Blog

in Ukraine

This past year started with another round of Ukraine Winter Hosting! MLJ Adoptions loved having the opportunity to introduce children who have been orphaned in Ukraine to families in the United States for several weeks during the winter and summer. Several families decided to move forward with adopting from Ukraine after participating in hosting! In ...

18

Dec

Post Adoption Services are for Everyone

by Karlene Edgemon, MS, LSW

Let’s face it, the adoption journey can be hard! Really hard. It can be stressful, confusing, frustrating, and expensive. During this process, you have family and friends rallying around you, other adoptive parents encouraging you, and your adoption agency staff supporting you. Their help and guidance make the difference. Then, your precious child comes home. ...

15

Dec

Photo of the Week

They call it “the most wonderful time of the year” for a reason! Get out there and enjoy it! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

13

Dec

International Adoption Advocacy: What You Can Do to Make a Difference

by Nicole Skellenger, JD

in Adoption News

This past year has brought many blessings for MLJ Adoptions! Twenty-nine children have been matched with permanent and loving MLJ families in 2017. We have also seen 33 children arrive home with their parents from Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Samoa and Ukraine. We are so grateful to have been a part of ...

11

Dec

Adoption from Burkina Faso- A 2017 Spotlight!

in Burkina Faso

When we started working in Burkina Faso in 2014, we never could have predicted the success we would witness three years later! Thus far in our program, we’ve seen six children, ages one to fourteen years old, matched with their forever families. This year, MLJ Adoptions received four referrals for single children ranging in age ...

8

Dec

Photo of the Week

We hope your weekend is filled with your favorite holiday preparations! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

6

Dec

Adopting from Bulgaria- A 2017 Spotlight!

in Bulgaria

What a joy to see our Bulgaria program continue to thrive! This year, 19 children from Bulgaria were matched with MLJ families! The children ranged in age from one-year-old twin sisters to a fifteen-year-old boy. This year, MLJ Adoptions received nine referrals for single children, all three years old and under! We had two families ...

4

Dec

Self-Soothing Behaviors

by Angela Simpson, BSW

In orphanages or foster care, many children learn self-soothing behaviors such as rocking, head banging, or sucking their thumbs to comfort themselves. These behaviors are learned due to neglect, limited social interaction, and a lack of loving caregivers who consistently meet their needs. When raised in these environments, children learn how to take care of ...

1

Dec

Photo of the Week

Have some fun in the sun this weekend and enjoy the warm(ish) weather! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

29

Nov

Would Your Family Consider Adopting a Child with Special Needs?

by Sonja Brown

in Special Needs

Has your family considered adopting a child with special needs? A special needs adoption is defined as adopting a child with an additional need, a sibling group or a hard to place child. How it is defined can vary from country to country. Definitions and references to special needs can be vastly encompassing and wide ...

27

Nov

Photo of the Week

by Iris Dauterman

We hope your family is enjoying a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving break! This year, and every year, we’re so thankful for all of you! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

27

Nov

Empowering your Child to Answer Tough Questions about Adoption

by Angela Simpson, BSW

“Why don’t you look like your mom and dad?” “Where are your REAL parents?” “Where are you from?” “Why didn’t your parents want you?” “You’re lucky to be adopted!” “I wish I was adopted.” These are all questions or comments that adoptees hear from classmates, friends, and even adults. Even though most people don’t mean ...

22

Nov

Preparing for Fifteen Days in Burkina Faso

by Sonja Brown

in Burkina Faso

MLJ Adoptions’ Burkina Faso program has been growing in leaps and bounds! For families hoping to adopt from Africa, Burkina Faso is a great option. Burkina Faso is signatory to The Hague Adoption Convention and as such, provides an ethical and transparent adoption process. MLJ Adoptions anticipates the second adopted child to travel home before ...

21

Nov

Unforeseen Blessings: An Adoptive Sister’s Testimony of Change

in Adoption Stories

Today’s post is written by Lindsay Schuiteman, an adoptive sister. She shares her experience as a sister to three siblings through adoption. As a child, I couldn’t have pictured my life any better than it was. I had an older sister, Alisha, with whom to do girly activities and bake cookies. I also had ...

20

Nov

Separation Anxiety in your Child: Normal Behavior or Problematic?

by Karlene Edgemon, MS, LSW

When my daughter recently started her 2-year-old in day care, the phone calls increased to me during that first week—“She’s so upset, crying and clinging to me the minute we enter the parking lot. I hate leaving her!” Of course, my own memories of waiting outside the day care front door listening to her and ...

17

Nov

Photo of the Week

This little hero is ready to get out and enjoy the weekend! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

15

Nov

Support Vulnerable Children in Burkina Faso!

in Burkina Faso, MLJ Adoptions

We at MLJ are excited that a second family is nearing completion of their adoption process in Burkina Faso! Our Burkina Faso program has exceeded our expectations with regards to transparency, ethical practices, practices for caring for children in need and waiting timelines for prospective adoptive parents. To date, three additional families have been matched ...

13

Nov

Helping Your Child with Self-Hurting Behaviors

Self-hurting in children is often seen as a coping mechanism when difficult feelings arise. Some of these difficult feelings that your child may be unable to express can include but are not limited to: guilt, sadness, anxiety, frustration, low self-worth, and self-blame. When a child goes through a life-changing transition like adoption, they may not ...

10

Nov

Photo of the Week

We hope your weekend is full of smiles with the people you love the most! If you would like your child to be featured as our Photo of the Week, email info@mljadoptions.com.

8

Nov

Announcing a New Country Program – Peru!