What happens to a child who grows up with virtually no parenting, love, affection or human touch? “Nearly everything we learn about being human—how to speak, how to walk, everything—comes from the people who raise us,” Oprah says. “Today, we’re going to look at what happens when nobody does.”
This was my son.
Dr. Bruce Perry, a Child psychiatrist featured on the Oprah show states that neglect is the absence of necessary stimulation in order to build a certain part of the brain. In order for children to learn, to stimulate areas of their brain they NEED stimulation. Without stimulation they will …read more

Every adoptive parents wants to believe that the place their child is in is perfect…that the caregivers are treating them as they would their own children. That is not always the case.
Caregivers are often overworked and underpaid. In fact, often times caregivers don’t even like their jobs and do not handle the children well. However, in countries like Guatemala it seems as if the foster mothers take great care in raising the children but one may never know what happens in the homes.
Abuse may be as simple as neglecting to change diapers or not feeding children often enough. Or, it …read more

Giardia is an intestinal parasite that. like all others, uses the host for infection. Giardia also infects dogs, cats, and beavers as well as humans and this is how water gets contaminated and infects humans.
People usually become infected either hand to mouth from unwashed hands or by drinking contaminated food or water. Children that live in orphanages are more prone to getting parasites like this because of the close living situations, the diapers, the care giver situations, etc. Most often the children live in close quarters with poor hygiene and there is little infection control.

The first time I saw this I was so saddened that it was all I thought about all day. The images flooded my mind when I lay my head down to sleep.
Some,
It makes me think that AJ was one of the lucky ones to be placed in the orphanage. When you watch you will see that so many of the children are actually abandoned on the streets by their biological parents and know their parents don’t want them. What that does to their emotional state I can’t imagine. like Slava, run away because of the home-life; alcoholism, violence, neglect.Some are …read more

Back in September I wrote about Nebraska’s new Safe Haven law and how I thought the state was not going to be equipped to deal with the influx of children they were going to see.
As of yet, no children have been dropped off but I am wondering what will happen when they do…
is Nebraska’s foster care system ready for emotional and physical special needs children?
Did they recruit more foster parents with those skills and certifications?
Do they have interim care for infants?
This past weekend the country celebrated National Adoption Day. Nebraska lawmakers are in session to amend the …read more

If you are a regular reader of this site (or have read My Two Boys in the past) you will know AJ’s history with food and with his digestive system. He has struggled with foods since we adopted him and I assume he struggle much more even before that but the orphanage probably did not notice.
What does AJ have issues with? At first he would not eat anything with an acidic nature; apples, pears, peaches, etc. He craved milk and graham crackers because they coated his stomach. We then tested and treated him for H Pylori, a bacterial infection that …read more

Children from institutions are often deprived of sensory motor development, an environment enriched with stimulation and human interaction. More often than not, caregivers are overburdened with tasks and the environment is run down and certainly not optimal for children to learn and stimulate their brains.
We know that AJ was in one of these deprived environments for two years.
However, after adoption, he says, “these children go from the most deprived environments to some of the most enriched ones. In one day, these children become part of well-educated, affluent, stable and loving families.” They now live in what Pollak …read more

The BBC has pictures of an orphanage in Zone 10, an affluent area of Guatemala City where over 100 children reside with caregivers 24 hours a day. Officials estimate that there are over 500 private homes caring for infants and children in Guatemala.
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I’ve picked this up from the Anti-racist Parent who picked it up from NPR’s piece on This American Life.
I love the post because it actually analyzes the demographics…it doesn’t just tell the story of little girls choosing a doll.

Ah, the joys of parenting, right? All of us parents, whether adoptive parent or biological parents have been dealt with our fair share of poop…some more than others. Some of us have had all the poop we ever, ever want.
Many children from Eastern European orphanages have issues with constipation, encopresis, and holding their bowels. In fact, our son has problems with all three because of medical reasons, learned behaviors, and a drastic change in diet.