January 16, 2015 In Adoption Advocates, Adoptive Parents Resources
Everyday…Ideas to help you adopt
“Every day we don’t get a baby means we are closer to the day we do.”
This was our mantra while trying to create our family through adoption. It is what brought hope each day. It helped to remember this every time the phone rang and it wasn’t our agency telling us we were chosen. It helped when we watched family members or friends announce a new addition to their family through phone calls or texts from the hospital room. It was all we had to keep us moving until we discovered there was a lot we could do to help ourselves “get the word out”.
We are beginning a brand new year and there are so many things you can do to “get the word out”. Making a little plan for each month of the year can help you feel proactive instead of just waiting for that phone to ring. Being proactive is something Brad and I are very passionate about. Our first three children’s birth mothers came to know about us outside of our agency and then went in requesting us. If we hadn’t reached out and became proactive in our efforts these amazing women would never have seen our profile and we wouldn’t have these amazing children in our family. Becoming proactive is worth the effort!
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| Our first adoption came about after volunteering with a local adoption group. A new friend shared our hopes with her uncle who had a girl at his work that was pregnant and thinking of placing. |
Here are some ideas you can use throughout the year.
Hold an adoption “Kick-Off”. We did this when we were trying to adopt the third time. We invited family, friends and neighbors over to our local church building and we had an agency representative come and speak a little about what services were offered to expectant parents who come into the agency for help. We shared a short video clip of our adoption story up to that point and put it with a special song. We then share with our friends how they can help us in our adoption efforts. By the time we were done there were no dry eyes in the room. We had made “pass-along” cards to give to our friends and ended up passing out all we had made. People left thanking us and telling us they understood adoption better than they had when they came and their hearts were touched. We received such amazing support from that point on. By the time we had our son placed with us we had given out over 800 pass-along cards. In the end our son’s birth mother found us online but we had such an outpouring of love and support we were so thankful for all of it! We also received an anonymous donation of a very large amount to help us with our adoption fees. When you open up and share your hopes it is amazing the miracles you will witness in your journey to your child. People want to help, they just need to understand how.
Send out Valentines: We celebrate love in February so it is a great time to send out little notes to your support circle reminding them you are hoping to adopt and how they can help. Include pass-along cards with your profile link and contact information.
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| Our second adoption happened because we shared our online with family and friends via a special mass email. Brad’s Co-worker knew of a girl who was pregnant and considering placing. |
Research funding: Adopting a child has many fees involved. Check around at your local banks and credit unions, look online for grants which may be available, talk with other couples and find out what creative fundraising ideas they used.
Hold an Adoption fundraising yard sale: Ask friends and family to help gather donated items to sell. Holding a yard sale will not only create funds but can help create awareness about adoption in general but also create awareness that you are an approved couple trying to adopt. The more people who know about your hopes the more ears there are to hear of situations that might arise.
Hold a special family BBQ: Create some summer fun and remind your family and friends you are hoping to adopt. Another great time to have pass-along cards, show your online profile, and just be able to talk from the heart about your hopes!
Hold a movie night for your neighborhood friends: Find a projector and have an outside moviefest choosing from adoption related movies like “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”, “Stuart Little” or any show that gives a positive light on adoption. If you are inviting only adults maybe “Juno” would be a fun choice. Once again this gives you a chance to share your hopes and information.
Update Profile: Choose a month this year to update your online profile, paper profile (if you have one), family pictures, etc. Then send emails and messages through social media that you have updated your profile. This not only gives your profile a fresh look, it’s also another reason to announce you are trying to adopt.
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| Our third adoption came about because we looked for new options to share our profile. We went onto a new online service and Camden’s Birth Mother found us there. |
Seasons Greetings: December is a great time to send out Christmas cards with a pass-along card included.
Do service for children who are waiting to be adopted or children in foster care by helping to gather gifts for the Utah Adoption Exchange or your local Utah Foster Care Foundation office.
Create a basket of special items and donate it to Birth Mother Baskets who gives gifts to women/girls who have just placed a baby for adoption.
Research options: Take a month and look at other opportunities and options to help build your family. Check out other agencies, look into Foster to Adopt, read about waiting children, and/or attend a local adoption conference or classes.
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| Our fourth adoption came about because we researched Foster to Adopt here in Utah. After fostering 8 amazing children our Son was placed with us through the Safe Have Law. |
Social Media Campaign throughout the year: Create a Facebook page as your online base.
Link your friends to positive adoption stories, news articles, and information.
Give a monthly update.
Create meaningful journal entries.
Be sure to utilize Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest (and anything else you love using).
Take a Vacation: Trying to create your family through adoption is a lot of work. Take time out to focus on just being together and celebrate your family as it is right now. You deserve it!
Everyday brings you closer to THE DAY. Hopefully using some of these ideas can make your days feel productive and bring some fun into this family building adventure!! Someday you will get to look back and say “WOW….look what we did!! I hope one of these ideas helps you get to that day!