Adopting a child is a wonderful way to create a family. As you begin researching, it can become really overwhelming. My hope is to break it down into 6 easy categories to make it seem less daunting. You will...
Officially known as the Republic of Guatemala, Guatemala is a country in Central America that borders Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. This beautiful nation is comprised of volcanoes, rainforests...
When I consider the women behind adoption, there are a few obvious choices; the expectant mother, the adoptive mother, the agent involved in placement (though this could be a male), and possibly the adoptee...
One of the most popular questions we get asked when people discover that our children are adopted is “how much is it to adopt a child?” As the years have passed, I’ve gotten more accustomed to the question...
Mother’s Day is drawing near once again. It would be impossible to miss it. Emails start to roll in after the first week of April, stores switch their displays with gift ideas for moms. Restaurants start to...
A triad is defined, as it relates to adoption, as a group or set of three connected people or groups. Adoption connects biological parents, adoptive parents, and the child. Throughout the years, these three groups of...
Hope. Confusion. Optimism. Worry. Excitement. Sadness. Joy. Frustration. Energy. Exhaustion. These are just some of the many mixed emotions families looking to adopt a baby feel. And just like every birth mother’s story...
Finding out you are unexpectedly expecting can bring a wave of emotions. You may feel that this is not the right time in your life to raise a child, you may be with the wrong partner, you may have educational...
Families are an essential unit of the human race. In order for an infant to survive, they need an adult to care for them. In an ideal situation, a family will consist of two parents who lovingly share in the...
Pregnancy, childbirth, and placing your child for adoption take a huge toll on a birth mother both physically and emotionally. If you’re a birth mother who has recently given birth and placed your baby for...
Are you constantly swiping through your Instagram or Facebook feeds? I do. I am notorious for spending most of my winding-down time before bed on Instagram. While I have the typical celebrities, decorating tips, and...
I was the product of an unplanned pregnancy. My mom got pregnant right out of high school and found herself alone with a baby on the way. Thank God she had a supportive and compassionate family that helped us for the...
I have found myself invested in the adoption community for around five years. I have heard wonderful, heartwarming adoption stories as well as devastating, sorrowful adoption stories. One of the most important things...
There’s a saying that goes, “I wasn’t born in Texas but I got here as quickly as I could.” It would not be honest of me to say that that is how I’ve always felt. However, all of my children were adopted in Texas and we...
Adoption awareness has come a long way in recent years. As a society, we are more aware of the benefits of open adoption and how positive it can be for all members of the adoption triad. Birth mothers have more of a...
If you are considering adoption for your child or are thinking about trying to adopt a child, knowing the importance of openness in adoption is a key factor. Being open in adoption does not necessarily mean that you...
It is safe to assume that your search for the “steps of adoption” led you here. Whether you are planning to adopt, just curious about it, or interested because someone you know is planning on adopting, welcome! I am...
Anyone who has experienced an unplanned, unexpected pregnancy agrees that it can be a very scary, confusing, and emotional time. For some, an unexpected pregnancy can be good news. But for others, news of an unplanned...
Though more people are adopting for reasons that stem from reasons not related to fertility, there are still many who adopt to build their family that have had issues conceiving or had unsuccessful IVF treatments...
I recently considered a question that someone had asked me about adoption – “How can I be a better adoption advocate?” As an adoptee and birth mother, I am always open to educating others and answering questions...
There are many couples out there waiting to adopt a child. It is estimated that there are between one and two million couples in the United States wanting to adopt. More than 100,000 children in foster care are...
Adoption is a wonderful journey for everyone involved in the family triad. What is this “triad,” you may ask? Think of a triangle and how there are three different corners; even though there are three angles in the same...
If the word “journey” leaves you feeling exhausted or at the very least annoyed by its frequent use within the adoption community, you aren’t alone. A quick keyword search on adoption.com or a digital...
Adoption, like all forms of parenting, doesn’t come with an oversized manual. There are no set protocols, no chronological steps, no uniform order of events. Every placement is different, every child unique, every...
What do families looking to adopt a baby feel? This is such a complicated question but the most prominent, even overwhelming, feeling for us was hope. We hoped we would be matched. We hoped we would be chosen and that...
When you’re going through the adoption process, one thing to consider is what kind of adoption you want. Did you know that there are actually three types of adoptions? Each one has its own pros and cons to weigh and...
Adoptive mothers typically saturate the adoption world with their perspective and their experiences. The mothers tend to be the most vocal, the most willing to share with others, and the most present online...
To write this article to help you support your teenage adoptee, I tried to interview my teenage sons. As you can imagine, that did not go the way that I had planned. (Things generally don’t go as I plan these days.)...
If you’re dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, chances are you’re wondering what to do. You may not be in a place to raise a baby due to school, work, lack of family support, or various other reasons. Just know that...
I remember the moment I sat down with my husband after we had finally decided to move forward with our plans to adopt. Our minds were flooded with questions. We didn’t even know where to begin. That day was more than...
You have decided to lovingly place your baby for adoption. You have viewed the adoptive parent profiles your agency has and you think you have found a wonderful family to raise your baby. But before you can feel...
When the novel COVID-19 created a pandemic storm across the world, one of the most impactful losses to the entertainment industries was the halt of professional sports. With the lack of games due to their adherence to...
When you hear an ambulance or police or a fire truck in America, you know there is an emergency or crisis in the area. Someone is hurt. Someone is sick. Someone has had an accident. Someone is the victim of a crime in...
“The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.”This quote was written by the philosopher Socrates. This was the first thought that I had as I stumbled on a zoom discussion with a group of adoptees on a hot July day...
Open adoption often makes people quite nervous. We have three open adoptions, and I find that people’s eyes tend to bug out when I say that. Often, people will ask: Do the birth parents call you? (Yes – they all...
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