Origins-USA Origins-USA News

Help spread the word with the Origins-USA flier!

Bernadette Wright — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:51:06 GMT

Help spread the word about Origins-USA's work and build membership by printing and distributing the Origins-USA flier. Print a stack of them and take them to adoption search/support group meetings, conferences, workshops, and other places where mothers who lost children to adoption go!

Origins Canada seeks lawsuit on behalf of mothers who lost children to adoption in Canada

Bernadette Wright — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:15:52 GMT

Origins Canada (not affiliated with Origins-USA) is seeking a potential lawsuit on behalf of mothers who lost children to adoption in Canada. For more information, see message from Origins Canada below.

If you are a mother who lost a child/children to adoption in Canada and you would like more information regarding a Canadian Class Action Lawsuit please become a member of Origins Canada. The membership is free and you will recieve an e-newsletter for updates on this issue. To become a member click on the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Become a Member of Origins". If you know a mother who lost a child/children to adoption in Canada please feel free to pass this along.

http://www.facebook.com/l/419b2;www.originscanada.org/about-us/

Origins-USA speaks out for mothers in response to recent news stories

Bernadette Wright — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:23:15 GMT

Origins-USA speaks out for mothers in response to recent news stories:

Fredericksburg.com (Virginia), "Do pregnancy centers help or hurt women in crisis?" Origins-USA Pres Bernadette Wright posted a comment about OUSA's support for efforts to stop pregnancy centers from misleading pregnant women and mothers, noting "Too often, these unregulated centers encourage mothers-to-be to surrender their children for adoption, based on misleading information about their options for keeping their child and the effects of adoption separation." http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/022010/02282010/528626

SFbayview.com (San Francisco), "The myth of the orphan - from Haiti to Hayward." Origins-USA posted a comment thanking SF Bayview for the article. The comment noted that Origins-USA supports efforts to keep children with their families and relatives and in their own countries and that "Sadly, adoption has become an unregulated, multi-billion dollar a year business with the focus on providing children for needy adults rather than homes for needy children." http://www.sfbayview.com/2010/the-myth-of-the-orphan-%e2%80%93-from-haiti-to-hayward/

Conducive.com (online magazine), "Adopting Haitian Orphans: Saving Children or Repeating Unsuccessful History?" Origins-USA posted a comment expressing Origins-USA's support for efforts to keep children with their own families and in their own countries http://www.conducivemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:adopting-haitian-orphans-saving-children-or-repeating-unsucessful-history0204&catid=34:dispatches&Itemid=65

GlobeandMail.com (Canada), "One sure consequence of disaster: adoption." Origins-USA posted a comment about Origins-USA's position on keeping children with their parents re Haiti. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/haiti/one-sure-consequence-of-disaster-adoption/article1458459/ (paid subscription required)

Welcome new volunteers! Join the Origins-USA team!

Bernadette Wright — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:38:39 GMT

Origins-USA welcomes three recent new volunteer staff memembers!!

Jeanine Biocic, a mother living in Arlington, Virginia is the the new Member Records Manager. Jeanine will manage new memberships and renewals and track changes in membership. She will also be attending a conference on adoption and culture in Boston and bringing Origins-USA's flier.

Origins-USA needs more help from volunteers who are willing to donate a few hours a month to help protect mothers' rights. Contact info@origins-usa.org if you are interested in joining the Origins-USA team:

Website Editor/Manager - Help needed to make periodic updates to the website. Some light experience in website design helpful but not necessary. A few hours a month.

Blog/News Outreach Volunteer - Help keep abreast of news articles and blog posts related to Origins-USA's work making the voices of mothers who lost children to adoption heard and protecting the natural right of mothers to nurture their children. Post comments supporting Origins-USA's positions and spreading the word about resources available on the www.Origins-USA.org website.

Swedish author seeks "surrogate mothers" to talk about their experiences

Bernadette Wright — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:53:53 GMT

See message below and respond to info@origins-usa.org if you or any mothers you know could help with this book.

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Hi!

