internet resources Janet Hyunju Clarke International adoption Education, advocacy, and discovery resources

n recognition of November as National • Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Insti- IAdoption Month, this column is dedicated tute. The institute is the pre-eminent research, to Internet resources on international adop- policy, and education organization in its tion. International adoption began when field. Established in 1996 as an independent Korean War orphans were adopted by and unbiased adoption research and policy American and European couples in the 1950s. organization, it has a Senior Research Fellows Some 50 years later, thousands of children program, initiates original research, publishes from all over the world have been adopted white papers and book-length studies, con- internationally, with more than 150,0001 from ducts national adoption surveys, and advo- Korea alone. There is a growing body of cates for ethical practices and laws on do- scholarly writing on this topic, particularly mestic and international adoption at national as the number of adult adoptees engaging and international levels. Access: http://www. in the discourse of international adoption, adoptioninstitute.org/index.php. both scholarly and popular, has reached a critical mass. In addition to print resources, the Internet provides valuable resources on research, education, advocacy, and commu- nity. Web sites were chosen for richness of • International Adoption Clinic, Uni- content, clarity of purpose and authorship, versity of Minnesota. The Web site states and stability and currency.2 Adoption place- this is the “first clinic in the United States pro- ment agencies are not included. viding for the health needs of internationally adopted children through its clinic services, Research research, and education.”3 In addition to the • Adoptie Driehoek Onderzoeks Cen- pre- and post-adoption medical services that trum (ADOC). This research center, based other (international) adoption clinics provide, at the Center for Child and Family Studies at this clinic conducts independent research Leiden University in the Netherlands, initiates in the field of international adoption. The research on various aspects of the interna- current research project focuses on Eastern tional adoption triad and adoption-related European growth issues of institutionalized foster care. ADOC makes its current research children. Access: http://www.med.umn. accessible through a “digital research center,” edu/peds/iac/. with an up-to-date searchable database of scholarly research by title, year, keyword, au- Education thor, and journal. The Web site also posts cur- • Child Welfare Information Gateway. rent news and information about congresses, Formerly known as the National Adoption symposia, and new research. The geographic scope includes Korea, , Greece, , Colombia, and the African continent. ADOC Janet Hyunju Clarke is head of the instruction program at Stony Brook University, e-mail: janet. offers fee-based research assistance. Access: [email protected] http://www.adoptionresearch.nl. © 2007 Janet Hyunju Clarke

November 2007 645 C&RL News Information Clearinghouse, this government and North Carolina. Access: http://www. (Department of Health and Human Services) pactadopt.org. site provides access to print and online • Rainbow Kids.com. This is a volun- publications, Web sites, and databases on all teer-based advocacy and information center aspects of child welfare, including all aspects for international adoption founded in 1996. of domestic and international adoption. Ac­ Since 2006, Rainbowkids.com expanded its cess: http://www.childwelfare.gov. advocacy to include special needs adoption • Karen’s Adoption Links. A copious issues. One of the most valuable resources collection of Web sites on international on this site is the RainbowKids.com online adoption, this list of lists is hosted by Karen monthly magazine, with searchable archives Holt and thankfully has a search mechanism, back to 2001. Articles feature international with Boolean, wildcard, qualifier, phrase, and issues, such as caring for African hair, learn- advanced searching features (powered by the ing about Mongolian spots, and handling Freefind search engine). List topics include family tree assignments at school. There is electronic lists by country, adoption stories, a searchable events calendar that covers all orphanage addresses, adoption consumer states. The site is sustained by contributions products, funding and benefits, and search by adoption agencies and sponsorship ads, registries. Access: http://www.karensadop- which are clearly marked as such. Access: tionlinks.com/. http://www.rainbowkids.com/. • Orphandoctor.com. Jane Aronson, OD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics Advocacy at Weill Medical College of Cornell Univer- • Ethica: An Independent Voice for sity, specializes in international adoption Ethical Adoption. Begun in 2003, Ethica is medicine. Her site provides relevant medical a nonprofit organization focusing on policy, research, definitions, and other information advocacy, and education regarding ethi- pertinent to international adoption. Her cal adoption practices worldwide. Updates medical and travel resources and links are for international adoption are arranged by especially useful. Access: www.orphandoc- country, including the United States (which tor.com. has links to relevant laws by state). However, • Pact, an Adoption Alliance. A non- links throughout the site were not current at profit membership organization, Pact’s mis- the time of this column, and some countries, sion is to provide support, education, coun- like Korea, which is still one of the largest seling, and advocacy to adopted children of sending countries, were notably missing from color. It was begun the section on international adoption. Access: in 1991 to address http://www.ethicanet.org. dual- or multiple- • International Adoptee Congress heritage adoptive (IAC). This is a newly formed (2006) national families, sometimes organization committed to “empowering, referred to as tran- supporting, and giving voice” to international sracial families. Its adoptees and facilitating dialogue among current focus is all triad members of transra- adoptive families, adoptee groups, adoption cial, transcultural or transnational adoption, agencies, adoption professionals, public and its staff and board reflect this diversity. policy leaders, and the news media. IAC’s Pact is based in Oakland, California, and has goals are to groom adoptees as leaders in events and workshops, such as “Play group the adoption community; to evaluate cur- for same-race adoptive families of color” and rent resources available to adoptees and to “True Colors II: Interrogating our own racism: improve them; and to explore ways to give Pushing past Racism 101.” Pact has affi liated voice to pre-teen, teen, and adult adoptees support groups in California, New Jersey, and families. The Web site provides contact

