Archive for Adoption
Amid a landscape of tragedy great and small, from divorce to murder to traffic tickets, the Vista Courthouse becomes the happiest place in town for a handful of families on Wednesdays —- adoption day.
Once a week at the courthouse, families who have reached the end of the long adoption process gather to make it official. Toddlers and teens alike dress up. Everyone is smiling.
“I get a kick out of it,” said Judge Harry Elias, who handles uncontested adoptions in Vista. It's a nice change, he said, from his usual business handling criminal cases.
By the time the adoption file lands in front of Elias, the heartache and paperwork are done, and all that's left is signing the forms to make the adoption official.
Each Wednesday, Elias brings gleeful families —- Mom, Dad, kids, aunts, grandpas and others —- into the chambers behind his courtroom.
At his desk, as the families watch, Elias signs three papers. One OKs the adoption, and a second one makes it official. The third is not really an official document, but more of a frame-ready certificate for families to display if they choose.
Last Wednesday, Malachi Moimoi joined the ranks of children whose adoptions became official with the stroke of Elias' pen.
The toddler didn't understand the significance of what was happening at a desk he was too small to see over. But his adoptive father did.
“Today is your day, buddy,” Sal Moimoi said, his voice tinged with excitement.
Last year, the San Diego Superior Court made 999 adoptions official across the county, including 394 in North County, according to numbers provided by court officials.
There are generally four kinds of adoption situations: foster children, stepchildren, private adoptions and the adoptions of adults, including those who are developmentally challenged, Elias said.
On a recent Wednesday, Heather and Brett from Riverside County came to Vista to make official their adoption of three siblings —- ages 11, 13, and 15 —- out of San Diego County's foster care system. They asked that their last names not be published out of concern for their children's safety.
“I can't have kids —- so here we are,” Heather said. “(God's) hand was in this.”
The couple met the siblings in May 2010 at a picnic to introduce foster kids to would-be adoptive parents. Heather said she and her husband were looking for elementary-school-age children, but that changed when they met the trio.
The process took nearly two years; the adoptions became official two weeks ago.
“It's finally here,” said 15-year-old Jorden, who changed his first name when he moved in with his adoptive parents. “For a couple of years, I wanted to go back to my mom. But when (county officials) said I couldn't go back to her, I wanted to get adopted.”
His youngest sister, who is 11, changed her name to Aspyn with the adoption. The middle child kept her birth name.
Like all the children at the adoption ceremonies, each of the three walked out with a teddy bear. The stuffed animals are donated so that every kid gets one. And every child, even the teenage boys, seems to want it.
Private adoption, also known as independent adoption, was the route taken by Joy and Chuck Caughey, a San Diego couple who agreed to adopt their grandson, Kingston, when he was born two years ago. Joy Caughey picked him up from the hospital when he was 2 days old and took him in as a foster child.
After the baby's parents lost their fight with the county to win back custody, the Caugheys started the process to officially adopt their grandson.
It took 14 months of paperwork and monthly visits by social workers before the adoption could become official, Joy Caughey said.
At the end of the process, Caughey said, she was given only a six-day notice to be at court to sign the papers to adopt the little blond boy.
“Of course, you jump through hoops to be here,” she said.
And last week, Yvonne and Sal Moimoi of Oceanside officially became what in practical terms they have been for nearly two years: Mom and Dad to little Malachi.
“Seemed like forever to do it, and then two minutes to finalize,” said Sal Moimoi, 42.
The couple agreed to take in the child before he was born, which happened early. Malachi, the son of one of Sal Moimoi's family members, was born three months premature. The baby weighed just 2 pounds, Moimoi said.
Malachi spent three months at Tri-City Medical Center before heading home with the Moimois.
Even though the adoption was uncontested, it still took well longer than a year. The couple said they spent thousands of dollars but declined to specify a particular amount other than Sal Moimoi's comment that “It was a lot.”
“Something as precious as this —- you don't put a price tag on it,” he said.
As his dad spoke, Malachi played, his diaper rustling underneath his pinstriped suit pants as he paused momentarily for a picture and then crawled under a bench in the courthouse hallway.
“This is a special day for him,” Sal Moimoi said. “Actually, for us, too. It's gonna be another chapter in our lives.”
Call staff writer Teri Figueroa at 760-740-5442.
