Baby Shower for Adopting Parents

We all hear about baby showers for expecting parents, but what about for adopting parents? An adoption baby shower is more than acceptable – it’s encouraged! Adopting parents have the same needs as any other new parents would, but with a few minor considerations. You should steer clear of planning a surprise celebration on the day the family brings their child home. This can be a very emotional time – the...

Making the Decision to Adopt: Part 1

The path to choosing adoption is different for everyone. Here, some of our forum members share what led them to making the decision to adopt. Scroll down for the link to part two of this discussion. When we decided to adopt it was a very spontaneous decision. During a frustrating conversation with my mother about my sister’s poor parenting choices, I blurted out “Don’t call me about her behavior again...

Making the Decision to Adopt: Part 2

What was it that brought you to adoption? What made you decide to adopt? We asked some of the members of our adoption forum and here’s what they had to say. Feel free to answer in a comment here. We’d love to know what our visitors think.   Read part one here At first, adoption was not something we thought about. We wanted to get pregnant and create a little person that looked like one or both of us, and we...

Adopt US Kids PSA: Forgotten Lunch

Adopt US Kids sponsored a wonderful series of adoption videos. Through humor, they show that you don’t have to be perfect to adopt a child that needs a family. © 2011 Forever Parents Share Tags: adoption psa, foster care adoption, Older Child Adoption Related posts Every Child Needs Love (0) Wendy’s Raised Over $1 Million for

Adoption PSA: The Hamster

Adopt Us Kids sponsored a series of PSA’s on adoption. This one is really cute! Glad the hamster was okay! © 2011 Forever Parents Share Tags: foster adoption, Older Child Adoption Related posts Wendy’s Raised Over $1 Million for Adoption (2) Urge Senate To Reauthorize Adoption Incentive Program (0) Treat Dad To Frosty And

A Family Portrait: The Johnson’s Adoption St...

From The Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation, this is the Johnson’s adoption story. Share Tags: adoption story Related posts The Perception Of Adoption In History (2) Suggested Children’s Adoption Books (3) Rosie’s Family by Lori Rosove (0) Families Change: A Book for Children Experiencing Termination of Parental Rights (1)

Are You Tough Enough To Adopt? (Part 2)

Written by Linny In part one, I wrote about our hopeful adoptive couple, Jill and Jon. I mentioned that they have a limited amount of money to spend in their attempt to have a child; and, that those who choose to build their family through pregnancy have little to ‘prove’ in order to show they’re worthy to become parents—-unlike people who choose to adopt a baby/child. Jill and Jon have already gone through the...

Are You Tough Enough To Adopt? (Part 1)

Just in case you’ve not heard or seen, it takes an incredible toughness to go through the adoption process. Our society likes to believe that those who adopt, simply get the idea, gather up a few hundred dollars and whisk out to their local ‘adoption agency’ or ‘birth person on the street’ to ask, ‘Can we have your baby?” If this is what you’ve thought adoption was about, you’re very wrong. The names...

The Adoption Agency/Parent Relationship and its Ef...

Perhaps it was what somebody said before you started the adoption process. Perhaps it was the response to one of your answers. Maybe it was a personal comment that your social worker shared about parenting choices. Or, it could be an agency’s statement of beliefs or policies which put you on the guard. The fact is, our relationships with adoption professionals can shape how our attachment process will be to our future...

Adoption Travel Tips

Traveling To Meet Your Child: Written by Debbie Schwartz, who is a tremendous asset to our adoption forum and is the Program Coordinator for Adoption Connection at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich in Connecticut. Congratulations!  After all of your hard work, the time to travel to meet your child is finally here (or almost here).  Since you can expect to be overtired, a little anxious, and, quite possibly,...

Paying For Adoption Costs

A blog visitor asked: I have been looking into adoption recently, and was discouraged about the costs. I would love any kind of advice, or information about making it more affordable. How can a lower income family afford it? I took the question to our adoption forum members and this is what they suggested: >>>>>>> This is tough. I have to say it seems to be getting harder to do each time we pursue it. Further, adoption costs...

Things To Think About Before Adopting A Sibling Gr...

One of the members at our adoption forums is considering adopting a sibling group of older children. She asked for some advice and I wanted to share her questions, and my answers here for our readers that may have the same questions. What makes that difference between good and horrible? With my kids (half bio. siblings), the difference was what age they were removed from their abuser, how many foster homes they were in and...

Adoption: Getting The Word Out

Networking and communication is an important part of getting out the word that you’re looking to adopt. You never know how, or where you’ll connect with someone seeking an adoption plan for their unborn child. We asked our forum members how they go about spreading the word and we’d love to hear from our blog readers as well. Here’s what some of them suggested: We had spread our desire to adopt through...

The Perception Of Adoption In History

Back in prior centuries, families were intentionally made large to assure that some children would reach adulthood. Many died of disease, hardship, or injuries. Likewise, mothers died in childbirth, contracted disease, or were injured. Motherless children were cared for by relatives, by a new wife, or by servants. When this was not possible, they became wards of society. There were many children living in poor farms among...

The What-If Game Of Adoption

You’re considering adopting a child. So much is going around in your mind! You know that there a few agencies in your state, and you call for information. You might get that “hooked like a fish” feeling, and you’re not getting the details that you want out of a first phone call. They want to set up a meeting. You politely hang up, but still leaving your contact information. So you sit there in your...

Every Child Needs Love

© 2011 Forever Parents Share Tags: adopt a child, adopting a child, children in foster care, foster care adoption, Older Child Adoption, Special Needs Adoption, Transracial Adoption Related posts Home For The Holidays: Foster/Adoption Special (1) Adoption PSA (0) ‘Jockey’ Adoption Services & Programs (4) Treat Dad To...

Adoption As A First Option (pt. 1)

I know many couples come to adoption after being involved in fertility treatments. What about those, like myself, who decided to adopt before exploring other options? Tell us about your experience in the comment section. Here’s what some of our adoption forums members had to say; “Years ago I was in a serious relationship with someone who, for political reasons, felt very strongly that he would never want to bring...

Adoption As A First Option (pt. 2)

This post is a continuation of Adoption As A First Option (pt. 1) “Maybe not exactly what your asking, but my dh and I each had bio children from previous relationships. We never even discussed trying for babies with each other, and actually took measures against it. For some reason, both of us felt drawn to adopt older kids for “our” kids.” “We did not try to conceive before we adopted, (or...

The Reluctant Spouse

The following article is by Jill Smolowe, author of A Love Like No Other: Stories from Adoptive Parents. My husband and I equally wanted to adopt children but I know that there are couples that struggle with this. The Reluctant Spouse: Don’t be surprised if your mate resists adoption even as you’re embracing it. By Jill Smolowe It had been a long haul to convince my husband to start a family. When biology failed...

Adoption Articles Posted

Two adoption articles have been posted at our forums. Please share the link with those who might be interested. Waiting To Adopt Open Adoption, Semi-Open Adoption And Closed Adoption © 2011 Forever Parents Share Tags: Adoption Forums, adoption musings, adoption options, choosing adoption, parents of adopted children Related posts Adoption

Adoption Profile Tips

What makes a good adoption profile? What information should be included? How can I make mine stand out? I asked our adoption forums members what advice they would give someone who was creating a profile and here’s what some of them said. *** I had to get friends to help me to write my letter and put together my profile. They were better able to communicate my warmth. I was too close to the situation. They were able to...