• Another Hollywood couple share that they are interested in adoption one day. Ryan Reynolds, who married Scarlett Johansson last September, shared that he is "pro-adoption." He shared that his oldest brother is adopted. Reynolds has recently been seen in The Proposal and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He has recently been cast to play the lead role in The Green Lantern.

• Michael Jackson's children were checked on by the Los Angeles Child Protective Services this past Saturday. It's common for officials to check on children after the death of a parent. Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother was awarded temporary custody and will find out next week on the 20th if she is granted permanent custody. We'll assume that the visit went well since no one was called to the home.

  It is also being reported that Katherine and Debbie Rowe are cooking up a custody deal where Katherine raises the children and Debbie has regular visitation. One thing they do seem to agree upon is keeping Joe Jackson, Michael's father, away from any type of daily care taking role with the children.

SOURCES
Ryan Reynolds: I Would Love To Adopt - People.com
Child Services Visit the Jacksons - contactmusic.com
Secret Deal to Keep Jackson Kids Away from Joe - contactmusic.com

Reuters reported about a new study from Australia that found, hold on to your hats for this one, mothers who abuse drugs have a higher risk of committing child abuse. It also found that their children have a higher risk of being placed in foster care. Gasp Does this study seem a little, like - "well, duh" to anyone else?

However, I must say that the child abuse statistics that came from this study are interesting.

• Mothers who abused amphetamines or opiates such as heroin were 13 times more likely to neglect or physically abuse their infants than other mothers of babies of similar age.

• Mothers who abused opiates or amphetamines had nearly three times the risk of neglect, abuse or foster care placement than mothers who were using methadone to help with their drug addictions.

• 52% of the children born to drug abusing mothers became victims of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

• 6% of the children whose mothers did not abuse drugs became victims of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

• 25% of the children whose mothers abused drugs entered foster care.

• 2% of the comparison group, children with non-drug abusing mothers, entered foster care.

It seems that this study was necessary to properly show the need for information on how to best help mothers who are addicted to drugs. It was also noted that the study pointed out that mothers being treated by methadone for their addictions did better parenting than mothers who continued to abuse drugs.

This study also proved a belief of mine, one that I've held for years. It it weren't for drug and alcohol abuse, there would be very little need for foster care. Well, duh.

SOURCE:
Mom's drug use tied to child-abuse risk - Reuters.com

I couldn't let today go by without saying a bit about Michael Jackson's memorial service yesterday. I wasn't going to, but I just had to say something. Watching Paris Jackson say goodbye to her dad really touched my heart. As her numerous aunts and uncles stood all around her, she made a heartfelt statement about her love for her father. The Jackson family were there for her, supporting her, and helping her begin to work through the grief of losing a parent. It was easy to see that Michael Jackson's children were going to be OK, they seemed to have a connection and an attachment to their extended family. This attachment is what will help these children grieve and move on with their lives.

The courts may continue to struggle to determine what is in their best interest, but in my opinion, I hope that Michael Jackson's children can remain with the Jackson family. We may not have always understood Michael's behavior, but like with any person who may have endured some kind of abuse, there were allegations of abuse as a child, it's really impossible for any of us to fully understand what drives their sometimes challenging behavior and impulsivity.

Perhaps that's why Michael so wanted to be a father? To provide a child with everything he felt he missed out on, being in the spotlight since age 5. Hopefully, his children will now see that he wasn't always a walking controversy. He is the Kind of Pop and made a huge impact on music and dance, and they can grow up among others who love and understood him, the Jackson family. It may sound corny, but home really is where the heart is.

There is more to a great story than just reading it, with a few craft ideas and a great recipe; children can really get into their favorite adoption book. Here are a few ideas for getting more into the adoption book, The Coffee Can Kid, with recipes from our About Guide to Chinese Food, Rhonda Parkinson and fun crafts from the About Guide to Family Crafts, Sherri Osborn.
What are some other ideas that you have used to help your child further enjoy a story and explore their culture? Share your ideas in the comment section.

_{Image provided by special permission from the Child Welfare League of America, Washington, DC (http://www.cwla.org)}