I started my career in adoption over 16 years ago and believed that God was calling me to not just work in adoption, but to one day build my family through adoption. Having studied Mandarin in undergrad and...
Those planning a vacation in Florida often do their homework to check out where they are going and what they will need to have for their time in the Sunshine State. Is a fishing license required to be...
When my son’s birth mother, J, first contacted us about adopting her child, she was unsure about what the expectant father, S, was thinking and feeling. She had told him her plan to place their son for...
Many parents, regardless of how their family is formed, are worried about having difficult and perhaps uncomfortable conversations with their children. Having a child who was adopted adds to this anxiety as...
The movie “Thirteen Going on Thirty” goes something like this: a thirteen-year-old girl makes a wish to be thirty and finds herself struggling with the outcome when it becomes a reality. As an adult, she is...
When my husband and I started down the road of building our family through adoption, we knew that we really wanted to adopt a baby. We felt strongly about adopting an infant from the United States. We knew that there...
When choosing to add to your family via adoption, you do not necessarily have to adopt a newborn. If you are a person who isn’t a fan of the “baby” stage, or if you have been waiting for a while to adopt, consider...
Adoption blogs are a great resource for adoptive families and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes—offering inspiration and an opportunity to share advice with members of a community that oftentimes feels...
Years ago, my mother had a bumper sticker on the back of our minivan. It read, “Adoption – a beautiful way to create a family.” I always thought that was the best way to describe adoption. The thought of how...
Did you know that November is National Adoption Month? I remember National Adoption Day, 2008, as clear as day! This would be our family’s fourth adopted child, sixth overall! It was a sunny day in Prescott, AZ. The...
When I started this journey many years ago, my answer would have been very different. Today I am wiser, smarter, and have a much more realistic view of adoption. Sit back and read with me as we travel through this multi...
It made more sense for my husband and me to go the route of domestic adoption when we started our adoption process. There are kids all over the world that need homes—I know that. But, with our jobs, lives, etc., it made...
Almost every type of adoption is going to require the assistance of adoption lawyers. What the adoption lawyers do to help you will depend on what type of adoption you are proceeding with. First, I want to advise you...
I had a plan for my life. I was going to have two car seats and a minivan all before the age of 30. However, God had a different plan for my life. Instead, I would endure a long journey through infertility, resulting in...
A closed adoption is not as common today as it used to be. In the past, closed adoptions were how most adoptions took place. Birth parents placed their children with a third party (agency or social worker) who then...
A good book can serve many purposes. It can educate people, spark emotions, enlighten the mind, and provide entertainment. There are many wonderful books on the subject of adoption. Whether a reader is looking for...
Are you considering adopting a teenager? If you are then it is likely a foster care adoption, stepparent adoption, or a kinship adoption. Most people don’t think about adopting teens when they think about adoption. Most...
Adoption is different from having a natural family in many ways, one being the timeline of your journey. Not knowing the duration of your time until match or the time from match until birth makes adoption a tough thing...
Completing an adoption home study is the social services equivalent of having a root canal…without anesthesia! But, like a root canal, it is necessary. An adoption home study is an investigative report that gives a...
If you have done any research regarding adoption, I am sure you are concerned about the cost of adoption. It should come as no surprise that adoption can cost anywhere from nothing up to $50,000. I urge you not to be...
“I could never do what you do.” I could not even begin to imagine how many times I’ve heard this, said this, and felt this. It is the single most-used line in conversations surrounding foster care adoption. It is real...
A Maddening, Hopeful, and Heart-Wrenching, World We Can Change. There aren’t just 140,000,000 case files sitting on desks today. No. A population, nearly the size of Russia, lives without security, without hope...
Anyone who has considered adoption has probably been overwhelmed with the amount of information there is out there regarding adoption. This article will give you a brief overview of adoption in Kansas. I will attempt...
If you have any involvement with the adoption community or interested in adoption, you may have heard the term “adoption registry.” If you are anything like me, you had no clue what it was at first. Funny side story, I...
When beginning the process of international adoption it seems like the possibilities are endless. As prospective adoptive parents are you drawn to Asia, South America, or maybe Africa? Which continent speaks to you...
Adopting a child is so much more than a step-by-step process. How do you adopt a child? You bring a heart to the table, ready to be turned inside out. Sasha Martin, an author and blogger, wrote, “If you have more...
I had a conversation a while back with a friend about maybe possibly someday wanting to foster an older child. At the time, I had two toddlers running and running and running underfoot at home, and like so many new...
If you are considering adopting from the foster care system, or have already adopted from the foster care system, you may have assistance available to you. This is known as an adoption subsidy or adoption assistance...
Whether you are new to the world of adoption or a seasoned adoptive family, understanding the rules and regulations regarding adoption can be complicated. Adoption requirements and qualifications vary depending on what...
A paper pregnancy comes with a lot more red tape than a biological pregnancy. Nobody walked into your house after your first pregnancy announcement, tested your fridge temperature, checked for outlet covers, and ensured...
The amount of information out there regarding adoptions can be overwhelming and confusing at best. In this article, I am going to try my best to help you understand adoption in Wisconsin. While I am not an adoption...
Texas is ranked as the second largest state in this country! It is a place with great space, a large population, and a huge need for the gift of adoption for many different reasons. There is a large number of children...
Deciding to build your family through adoption is an exciting step. At first, it can be difficult to understand who is qualified to adopt, the types of children available, and the process of adoption. Here is everything...
It’s true what they say, babies really do change everything. Any parent of a newborn will tell you that you can say goodbye to life as you know it once that sweet bundle of joy is placed safely and snuggly into your...
It is no secret, adoption can be very expensive. However, there are several ways to ease the expense. Here is my list of adoption grants you should apply for. These are in no particular order. I don’t have any personal...
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