Blog

We asked one of our familes to share how they prepared their family for adoption before they brought their son home. This is their story: In real estate, the three most important factors are location, location, location. I believe that major family decisions also have three important factors: communication, communication, communication. Oh, and prayer. And ...

We take one day each year to honor our mothers and fathers, celebrate birthdays, and rejoice in the holidays. But there is a very important group of people whom we tend to forget to give our thanks – teachers. These individuals are not only instructors in the classroom, but are friends, role models, and leaders ...

The realities of working in international adoption aren’t always pretty, especially for older children waiting for families. While thinking about this one day, this is how I imagined an older child would feel. I can’t remember a time when I did not live here. I can’t remember my mom or dad. They left me, but ...

MLJ Adoptions is excited to announce that we will again be adding to our team! Our programs continue to grow, and more help is needed to ensure we are providing the best possible services to our clients. We are currently seeking a highly organized, dependable individual to fill the position of Administrative Assistant. The ideal ...

Last month actress Angelia Jolie, along with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in an effort to bring much needed attention to rape and sexual violence against woman and children being used as a tool of war. Hearing firsthand accounts from victims of rape and sexual abuse, Jolie and Hague ...

I was inspired to write this blog when in Haiti I heard the term “Waiting Well” in reference to the international adoption process. While the wait during an adoption process may seem insignificant and a small part of the process, it is not. During your adoption process you may receive a referral (picture and medicals ...

We here at MLJ Adoptions are very excited to be giving away two tickets to Show Hope’s 10 Year Celebration! Show Hope is a non-profit organization that addresses orphan’s most pressing needs by providing homes for waiting children through adoption aid grants, and life-saving medical care for orphans with special needs. The celebration will be ...

My son was stuck — stuck in an orphanage that had used to be a prison for three years longer than he should have been. He was matched with us when he was 6 months old, but didn’t come home until days before his 4th birthday. Spending his critical formative years in an orphanage shouldn’t ...

Music is a wonderful and beautiful thing! It has the indescribable power to capture our emotions, thoughts, and feelings by putting them into melodies and lyrics. Songs have the ability to bring tears to our eyes, a smile upon our face, and heal our broken hearts. While the stress of adoption is unavoidable, music is ...

Last fall, I participated in an online seminar led by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW. The Adoption Learning Partners website offers many webinars for adopting parents. This webinar focused on the academic challenges many adopted children face. While not all adopted kids struggle academically, academic performance is one issue that can lead to a disrupted adoption. ...

The I-600 Application for Orphan Visa (I-R3 and I-R4) is one of the most important parts of the international adoption process. The I-600 is for all non-Hague country Orphan Visas so that a child may immigrate into the United States with their adoptive parents (or prospecitve adoptive parents in some circumstances). If you are adopting ...