I made a conscious, thought out choice to put my son up for adoption. I also made sure that I chose his parents wisely. That’s right, I chose my son’s parents. The family was not forced upon me, the decision was not made for me, I was actively engaged along every step of the way. I have an open adoption, and voluntarily placed my son up for adoption. My son’s parents know that I chose them. I know that they value that gift. I want to share some insight into that relationship and encourage adoptive parents to know they are valued, and respected for the gift that adoptive parents give to a birth mother.
11
Sep
2016
Happy Grandparents Day!
Every year, on the first Sunday after Labor Day, we celebrate the officially-recognized national holiday known as Grandparents Day. Yes! We take just one day to celebrate and recognize the people in our lives who are the roots of our family tree! We spend time with the only people who will ever love us more than our parents. One whole day! Make it count!
8
Sep
2016
4 Secrets to a Successful Adoption
Be Honest
This is a good rule to live by in any aspect of life, but especially so in an adoption. For a successful adoption you should be honest with yourselves, honest with your home study provider, honest with your adoption professional, honest with expectant mothers and honest with your child.
2
Sep
2016
Tips for Fostering a Deep Bond with Your Baby
You know that your love for your adopted child is immense and unconditional – even if you haven’t met him or her yet. But how do you show your baby that love when you bring him or her home? Will there be any challenges with bonding as an adoptive family?
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can bond with your baby. All babies need certain forms of contact and communication from their parents to develop a strong relationship. With these tips, you and your baby can have a happy, healthy bond from the beginning.
29
Aug
2016
5 Ways to Support a Waiting Adoptive Family
If you have friends or family members who are waiting to adopt, you know how tough it can be for waiting adoptive parents. Nothing is in their control and they have no idea when they might be matched with an expectant mother. In short, it’s stressful.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can help support the parents-to-be as they wait:
24
Aug
2016
Finding a Birth Mother with Adoptive Family Profiles
If you have decided to grow your family through adoption, you have a long and exciting journey ahead of you. This five-part series is meant to give you the basics on the main steps of the process. Today, we are going to cover the third component of your journey: finding and getting to know the birth mother.
First, you will need to create an adoptive family profile to send out to prospective birth mothers. After you have been selected by a birth mother, you can begin pre-placement contact. Read the sections below to learn about this step of the process.
22
Aug
2016
Choosing an Adoption Professional
If you have decided to grow your family through adoption, you have a long and exciting journey ahead of you. This five-part series is meant to give you the basics on the main steps of the process.
To begin this process, you will need to decide who you want to help you through the steps of your adoption. There are multiple types of adoption professionals, including:
National agencies
Local and regional agencies
Adoption facilitators
Adoption attorneys and law centers
To help you decide which of these professionals works best for your situation, ask yourself these questions:
19
Aug
2016
Ask an Adoption Veteran: Surviving the Wait Time
In Ask an Adoption Veteran, we offer you advice, tips, and insight from people who have been through the adoption process before. Today, we talked with American Adoptions executive director, Shawn Kane, who is an adoptive father himself. We got his input on a challenge that all adoptive parents can understand: making it through the wait time.
16
Aug
2016
6 Not-So-Helpful Things People Say to Adoptive Parents
Maybe you know someone who has recently adopted a child – maybe it’s even someone close to you. If this is a new experience to you, you may not know much about adoption and how to talk to parents who have adopted. For that reason, it can be easy to accidentally say something that seems positive but can actually be upsetting.
12
Aug
2016
15 Inspirational Adoption Quotes
“Little souls find their way to you whether they’re from your womb or someone else’s”
– Sheryl Crow
“Adoption is a journey of faith, from beginning to end.”
– Johnny Carr
“Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them.”
– Leigh Anne Tuohy (adoptive mother portrayed in The Blind Side)
“If you have a heart for adoption, don’t let fear stand in the way”
– Doug Chapman