My New Year’s Resolutions for the Adoption Community
“I’m usually emotional during the week leading up to the new year. I’m thinking ahead and planning for the new year. I don’t make traditional resolutions, but I do like to set goals or be mindful of things that I want to be important in the new year ahead of us”
Adoption Advice: Your Adoptee’s Extended Biological Family
“When I was first placed with my son, I truthfully had never even thought about the extended family. I was so overwhelmed with joy, bliss, and love, not to mention an intense need to make the transition as easy as possible for him, that my thought process never turned to anything beyond my son”
The Story of a Family’s Transcultural Adoptions from Taiwan
“Both Briana and Brodie were drawn to Taiwan because of past relationships within the Asian community. They were friends with a group of people who shared with them a love for Asia”
How Social Media Has Changed Adoption
“One of the biggest benefits of social media is the ability to connect with others who have walked similar journeys. Social media opens the world up to meeting all sorts of people that you may never have had an opportunity to meet”
Love and Adoption: International and Transracial Adoption
“International and transracial adoption often go hand in hand and anyone considering international adoption should research far beyond such simple definitions to fully understand the impact of this type of adoption on your family”
How I Felt Being Pregnant and Considering Adoption
“I spent many nights in my room with my friends, crying and sharing the pain I was experiencing with the only other people in the world who could understand exactly how I was feeling. To be in a position where I wanted so badly to parent my child, but lack the resources needed was a gut-wrenching feeling”
Personal Growth in Open Adoption
“The woman I am today is not the woman I was five years ago. I know most everyone matures with age because new experiences happen, we gain new perspectives, and we are forced to grow in heart and mind as our world changes around us”
Never Too Late: Birth Mother Seeks Out Child
“For every adoptive family out there, there is a birth mother intertwined. She is by far the most crucial piece to the adoption triad. She deserves to be recognized”
Reuniting and Building Connections
“The reunification stories of adoptees and their families are as unique and varied as the individuals themselves.”
Adoption at Birth: Coping With the Aftermath
“I challenge you to at least find a group of birth mamas to lean on after placing a child for adoption at birth. I believe it will be one of the most helpful coping skills you utilize”
Navigating Adoption Through Faith: The Alderman Family
“In the spring of 2018, Robbie and Savannah were ready to grow their family through adoption. This was always the plan for them since they were married in June of 2016. Robbie and Savannah always had a heart for adoption because of their passion for overseas missions and children”
Adjusting After Adoption
“Parenthood is full of rewarding moments such as these. However, as any parent will attest, parenthood is also challenging and downright frustrating at time”
Attachment Parenting for Beginners
“What is an attachment disorder? The most grievous one is called Reactive Attachment Disorder. It causes a child to reject his or her caregiver so they can feel in control of their lives. Sometimes, if the child knows the caregiver is right, he or she will lash out in rage and proceed to do the opposite of what they are supposed to”
This Is Us: The Beauty and Brokenness of Adoption
“In September 2016, my family experienced the tragedy and privilege of adopting our two youngest children after parenting them through our state’s foster care system for almost two years. In this event, we began to see beauty from ashes”
Foster to Adopt: Just the 7 of Us
“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes 14 years of infertility and suddenly three kids overnight—wait. No, that’s not how that song goes. But evidently, we sing the song with our own lyrics in this family’
Adoption Family Profile: 6 Things to Look For
“Before looking at an adoption family profile, take some time to make a list of things you are looking for in an adoptive family or qualities you would like them to possess, and keep the list in mind as you look at the various profiles. To follow are some things to look for when reviewing family profiles”
The Perspective of an Adoptive Mother, Adoptee, and a Biological Child
“In adoption, the birth family, the adoptive family, and the adoptee each have a different perspective. Every single perspective is important since they all make the adoption triad thrive and prosper”
Adopting a Child: the Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected
“Adoption has painful moments, and adoption has hard truths that come with it; adoption always starts with pain. But this is your great chance to overcome, link arms, tackle the giant, and create something new. I know one thing for sure: I have had bad days as an adoptive parent—many of them. I’ve had many, many unexpected days and, with that, some unpleasant experiences”
How and When to Talk to Your Child About Their Adoption
“‘Mama? Where did I come from?’ the sweet little girl inquired as her mama was preparing dinner. Her mama reddened then prepared to launch into her scripted speech about what happens when mamas and papas love each other when her thoughts were interrupted by her daughter again”
From Foster Care to Transracial Adoption
“Every child deserves love and a safe space to call home. As a woman who suffered through infertility, I’ve met tons of women looking for a child to call their own (regardless of race)”
Improving the Relationship: Open Adoption
“Open adoptions are advantageous in several ways. Perhaps the biggest benefit of an open adoption is that the birth mother can watch her child grow up; she has an opportunity to have a relationship with her child and the adoptive parents. But the birth parent-adoptive parent relationship can be a tricky one. Use these tips to help you navigate the birth parent-adoptive parent relationship”
Unexpected Pregnancy: Managing The Crisis
“Growing up, I had always wanted to find my dream guy, get married, have kids and dogs, and live happily ever after. It wasn’t until I was 18, that I realized fairy tales and American dreams are not reality. My reality was an unexpected pregnancy”
I Am a Mama: Motherhood Through Adoption
“Once I started the international adoption process, it seemed like there was endless paperwork and appointments. But with each piece of paper I sent in – including the dossier, personal references, and home studies – I felt all of it bringing me closer to being a mother”
What Not to Say to a Family Dealing with Infertility
“‘Mother’s Day is right around the corner!’ They smile as if you didn’t know. As if it didn’t crush you when you saw the first Mother’s Day card display a month ago, knowing once again that because of your struggles with infertility, you won’t be receiving one”
#Wearemothers: Words of wisdom and helpful motherhood tips
“One of my favorite quotes is, “However motherhood comes to you, it is a miracle”. I have never found truer words floating around the internet. It is hard for me to explain how motherhood can instantly change your life”
Sesame Street and Adoption
“Through the stories of the humans and the muppets, Sesame Street effortlessly tackles so many social issues that are happening in the world. I believe this is because at the core, Sesame Street was created to educate small children”
What Do Supportive Friends Look Like?
