Adoption Update | Late Summer

As I mentioned in this June blog post,  I'm making a more concerted effort to document the adoption process this time around--not only for me (I enjoy rereading old posts from time-to-time), but also for people who might be interested in learning about how private domestic adoption works.

Here's what I've done since the last update:

COMPLETED:

• OUR ADOPTION WEBSITE

• CREATED AN ADOPTIMIST PROFILE | Recently, our attorney told us about Adoptimist. She said several of her clients have connected with prospective birth parents, thanks to Adoptimist. I created a free profile for now and may upgrade to a paying subscription in the future.   

• ORDERED PASS ALONG CARDS

• SHARED PASS ALONG CARDS | A big thanks to those of you who have requested cards. I thought we might have one or two people ask...but so far, 15 of you (awesome folks that you are!) have requested cards. Even a few college students are posting them on their campus bulletin boards--thank you, thank you, thank you!

• PURCHASED A FACEBOOK TIMELINE TEMPLATE | The Facebook timeline, pictured at the top of this post, is available from this Etsy seller. (All photos in the timeline were taken by Mindy Newton of Mindy Newton Photography.)

And here's what I want to do going forward:

STILL TO DO:

• PREPARE THE NURSERY | I'm fairly certain that we're going to keep all of the existing nursery furniture (crib, rocker, changing table), but I'd like to repaint the walls, change the bedding and drapes, and display some new art. Oh, and hang a few pom poms from the ceiling. I adore them!

• SHARE | Continue to tell others about our adoption dreams, both in person and online.

• PRAY | We've been praying for a baby girl since we started the process, but we'll continue to pray and hope and wish and plan (reminds me of that Wishing and Hoping song in "My Best Friend's Wedding") until our daughter joins our family.

I also have a few adoption-related stories to tell you, but I'll save them for a separate post--coming soon!

Adoption Pass Along Cards

For the past month or so, I've been really focused on getting the word out that Brian and I are hoping to adopt again.

I've written three posts here on my blog. If you missed them, click HERE, HERE and HERE.

I've also shared our adoption dreams on Facebook, Instagram, and via Twitter.

Another way we are hoping to spread the word is by sharing these pass along cards.

The size of a business card, these pass along cards can be handed out to family or friends or anyone you might hear talking about making an adoption plan. (You can see the pass along cards I created for our first adoption HERE.)

They can also be tacked up on any community bulletin boards. (I've seen bulletin boards at Starbucks, libraries, grocery stores, churches, post offices, and on college campuses.)

Right now, I'm carrying five of our pass along cards in my purse, just in case I run into someone who knows an expectant mother who is interested in adoption or I see a community bulletin board while I'm out and about.   

We'd love your help in passing these cards along to others! If you're interested in receiving a few cards, please send an email to brianandjennieadopt@gmail.com with your mailing address and the number of cards you'd like.

Thank you, in advance, for your support! We really appreciate it!

All photos by Mindy Newton of Mindy Newton Photography.

P.S. For those of you who might be curious as to how we created our pass along cards this time, here's the scoop. First, I ordered a photography business card template for $8.00 from this Etsy shop. 
I changed the colors and text on both sides, saved the front and back as jpeg files, and uploaded them to Mpix.com. I ordered a set of 100 cards for $22.00, plus shipping. It was pricier than ordering through say, VistaPrint, but the print quality is excellent and the cards arrived in just a few days.

For Prospective Adoptive Parents

Noah's Adoption Finalization | September 2012

Since adopting our son, family members, friends, and acquaintances have asked us lots of questions about the adoption process.  Most are simply curious (which is understandable), but a handful of people request information because they have an interest in adopting a child one day.

This post is meant for the latter group--the prospective adoptive parents. 

Before I continue on, though, here's my little disclaimer:  My husband and I adopted an infant here in the United States (in other words, it was a private domestic adoption).  Everything I write here will be based on that experience.  I know very little about adopting through the foster care system.  I know even less about international adoption.  And I am not an attorney, social worker, or adoption expert.   

I'm simply an adoptive mom who is passionate about the beauty of adoption. 

So, with all that said, let's talk about the process.

Chances are, if you're considering adopting, you've done some preliminary research.  But if not, here's where to start:

• Read, Read, Read | There are many good books available about adoption.  I would highly recommend the book, You Can Adopt.  (I checked it out from our local library.)