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REGION: Adoption day a weekly highlight at courthouse
Posted on February 5, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
For a process as delicate as adoption, couples should be prepared. A social worker said that children who end up with foster parents without the legal process of adoption are prone to physical abuse.
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Don’t circumvent adoption, couples told
Posted on February 5, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
PORTSMOUTH, Va (Reuters) – Virginia would halt taxpayer-funded abortions for low-income women in cases where the fetus is severely physically deformed or mentally deficient under Republican-backed legislation passed Friday by state lawmakers.
The House of Delegates voted 64-35 to strip the Board of Health of its ability to fund abortions for Medicaid recipients when a physician certifies that the fetus would be born with a “gross and totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency.”
The measure comes amid a raft of conservative bills in the Virginia General Assembly, which shifted to the right following the 2011 general election.
Separate legislation backed by the state Senate on Wednesday would require women to be given an ultrasound and the chance to see the fetal image before an abortion is performed.
Legislation that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy was narrowly defeated in a Senate committee on Wednesday.
The Virginia Progressive Caucus said in a statement that the de-funding bill passed by the House on Friday lacked compassion and put government in the middle of a painful decision.
“When you are denying Medicaid funding for abortion, for some women you are denying their ability to get one,” Democratic Delegate Jennifer McClellan argued during the House debate.
But Republican Delegate Mark Cole said the bill he co-sponsored would not ban abortions for poor women.
“All we're talking about is who's going to be forced to pay for this. There's organizations like Planned Parenthood that could pay for this,” he said.
Democratic Delegate Mark Sickles told House members that only 10 abortions fitting the bill's criteria occurred last year.
The House also approved legislation on Friday that would allow faith-based adoption agencies to deny placements based on religious beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality. Lawmakers approved the measure 71-28 without debate.
Under the measure, private adoption agencies would not be required to consider or consent to foster care or adoption placements in conflict with the religious tenets of the agency's sponsor or any organization or institution affiliated with the agency.
The measure prohibits damages claims for such refusals. It would put into state law a controversial Board of Social Services decision last year to allow state-licensed adoption agencies to consider sexual orientation, age, disability, gender, family status and political beliefs during placements.
Critics of the bill argue that its main intent is to allow discrimination against prospective parents who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
Noting that a Senate version of the bill also received final committee endorsement on Friday, Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish said lawmakers were more concerned about protecting agencies' financial interests than children in the system.
“What we're even more concerned about, there's nothing protecting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) children in the system from being placed in unfriendly homes,” he said.
A spokesman for Republican Governor Bob McDonnell told Reuters in an email Friday that the governor would sign the adoption bill and review the abortion measure if they reach his desk.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Tim Gaynor)
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Virginia lawmakers pass abortion, adoption bills
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
A state senate subcommittee on Thursday approved a “conscience clause” bill that allows adoption agencies receiving state funds to discriminate against potential adoptive parents.
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Virginia Anti–Gay Adoption Bill Advances
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
An adoption event that will share information about pit bulls, as well as showcase more than a dozen friendly, adoptable dogs, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium of the SPCA Serving Erie County, 205 Ensminger Road, Town of Tonawanda.
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Pit bull adoption program set for Saturday in SPCA auditorium
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
CINCINNATI – Transracial adoption has been a touchy subject that has surrounded adoption and the joining together of a new family.
Celebrate Adoption of Cincinnati is sponsoring a workshop with adoptee Rhonda Roorda, who was adopted by a white family.
Roorda says growing up she was aware she was different from her parents, but says it helped her to learn more about her African-American heritage.
Roorda will discuss the best of transracial adoption at a workshop at the Mayerson JCC Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
Roorda is the author of “Trilogy of Transracial Adoption.”
For more information on Celebrate Adoption visit www.celebrateadoptioncincinnati.com.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Workshop discusses transracial adoption
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
GRIDLEY, IL–(Marketwire -02/03/12)- On Sunday February 5th, thousands of football fans entering Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Game will be greeted by Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy and his wife, Lauren, in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) ad. The Dungy's 30-second spot, which frames the orphan crisis in our country today, will be featured on the exterior 12-foot electronic billboard all day in Indianapolis.
