Adoption/Foster Blog Roundup

I was ecstatic to find so many blogs about the foster care system when I first started looking. Following them has turned into an addiction. Some of them are updated more frequently than others, some of them have high drama and others concentrate more on daily routine, but they're all very valuable to me.

If you're noticing all the funny names, keep in mind that all these blogs use fake names or nicknames in order to protect the privacy of the children.

Adventures with Toots and Noodles: This woman's 12-year-old daughter (Toots) is going through some terrible times. Toots had just been released from a psychiatric hospital, but after the latest episode it looks like she cannot stay home because she is too self-destructive. The mother is heartbroken. This is the saddest point of any story I have been reading on these blogs.

"Don't Underestimate Baked Goods" at WRAL.com: This woman's daughter, Hayley, has been through a lot before adoption, but seems to be doing very well now. Her daughter talked about her sexual abuse with other children at school, and now her mother is dealing with the emotional implications and wondering how to protect her in future.

The Open Window: This is a waiting mother blog. This post describes an anxious day spent waiting to see if she would be approved to adopt the little boy she had applied for.

Spotted Dog Turn: Another waiting blog… until a week ago! This mother now has the placement of her little boy and is going through the daily happy turmoil of being a new parent.

Pre-Midlife Crisis: This woman has already had several foster-to-adopt placements, but now her baby daughter is scheduled for adoption very soon. This post describes her relief on hearing about the generous adoption subsidy she'll be receiving and how much it will help their family.

Navigating The Maze: This is not strictly an adoption blog, since the couple are currently fostering only. They were given the emergency placement of a young girl found in a motel with a known child predator (given the great nickname of "Burt the Pervert"). The girl has lots of discipline problems and was 5 whole grade levels behind, but her academic progress so far has been very encouraging to read about.

My Chosen Child: This blog is by a foster-to-adopt mother. She just finalized the adoption of her toddler daughter. This post describes running into her daughter's biological mother, the conversation they had and how happy the mother is now that she knows and can tell her daughter the name of her biological grandmother.