When many think of adoption, they often think of the wait times or the often harrowing process of being matched with a birthmother. In addition to the perils that come along with child rearing, there is one aspect of adoption that is rarely spoken about. That is the financial cost of adopting a child.
While combining races in one family is a beautiful thing, it still comes with its fair share of difficulties. In order for a transracial adoptive parent to understand how to properly raise their children free from identifying issues, they need to take action from the moment they bring their child home, to the moment they leave for college and even beyond. Let’s consider how adoptive parents can make sure their child grows into a confident and well-rounded individual.
In the 21st century it’s far more common for a child to know that they are adopted from an early age than the secretive scenarios you may have heard about from the past. Understanding where we come from is an inherent need in all of us, and for an adopted child, understanding their beginnings can often be essential for their development and growth.
One of the biggest obstacles parents of newly adopted children face is fostering strong attachment and familial bonds with their new addition. This typically of course isn’t on the side of the parent(s); often for them, bonds are formed as soon as they see their prospective child, or, after a few engagements with them. However, for an adoptive child who may have had a history of abandonment or unstable situations, learning to trust and connect with a caregiver in a meaningful way can prove difficult.
While many hopeful parents have more than enough love to give an adopted child, oftentimes the financial costs can be the only thing holding them back from their dreams of a family. However, not having tens of thousands of dollars in savings certainly doesn’t make someone less qualified to be a parent.
Travelling with children can be a challenge, every parent fears a tirade of tantrums or constantly being on guard for disruptive behaviours. Usually however, parents are able to negotiate these worries through their understanding of their child’s habits or needs. But what can you do when your child is newly adopted?
Of course your love, and care for them will help navigate many difficulties along your parenting journey, but truly knowing your son or daughters unique personality and needs take time, so when facing the rigours of unavoidable travel, what can you do to ensure the trip goes as smoothly as possible? In this article we’ll be discussing some of the tips and tricks which may help these first family adventures progress as smoothly as possible.
The two main methods used to adopt a child are an adoption agency or an adoption lawyer. Many prospective parents can become confused between the two options, and what they offer in terms of their adoption journey. In this article we’ll be exploring why and how you might might use the legal services of an adoption lawyer, in regards to the adoption of your child.
The way you talk about your child’s adoption with them will naturally change as the child ages. As they grow older, they will be able to understand more of what you’re telling them, but their emotions regarding the adoption may also change over time. Below, we discuss some of what you can expect in each stage of your child’s development.
Many experts now recommend open adoption as the healthiest kind for all parties involved — it allows the child to know who their birth parents are, keeps the lines of communication open between all parties, and helps the birth parents to know how the child is faring, which can make the adoption placement much less stressful for them.
Adoptions can take a matter of months to years to finalize after initial placement. During this time, events called “disruptions” can occur that can lead a parent to decide that they do not want to keep that child. The adoption fails, and the child now returns to the system to be rehomed.
Prospective parents are given various tools to prevent disruptions, but the statistics are sobering. As many as one in four teenage adoptions fail. That is terribly harsh for children who have been neglected or abused and have struggled for years to find a family. But there are things a prospective parent can do to prevent these disruptions and bring their family together. Let’s look at the big picture.