“In my adoption journey, I have learned to think of my birth parents as some of my best friends and greatest advocates. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t bumps and bruises on the road to get here”
Finding Closure: Living as a survivor of Shaken Baby Syndrome
“I was one of the lucky ones; I survived Shaken Baby Syndrome”
What I Would Change About the Adoption World
“As a birth mother myself, the thing I am most passionate about is breaking through some of the adversities that birth mothers face: Stigmas, lack of awareness, and absence of lifelong support are just a few to get us started”
What Does Foster Care Actually Look Like?
“There are so many questions related to the foster care system in general. The media and other social outlets can be very critical when describing children in foster care. Over the years, many of my friends who were considering adoption have dismissed foster care”
Being a Black Woman In the Adoption Community
“Being a member of the Black Community has taken precedent in my life, followed by being a woman. Some may ask, why? As a child, I didn’t grow up with the idea of being color-blind. On the contrary, I grew up with parental griots who spoke life into me. My parents created a cultural identity within me that was centered on unapologetic pride”
Women of Color in the Adoption Community
“We are fortunate enough to witness a shift in racial diversity within the adoption community. It is becoming more common to see families that do not look alike”
An International Adoptee’s Identity
“When it comes to identity, most of the sources I have seen tend to regard it as a linear issue. Adoptees are initially nonchalant about their past, then they explore it, then they embrace it. However, I have personally found that not only can it be non-linear, it can also go backward”
8 Things You Need to Know About Therapy & Adopted Children
“Deciding whether or not to seek mental health treatment for your child or your family can be a complex and difficult decision. There are many factors to consider about yourself and your child before you even begin to look at practitioners in your area”
I Would Not Be a Mother Without You
“Love, admiration, and respect are not even adequate to express the feelings that I have for birth parents. This has only increased in the more than ten years after adopting my first son. My relationship with his birth mother is something that I did not know I needed and one of the biggest blessings in my life”
Interview with a Birth Grandparent
“Through the stories of the humans and the muppets, Sesame Street effortlessly tackles so many social issues that are happening in the world. I believe this is because at the core, Sesame Street was created to educate small children”
Story of Grant and Rachel Sanders
“The pandemic brought much uncertainty in the world, especially in the world of adoption. In a community filled with paperwork, in-person visits, and home inspections, the paperwork delays and courthouse closures stalled domestic adoption, foster care, and private adoption. Adoption placements slowed down, which is heartbreaking for a hopeful adoptive family”
Children’s Books about Adoption
“The topic of adoption is a difficult one for kids to grasp sometimes. It is bound to come with feelings of rejection or at least confusion over what happened. Each of these books does a wonderful job of explaining adoption”
Adoptees and the Residential School Crisis in Canada
“If your child is adopted from a war-torn country, or from a background of trauma, media coverage of racism and genocide may deeply trouble them. It is up to us as adults to bridge the gap, to talk, to love, and to be open”
Christy Gior: The Adoption Influencer You Need to Follow
“Christy Gior is one influencer who has used her YouTube channel to connect with other families like hers. As the mother of a family who has experienced foster care, adoption through foster care, and transracial adoption, Christy shares her day-to-day experiences with her growing audience.”
Gladney’s Transitional Care Program
“Transitional Care Parents provide a loving daily touch to babies in need of a family to help nourish and prepare that baby for a healthier future”
Transracial Adoption: Healthier Conversations About Race
“Race is something that should be talked about as it affects everyone. In my experience, the best way to communicate about race with people who are not the same race as you is by acknowledging and validating that they have their own beliefs and experiences”
Learning from Adoptees
“You may not always understand, agree with, or like what you learn, but if you’re willing to acknowledge other adoptees as a resource, you may find ways to strengthen your own adopted family”
5 Ways We Celebrate My Adopted Child’s Culture During the Holidays
“I am a mother to a beautiful Indian girl, the wife to an Italian, and I myself am part Filipino. Trying to incorporate all our family traditions, cultural customs, and more is exhausting and this season is already tiring for so many moms that just want it to be perfect. Well, the good news is that it can be simple to include and celebrate your adopted child’s culture! This is how our family does it”
Healing From Your Own Trauma To Help Them Heal From Theirs
“I have learned to recognize the signs when my kids and spouse are overwhelmed. I am better at spotting it in them, but it also helps me recognize things in me”
Trauma-Informed Care in Adoption
“Unfortunately, we are living in a society where no one demographic is completely removed from the possibility of trauma of some kind”
Storytelling: Honesty About Your Child’s Adoption
”While I do wonder how the tougher details of their stories will impact them when they’re old enough to learn them, I also rest at ease knowing that their place in our family has been so long established and openly talked about that they can face hard things with stability and security.”
Adoptive Fathers: The Less-Heard Voices
“Adoptive fathers are typically less heard. We can easily find social media posts or Youtube videos of adoptive mothers sharing their experiences with adoption–myself included. People often do not realize that there is a growing demographic of single adoptive fathers, mostly through the avenue of foster care”
Adoption Gave Me…
“I am grateful that my plans and dreams did not turn out as I dreamed of–they turned out better.”
Setting Boundaries Post-Placement
“As with all relationships, healthy boundaries are essential to maintaining healthy relationships among the adoption triad”