According to a national survey, 78% of Americans think the country should be doing more to encourage adoption. (Source: Harris Interactive National Adoption Attitudes Survey). The Dungy family hopes to influence more couples to consider adoption through their involvement with The Adoption Journey Project (www.adoptionjourney.org), backed in part by Lifesong for Orphans.
“We're excited to be a partner in this project aiming to raise public awareness of the orphan crisis in front of the thousands of people assembling this Sunday,” said Andy Lehman, Vice-President for Lifesong for Orphans.
The www.AdoptionJourney.org site was built for couples and families early in the consideration process about adoption. Content such as FAQ's by peer couples that have already gone through adoption, webcasts, stories featuring families and leaders involved with adoption initiatives, and biblical references related to adoption are being published on an on-going basis on the website.
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About Lifesong for Orphans
Lifesong for Orphans (www.lifesongfororphans.org) is an orphan care ministry whose mission is to “bring joy and purpose to orphans.” Lifesong creates in-country solutions for about 3,000 orphans to become strong leaders and break the cycle of orphan life in: Ukraine, India, Zambia, Liberia, and Ethiopia & Honduras. Solutions come through: Christian schools, in-country adoption/foster care, transition homes, job-skill training, Christian mentors, creating sustainable business, etc. Lifesong also provides innovative tools to remove the financial barrier to adoption. Adoption Matching Grants leverage funds and serve as a catalyst in raising money to cover adoption expenses. Interest-Free Loans maximize stewardship by helping overcome the initial 'cash-flow crunch' that many couples face, and can help new adoptive families as loan repayments are made (creating a self-sustaining fund). Lifesong has helped bring over 2,300 children into adoptive families through Grants and Loans.
About The Adoption Journey Project
The AdoptionJourney.org Project is a collective of organizations who want to break down the barriers to adoption — Bethany Christian Services, Lifesong for Orphans, and Lifeline Children's Services. The goal is to foster honest conversations about the adoption process, offer comprehensive yet easily accessible information about domestic and international adoption, and connect those who have already adopted with those who are thinking about it.
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Lifesong for Orphans Adoption Awareness Project Video to Be Played on Lucas Oil Stadium Billboard on Super Bowl Sunday
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — While millionaire John Goodman's adoption of his girlfriend sparked an uproar nationwide, it also hurt the polo mogul's ability to hide large chunks of his holdings from Wellington parents who want him to pay dearly for their 23-year-old son's death.
In a recent decision, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley ruled that when a jury decides next month whether Goodman should pay Lila and William Wilson for the death of their son, Scott, it can consider the millions Goodman's girlfriend, Heather Ann Hutchins, now controls.
Previously, he had ruled that a trust Goodman created for his two children was off limits.
Because of the adoption, his girlfriend of three years now controls a third of the trust that Goodman's handlers say is worth several hundred million dollars.
“Heather Hutchins' interest in the children's trust may be considered in connection with assessing defendant John Goodman's financial resources,” Kelley wrote. He called the circumstances that prompted his change of heart “surreal.”
In a statement Thursday, Goodman's attorney, Daniel Bachi, said there was nothing untoward – much less illegal – about the 48-year-old's decision to adopt his 42-year-old girlfriend, who lives in Atlanta and has two children of her own.
Alluding to the possibility that Goodman could be sent to prison for 30 years when he stands trial for leaving Scott Wilson to drown in a canal after their cars collided in February 2010, Bachi wrote that Goodman's “continued availability” to oversee the trust is “uncertain.”
Upset by the way the trust is being administered, Goodman adopted Hutchins so she can continue “his vision and provide oversight should he become unavailable to do so,” Bachi wrote with the help of a Los Angeles press agent.
For months, the founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach has maintained he has no control over the trust he created for the two children he had with his ex-wife, Carroll. The Wilsons' attorneys accused him of hiding his assets. In September, Kelley sided with Goodman, delivering a crushing blow to the Wilsons, who hoped to seek millions in punitive damages in addition to millions to compensate them for the loss of their son.
“It is clear that the trusts at issue are irrevocable and that (Goodman) has no ownership interest in the trust assets,” Kelley wrote in September. “Moreover, (Goodman) is not a beneficiary of the trusts, has no right to receive distributions of income or profits from the trusts, has no right to borrow money from the trusts and cannot invade the principal.”
In the recent ruling, however, Kelley described the adoption as a game-changer.
