Now that National Adoption Month is in full swing, people from communities from all across the U.S. are becoming more aware and educated about the more than 100,000 children in the foster care system awaiting adoption.This year’s theme is “Build Capacity to Make Lasting Change” and is geared toward the recruitment of families for preteens ages 8 to 12. It will culminate on National Adoption Day November 19, 2011.
That’s when families, friends, adoption professionals, community leaders and judges are expected to come together in courthouses throughout the country and a large number of adoptions will get finalized.
Between now and then there are lots of things that you can do every day to share positive adoption stories, promote the adoption of children in care, and generally keep you and your family busy.
For waiting parents who are trying to build a family through open adoption, this month is also a time to spread the news about their own desire to adopt and to deepen their understanding of the process with the help of others who have gone through it.
With that in mind, every day starting today we’ll be posting some of the tips that adoptive parents, birth parents and adoption professionals have shared with us over the years about open adoption best practices.
You can find them on our Facebook and Twitter pages. To get the ball rolling, here’s one that we’ve found especially useful: When writing your parent profile, include details that a prospective birth mother needs to know rather than what you want her to know.
For instance, your wedding day may have been a special time for you. But expectant parents are much more interested in finding out what kind of parent you’ll be and how you plan to keep in touch with them after the adoption.
Was there anything in particular that helped you when you were putting together your parent profile? What made a difference when you were trying to connect with prospective birth parents or adoptive parents? What helped you get through the waiting process and all of the uncertainty surrounding your private domestic adoption journey?
Check out the tips in our Expectant Parents and Hopeful Adoptive Parents sections. And feel free to post your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below.