 Independent Adoption Center Profiles Birthparents, Adoptive Parents, and Adopted Children: This Month, Lane Mashal, Adoption Coordinator, Los Angeles Branch, IAC 15 February, 2007– Los Angeles, CA. Each month, IAC – a nationally recognized nonprofit education and counseling agency – will present a profile of birthparents, adoptive parents, or children who have been adopted. A pioneer in open adoption, Independent Adoption Center (IAC) is nationally recognized as a leader in the field having facilitated almost 4,000 successful adoptions in 35 states. Headquartered in the Northern California town of Pleasant Hill, IAC has southern California offices in Los Angeles, and also operates centers in Indiana, North Carolina and Georgia. Featured for the month of February is Lane Mashal, Adoption Coordinator at the Los Angeles branch office of IAC and adoptive parent. Lane, who starting working with IAC in July 2005, said, “I enjoy going to work every day, it’s a job that always leads to a happy ending.” Lane and his partner Steven live in Southern California. They have adopted two boys through IAC. The couple waited 16 months for a child, then were chosen by a birth mother and her grandmother in the hospital shortly after the birth of a baby boy. They brought their first son Yani home in 2001 when he was two days old. Sadly, although they had explained to the birth mother how rewarding open adoption can be for everyone involved, she moved away from the area and chose not to stay in touch. They applied for a second child through IAC in 2004. In the summer of 2005 another birthmother chose them at the hospital as well. Lane, Steven and Yoni were on a cruise at the time and were paged on the ship by the IAC asking them to come to the hospital –they had a new son- Shai. Lane and Steven are in touch once a month with Shai’s birth mother, her mother and her grandmother. Lane said, “We have as many loving people in our children’s lives as possible.” Marcy Tajkef, Regional Director for the Los Angeles Independent Adoption Center said, “We are truly fortunate to have such a talented social worker as Lane in our office. He has been through the process himself and knows exactly what is involved.”
As a nonprofit organization, the IAC’s mission is to create open adoptions: that is, a completely voluntary adoption where birth parents select the family they want to adopt their child. It is a viable and accessible alternative to untimely pregnancy throughout the United States. IAC will celebrate its 25 anniversary in May 2007. For more information, please call 1-800-877-6736 or visit www.adoptionhelp.org. Media Contacts: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry & Barbara Webb (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com |
