Adoption Blog

  • Adoption and Permanency: How To Help Families Become Successful

    This guest post is by Marion Crook, an adoptive parent and author Permanency is the new word in the air around adoption. Recently I had the pleasure to attend the North American Council on Adoptable Children Conference where I learned more about this concept from the guru of permanency himself, Adam Pertman. Pertman is the author of Adoption Nation and the president and founder of the National Center for Adoption and Permanency. In his session, entitled “Reshaping Adoption for the 21st

  • To The Waiting Adoptive Parent Who’s Having One of Those Days

    I know today is hard. Yesterday might have been hard, too. And maybe the day before, and the week, and the entire month. There’s so much you have to think about. So much you have to do. And so little control over the process. Your profile has been out there, at your agency and online, for months and the only people who have contacted you about it are scammers and SEO services promising you placement at the top of Google. Your home

  • The Hardest Part About Placing A Baby For Adoption

    A little while ago I wrote a piece called The Hardest Part About Being A Waiting Adoptive Parent. It listed some of the challenges that hopeful parents face on the path to building a family through adoption, and many of the points were drawn from my own experiences when we were waiting. As an adoptive parent, I’ve never placed a baby for adoption so I can’t pretend to know what it’s like. However, I do know from the birthparents I’ve met or

  • 3 Reasons Expectant Parents Aren’t Reading Your Online Adoption Profile

    You’ve written your adoption profile, posted it online, and now you’re waiting for expectant parents to contact you. But no one is reaching out. You check your cell phone. Maybe the ringer’s turned off. You take a look at your email. Perhaps a reply got stuck in your Junk folder. Nope, everything is working. Everything that is, except your profile online. So, what gives? Posting your profile or “Dear Birthmother” letter on the web can sometimes feel like shouting in a crowd. No

  • 10 Surprising Facts About “Dear Birthmother” Letters

    “Dear Birthmother” letters have been around for decades. For hopeful adoptive parents, they are the go-to marketing tool to connect with expectant parents who are considering adoption for their baby. But even though a “Dear Birthmother” letter is a great way to share details about your life and your hopes and dreams for the future, there are many misconceptions surrounding the people who will ultimately read it and what to put inside it. Here are 10 surprising facts about “Dear

  • Dear Adoption Social Worker, We’re Breaking Up With You

    Dear Adoption Social Worker, We hope you’re well. There’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now: We’re breaking up with you. Our relationship isn’t working. You don’t call. You don’t write. What kind of relationship is that? We were hoping to tell you in person. But since you’re not returning our calls, this note will have to suffice. If you’re wondering whether there’s another woman in the picture—another social worker, for instance—the answer is no. We’re just not

  • Adopting A Baby Isn’t A Competition. Or Is It?

    Adopting a baby isn’t a competition. But sometimes, it can sure feel that way. I was thinking about this the other day after I came across this advice column, Couple Reminded That Adoption Isn’t A Competition. Usually I don’t pay a lot of attention to these types of columns, but this one really struck a nerve with me and I think you might find it interesting too. In it, an anxious and obviously frustrated hopeful adoptive mother says she’s fed up with “bidding” against another

  • 10 Things To Expect After Adopting A Newborn

    Having a newborn join your family is exciting. But if you’re an adoptive parent, it can feel extra exciting. Finally, all those hoops you jumped through and years of waiting have finally paid off.  Just think, no more worrying about updating your home study. No more fretting over your Google ads account. No more jumping out of your seat every time the phone rings, or wondering why your social worker hasn’t called you back — again. Congrats! And welcome to the

  • 10 Things They Don’t Tell You About Private Domestic Adoption

    This guest post is by Barb, a waiting adoptive mother.  Fingerprinting.  Medical reports.  Adoption training.  Endless paperwork. These are just a few of the many steps hopeful adoptive parents need to go through in order to be ready to adopt through private domestic adoption. And that’s the easy part! What isn’t so easy is all the other stuff people don’t tell you about. My husband and I are “officially waiting,” and sometimes I feel like it’s a wonder we ever got

  • To The People Who Call Me A Baby Thief Because I’m Infertile And Want To Adopt

    This guest post is by Jane, a hopeful adoptive mother* Last week you asked people what’s the one thing they wish others wouldn’t say about adoption. Here are a few things that I would like to share with you as a hopeful adoptive mother who has experienced infertility: I do not want people to tell me that my husband and I will never be the “right” parents for our child(ren) because we do not share DNA with them. I do not want