When choosing to grow your family through adoption, studies have shown that open conversations with children and connection with their birth family is best in most circumstances. While this is commonly embraced in domestic infant adoption, other methods of adoption like through the foster system have made slower progress. There are reasons for this, […]

    I have had the blessing along with my husband to have adopted 6 school aged children over the past 24 years. We knew we wanted children and as we had an active life style and both worked, we decided sibling, school-aged children made sense for our family. We enjoyed spending time with our […]

As we are celebrating Black History Month in February, it seemed timely to discuss ways that foster or adoptive parents can honor their child’s culture, heritage, and racial identity. This is not only something that is recommended for transracial families, but it is essential. Children have a deep desire to know their history and to […]

In December 6, 2015, our family welcomed the greatest gift we could have ever hoped for. That was the day our daughter, Ariana, entered our lives — and our hearts. But really, this isn’t our story. It’s the story of a remarkable, independent, curious and joyful child from a small village in China. Ariana was […]

If you have you been waiting for a “healthy” referral from China or are signed up to receive a referral from another country and have been waiting, you may want to consider making a change.  Last year, 2,040 children entered the United States through Intercountry adoption from China.  China remains the largest Intercountry adoption program […]

  When preparing for adoption, a lot of the focus is on what is gained - a child now has a family and a family now has their long awaited child.  Oftentimes, the topic of grief is not discussed.  Children of all ages experience loss when they are adopted. Helping Children Grieve and Grow by […]

  When you read about adoption, you often see contact between birth parents and adoptive families grouped into three categories: Closed: no contact is shared between the birth parents and adoptive family Semi-Open: limited contact, exchange of first names and some photos, emails, calls and a few face to face meetings throughout the child’s life […]

  It can be easy to get caught up on all of the ‘what if’s’ along your adoption journey. Especially on a day such as today, Father’s Day, you might think on the possible ‘what if’s’ surrounding your future child’s birth father in the adoption process. “What if he doesn’t want to sign his own […]

  Being a foster parent is often described as both a rewarding and life-changing experience.  However, it's just as important to be well-prepared for welcoming foster care kids into your home.   Research and Education Before diving into foster parenting, it’s important to take the time to research and understand the foster care system. While there […]

  This is the time of year we are laser focused on gifts—who needs one from us, who is expecting one, how do I know what that person wants?  Is it on Amazon? The reality is that the joy these gestures bring in giving something to another person frequently gets crushed in the weight of […]