Because of legal battles raging in Texas and Delaware over the administration of the trust, he said Hutchins may ultimately not be named a beneficiary of it .
“However,” Kelley wrote, “the court cannot ignore the reality of the practical impact of what Mr. Goodman has now done. (Goodman) has effectively diverted a significant portion of the assets of the children's trust to a person with whom he is intimately involved at a time when his personal assets are largely at risk in this case.”
Bachi maintained Goodman did it to protect his children.
Seeded in 1991 with $1.5 million from Goodman, the trust's value grew dramatically when his family sold the Houston-based Goodman Manufacturing Company in 2009 for $1.4 billion, according to court documents Goodman filed in Texas to have Hutchins named a beneficiary of the trust.
Although Goodman originally agreed to let Bessemer Trust Company manage the holdings, he lost confidence in its ability, Bachi said. But he had no power to fire the firm. By adopting Hutchins and making her a beneficiary, Bessemer can't ignore her wishes.
Goodman and Hutchins also signed a separate contract that assures 95 percent of the trust's assets go to his two children, Bachi said. In addition to the roughly $5 million a year she will get from the trust, Hutchins will be paid to oversee it, under terms of the contract .
In court papers filed in Texas, Goodman spelled out what the adoption was meant to accomplish: “John adopted Heather in October 2011 through a Florida court proceeding as part of a valid and binding estate planning measure.”
Such talk infuriated adoption attorneys. Adoption is meant to create families, attorney Amy Hickman said. She said she handles several adult adoptions a year, but typically it is to allow stepparents to adopt children they raised. Adoption attorney Charlotte Danciu said that occasionally, a childless elderly couple will adopt a gardener who has been like a son to them.
But both said Goodman's adoption of his girlfriend makes a mockery of the adoption process. They didn't blame Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Antonio Marin. Most adoptions are perfunctory and Marin would have no clue why the two were becoming father and daughter unless attorneys involved told him.
Hickman said the adoption could be thrown out as a sham. “It just smells,” she said.
Scott Smith,
who represents the Wilsons, said he doesn't know what would happen if the adoption is invalidated. Whether Kelley would again change his mind and block the Wilsons from telling the jury about the vast wealth held in the children's trust is unclear, he said.
Click here to view the newest documents on the Goodman's case.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Goodman's adoption might cost him
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
Lipscomb University's Adoption Rally program is helping families defray the cost of adoption while boosting attendance at men's basketball games.
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Lipscomb University's adoption program is a slam-dunk
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia legislators have passed a bill allowing private adoption agencies to deny placements that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality.
The state House voted 71-28 to pass the legislation Friday. Earlier in the day, a Senate committee endorsed its version of the Republican-backed measure on an 8-7 party-line vote. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the bill.
Supporters say the measure protects religious freedom. Opponents argue that the government, which contracts with dozens of private, state-licensed child placement agencies, should not sanction discrimination.
The Virginia Board of Social Services in December adopted regulations allowing discrimination by private agencies based on factors including gender, age, religion disability, sexual orientation and family status. The bill would convert those regulations into state law.
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Va. House approves anti-gay adoption rule
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
While millionaire John Goodman's adoption of his girlfriend sparked an uproar nationwide, it also hurt the polo mogul's ability to hide large chunks of his holdings from Wellington parents who want him to pay dearly for their 23-year-old son's death.
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Adoption of adult girlfriend might cost millionaire Polo Club founder Goodman
Posted on February 4, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
Posted: Thursday, February 2, 2012 11:33 am | Updated: 10:56 am, Thu Feb 2, 2012.
Dogs slated for euthanasia will be made available for adoption by a rescue the weekend before Valentine's Day at Kiwanis Park in Tempe.
The Happy Valen'Tails adoption event is the Saturday and Sunday before Valentine's Day. “E-listed” dogs – those on a shelter or animal control outfit's euthanasia list – will be rescued and made available for adoption by Pound Animals Worth Saving (P.A.W.S.) and Panacea Animal Wellness Sanctuary.
“This is the largest e-listed pet adoption event in Arizona,” said veterinarian Eva DeCozio-Bush, Pacacea co-founder. “Our goal is to have one weekend where not one dog is going to die.”
Dogs of various breeds, ages, and sizes from around the state will be made available. They are healthy, spayed or neutered, have current vaccinations, and are micro-chipped. Adoption fees are $55 per dog.
