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Red Thread: An Adoptive Family Forum

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.

 

Entries
  • The bad news is that many adoptions are extremely expensive. The good news is there are many sources of financial assistance.

    Money talks: Affording adoption

    The bad news is that many adoptions are extremely expensive. The good news is there are many sources of financial assistance. Published 12:05 p.m. April 18, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Adopting older children is a unique experience with unique upsides (like no potty training) and challenges (such as potential attachment issues).

    Adopting older children: Resources are too few, but are out there

    Adopting older children is a unique experience with unique upsides (like no potty training) and challenges (such as potential attachment issues). Published 9:13 a.m. April 11, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Many adoptive parents leave money on the table when they neglect to apply for state adoption tax credits.

    Tax Time: State tax credits for adoptive parents

    Many adoptive parents leave money on the table when they neglect to apply for state adoption tax credits. Published 3:13 p.m. April 4, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Raised in a family largely built through adoption, the question wasn't whether Tom DiMartino would adopt, it was when.

    Ethiopian adoption: One family's story

    Raised in a family largely built through adoption, the question wasn't whether Tom DiMartino would adopt, it was when. Published 12:31 p.m. March 29, 2011 - Comments

     
  • This year the adoption tax credit hits the $13,000 mark and is fully refundable.

    Tax time: IRS refund for adoption

    This year the adoption tax credit hits the $13,000 mark and is fully refundable. Published 9:42 a.m. March 22, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Recent developments point to a slowdown in American adoptions from Ethiopia.

    Ethiopian adoptions may be in peril

    Recent developments point to a slowdown in American adoptions from Ethiopia. Published 12:13 p.m. March 11, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Kazakhstan joins the increasingly long list of countries Americans can no longer adopt from

    The mounting tally: Another avenue for adoption closes

    Kazakhstan joins the increasingly long list of countries Americans can no longer adopt from Published 9:16 a.m. February 28, 2011 - Comments

     
  • One man’s unexpected journey into fatherhood and activism

    Adoption from Haiti

    One man’s unexpected journey into fatherhood and activism Published 1:39 p.m. February 15, 2011 - Comments

     
  • The Red Thread has compiled a short and diverse list of DVDs that could be the launching pad for your family.

    Top five adoption DVDs

    The Red Thread has compiled a short and diverse list of DVDs that could be the launching pad for your family. Published 11:31 a.m. February 3, 2011 - Comments

     
  • Sharon and Michael Dennehy's large and diverse family --a mini U.N. in Ashland, Virginia---was created largely through adoption.

    An American family grows through adoption

    Sharon and Michael Dennehy's large and diverse family --a mini U.N. in Ashland, Virginia---was created largely through adoption. Published 11:15 a.m. January 28, 2011 - Comments

     
AUTHOR
Andrea Poe

Andrea Poe

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.

Contact Andrea Poe

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