Our Blog

  • After An Open Adoption Match: The Key To Building A Relationship

    I had a great time talking to Tim Elder at the Infant Adoption Guide the other day about online adoption profiles. We covered a lot of ground during our hour-long interview. Among other things we discussed the benefits of using an online adoption profile service, the unique features of our service and the recent changes we’ve made to our website to help adopting families and prospective birthmothers find a match even faster and easier. One topic we didn’t get to is the next stage in

  • 15 Things I Wish I Knew About Private Domestic Adoption Scams

    Private domestic adoption isn’t for the faint of heart. I can’t say we weren’t warned. But the idea didn’t really hit home until we were a few months in our journey, after we had sent out our adoption profile in the hopes of connecting with an expectant mother looking at adoption for her baby. That’s when we found ourselves in a place we never imagined we’d be: at the receiving end of a private domestic adoption scam. “I have some

  • What Placing My Daughter For Adoption Taught Me About My Own Placement

    This guest post is by Jori Reid, a birthmother. In a milion years I could not have imagined being in the same shoes as my birth mother.   As a teenager I was angry, hurt, heart broken and even resented her for placing me for adoption. How dare she not want me — an infant so small and frail! Whatever I did to deserve to be given away was something I could not comprehend — until I placed my first born

  • Why A Birthmother Picked Us To Adopt Her Baby

    “Here, take a look at these,” our adoption worker says, handing us a stack of adoption portfolios. “They should give you some good ideas.” Each one is handmade, delicate and eye-watching. Created with care and love. Later, in the security of our home, my wife and I carefully leaf through them, page by page, searching for clues that will help make our own portfolio come alive and build our family. We have just completed our home study and have moved to

  • How I Created A Successful Relationship With My Son’s Adoptive Parents

    This guest post is by Courtney, a birthmother. Read Part One of her story here. Placing my son, Benjamin, for adoption when he was four months old was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I knew it was the right decision for him and for me. I was already parenting my three-year-old son, Jack, and I knew that while I could give Benjamin what he wanted, I couldn’t give him what he deserved. So I chose a

  • Finding Adoptive Parents For My Baby: How I Knew I Made The Right Choice

    This guest post is by Courtney, a birthmother.  When I discovered I was pregnant, I was not new to motherhood. I was 26 years old and already parenting my 2 1/2-year-old son, Jack. I wanted more children, and was actually missing having a baby in the house. The day I found out, I hadn’t even missed that time of the month, but something in me told me to test. In my gut, I knew. The line was so faint I

  • Welcome To The New America Adopts!

    Starting today, America Adopts! is friendlier than ever. User friendlier, that is. Now you can view all of our parent profiles, resources, stories. interviews and tips the same way across different devices and screens. Whether you have a smartphone, desktop or tablet, all of our information and images will appear faster, simpler and smoother. Why the change? According to the latest research, mobile is expected to overtake desktop usage this year and more searches than ever on Google are being

  • Why I Didn’t Close Down My Open Adoption With My Son’s Birthmother

    This guest post is by Jennifer Dance, an adoptive mother. It had been five years into our struggle with infertility so my husband I were elated when we found out we had been chosen by an expectant parent for consideration as adoptive parents. In preparation for our upcoming adoption we were required by our adoption agency to attend a birth mother panel. We went into the panel feeling very uncomfortable with the term “open adoption.” We had already decided a

  • Birthmothers Not Reading Your “Dear Birthmother” Letter? Here’s Why

    You’ve finished writing your “Dear Birthmother” letter and posted it online.  It’s got energy, emotion and insights. Everything you want it to have except one thing: readers. For some reason, the people you’re trying to reach are ignoring it. And that’s not good, considering that a “Dear Birthmother” letter is considered one of the best networking tools for couples hoping to adopt. So what gives? Why isn’t your letter being read? Here are three reasons.

  • Choosing An Adoption Agency or Attorney: 5 Questions Adoptive Parents Need to Answer First

    This guest post is by Amanda Grant, founder of USAdopt. One of the most frequent mistakes people make when they are in the early days of their adoption journey is to choose the wrong agency or attorney – one that is not a match for their personal adoption objectives. This mistake can cost you precious time, money (usually not refundable) and unnecessary stress.  The good news is that it’s one of the easiest problems to avoid. Choosing the right agency