In addition to adoptions, raffle prizes will be given away and visitors will have the opportunity to meet dog trainers, groomers, pet sitters, veterinarians, rescue and foster groups.
Both rescues hope that the event will educate people on how to help reduce the homeless animal population and show that pound animals are not sick or dangerous rejects.
“There are a lot of good dogs (at the pound),” DeCozio-Bush said.
According to the Humane Society, from 2009 to 2010, Maricopa County had the second worst pet overpopulation problem behind Los Angeles County; From 2010 to 2011, Animal Care and Control put down 44 percent of 46,998 animals taken in.
“A lot of animals are killed for reasons that are unacceptable,” said P.A.W.S. spokesperson and veterinarian technician Cathy LaSusa.
Some of the animals euthanized in shelters suffer from treatable but contagious illness, fear and aggression due to overcrowding and stress, and chronic health issues that require treatment, according to both LaSusa and DeCozio-Bush.
LaSusa believes that “kill-shelters” can “perform a checklist of life-saving activities” to help reduce the number of pets being euthanized. They can solicit help from the public by accepting more volunteers and foster homes, and work more closely with rescue organizations.
To reduce the homeless pet population, Valley residents can spay, neuter, micro-chip, and adopt pets, according to DeCozio-Bush.
“Educating the public is a huge deal,” she said. “Animals can't speak for themselves.”
Angela Piazza, a senior studying journalism at Arizona State University, is an intern for the East Valley Tribune. Contact her at (480) 898-6514 or tribintern@evtrib.com.
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Valentine-themed pet adoption event aims to add a little love to EV families
Posted on February 3, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
RICHMOND — The Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would protect state-licensed private adoption agencies from placing children with families if the placement conflicts with the agency's religious beliefs. The so-called “conscience clause” measure would allow agencies to deny placements based on …
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'Conscience' adoption bill wins initial OK in Virginia
Posted on February 3, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
WELLINGTON, FL (WFLX) John Goodman's attorney has released a statement regarding Goodman's adoption of his adult girlfriend Heather Colby Hutchins.
Goodman is accused of killing 23-year-old Scott Wilson in a drunk driving crash two years ago and faces both criminal charges and a civil suit.
Some critics wonder if the adoption was designed to protect his assets against a wrongful death lawsuit filed against him.
According to his attorney, nothing in the arrangement with Hutchins is illegal and the adoption will have no effect on the civil proceedings.
In an emergency motion for relief filed Jan 26, the victim's lawyers will look to find out the reasons relating to the adult adoption of Heather Hutchins.
Hutchins, also known as Heather Colby, is listed in the lawsuit as the 42-year-old girlfriend of Goodman.
The 6-page suit states the adoption was finalized on Oct. 13, 2011 in Dade County.
“The adoption declares Ms. Hutchins to be Mr. Goodman's child and legal heir, entitled to all of the rights and privileges of Mr. Goodman's natural born children,” the suit reads.
It later goes on to state, “While there is nothing unusual about an adult adoption, the critical fact here is that Ms. Hutchins is Mr. Goodman's 42-year-old girlfriend.”
The lawsuit considers the adoption of Hutchins as a “game-changer” and as grounds to now include the assets of the children's trust, at least in some fashion, in the punitive damages calculation.
“Significantly, the children's trust provides the mandatory payment of 70 percent of the income of the trust to a child once that child reaches the age of 35,” the suit said. “While none of Goodman's natural children have obtained the age of 35, Ms. Hutchins is 42 and is, therefore, immediately entitled to her proportionate share of income generated by the trust (i.e. one-third).”
The order also states that the adoption borders on the “surreal” and takes the court into a legal twilight zone.
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Goodman responds to adoption questions
Posted on February 3, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: ASR; BMV: ASUR) (ASUR), the first privatized airport group in Mexico and operator of Cancun Airport and …
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ASUR Announces Updated Impact to Financial Information Resulting from Adoption of IFRS
Posted on February 3, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
A Winnipeg adoption agency is closing its doors this week. The Canadian Advocate for the Adoption of Children otherwise known as CAFAC says despite the efforts of its board and staff to meet restructuring goals, it will no longer be able to provide services beyond February 3rd.
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Adoption Agency To Close Doors
Posted on February 2, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is setting up adoption help desks to counsel and advise parents who wish to adopt children.
