The time between the moment you decide to adopt and finally holding the child(ren) of your dreams spans eons. How can you survive the wait?

Pray: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray for everyone involved with your adoption.

Memorialize the wait time: Blog, journal, scrapbook, but somehow create a way to document your journey.

Read: Currently on my bedside shelf you will find: Raising Adopted Children, Post-Adoption... more

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Religion is one of the areas covered by a homestudy, and one that birthparents often use as a screener for potential adoptive parents. In our personal situation, the private Christian... more

In Marion County, Oregon, the child welfare has set up two historic houses in Salem for biological parents to visit with their children living in foster care. The visitation houses are unique in Oregon, only 6 of 36 counties have similar sites.

The visitation houses are used with families that have worked up to the gradual reunification and it is believed the families will succeed. The home atmosphere is believed to help with this process.

When parents and their children who have been living apart due to drugs, violence or neglect can reconnect in a home-like atmosphere there are benefits. When a... more

As much as I didn’t feel like we’d ever be ready for our weekend in the mountains, it was such a blessing! My addled brain was able to muster together enough coherence to pack nearly everything that KayKay and I needed to go on the youth fundraiser portion. And Super Dad and LuLu joined us Saturday night.

LuLu spent an exciting day on Saturday watching sheep being sheared, wool being spun into yarn and soap being made. By the time we hooked up about 3:30, she was napping in the car. KayKay and I had spent an equally exciting day, serving snacks... more

This evening we got an email from our wonderful social worker. Attached was OUR HOMESTUDY for me to review! This gal is good-- our interviews were finished a mere 9 days ago. Monday her boss reviews it. After that AAI reviews it, and if all goes well it will be signed and notarized and we'll have a hard copy in our hands on Wednesday!

Immigration

The homestudy is the Golden Key will allow us to file our immigration paperwork with our local USCIS office-- Friday, hopefully! In the past our immigration office allowed us to file... more

I’ve been using the words “Hague Convention” since I started blogging over a month ago. It preoccupies and on some level terrifies a lot of us, especially people presently adopting from Guatemala.

If you are new to the adoption world you may appreciate this explanation of the Hague Convention; some of us “old timers” may want a quick “refresher” course on the "Hague Mess," as I prefer to call it.

So here goes. The Hague Convention is a shortened name for the “Convention... more

You know and are passionate about the topic, and you love to write. You know how to check your spelling and grammar, and how to construct an article (beginning, middle, end). You are excited about the opportunity to pass along information, experience, and resources. Is this you? Then this is what to do:

Read the following and send your application (described below) to : blogs at adoptionmedia dot com.

Important: The blog is about the topic. Bloggers bring personal experience and knowledge about the topic to the blog and that is the position from which they write, but these are not personal blogs that happen to touch on the topic.

Currently open for... more

The message boards are full of people who are waiting for their first homestudy visit and they are scared out of their minds. Should they make cookies? Did they get all the dust bunnies out from under the bed? I can understand the feeling. Truthfully, when we were getting ready for the homestudy for our son, I wasn’t worried much at all. I’ve written before, though, that I was terrified during my sister’s homestudy. I was so sure that I had to be the perfect child that I was making myself sick.

If you are getting ready for a homestudy and you already have another child or children, it is important that you make sure they are prepared for the process too. Though the homestudy... more

A week long camp named Camp to Belong has a goal unify siblings separated by adoption placement, relative care, or foster home placements. Siblings come together to share their lives, make new lasting memories and continue their lifetime bond of being siblings. They get to experience new things together such as horseback riding, rafting, swimming, wall climbing and camping out. What a wonderful way for siblings to be able to come together and reconnect even if it is just a short time. The camp also has therapy -like classes to help the children to learn to cope with being separated and a Therapeutic Art Program.

For older children... more

When parents are bringing a new baby home it is a magical time for any family. With a family formed by way of adoption that fascination and joy over meeting your new child is no different. You have been through all the paperwork and the homestudy, the social workers and the seemingly endless waiting to begin your family, and you survived. It is only natural that once your child is in your arms you are eager to start your life together!

If you have made an open adoption agreement with your child’s birthparents, this is also a time to begin the journey... more