• Ponder & Share | Take some time to think about your views on adoption.  What are the pros and cons for you?  Then, talk with your significant other.  It's important that both of you are committed to adopting a child before you proceed.  (I prayed a lot, too, which helped me.) 

• Talk to Adoptive Parents | You may think you don't know anyone who has adopted a child, but chances are you do.  Reach out to your colleagues at work, your friends at church, your social circle on Facebook, and share that you're interested in learning more about adoption.  It's likely you'll discover someone who has adopted and is willing to chat with you about their experience.

• Choose an Adoption Path | In other words, are you interested in domestic adoption or international adoption?  Select the one that feels right for you and your family.   

• Hire Experienced Professionals | You'll need to hire an attorney, agency or facilitator (or as was the case for us, a combination of these).  Start by obtaining referrals from family and friends and acquaintances.  Interview potential attorneys/social workers/facilitators by phone or in person.  Inquire about their years of experience and their expertise.  Request a breakdown of their fees.  Ask for a list of references. 

• Start Your Home Study | Once you've retained an attorney or agency, you'll need to work on your home study.  The home study process involves many steps, including fingerprinting, a physical exam with your doctor, a detailed accounting of your finances, writing a short autobiography, choosing a guardian for your future child, sending out reference forms to friends and family, and being interviewed by a social worker.  Try not to focus on the length of the list; just take it step-by-step and eventually, you'll check off everything.

• Create a Book About You/Dear Birth Mother Letter | In most cases, your attorney or agency will request that you create a short booklet or scrapbook about you and your partner (and any children you have).  This booklet will be shown to potential birth parents.  Initially, we put together a 6-page book on MixBook.  Later on, a friend of ours, who is a graphic designer, created additional books for us.  

• Build a Website | I would highly recommend creating a website.  Why?  Because our son's birth mother found us that way!  We used Homestead to create our website, and it was fairly easy.  I've also heard good things about Wix.   

• Link Up | Once you have a website, link it to Adoption Online or another adoption website.  While it costs money to link up, some attorneys will pay the fee to have your website listed.

• Share Your Desire to Adopt With Family & Friends | Send out a mass email.  Post a link to your website on Facebook.  Write a blog post (here's the post I wrote).  Tweet about your wish to adopt a baby.  Hand out pass along cards.   

Initially, I was not open to sharing our desire to adopt with anyone and everyone because I'm a very private person.  But as I thought more about it, I realized that it would only help to let people know about our adoption dreams.  

It is my hope that these suggestions will help you as you proceed on your adoption journey.  
 
If you have any questions about adoption or desire recommendations (keep in mind, I live in Northern California), please email me at: brianandjennieadopt@gmail.com.

I'll be back next Friday with another post on adoption. 

Pass Along Cards

One of my goals this summer is to continue to spread the word about our desire to adopt.


That's where these Pass Along Cards come in.


These little cards (measuring just 2" x 3.5") are the latest tool to help couples (like us) find a potential birth mother.

Each card contains our adoption website address, our e-mail address, and contact information for our adoption attorney.

Later on this month, I'll be mailing these cards out to area hospitals and doctor's offices.

If you're interested in passing these cards along to your friends/family/colleagues, please e-mail me at: brianandjennieadopt@gmail.com. Be sure to include your mailing address and the number of cards you'd like.

Also, while I'm on the topic of adoption, I'd like to take a moment to answer a few questions we've received lately from friends and family members.

Q: Are you looking to adopt just in California or anywhere in the United States?
A: We are open to adopting from any state, not just California.

Q: What about international adoption?
A: While we did consider international adoption initially, we've chosen to pursue domestic adoption instead.

Q: Would you prefer to adopt a boy or a girl?
A: It doesn't matter either way; we're far more interested in adopting a healthy baby.

Q: How old would you like the child to be?
A: Ideally, we'd love to parent a child from birth on. Having said that, though, we are open to adopting a child up to 9 months of age.

Q: Has your home study been completed?
A: Yes, we've been approved to adopt a child.

Q: Have you read any adoption books that you can recommend?
A: Yes! I enjoyed reading You Can Adopt by Susan Caughman and Isolde Motley, which is an excellent guide book for adoptive families and those just wanting to know more about the process. (I checked out a copy from our local library.)

If you have any other questions, please leave a comment or e-mail us at the address above.

Thank you for your continued prayers, words of encouragement, and assistance in spreading the word about our adoption dreams.

J