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DSWD sets up adoption help desks for potential parents
Posted on February 2, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
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Watch: Adoption Outrage: Whose Child Is This?
Posted on February 2, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
Stephen provides five tips for aiding ITIL adoption in your organization.
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ITIL adoption: 5 steps that can help with success
Posted on February 2, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
A senior watchdog last night admitted mistakes in the inspection of adoption services.
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Watchdog admits it got adoption inspections wrong
Posted on February 2, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
Twins born in Indonesia and put up separately for adoption, have been reunited after finding each other living just 40 kilometres (25 miles) apart, in southern Sweden, three decades later.
Non-identical twins Emilie Falk and Lin Backman — strangers until last year — were separated nearly 29 years ago.
According to a DNA test the pair had done two months after reuniting in January last year, and which they shared with AFP, there is a 99.98 percent chance of them being sisters.
A complex string of events led up to that revelation.
Both were adopted from an orphanage in Semarang in northern Indonesia by Swedish couples, but there was no mention in either of their documents of the fact that they had a twin.
When Backman's parents left the orphanage with her all those years ago, the taxi driver had turned around and asked them: “What about the other one, the sister?” and they jotted the girls' Indonesian names down on a piece of paper.
The name helped Backman's parents track down the Falks back in Sweden, and the two families got together a few times when the girls were babies to compare notes.
“They went through the adoption papers, but they didn't think we were very similar and there was a lot in the papers that didn't add up … And there were no DNA tests back then,” Falk said.
Among the discrepancies were different names for the girls' fathers. And although the records showed they had the same mother, the families eventually decided that this too was an error.
The two couples in the end wrote off the idea and eventually lost touch.
Although their parents had told them the story as children, both Falk and Backman later forgot about it. Growing up, neither was interested in information about their biological background, so they never asked.
“But when I got married two years ago I started thinking about family and my adoption, and when I asked my mother she told me this story again, and I decided to look for Lin,” Falk said.
She had a name and began searching through a network for Indonesian children adopted by Swedish families, and found her on Facebook.
“I am born on March 18, 1983 in Semarang and my biological mother's name is Maryati Rajiman,” Falk said she wrote, and quickly received the reply: “Wow, that's my mother's name as well! And that's my birthday!”
They found they had a lot in common.
They lived only 40 kilometres apart in the very south of Sweden, they are both teachers, they got married on the same day only one year apart and even danced to the same wedding song: “You and Me” by Lifehouse.
“It was really strange,” Falk said.
“When Lin called me (with the DNA test results), I remember I was sitting in the car and when she told me I started laughing, because it just felt so strange,” she said, adding: “I suddenly started thinking that we shared a womb. It was really strange, but really cool too.”
Since then the two have kept in close touch, and have talked about going to Indonesia to search for their biological parents.
There are a number of details, some contradictory, in the adoption papers, including a reference to their father as a taxi driver.
“We are very curious if he is THE taxi driver,” Falk said.
Asked if she wished she had found out about her twin earlier, Falk insisted “there's no use in being sad about something I didn't know about. I am only happy to have found her.”
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Separated at birth, Indonesian twins meet in Sweden
Posted on February 1, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
CHICAGO — Merge Healthcare , a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced the addition of ten radiology practices that have selected Merge RIS to achieve Meaningful …
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Merge Healthcare Drives Meaningful Use Adoption Among Radiologists
Posted on February 1, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
The adoption of Cloud computing by small to medium businesses (SMBs) in Australia has been slow and is not matching predictions, according to the second annual Acronis Global Disaster Recovery (DR) Index.
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Cloud adoption in Australia not matching predictions: Index
Posted on February 1, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2306ae/successful_roi_wit) has announced the addition of the “Successful ROI with Agile and Lean Adoption” report to their offering.
Agile and lean methods are a means to an end, and that end is increased capability and productivity for your teams and organizations. This leads directly to cost savings and revenue. All too often, however, adoption and transformation initiatives fail to lead to such results.
The report Successful ROI with Agile and Lean Adoption, discusses the financial returns of successful adoption initiatives. You'll read about typical impediments that lead to a lack of results, which will help you diagnose your initiatives. The report will leave you with clearer expectations of your agile and lean initiatives and provide one or more starting points to diagnose and eventually address any roadblocks your organization may face.
