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...

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,...

Adoption Myths

A few months ago, we had a conversation on the adoption forums about what we felt were the most common myths about adoption, specifically about those of us who adopt a child. One of the myths that was posted several times was about adoption being a “last resort” or something we HAVE TO do: “All adoptive parents “have to” adopt because they can’t “have their own” children....

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...

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...

Let’s Get Real!

The term “real” is a source of frustration for those involved in adoption, and yet, people untouched by adoption continue to use it to refer to the biological parents. If you ask an adoptee who the “real” parents are, chances are the child will point to the actively parenting, adoptive parents. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards have words describing active parenting, nurturing qualities....

Debbie Schwartz Honored By The Congressional Coali...

All of us at Forever Parents are so proud of our friend Debbie Schwartz aka DebbieJFSG on our adoption forums, for being named one of this years Angels in Adoption. Congressman Jim Himes has selected Jewish Family Services Adoption Connection Program Coordinator Debbie Schwartz as a 2010 Angel in Adoption (TM) for her outstanding advocacy of adoption.  The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which...

2010 National Adoption Day Spokesperson: Nia Varda...

The National Adoption Day Coalition is pleased to announce Nia Vardalos, the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated My Big Fat Greek Wedding writer and actress, as its 2010 National Adoption Day spokesperson. “Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Vardalos said. “I am happy to once again be a part of National Adoption Day. We were matched with our daughter through the U.S....

Watch The Adoption Angles Webcast Tonight

Debbie Schwartz, program coordinator for Adoption Connection: Jewish Family Services of Greenwich, and a valued member of our adoption forums, is the guest for tonight’s Adoption Angle’s webcast at 9 pm EST /6 pm PST. Click here to watch live . You can login, watch Debbie, and type in questions and comments for her. Click here to watch the archived interview (Click on the May 19 episode to watch the 60 minute...

Alabama Adoption

When Air Force family Henry and Stephanie Hayes started foster care for children four years ago, they weren’t necessarily looking to adopt. They’re the parents of two birth children and had opened their Montgomery home to 11 foster children over the years. They were content. That is, until they met baby Jaylan. “He is medically fragile and when we learned that he would not be able to return to his birth...

Event To End Florida Gay Adoption Ban

Florida’s Adoption Ban is the only law in the country that categorically prohibits gay men and lesbians from adopting children. This discriminatory law hurts thousands of children who are languishing in Florida’s foster care system by denying them a permanent home. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is proud to announce that Cynthia Nixon, Sex and the City star and LGBT rights advocate, will join us on...

Adoption Support on Facebook

Are you on facebook? Stop by and join our facebook group and become a fan of our facebook page . You’ll make connections with our blog readers and our adoption forum members. After you join, you can share the link to your adoption blog or business as long as it’s adoption friendly and not spam. While you’re there, feel free to friend me! I’m also on twitter! See you around the ‘net!...

In Praise Of Foster Parents

The weekend before Christmas has become the time when we host our annual get together with my children’s former foster parents.  I’ve posted about them before but for those of you that are new to our blog or adoption forum, let me backtrack a bit. When we adopted our children, they were 5, 8 and 11 and had been in the foster system for 4 years, the last three being spent with foster parents Pat & Bill.  Over...

Adoption Stories: Infant And Older Child Adoption

The following was submitted by Beth, one of our blog readers. Leave a comment here if you’d like to share your adoption story also. We have three children. Our oldest daughter and son were adopted at birth. Our youngest son was adopted right before his tenth birthday. This is a story of both joy and sorrow, excitement and patience, and most importantly, unconditional love. My husband and I were married in 1965. Like...

Children’s Books On Adoption

Written by Debbie Schwartz, who is a source of inspiration at our adoption forum and is the Program Coordinator for Adoption Connection at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich in Connecticut. Click any of the titles to purchase them through amazon.com. When you think of the books you loved as a child, what images come to your mind? Many of us remember bedtime rituals that included Goodnight, Moon and Pat the Bunny or a...

Children’s Adoption Books: How I Became A Bi...

How I Became A Big Sister” is about how a little girl, who doesn’t have any siblings, becomes a big sister when her parents adopt a baby. The story is told from the point of view of the toddler, and touches on many of the concerns and fears that a child might be experiencing when their family decides to adopt. This book is a must read for anyone who is considering adoption....

Adoption: First Moments

To celebrate National Adoption Month, Adoption ARK held a contest where parents were invited to send in their pictures of the first moments with their child. Adoption ARK compiled all of the pictures and created a video entitled “First Moments”. Tags: Adoption, national adoption month Related posts Watch The Adoption Angles Webcast Tonight (0) The Traumatized Adoptee (2) The Reluctant...

A Home For The Holidays: 12/23/09

As the parent of three children that we adopted through foster care, please watch A Home For The Holidays with your family this holiday season. A Home For The Holidays shares, through the eyes of a child, the joy of having a family – not just for the holidays, but every day and forever. Each December, Wendy’s International, Inc., the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Children’s Action Network present A...

Adoption Forum Contest

We’re starting a new contest! Check it out in the adoption forums. If you’re already a forum member, you can head over there to get started right now. If you’re not a member, you can join here: Adoption Forums One winner will receive: 1. A copy of 97 Ways To Make A Baby Laugh. AND *drum roll please* 2. An adoption profile review by our own Lori (Best Light) of  Best Light Adoption Profile Review....

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...