I am a Swedish woman writer who recently found your website, it made me really happy. I'm writing and campaigning here in my country for the government NOT to legalize surrogacy. Surrogacy is new here and not very well-known but it's growing. Many, both heterosexual and gay men, use American women to get children.

I am now writing a book on this topic. I would very much appreciate to hear your experience, if you do get contacted by surrogate mothers and what they have to say. The story that's generally being painted is one of happy breeders. Do you think surrogacy is any different from adoption as such - does the "contract" make it easier to relinquish, or is the money rather a pressure?

Since there are barely any Swedish surrogate mothers, I haven't been able to talk to anyone. I would like to ask you if you know any surrogate mothers who would be willing to talk to me on the phone or via email and tell me about their experience.

Thank you for a great site.

Member Directory Enhancements! Please check your listing if you wish to be included.

Bernadette Wright — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:44:26 GMT

Member directory enhancement: A new feature is now available in the opt-in Origins-USA Member Directory (members only, log-in required), allowing you to search for other members who have chosen to be included in the directory by state. In enhancing the site, some members may have been inadvertently removed from the directory. If you are a member and wish to participate in the directory or edit your information, log-in to your profile, and click "privacy," then "edit profile." Check or uncheck the box to show or hide your profile, and check which fields you would like to show to other members and which fields you would like to keep private.

Mailing list subscribers can access their profiles and log in to edit their contact information or become members.

Members have access to their profiles AND the member directory.

Support Origins-USA's work to protect mothers' rights and make mothers' voices heard by becoming a paid member for just $5/year; give more if you can.

Origins-USA's Compelling New Video: "Hear Our Voices!"

Bernadette Wright — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:26:20 GMT

Origins - Protecting the natural right of Mothers to nurture their children from saravideoproducer on Vimeo. Award winning filmmaker Sara Aderhold graciously donated her time to produce Origins-USA’s promotional video featuring mothers telling their stories of surrender, loss, and reunion, as well as presenting facts and statistics about adoption today. The video serves as a tool to educate the public, change societal attitudes about adoption and mothers, and inform new mothers of options. Thanks to generous donations from members, Origins-USA raised $1000 to cover production costs! Many thanks also to the mothers who were interviewed for the video and to those who allowed their photos to be used in the film.

Invite your relatives and friends over and share the video with them. View it for free online, or order copies on CD by making a $5 donation to Origins-USA and note that it is for the video. It’s a sad fact that much of the public and many decision-makers still believe that women give up their babies freely and get on with their lives. Every year state legislators pass laws eroding the rights of mothers to nurture their babies. If we don’t tell our stories, they assume we have no stories to tell. That’s why it’s critical to share your experiences and that of other mothers.

Origins-USA Urges Keeping Haitian Orphans with their Families

Bernadette Wright — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:25:22 GMT

Many news stories have talked about Americans seeking to adopt Haitian orphans In the wake of the devastating earthquake. Origins-USA encourages efforts to help Haitians through donations to respected relief agencies which can use funds to reunite children with their families and to help care for children in their own country.

International adoption should be a last resort, used only when necessary for children to receive medical care that they cannot obtain in their own country (Position Statement on International Adoption). Money spent bringing children to the US is better spent helping their families and relatives care for them in their own countries.

There's talk about eliminating "red tape" to expedite adoptions. In truth, the so-called red tape is regulations designed to assure children are true orphans and do not have family members or neighbors to care for them. Origins-USA urges you to let your representatives in Congress, President Barack Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton know that family support, not adoption, is the way to help the almost 400,000 children in Haitian orphanages.

Origins-USA recommends the following articles and blog posts to learn more about this issue:

UNICEF: Foreign Adoptions Last Resort for Haiti Quake Orphans

CUB: Haiti's Children Best Seved by Care, Not Removal

Bastard Nation: Statement on Haitian Adoptions and "Babylifts"

First Mother Forum: What of the Children in Haitian Orphanages?

Family Preservation Advocate: Haiti Update: Follow the Money

Karen Ciandella (Carlsbad Adoptive Families Examiner): Children of Haiti: determining eligibility for adoption