EDITOR'S NOTE

Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster, Barbara Walters, Rosie O'Donnell, Meg Ryan, &Sharon Stone. All these woman adopted a child.

Today, there are 1.5 million adopted children in the United States. And, for every 100 children in this country, 2 are adopted.

Each time a celebrity adopts a child, it emphasizes the need for families to adopt the 1000s of children in need of a home both here and around the world.

And, then there is Madonna. For some reason, whatever she touches turns into a controversy.

Last month, various organizations and individuals became outraged that Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie plan to adopt a 13-month-old boy from a Malawian orphanage. The birth father had entrusted the orphanage to raise his son after the boy's mother died during childbirth. But despite the celebrity couple having gone through an 18-month process to adopt, including a home study and other requirements by law, some suggested the "Material Girl" was "buying a child" and circumventing the law. Earlier, the couple had donated money to the Southern African country for an orphanage to be built, for 400 children, who lost their parents to AIDS.

The good news is that the controversy surrounding Madonna's adoption has brought the process of international adoption to those uninformed and most importantly, brought attention to the fact that there are 1000s of children here in the United States and even more around the world, in need of parents and a loving home.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. For that reason, a majority of this issue focuses on adoption. Inside this issue is our 4th Annual Adoption Guide. You'll find: +     12     things     everyone      should know about adoption            from the executive      director of the Evan B.      Donaldson     Adoption      Institute (page 44). +     An article about a new      law   in   Massachusetts      that may allow for-profit      companies   to   oversee   adoptions.              Turn to page 52. +     How to discipline your adopted      child with tips from adoption      expert Peter Gibbs (page 57). +     What to say to anyone who      asks   you   a   stupid   question      about adoption and your family          with a 5-finger approach by      national expert Marlou Russell,      on page 45.

Finally, if you are new to the adoption process turn to our adoption resource guide (page 38), where you'll find contact information for licensed agencies, support groups, and more.

An Adoption Institute's 1997 Public Opinion Benchmark survey found that 58% of Americans know someone, who has been adopted, has adopted a child, or has relinquished a child for adoption.

For that reason, although many media outlets focus on adoption one month during the year, Bay State Parent magazine devotes a portion of its magazine every month to families touched by adoption. Monthly, there is always a calendar of adoptionrelated events plus an article about adoption and/or a column written by a nationally recognized adoption expert. We are very proud of our adoption coverage. And, while we have won both national and local awards for it the past two years, we are even more thrilled to hear positive (and even negative) feedback from you, our readers. Please e-mail me with any ideas, suggestions, or feedback.

Also inside this issue, you'll discover scores of holiday events (page 29) for your family to attend, including a pajama party with Santa Claus, sponsored by Bay State Parent, at the Natick Mall, on Friday evening, Nov. 17. Turn to page 32 for more details.

Consider snapping a picture of your child this holiday season or entering another fabulous photograph in the magazine's 4th annual photo contest. Rules and an entry form are on page 67.

Finally, I want to say Bay State Parent magazine was proud to have been a sponsor of the Life is good Pumpkin Festival last month and have a part in breaking the world record for the most lit pumpkins. More than 100,000 people attended the event on Boston Common to see 30,128, including our Bay State Parent pumpkin carved by my husband Rich.

We had a fabulous (and messy time) at our booth, as more than 1,000 kids created masterpieces with our free arts & crafts tables. I want to thank everyone who helped make this event a success and those who stopped by our booth.

At press, $271,027 was raised for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Boston was the largest of the 18 Life is good events across the nation in seven states. More than $550,000 was raised nationwide for Camp Sunshine

Happy Thankgiving!

Susan Scully Petroni editor@baystateparent.com