Brian Stanton will perform his original solo play, BLANK, in Northampton on February 16, 2020, with the Northampton Center for the Arts. For more information please refer to the flyer below. BLANK tells the powerful story of Stanton’s own journey to discover the truth of his identity as relat...
17 January, 2020 New Workshop Information: On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, the Center for Early Relationship Support is offering a workshop on the topic of evaluating medical information given to prospective adoptive parents. Full Circle Adoptions recognizes that understanding prenatal medical factors and their po...
20 August, 2019
When I was growing up in the 60s, divorce was rarely spoken of and, if it occurred, there was a fair amount of shame associated with the disclosure. If parents divorced and remarried, there were complex family dynamics that ensued for parents, step-parents and step-children. Everyone had labels, rol...
09 June, 2017
Most 21-year-olds spend their time wondering what they’re going to do on Saturday night, if they’ll be able to find work in their field of study after college, when their significant other is going to say “I love you.” Most 21-year-olds also haven’t gone through an unexpected pregnancy and adoption....
09 June, 2017
As a guest lecturer in Professor Grotevant’s adoption class at UMASS/Amherst, I thought to lead the students in an exercise that would give them a sense of the domestic adoption experience. As often happens when one teaches others, I also left class enriched with new insights and thoughts for the fu...
09 June, 2017
One’s faith is surely tested in the process of adoption. Whether waiting for an international referral, or, waiting, for the expectant parents to choose the adopter(s), in the context of domestic adoption, the wait can feel interminable. Each minute seems like an hour and each month feels like an et...
09 June, 2017
Prospective adopters, researching on the web, learn that there are a number of types of adoption professionals. [1] Since so many states allow facilitators to match and allow attorneys to handle adoptive placements, and Massachusetts does not, a discerning adopter begins to have questions about what...
09 June, 2017 It started as a conversation about colonoscopies and ended as a family reunion. My friend Lauren was facing the prospect of a medical test and emailed friends, interested to hear the experiences of others. It’s so important to encourage people to take this test; I emailed her, “Give me a call.” I’d...
24 April, 2017
JULIET: What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. ~Shakespeare, Romeo &a...
08 March, 2017
The Supreme Court handed down a decision regarding gay marriage and, in the course of the opinion, conveyed information relevant to child welfare. This essay will describe key aspects of the opinion and discuss these as they apply to adoptions by parents who have a same-gender partner or spouse...
04 October, 2013