Recommended Books for Adoptive Parents

So, you are considering adopting. You have probably already filed your adoption request, and you are waiting to be matched with a child. Perhaps your little one has arrived home, and you are trying to figure things out. Whichever stage you are in the adoption process, it is essential to learn everything you can. Luckily, there are plenty of reading materials regarding adoption that you can use to gather as much knowledge as you can. Here are some fantastic suggestions.Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee CurtisThis book remains a classic favorite of adoptive books of all times. Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is an exciting story about a loving family and small child coming together to discuss the night she was born. The tone of this children’s book is fun and educational and is a great story to read with

Regardless of whether you are adopting a foster child currently under your care, or you are receiving an adoptive placement for a child that is staying in another foster home, the transition from fostering to adoption is tough. There are emotional, financial, and physical impacts. Here is an in-depth look at the process of transitioning from fostering to adoption. Explaining FosteringFoster care is a living arrangement for children who have been abused or neglected and need a safe place to live. Often times, their parents are unable to take care of them due to illness, homelessness, or substance abuse. Explaining AdoptionAdoption occurs when a child moves into a new home with a new family. The new parents becomes responsible for the child and assume the parental rights like the child’s biological parents. Starting The ProcessYou can start the process by choosing an adoption method. You can check with a public adoption agency. Check

The best way to make the adoption process go smoothly is to do your homework! Read everything you can and seek out answers to all of your burning questions.  To get you started, here are some recommended books for parents considering adoption:1. 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents KnewIn 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, an adoptee offers insight into the unique emotional challenges adopted children face by sharing case studies. 2. Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special-Needs Kids – A Guide for Parents and ProfessionalsThrough this book, you can learn from other parents who have helped their adopted children heal from emotional trauma.3. Confessions of an Adoptive Parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption Mike Berry has fostered and adopted children of his own and offers his insider’s perspective in this faith-based parenting guide.4. You Can Adopt Without

When my husband and I started fostering 3 years ago, I was 23 and he was 27. We were so excited to have a cute toddler or baby come stay with us for an extended period of time. During our licensing process, we bought car seats and cribs and onesies and strollers- the list goes on and on. Throughout the last 3 years, we have fostered a fair amount of babies and toddlers. And it has been wonderful. But last week, at 26 years old, I had the privilege of adopting my 13 year old son. This was not in our plan. There is only a 13 year age difference between us. We had no experience with teenagers. How would we know what to do? The thing is we don’t. But it really doesn’t matter. Every day we’re trying our best. And to say our son is amazing is the

You can read every book on adoption out there, but when it comes to your actual adoption, you may be blindsided by some things that no book or Internet article could have prepared you for. We asked some adoptive parents what they wish they had known before adopting and asked them to mention any advice they would give to families looking to adopt. Betty and Melinda Potts-Cerio adopted two sisters they had fostered through Community Based Care of Central Florida. They said,”Our best advice is to learn everything you can! Most importantly, educate yourself about the effects of trauma on kids.  Seek out and know your resources then use them!  Self-care is so important as well. Take care of yourselves so you can take care of your kids.  These kids are counting on you, go make a difference!” Annette Marie Griffin, whose debut children’s book What Is A Family will be released next year,

  As a new foster parent, having knowledge of the details of a foster child’s past can be a challenge. These past experiences can be complex and there is a learning curve that comes with a foster parent figuring out how to approach their new child. An effective solution can arise from foster parents reaching out to birth parents. According to an academic article Building Bridges: Linking Foster and Birth Parents for the Sake of the Child,  “Reaching out to a biological parent can sometimes provide a window into the child’s past, as well as their future”. This article explains that building this relationship with birth parents can become a necessity for a child’s overall well-being. When a child’s foster and birth parents have a positive relationship, the child becomes more at ease because a difficult situation has mended. Donna Foster, author of Fostering Perspectives: Building a Positive Relationship with Birth Parents, explains

From my vantage point as an adoptive mom of three siblings (now ages 7, 10 and 11) who were placed with us for adoption 18 months ago, I have two messages for those who are at any point in the adoption process: It’s worth the waiting and the hard work Life does get easier My husband, Jack and I talked about adopting for almost 10 years before we finally made the choice to become parents, chose A Family for Every Child and started the home study process.  During that time Jack even went back to school to become a nurse so he could support our family and I could be a stay-at-home mom.  Most of our waiting was during those years of school and making the decision to be parents because we were blessed to be chosen at our first committee, within just a few months of our home study