Getting ready to adopt a baby under a year of age takes physical, emotional, financial, and practical preparation just as being pregnant does! This new resource provides practical strategies for making choices about names, child care, breast vs bottle feeding, etc; promoting attachment through the senses (taste, much, smell, sight, etc.) as well as through routine; adjustments between parenting partners; dealing with post arrival blues; bringing family and friends on board; dealing with a birthparent's change of heart, figuring out what's an adoption issue and what's not, and more.
A New York Times Notable Book The shocking truth about postwar adoption in America, told through the bittersweet story of one teenager, the son she was forced to relinquish, and their search to find each other. “[T]his book about the past might foreshadow a coming shift in the future… ‘I don’t think any legislators in those states who are anti-abortion are actually thinking, “Oh, great, these single women are gonna raise more children.” No, their hope is that those children will be placed for adoption. But is that the reality? I doubt it.’”[says Glaser]” -Mother Jones During the Baby Boom in 1960s America, women were encouraged to stay home and raise large families, but sex and childbirth were taboo subjects. Premarital sex was common, but birth control was hard to get and abortion was illegal. In 1961, sixteen-year-old Margaret Erle fell in love and became pregnant. Her enraged family sent her to a maternity home, where social workers threatened her with jail until she signed away her parental rights. Her son vanished, his whereabouts and new identity known only to an adoption agency that would never share the slightest detail about his fate. The adoption business was founded on secrecy and lies. American Baby lays out how a lucrative and exploitative industry removed children from their birth mothers and placed them with hopeful families, fabricating stories about infants' origins and destinations, then closing the door firmly between the parties forever. Adoption agencies and other organizations that purported to help pregnant women struck unethical deals with doctors and researchers for pseudoscientific "assessments," and shamed millions of women into surrendering their children. The identities of many who were adopted or who surrendered a child in the postwar decades are still locked in sealed files. Gabrielle Glaser dramatically illustrates in Margaret and David’s tale--one they share with millions of Americans—a story of loss, love, and the search for identity.
There are great rewards that come along with being a foster parent, yet there are also great challenges that can leave you feeling depleted, alone, and discouraged. The many burdens of a foster parent's day--hurting children, struggling biological parents, and a broken system--are only compounded by the many burdens of a foster parent's heart--confusion, anxiety, heartache, anger, and fear. With the compassion and insight of a fellow foster parent, Jamie C. Finn helps you see your struggles through the lens of the gospel, bringing biblical truths to bear on your unique everyday realities. In these short, easy-to-read chapters, you'll find honest, personal stories and practical lessons that provide encouragement and direction from God's Word as you walk the journey of foster parenting.
Every adoption experience is uniquely different but the yearning to have unconditional family love is universal. Indian sisters, Priya and Ari, experience what it's like to be adopted into a multi-cultural, interracial family. Walk alongside these two charming, dynamic girls as they journey through the adoption transition to a new country full of new experiences! Told from young Priya's perspective, she shares her fun times, challenges, difficult memories and cultural discoveries. Priya moves through her world with a cautious eye while little sister, Ari, jumps in head first. This makes for comical moments and demonstrates that children can experience the same journey quite differently. A glossary of cultural terms is included so that all can learn and enjoy what Ari and Priya cherish about their Indian roots. This book is meant to be a resource to those hoping to learn about one family's adoption experience and may even help a child process their own adoption story.
We've all been told to "follow our dreams", but what happens when those dreams aren't working out? Part personal memoir, part self-help, Follow Your Detour will inspire you to embrace the unexpected, let go of your pain and fears, and find the courage to create your own path.
120,000 U.S. children who are ready to be adopted are hoping you'll pick up this book. Have you ever thought you'd adopt a child(ren), but finding out it costs thousands of dollars kicked that idea to the curb? Most people believe that all children in foster care return to their biological families. Many do not know that 50% of children in foster care need an adoptive family and that adopting children through foster care costs $0 - $2,500. Countless times friends and friends of friends have reached out asking about foster care adoption and how we adopted our children through foster care. My intent is to help you evaluate your own heart and simplify the process of foster care adoption so you can help a child who is hoping you will find them. While I cannot promise you that the process will be easy, I can tell you that going down this path has been completely worth it for my family.
This comprehensive, accessible guide leads you with confidence through every decision you'll have to make during the adoption process -- including the ones that you'd never know to expect. So you've made the decision to adopt. What's next? For starters, how do you know whether domestic or international adoption is right for you? (And what are the real differences between the two?) Adoption insider Elizabeth Swire Falker answers these questions and many more. As an attorney who practices in the area of adoption and has worked with hundreds of families, and as an adoptive parent herself, she offers expert advice on each stage of the process. Complete with checklists, tips, sidebars, and plenty of advice, it shows you how to: Identify which adoption experts you do and don't need Find the right birth mother or choose the right country for your family-and how to spot red flags in potential situations Select an attorney or agency and prepare for your home visit Finance an adoption on a budget, manage the red tape, and get around the roadblocks Navigate all of the complex emotions that surface along the way With Elizabeth Swire Falker's warm yet been-there-done-that voice, The Insider's Guide to Adoption is sure to become a tried-and-true resource for adoptive parents everywhere.
Addresses questions and concerns of prospective single adoptive parents, and provides information on transracial and international adoption and the rights of gays and lesbians to adopt.
Offers advice on making an adoption application stand out, the latest adoption trends, and ways to spot scams, with profiles of real-life adopters and adoptees
