Write a Great Adoptive Family Profile with These 4 Tips

As you begin the adoption process, you will likely be asked to write a family profile. This profile is intended to be a snapshot of you–the parent(s), any other children, or any other important people in your life–and your likes, dislikes, and values. Essentially, this profile provides the potential birthmother with details about your family and how you plan to raise a child. Like a resume, it's possible that the birth mother will review many family profiles, so it's important to really take the time to write this piece and make sure that your personality–and the personality of other family members–truly shine, and that it's clear that you are prepared to offer a wonderful life for a child.

Photos are Important

One of the key things to include in this profile is a photo. Many people get theirs professionally done. A super-staged photo is likely going to look awkward, but a high-quality, high-resolution photo of you and your significant other (if applicable) and any children that you already have, will provide context for the potential birth mother, and give her a chance to see your real personalities.

A well-done photo that allows your personality to shine through is the best choice. If you want, you can also include a background that highlights the place that you live–perhaps you live next to the ocean or a beautiful lake, or on a farm–using these things as part of your profile picture can create interest and encourage the birth mother to continue reading. You can also include more than just one photo, so using pictures that show activities that you like to do is a great idea.

Share Your Experiences

This is the birth mother's chance to get to know you, so make sure that you share real stories and experiences that you've had. A boring list of facts will not pique her interest, so it's important to share stories, highlights, hobbies, values, etc., in a way that's interesting and intriguing. This profile is highlighting you as a person, but also you as a parent, so you want to be clear about activities, values, or other things that you plan to pass down to a child.

Highlight Your Surroundings

While you are important, so too is the place that you live. Include details about the ins and outs of your neighborhood, the quality of the schools, the prevalence of cultural artifacts, museums, or other key points of interest (and how you plan to share them with your future child) to demonstrate to the birthmother your commitment to raising a well-educated and well-rounded child.

Sell Yourself

While you want to be engaging, it is important to include background like your education or other interesting things so that she gets a better idea of who you are as a person and what your values are. You want to be genuine and honest, but don't be afraid to list some of your accomplishments!

No matter what, you won't be able to include everything that you think is important. You'll have to make choices about which information stays and which goes, but the most important thing is that you paint a clear, comprehensive, and intriguing image of your family–and how you plan to care and provide for a future child.