C&RL News November 2007 646 information for researchers and adoption mechanisms: surname is searchable in three professionals, posts upcoming events, has ways (partial, exact, and soundex); wildcards a job exchange page (currently empty) and are allowed except in soundex searches; there online discussion forums, and has a (now is an option to choose multiple locations in outdated) online newsletter. Though it is a the advanced search mode; browsing capabil- membership organization, the Web site is not ity is by location or surname; and results may clear on how to join. Access: http://www. be sorted by surname or date (most recent internationaladopteecongress.org. posting first). On the results page, the user • Joint Council on International has the option to contact a registrant. ARC Children’s Services (JCICS). This “is the does not retain any correspondence on its oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non- server, but rather sends any e-mail directly profit international adoption organizations to the registrant via an online form that does in the world.” Its membership of more than not display the registrant’s e-mail address. If 200 organizations works in 51 countries and a search produces no hits, the resulting link includes adoption agencies, child welfare takes user to ancestry.com, although ARC’s organizations, parent support groups, and privacy statement says it is not owned or op- medical specialists with an interest in inter- erated by ancestry.com. Access: http://www. country adoption. JCICS works to promote adopteeconnect.com/. the highest standards of ethics in interna- • Adoption Reunions South Africa. This tional adoption, and works as an advocate is a fee-based adoption search service that is for international adoption with U.S. and based in South Africa, but also includes Zim- foreign governments. The Web site provides babwe, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, conference information, current legislative and other African countries. The database is and country information, as well as informa- arranged by adoptee birth year, beginning tion on the international adoption process, in 1924, with updated or new information and a members-only area. The homepage added to original inquiry/information. The has a Google search box for its site. Access: registrant composes the message that gets http://www.jcics.org. posted online, less any contact information. • SOS-Kinderdorf International. This There is no search mechanism except for nonprofit organization was started in 1949 birth year, which makes it difficult to search in Austria. SOS villages provide permanent by name or geographic area. Advertisements care for abandoned, abused, and orphaned are prominent at the top and bottom of each children, emphasizing sibling cohesion, page, which could be distracting for fi rst- family stability, and community in noninsti- time users. Access: http://members.tripod. tutionalized “village” environments, through com/adoption_reunions/index.htm. 1,800 facilities in 132 countries, of which • Amerasian Family Finder. This is a the United States has three (in Illinois and nonprofit search site for Amerasians, defi ned Florida). SOS villages provide an alternative by this organization as any person fathered by to international adoption by keeping children a U.S. citizen and whose mother is an Asian in their native countries. Access: http://www. national. The free registry, begun in 2006, is sos-childrensvillages.org. aimed at helping those born to American ser- vicemen involved in wars or U.S. occupation Search registries in Asian countries. The database is organized • Adoptee Registry Connect (ARC). This by country, adoptees/Amerasians in Asia is a free “worldwide adoptee and birth parent searching for fathers in the United States, search database” that currently has 33,000 and adoptees or birth fathers in the United U.S. and international profiles. The registrant States searching for birth mothers or children, has the option of attaching digital photos to respectively, in Asia; photos accompany some their profile. The database has good searching registrations. Forms are available online. The

