How To Be “You” In Your Adoption Profile

You can make a great connection with expectant parents this way.

Shelley Skuster April 25, 2017

Your adoption profile book is one of the best ways to form a connection with expectant parents searching for an adoptive family.

While you certainly want to put your best foot forward, it’s just as important to be authentic and genuine in the way you present yourself.

Here are six ways to be YOU in your adoption profile.

1. Use real photos

Instagram and social media have a way of filtering our images to look different than we really are. Be sure to include real photographs and candid snapshots in your adoption profile, not just the perfectly framed and filtered photos.

2. Incorporate action

Whether it’s through photographs of you baking your family’s favorite cookies, using active verbs to describe what you enjoy doing, or perhaps a combination of both (like describing what it smells and sounds like as you dump cups full of chocolate chips into a bowl of cookie dough), incorporating action into your adoption profile through your photos and words will keep an expectant parent’s interest.

3. Be authentic

Don’t try to sell your family as something it’s not. Be open and honest about your hopes and plans for the future as parents. Expectant parents aren’t looking for the perfect people to adopt their child; they’re looking for a family who they feel a genuine sense of connection with.

4. Make it memorable

Make your profile book stand out by including unique facts about your family and lifestyle. Have you backpacked across Europe? Is your home town known for its ice cream or Irish Festival? Do you have a funny quirk or one-of-a-kind nickname your nieces or nephews call you by? Consider including these memorable tidbits in your adoption profile.

5. Be creative

The opportunities to be creative in your adoption profile are endless! Incorporate your favorite color schemes and layouts with photos and text. Don’t be afraid to try something new (like a handwritten letter to the expectant parents) – as long as it’s something that accurately reflects who you are.

6. Consult a friend for review

Ask a trusted friend or family member to read through your adoption profile and provide their honest feedback. Does your friend or family member feel it’s an accurate representation of who you are? Do they have suggestions for improvement? Consulting a third person for review can prove to be one of the most valuable assets in creating your adoption profile.

Shelley Skuster

Shelley is a former award-winning television journalist who traded in suit coats and red lipstick for a messy bun and yoga pants. She's a freelance writer who stays at home with her three daughters who are all ((gasp)) under the age of three and came to her via adoption and birth. She's the woman behind the blog Shelley Writes and she can also be found on facebook and twitter as ShelleySkuster.

How To Be “You” In Your Adoption Profile

You can make a great connection with expectant parents this way.

Shelley Skuster

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