April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to recognize that we each can play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and families in our communities. As part of this awareness month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encourages individuals and organizations to share child abuse and neglect prevention awareness strategies and activities and promote prevention across the country.
28
Mar
2016
Preparing for Baby – How and When to Get Started
Going into an adoption, unlike a pregnancy, you have no idea when your child will be born, what season it will be, what the child’s sex is, or even if there may be more than one baby. So how in the world do you prepare for baby when there are so many unknowns?
24
Mar
2016
Announcing Your Adoption
So you’ve made the decision to adopt. You’re over-the-moon excited and you simply cannot wait to tell the world about the amazing journey you’re beginning. But it has to be perfect.
What is the perfect way to announce your adoption journey? Well we don’t just have one perfect way, we have several! (But really, any way you announce your adoption journey is perfect in our eyes.)
10
Mar
2016
With Love and Gratitude: Tips for writing a Dear Birth Parent letter
The Dear Birth Parent letter is a one-page snapshot of your life and the life you hope to give a child. It is an opportunity for you to put into words your love and longing, your desire to raise a family. It is, by far, the most read section of any Adoptive Family Profile, and it is one of the hardest things for families to write. Thankfully, we’ve got it down to a science.
3
Mar
2016
Sorry, But You Can’t Really Volunteer to Cuddle Babies
Woman and BabyAfter a news story went viral last month – which implies that agencies across the country are in need of baby cuddlers – American Adoptions, and many other agencies, have received calls and inquiries from well-meaning volunteers hoping to cuddle babies. However, the article is incredibly misleading and fails to mention that what the agency is really in need of are interim caregivers, which is a far cry from a simple cuddle sesh.
19
Feb
2016
Being Patient – Rebecca, Matt and Madeline’s Adoption Story
When I think about the moment we decided to pursue adoption, I remember feeling anxious, scared, and most of all excited about the possibilities that were to come. The idea that I would be a parent at any time was a feeling that I would describe as a balloon getting ready to burst! I was over the moon excited.
10
Feb
2016
Dear Baby Girl – A Birth Mother’s Letter to Her Daughter
Love. It’s a powerful emotion. And between adoptive families, birth parents and adoptees, there is a lot of love going around here at American Adoptions. As Valentine’s Day draws nearer we start to think about the ones we love and wonder if they truly know …