November 2007 647 C&RL News database is not very user-friendly and there Community is no search mechanism for the site. Access: • Also Known As . . . (AKA). This social http://amerasianfamilyfi nder.org. networking organization began in 1996 with • Global Overseas Adoptee Link. This a small group of Korean adoptees and friends nonprofit’s goal is to reunite birth families in New York, but later expanded its scope to and facilitate the experience of Korean cul- include “all families created by intercountry ture for overseas Korean adoptees. It was adoption and the founded in 1998 in recognition of the need unique experienc- for expanded post-adoption services, such as es of transcultured birth family reunions and Korean- and Eng- people, seeking lish-language study. The birth family reunion to share the hu- program regularly works with the Korean man experiences media (television, radio, and newspapers) to of adoption.” AKA has a speakers’ bureau, assist in and publicize searches. The Web site mentorship programs, volunteer program, and is available in Korean, English, and French. social programs. Access: http://alsoknownas. Access: http://goal.or.kr/eng/. org/. • International Soundex Reunion • Eastern European Adoption Coali- Registry. This is a very well-respected tion. Started in 1998, this nonprofit sup- nonprofit mutual consent reunion registry, port and information network of adoptive which was founded in 1975. The registry families from Eastern European countries has 174,000 profiles, with a 5 to 3 ratio of is the umbrella group for 21 adoptive par- adoptees to birth families. Registry match enting electronic lists from these countries, notification is done the old-fashioned with a combined electronic list membership way—by phone or snail-mail, not by e-mail. of more than 5,000. Access: http://www. This organization is endorsed by CARE (Co- eeadopt.org/. alition for Adoption Registry Ethics, www. • Families for Russian and Ukrainian plumsite.com/care/index.html). There is no Adoption (FRUA). This is a nonprofi t sup- fee for registration. Access: http://www.isrr. port network for families with children from net. , , and neighboring countries, • Kinsearch Registry. Kinsearch Registry such as Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, and is a nonprofit DNA registry for those who have Turkmenistan. FRUA was started in 1993 in been adopted or are the result of assisted re- Washington, D.C., and is a national organi- productive processes. The databank consists of zation with regional chapters. It has various a database of country of origin and a database on-going orphanage support programs, and of those conceived by donation. Its scope is members have access to the quarterly news- international, though the current databases letter and hotline on various adoption issues. contain only profiles from Korea, China, Rus- Web site navigation is clunky and lacks a sia, Guatemala, and the United States. Access: search mechanism. Access: http://www.frua. http://www.kinsearchregistry.org. org/home.shtml. • Families with Children from China Publishers (FCC). FCC is a network of parent support • EMK Press. The EMK Press Web site groups from around the world that has re- has helpful resources and supportive material, gional chapters and events and programs. The such as discussion questions, that go with the Web site is a general repository of informa- books. Access: http://www.emkpress.com/. tion on China and adoption, such as China • Tapestry Books. Founded in 1990, adoption laws and regulations, health and Tapestry Books specializes in books about medical information, regional FCC newsletters, adoption. Access: http://www.tapestrybooks. electronic lists, growth charts, orphanage as- com/. sistance programs, and “The Mall” (China and

