or hadn't been out for a couple of years. When you're only seven-years-old and skipped Halloween the past two years, the memories are a bit mixed up.

So, I put together some quick ideas to help foster children or newly adopted children with Halloween and fall fun.

For those of you who have adopted internationally, how did you prepare your children for Halloween. It can be a bit scary for children who are completely new to the holiday.

Twenty-two brands of Chinese infant formula have been banned due to containing melamine. Melamine is a toxic chemical that some companies add to their dairy products because it is high in nitrogen. This high nitrogen content makes the milk seem higher in protein. This means that a company can water down their baby formula and then add melamine to beef up the formula's protein content. However, melamine has no nutritional value. Two of those twenty-two banned brands are Jinging and Sanlu, which are used in some orphanages. (Keep in mind that not all samples tested contained melamine.)

The problem? The Associated Press has reported that contaminated Chinese dairy products have killed four Chinese babies and 54,000 little ones are ill. A September 22 report stated that 12,900 babies were hospitalized. Melamine can damage kidneys, lead to kidney stones and even kidney failure.

Many adoption professionals from a number of adoption agencies are suggesting that babies adopted from China, who may have consumed dairy products in China between December 2007 and August 2008, get tested for kidney damage. Pediatricians should be looking for crystals in the child's urine and also for kidney stones which is directly related to melamine. Adoptive parents should be on the look out for symptoms that include vomiting, dehydration and low energy.

Please know that:

• Not all orphanages keep track of the baby formulas used, so it may be better to err on the side of caution and have your child tested.
• Not all baby formulas in China were found containing melamine.
• No baby formula in the U.S. or Canada was found to be contaminated with melamine.

This is not a time to panic, it's a time to take precaution.

SOURCES:

• 22 tainted baby formulas banned in China -- Canadian adoption agencies say, "Get your child tested" - Family Helper -a great overview of the situation
• Melamine deaths in China concern B.C. adoptive parents - CBSnews.ca

Nine children, ages 1 to 17, were left at Creighton University Medical Center's emergency room late Wednesday by their father and according to Nebraska's new safe-haven law, it's not abandonment.

The law went into effect in July and allows parents to abandon children at any state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution. Safe-haven laws are usually enacted to protect infants, but Nebraska amended the law to include children and teenagers. The use of the word "child" in the law has left much to interpretation, hence the recent abandonment of Nebraska pre-teens and teens.

At least 4 children between the ages of 11 and 15 have been abandoned by parents since the law took effect. Nebraska was the last state in the nation to adopt a safe haven law. What a great job they did too.

I must say that I am against safe haven laws, I'm against abandonment in general. However, I'm also against babies in dumpsters. Isn't there a way to enact a law that protects the infant's life and identity?

Don’t safe-haven laws give an easy out to parenting? Remember the baby hatch that was opened in Japan last May? Yes, it's like a drive-through baby depository, just another convenience of modern living.

What are your views on safe-haven laws? Join the discussion on this hot topic.

SOURCE:

• Father drops off 9 kids under Neb. safe haven law - Associated Press

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Suggested Reading:
The Myth of the Right to Privacy as Justification for Safe Haven Laws - by Erik L. Smith
Rebuttal: Safe Haven Laws Seriously Flawed