This report will help you focus on your business values instead of on an agile method; understand that local changes alone will not last; and discuss, demonstrate, and teach human dynamics skills and relate them to most technical practices and tools they introduce.
Key Topics Covered:
A Catalog of Successful Agile and Lean Adoptions
A Catalog of Unsuccessful Agile and Lean Adoptions
Business Values
Stepping Back: What Does This Mean for Your Current Adoption Efforts?
Putting It All Together and Making the Right Decisions
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2306ae/successful_roi_wit
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Research and Markets: Successful ROI with Agile and Lean Adoption
Posted on February 1, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire -01/31/12)- ValidSoft, (www.validsoft.com), a global supplier of fraud prevention, authentication and transaction verification solutions and part of the Elephant Talk Group, joins forces with leading research house Opus Research to discuss the voice biometrics industry as it stands in 2012. ValidSoft is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elephant Talk Communications, Corp. (AMEX: ETAK – News) (www.elephanttalk.com), an international provider of business software to the telecommunications and the financial services industry.
Voice biometrics has been around for over a decade and is on the brink of widespread use. Dan Miller, Senior Analyst at Opus Research and Pat Carroll, CEO of ValidSoft, will discuss the lessons learned and how a renewed interest signals a tipping point for multifactor authentication this year.
Successful implementation of voice biometric-based solutions falls on the following factors:
Incorporating them into risk-aware, multi-modal and multi-layer security solutions Addressing the objections of various stakeholders in security and customer settings Building the customer base by simplifying the enrollment process Future proofing solutions by anticipating new technology
The webinar will talk about the learnings from a range of industries including telecommunications carriers, healthcare providers, financial services companies and large retailers. Opus Research expects the number of voice prints globally to rise from 10 million today to over 25 million in just three years, thanks to mobile commerce, increasing complexity of password management and growing concern over identify theft.
To register your attendance for the webinar, please visit: http://voicebiocon.com/2012/01/12/upcoming-webcast-overcoming-barriers-to-adoption/
About ValidSoft
ValidSoft is a subsidiary of Elephant Talk Communications Corp. (AMEX: ETAK – News), (www.elephanttalk.com) and is a market leader in providing solutions to counter electronic fraud relating to card, the internet, and telephone channels. ValidSoft's solutions are at the cutting edge of the market and are used to verify the authenticity of both parties to a transaction (Mutual Authentication), and the integrity of the transaction itself (Transaction Verification) for the mass market, in a highly cost effective and secure manner, yet easy to use and intuitive. For more information, please visit (www.validsoft.com).
About Elephant Talk Communications
Elephant Talk Communications Corp. (AMEX: ETAK – News) is an international provider of business software and services to the telecommunications and financial services industry. The company enables both mobile carriers and virtual operators to offer a full suite of products, delivery platforms, support services, superior industry expertise and high quality customer service without substantial upfront investments from clients. Elephant Talk provides global telecommunication companies, mobile network operators, banks, supermarkets, consumer product companies, media firms, and other businesses a full suite of products and services that enables them to fully provide telecom services as part of their business offerings. The company offers various dynamic products that include remote health care, credit card fraud prevention, mobile internet ID security, multi-country discounted phone services, loyalty management services, and a whole range of other emerging customized mobile services. For more information, visit (www.elephanttalk.com).
About Opus Research
Founded in 1985, Opus Research is a market research and consulting firm specializing in “Conversational Commerce,” which combines speech processing, multichannel customer care, mobility and e-commerce. Its clients include communications carriers, enterprise software and information infrastructure providers, contact center specialists, hosted service providers, and mobile solutions providers. Opus prepared its first study of Voice Biometrics Global Market potential in 2003 and has convened global conferences dedicated to Voice Biometrics since 2007.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company's plans and objectives, projections, expectations and intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Because such statements involve risks and uncertainties, the actual results and performance of the Company may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise required by law, the Company also disclaims any obligation to update its view of any such risks or uncertainties or to announce publicly the result of any revisions to the forward-looking statements made here. Additional information concerning certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from that projected or suggested is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), copies of which are available from the SEC or may be obtained upon request from the Company.
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Voice Biometrics: Overcoming the Barriers to Adoption Webinar
Posted on February 1, 2012 | Filed under Adoption | Permalink
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