Every adoption has one thing in common, no matter if it’s open or closed, domestic or international: they do involve extensive financial processes. Understanding how adoption finance works and some of the resources available to you can help you navigate these waters. Check out the list below for five helpful books about adoption finance. Continue reading
Communicating with birthparents can be a sensitive subject for some, but in open adoptions it is common and often beneficial for an adoptee to get to know their birth family. Check out some of the blogs and resources below to help you find a method of communication that you and your birthparents can be comfortable with.
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While it can be easy to put all of your focus on your new child during an adoption, it is important to remember the other side of this equation: the birthparents. They are much more than the people providing you an opportunity to have a child; they’re still biologically connected with them. While not every birthmother is willing to consider an open adoption, when it’s a possibility, it should certainly be considered for the benefits they offer a child throughout his or her life. Continue reading
When you are faced with the decision to either parent or adopt, there are reasons a birthmother might want to evaluate the placement of her child with an adoptive family as an option. For many pregnant women, the decision to parent could lead to a pressure in their own lives that could take away from the quality of care they could provide for their child, or for themselves. For some women it is just a choice they make based on self evaluation of their own aptitude for parenthood. No matter what the reason is that you may be considering, there is not a right or wrong reason for adoption being a personal best choice. Some women may arrive at adoption easier than others, but here are some questions to ask while you are determining whether or not to make the choice to parent or adopt. Continue reading
Adding a child to your family is not always easy; for many people, it is a struggle that requires some extra work and soul-searching decisions. Thankfully, modern science means you have options. Depending on the medical reasons behind your infertility, fertility treatments may be an option, allowing you to potentially become pregnant with medical intervention. Alternatively, adoption gives you the opportunity to offer a home and family to a child in need. Below, we discuss both options to help you make the best decision for you and your family. Continue reading
For any adoption, the potential adoptive parents must go through a process called the home study. The home study involves a number of steps to ensure that the parents are prepared to accept a child into their household safely and securely. For many people involved in this process, it can feel very invasive to have someone review their qualifications for placement of a child in their home. The home study is a necessary step in the adoption journey for the state and federal government to understand that whoever is involved can fulfill their parental rights legally. As personal as it may seem, everyone hoping to adopt will have to go through this process without exception. We’ve listed some of the key milestones for the process to prepare for. Continue reading
There are three types of adoption and the pros and cons of each of them. Before making a decision about what you think is, it is important to know that the birth mother you are matched is likely to want a type of adoption that will be best for her life moving forward, so it is best to keep an open mind and think thoroughly about what is best for everyone involved in an adoptive family. Continue reading
You’re looking forward to welcoming your new son or daughter so much you can’t even think straight. All the while, the members of your extended family aren’t acting with the level of enthusiasm you might expect? The first thing you should do is no let them ruin it for you; instead, focus on doing things that will help them accept your process rather than putting unnecessary emphasis on feelings that are on the fringe of your immediate family life. Continue reading
Open Adoption can involve staying in touch with a child’s birth parents in a variety of ways. As a birth mother, you might have an interest in knowing how you’re is adjusting to the new family, and as adoptive parents, you’re probably feeling reluctant to severing all ties with the child’s biological family. These are the two main reasons why more and more people opt for open and not closed adoption. So if you have an open adoption- what’s the best method of communicating with the birth parents? Here’s what you can do! Continue reading
Birth parents are often under-served in the adoption process, and while there are many studies and services dedicated to adoptees, there are not that many dedicated to birthparents and their hardships after adoption. And while you might notice more recognition of the fact that placing a child can be one of the most emotional life events for a woman, this has not yet lead to a very comprehensive development of post-placement supports and services. It is important to take care of yourself after adoption, so here is a short guide on how to give yourself adequate self-care in the time following placement. Continue reading