Holding Hope for Geelong!

Welcome Geelong's newest support group for those who are involved, considering or about to start their own personal journeys in the adoption process here within Australia.  This is proof in the pudding that there still remains a very real need for education and support within the adoption community.  The process is daunting to say the least, and the reality is that there needs to be a lot more openness between the departments who run the show and those who merely want to access the programs being made available.
If you live in the Geelong or surrounding areas contact 'Holding Hope.
'www.facebook.com/holding.hope.7
Email  helloholdinghope@gmail.com

With eyes wide open

Well it's lucky I have some friends in high places isn't it?  My idea of a campaign to try and better our inter-country adoption practices seems as though it could all be far too out of reach; in the interem at least. 
I know I'm not the person with all the answers, and yes I was reacting from the heart, but none the less I have seen the bigger picture and realise I'm not the first to want to help make a difference. 
Quite simply I don't think I have the smarts to pull-off such a campaign now that I sit back and take on board some very real facts presented to me; and just as well too.  Don't get me wrong, this campaign still needs a facilitator; some one needs to drive this and keep driving it, someone who knows alot about the subject, who has lived it, seen it first hand and can get a pollie to back them. 
This is not giving-up, more so it is reflection time, a time to weigh up whether this is about Australia or is it bigger, involving government legislation that is simply out of our hands? In all honesty I think it is.  This is why this subject is so frustrating.  Perhaps we can better our own system here first?  Look at the bigger picture affecting Aussie kids in care, those needing permanent families right here on our very own shores.  It's does however remain hard to think our hands as a nation are tied and unable to help those genuine orphans of the world.

Campaign Adoption Down Under

For anyone who just sat through the latest plight screened by the Seven network Today/Tonight, regarding the failing system on Australian Adoption, and you sat in absolute dismay as I have, yet again, wondering why Australia, who's econonical standards compared to the rest of world is one of the best, and ask the most obvoius question - why are we not getting this right?  Then I truly think it's time a fair dinkum stance needs to be taken, but where do we start?
First and foremost why can't, and why haven't our government bodies made this dire system within our own country a priority, especially considering it is progressively slipping further into dissaray?  I wonder what these politicians are afraid of?  Why is it that other countries around the world can get this system right, yet the 'lucky' country fails to? 
I don't profess to know much about politics, or for that matter alot about inter-country adoption, and that's why I hope this post will reach some of you who do.  Who is ready to help Australian adoption embark on a new era, where we can get someone (political) to stand up and be willing to take on board this challenging endeavour?
Quite simply it is not good enough that a country of our standards cannot put into place a simple system to enable Aussie families or couples to provide quality of life to children left in orphanages like we saw on tonight's show.  The question that should be posed is 'Does every child deserve to live a quality life?' For those who saw tonight's show, Baby George Denehey was on the brink of death and would without a doubt died if he was not adopted by his American family.  Sadly, how many other stories like his did not end with such a happy outcome?  How many other children have been left in orphanages left to die because they have a physical handicapp?  I'm sorry, but I am bitterly disgusted that anyone who has been left in a position to care for a child could deny that child a fulfilling life because of there own agenda.  Last year as volunteer for NAAW, I attended the adoption summit in Sydney, and sat through a screening of desperate children locked within orphanges around the world, who were being denied of a fulfilling life.  My heart ached for these children, it aches for the couples who so desperately want to provide for these kids but are faced with a government who for what ever reason can't see the importance for this to be rectified.  I'm frustrated and I know I'm not alone. 
My plea is for anyone reading this post and who feel the same way, but don't know what to do to make a difference, then lets all get together, put our heads together as a collective group and come up with something substantial so we can help change the future of adoption for our families, so it becomes a streamlined process that allows aussies to adopt or become permanent carers for overseas orphaned children.
If anyone is interested and has any links or affiliations with departments of governmental bodies they believe may help with this plight, or just feel they have something helpful to contribute and who are truly passionate about trying to get this right, then leave your comments on this post and lets see if we can make some headway. I'm embarrased another year has past and we still have not been able to make the slightest impression on the existing disaster that governs our countries adoption practices.
I don't profess to know all that needs to be done and clearly I don't have all the answers, however I am genuinely interested in helping make a difference, I hope you will be too.  It would be really helpful to hear from someone who has recently adopted from the U.S so we can see how the system is placed over there, and compare where perhaps Australia is getting it wrong.
Please only place comments if you are genuinely interested in joining this campaign for the right reasons.  I will not tolerate or allow posts that are derogatory, in-sensitive or inappropriate in anyway. 

By Chance!

Haven taken up the November challenge of NaNoWriMo, where all budding author's like myself - both emerging and established - sit themselves down over a short period of 30 days to produce 50,000 words in novel writing; Yep, I hear most of you, and your right it's a hard ask, but none the less I am going to push on and try and complete it.  So, now I have committed myself to that task as well as blogging every day my progress, I fortunately stumbled across an adoption blog I had never seen before, as this blogger too, is challenging herself but slightly different.  With NAAM (National Adoption Awareness Month), or better known to me as NAAW (National Adoption Awareness Week), the task at hand is to blog every day for the awareness of adoption.  What a fantastic idea!
So now I am not only writing 50,000 words for a novel and blogging my results, but now I am also going to blog for the awareness of adoption - every day - for this whole entire month; after all this is my passion so  this will be the easiest task of all - the hardest task will be to attract an audience who can resonate with the posts, or to help those who want to understand adoption better to read posts with an open mind.