tackling the terminology - part three

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ere are some more definitions to expand your knowledge of adoption terminology...

Adoption consultant - Anyone who helps with the placement of a child, but specifically someone who makes it his or her private business to facilitate adoptions.

Adoption petition - The legal document through which prospective parents request the court's permission to adopt a specific child.

Alcohol-related birth defects - Physical or cognitive deficits in a child which result from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy--includes but is not limited to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE).

Apostille - A certification of notarized documents used in countries that participate in a Hague Convention. This form contains numbered fields, which allows the informaiton to be understood by all countries regardless of the original language. The apostille certifies the authenticity of the document's signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, and identifies the seal/stamp which the document bears. Documents needed for intercountry adoptions require the attachment of an apostille (rather than authentication forms) if the foreign country participates in the convention.

Attachment - The ability of a child to form significant and stable emotional connections with with one or more primary caretakers. Failure to establish those connections can result in difficulties with social relationships as severe as reactive attachment disorder.