When it comes to researching adoption and trying to find out how everything works, it’s hard to distinguish between the good sources and the not so good sources. There are plenty of websites out there ready to dump loads of information on you…but not all …
5
Oct
2016
It’s World Teacher Day
Today is World Teacher’s Day! This day was created in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is devoted to making time to address issues pertaining to teachers.
Teachers in some countries face problems that, us, as Americans, can’t fathom. But the United States has shown deep ambivalence toward the profession – we value teachers’ work, but sometimes don’t give them their due in salary or respect. So, while you may not be able to affect global change in one day, there are things you can do on October 5 (or every day) to help support teachers:
3
Oct
2016
Happy Pizza Month!
October is the one month of the year that we dedicate to the truly superior food group – pizza! We didn’t know National Pizza Month was a real thing either, but we’re not complaining.
To celebrate, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite pizza recipes that family members of all ages will love. Check them out!
29
Sep
2016
4 Topics to Address as a Transracial Family
Over the years, transracial adoption has become increasingly common, largely because people are much more open about their adoption stories today. Still, transracial adoption has its own unique challenges – but so does every type of family. The key is understanding, preparing for, and talking about those challenges.
If you are thinking about transracial adoption, here are some subjects you will need to think about as your child grows.
28
Sep
2016
Why Open Adoption is Important to Birth Mothers
The question is: why is having an open adoption important to me? Having an open adoption means I stay connected with my child. Just because I made a decision not to parent every day doesn’t mean I don’t want to have a relationship with my child. I also believe that us having a relationship is better for him as well in the long run.
23
Sep
2016
What is Semi-Open Adoption?
So you’ve heard of open adoption and you’ve heard of closed adoption, right? But have you heard of semi-open adoption?
Semi-open adoption is a fairly new idea, only having really taken off in the last couple decades. It refers to those adoptions where contact is exchanged between birth mothers and adoptive families, but identifying information remains private. Ok, that makes sense, but how does it work?
21
Sep
2016
The One Thing that is Affecting Your Wait Time
Ask any adoptive family out there and they will tell you that the wait between becoming an active family and having their child placed in their arms was the hardest part of the entire adoption process. There’s so much excitement and anticipation as you wait for that little bundle of joy, but everything is out of your control.
Fortunately, you can drastically reduce your wait time by changing one simple thing: your APQ.
20
Sep
2016
What to Expect in an APQ Call
Often times, when beginning the adoption process, adoptive families worry about how they could possibly find a birth mother on their own. How will they know where to look? How will they know if the woman they find will be a good fit? How do they find a woman whose hopes for her child are in line with what they can provide?
At American Adoptions we can do all of the legwork for you. How, you ask? Well, we actually do this using a very simple set of questionnaires. Upon joining our agency, you will be asked to complete an Adoption Planning Questionnaire, or APQ, with the help of one of our adoptive family specialists.
19
Sep
2016
5 Ways to Help a Birth Mother Heal After Placement
It is ultimately up to a birth parent to take responsibility for their own healing after placement. As adoptive parents, there are a few key things you can do to help a birth parent with the process after placement.
16
Sep
2016
Drug Usage During Pregnancy: How it Affects Baby
When adoptive families are asked what kinds of prenatal drug exposure they are open to in their child, their main concern is the health of their future child. In a perfect world, an adoptive family’s child will have had no drug exposure and will be born perfectly healthy.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that many babies placed for adoption have been exposed to some type of drug in utero. Exposure can vary from very little to multiple times per day, and effects on the child can vary just as greatly. However, each of these babies has something in common: they’re in need of a loving family to care for and nurture them.
Before making any decisions regarding drug exposure, it is important that adoptive families understand the possible effects on the child. Below, we have identified the most commonly used drugs and the possible effects they may have on an unborn child.