C&RL News November 2007 648 adoption-related products). The Web site also list for members, LAPAnet. Access: http://www. has announcements for participation in current lapa.com. research studies. The Web site has basic and advanced search mechanisms as well as a site Blog index. Access: http://www.fwcc.org/. • Harlow’s Monkey. A well-written, well- • Families with Children from Viet organized, thoughtful blog by Jae Ran Kim, a Nam. This is the national adoption support, Korean adoptee. The blog is a great resource information, and networking site for adoptive for other adoptees who want to fi nd blogs, families of Vietnamese children. This nonprofi t information, advocacy groups, events, discus- organization has local chapters throughout the sion, etc., related to the transracial adoption United States, and serves as the information experience. Access: http://harlowmonkey. clearinghouse for the chapters’ events and typepad.com. news. Other resources include an active electronic list for members of Adoptive Parents of (groups.yahoo.com/ group/a-parents-vietnam/); a quarterly newsletter, “Chao Ban Newsletter”; cul- ture camp information; families directory; Lists as well as links to Adopt Vietnam (www. • Adoption Agency Research-Inter- adoptvietnam.org/), a Web site dedicated to national. Founded in 2002, this list is for information and resources about Vietnam prospective adoptive parents in their research (culture, travel, adoption, and parenting, etc.), and selection of an international adoption and Comeunity (www.comeunity.com), a re- agency. A membership application is required; source site for adoptive parents, including a employees or affiliates of adoption agencies list of adoption electronic lists by country or are not welcome to join. Access: Adoption_ topic, international adoption medical clinics [email protected]. in North America, and adoption photolisting • Adoption from Russia and Russian sites. Access: http://www.fcvn.org. Culture. Founded in 1999, this list has nearly • Korean Focus. A national nonprofit 6,000 members and is very active; it covers organization based in the Washington, D.C., Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Ac­ metropolitan area, Koren Focus has several cess: [email protected]. regional chapters around the country. The • Adoptive Parents China. Founded site provides useful cultural and curricular in 1999, this list currently has nearly 19,000 materials about Korea and adoption. There is members and is very active. Access: a- an e-bulletin and newsletter, “The Drumming [email protected]. Crane,” with archives available online. The sec- • Guatemala Adoption. Founded tions “By and for KADs” (acronym for Korean in 2001, this list has nearly 4,800 mem- adoptees) and “Resources & Links” provide bers, and is very active. Access: Guatemala current and relevant links. Access: http://www. [email protected]. koreanfocus.org. • Intercountry Adoption Research. • Latin American Parents Association. Founded in 2003, this list’s members consist This is a parent support group, started in 1975, of academics, researchers, adoption profes- that provides guidance through pre- and post- sionals and lay people, including those in the adoption issues. The group’s “Adoption Source adoption triad, engaged in and/or interested Kit” is a 70-page document containing current in current research pertaining to intercountry information about adoption sources and con- adoption. Its main intent is to enable scholars ditions throughout Latin America. Based in and practitioners to communicate current New York, this regional chapter publishes a research; share information on conferences newsletter, “¿Que Tal?” and hosts an electronic (continues on page 661)

November 2007 649 C&RL News University of Houston, and University of than 200 plays nationally and internationally Texas­Austin. The grant will help fund the and his 38 fi lm and television roles, including development and implementation of the “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “The Natural,” “Rudy,” and Texas ETD Repository, a state­wide system “Dead Man Walking.” for managing the entire life­cycle of electronic theses and dissertations from initial submis­ Six archival collections from Teachers College sion to final publication. related to the history of education and social reform, with a focus on New York, have been acquired by Columbia University’s Rare Book Acquisitions & Manuscript Library. Among them are the re­ cords of four social agencies—Hudson Guild, Grosvenor Neighborhood House, the Chil­ The personal collection of Robert Prosky, dren’s Village, and the Wiltwyck School—and veteran actor, has been acquired by George the papers of two individuals, Dan Carpenter, Mason University Libraries former executive director of Special Collections and Ar­ the Hudson Guild, and God­ chives. The Robert Prosky frey Dewey, noted spelling Collection consists of docu­ reformist. These collections ments spanning Prosky’s pro­ document the history of the lific career in theatre, fi lm, and family, immigration, and so­ television that began more cial conditions in New York than 50 years ago. Materials City from the mid­19th cen­ include playbills, photos, tury to the present and relate scripts, articles, reviews, fan well to Columbia University letters, personal correspon­ Actor Robert Prosky Libraries’ holdings of primary dence, opening night gifts, media, and a scrap­ source material in the area, such as the papers book. The University Libraries hosted “An of Lillian Wald and the records of the Union Evening with Robert Prosky,” where Prosky Settlement Association of New York and the shared his experiences in appearing in more La Guardia Memorial House.

(“On the tenure track...” continued from you’re looking for. The key to making tenure page 629) a fun process is to apply the planning and discipline, and enjoy conquering challenges, organizational skills that we’re famous for as a tenure­track position may be just what librarians to our own careers.

(“International...” cont. from page 649) A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice, ed. and symposia relating to ICA issues; and to Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist et al. (New York: critique methods and tools of analysis, ICA Haworth Press, 2007), 8. practice, history, and policies. It is international 2. For example, Transracial Abductees in scope, covering the globe and all aspects (www.transracialabductees.org) is a group that of the adoption triad. Access: Intadoptresearc vehemently opposes international adoption [email protected]. and has some interesting articles and links; however, the Web site is not very current and Notes thus was not selected for inclusion here. 1. Dong Soo Kim, “A Country Divided: 3. International Adoption Clinic at the Contextualizing Adoption from a Korean Per­ University of Minnesota, www.med.umn.edu spective,” in International Korean Adoption: /peds/iac/.

November 2007 661 C&RL News