The Red Thread is an informative and entertaining look at becoming and being an adoptive parent — from surviving the emotional rollercoaster of the adoption process to mastering the unique challenges and reaping the great rewards of raising adopted children. It’s written for adoptive parents and children and those interested in adopting.
The Red Thread column borrows its name from a Chinese legend that says when a child is born there is an invisible red thread that connects him or her to the people who are destined to be part of his or her life. While we cannot see the thread, over time its effects are seen as people become connected and their lives interwoven.
The Red Thread is designed to be an active, living forum -- an exchange of ideas.
Photo: Benjamin Miller
This month is the time to put a focus on adoption. This year, the spotlight is on the need for permanent homes for foster kids Published 1:33 p.m. November 8, 2010 - Comments
There’s no better time than Election Day to take a look at what Washington has done on adoption issues this year and name political leaders who deserve kudos and, if they’re up for re-election, your votes. Published 10:34 a.m. November 2, 2010 - Comments
The Red Thread has compiled a short list of books that are especially helpful to those embarking on the journey of adoption. Published 9:21 a.m. October 26, 2010 - Comments
Leaders and trail blazers in adoption and foster care gathered October 6 for the 12th annual Angels in Adoption Gala where Kristin Chenoweth, Rhea Perlman and Jimmy Wayne were honored for their work. Published 11:15 p.m. October 12, 2010 - Comments
The autobiographical statement needed is the free form jazz part of the adoption home study. And that’s what’s terrifying. Published 8:49 a.m. October 5, 2010 - Comments
This intense short-lived relationship will be one of the most important relationships of your life because how it goes can make or break your adoption. Published 1:13 p.m. September 26, 2010 - Comments
A recent study finds that children adopted by gay parents fare no differently than those raised by heterosexual couples. Published 10:11 a.m. September 21, 2010 - Comments
As an Arkansas statute that denied homosexual couples the right to adopt is ruled unconstitutional, anti-gay forces ramp up to take the fight to the state Supreme Court, threatening adoptions across the country. Published 8:44 a.m. September 14, 2010 - Comments
The old adage that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression is true. No matter how prepared you are, you will feel the full weight of that when you embark on your first round of interviews with your social worker. Published 12:44 p.m. September 8, 2010 - Comments
Overwhelmed with seemingly endless adoption material on the Web? The Red Thread winnows it down. Published 9:12 a.m. August 31, 2010 - Comments
Andrea Poe is a veteran journalist, whose work has appeared in thousands of publications, including Town & Country, Marie Claire and Entrepreneur. She is the author of several books and her work has appeared in many others, including anthologies and college ...
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Andrea Poe is a veteran journalist, whose work has appeared in thousands of publications, including Town & Country, Marie Claire and Entrepreneur. She is the author of several books and her work has appeared in many others, including anthologies and college textbooks.
Andrea serves as editor of the Travel & Food section at The Washington Times Communities. Her love of travel has led her to cover everything from remote villages in the Andes to her hometown of New York, from Paris to Pittsburgh, from Beijing to the Bahamas. No matter where she travels, she likes to uncover the unusual and share with readers those often-overlooked aspects of a place and its people. She dubs her column Raven’s Eye as a nod to her illustrious (and, yes, infamous) relative, Edgar Allan Poe, a writer who knew more than a little something about the quirky and unique.
Andrea is also mother to Maxine, who was adopted from Vietnam in 2006, and is the inspiration for The Red Thread column on adoption at The Washington Times Communities. Andrea is currently at work on a book on international adoption.
In addition to her work as mother, writer and traveler, she is the founder and president of Media Branding International, a consulting firm that helps individuals and organizations craft and promote their image in media outlets around the globe.
Find Andrea at andpoe@Twitter, on Facebook and LinkedIn.