I'm starting today off with numbers ... the number of children adopted in a year worldwide.

Any guesses?

Somewhere around a quarter of a million would be about right -- 250,000.

Sound like a lot?

It's 1.5% of the estimated 16 million orphans placed in care each year, and 85% take place within the country of the child's birth.

In the US?

125,000, or about half of the total number of adoptions in the world, with the bulk being domestic, and most of those relative adoptions.

WIth that out of the way, here's the story of an adoptive mom in England and her Guatemalan-born daughter that focuses on the challenges to transracial families.

This one from Louisiana looks more at multiculturalism, as a new mom adapts to her Russian-born child.

Both are worth a look.

And I've had word from a reader that Randy Barlow, an adoption social worker for Americans living abroad is concerned about the uncertainty and confusion that he suspects will come with the US implementation of the Hague, so will not be taking on any more adoption homestudies until clear and definite guidelines have been set.

Word from an e-friend who is an American living abroad on this ... Just starting an adoption from Ethiopia, she's been assured that she needn't worry.

If anyone has more info, I'd be happy to hear about it.

Also, word of a website that may have interest for many, Adoption Training on Line that offers telecourses and "webinars" ... for a charge ... on a variety of topics from a host of experts.

A few topics available now:

Transitioning your child from orphanage or foster care to home.
Tips on selecting an international adoption agency.
Medical issues in adopting from China.
Attachment and adoption.
Attachment from a parent's point of view.
A single mom reflects on adopting two at once.


And since it's summertime in the Northern Hemisphere where most of you are, this comprehensive guide to sunscreens seems like a good thing to add today.

It's a summary of of sunscreens, listing what really works and what just costs money and gets you greasy, claiming that 83% of 786 products are either inadequate, or contain ingredients that have "significant safety concerns", and more than half don't live up to the claims on their labels.

Yes, only 17% of products on the market are both safe and effective ... sheesh.