“Founded in 1996, The Adoption Ring is the oldest & largest adoption-related webring on the Internet. Sites are selected to cover a wide array of experiences and viewpoints in human adoption. It includes sites for adoptees, foster and step-children, birth parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents. All those with educational, personal or non-profit service webpages regarding adoption and foster care are invited to submit their sites for possible inclusion. We accept no adoption agency, attorney, professional searcher, intermediary or therapist sites. Sites for individual adoption-related books are ok.”

Please visit the Adoption Web Ring 

1. Are you a patient person? Are you willing to continually give and very rarely get anything in return, except for the knowledge that you are helping a family?
2. Many people enter into foster care thinking that they are rescuing a poor child from an abusive parent. These foster parents believe that the child will be grateful and relieved to be out of their home situation. This is rarely the case. Abuse is all that the child may know. The child’s bad situation is her “normal.” Be prepared for the child to be anything but happy about being in your home. In other words, examine your expectations. What are you expecting? Not only from the child, but from his or her parents, the state and the fostering experience itself? High expectations can lead to your fall!
3. Kids in care have sometimes been neglected, physically, sexually, mentally and emotionally abused. The children can be angry, resentful and sad. They may take it out on their foster parents, usually the foster mother. Are you willing and able to deal with what the children may put on you, and not take it personally? This is harder than it seems, especially when you are being kicked or cussed out.
4. Are you willing to have social workers in your home, sometimes every month? Can you work in a partnership with a team of professionals to help the child either get back home or to another permanent placement, such as adoption? This goal requires excellent communication skills on your part, and a commitment to follow the plan set forth by the social workers.
5. Can you say goodbye? Foster care is not a permanent arrangement. The children will move on someday. Permanency is what you want for them. However, you and your family will attach to this child, so don’t fool yourself into thinking otherwise. Attachment is a good thing, for both you and the child. If the child can attach and trust you, they will be able to do the same with others in their lives and this leads to a healthier future. Goodbye does not have to mean for forever. In some cases, with permission from the birth parent or adopted parent, a relationship with your foster children can remain intact after a move. We have a relationship with a few of our past foster daughters and enjoy seeing them and receiving cards and phone calls. They even still ask us for advice.
6. If you have children, how do they feel about doing foster care? It’s important to consider every member of your family when thinking about fostering. Everyone in the house will be living and interacting with the foster child and his behaviors. Your children will have to share their home, room, toys and parents. They sacrifice a lot in becoming part of a fostering family. Ask your children how they feel and listen! Also, be aware that your child may learn or pick up whatever the foster child knows, both the good and the bad. Are you prepared to stand guard at all times, making your home safe for all who live there?
7. What ages of children can you parent at this time? Consider the ages of your own children and where another child would fit into your family. Is a baby right for you? While you won’t have to deal with foul language, you will have to give up sleep and basically “start over” if your children are grown. Or would a school age child work better. In this situation you may not have to worry about day care. Also, consider the sex of the child. These are choices that are all up to you as a foster parent. You will also be given choices on what behaviors that you feel you can and cannot parent at this time. Be aware of the fact that many behaviors may not surface until the child feels safe enough to be himself. The social workers are also not always aware of a child’s behavior at the time of placement.
8. Finally, do you have a lot of love to give? Are you ready to throw a child her first birthday party? Can you help him decorate a first Christmas tree or carve a first pumpkin? Help the child to see that families are a great place to grow up and show him an excellent role model of healthy family relationships? Give her an opportunity to heal and grow?

Get more information and view the original source of the article here.

“The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing.  But in our culture we apply for a curse and reject blessings.  Something is wrong with this picture.” - Doug Phillips

Exodus 22:22-24 - “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.  If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword….”

I took these from a story that really touched my heart about a family who started by fostering children and now their family has grown by adopting 6. She makes many valid points about adoption and the difficulties that they have encountered.

Please read the Ware Family Adventures.

Open adoption refers a situation where the prospective adoptive parents know the birth mother. They exchange information depending on different factors; mostly it depends on how comfortable they are with each other. In an open adoption today, a birth mother has the privilege of choosing parents for her unborn child. Not only does she get to choose the parents, she also has the choice of actively taking part in the adoption plan. Open adoptions sounds very public, however the details of an open adoption are extremely confidential. Only those involved in the adoption are aware of any details pertaining to an open adoption. Initially information is exchanged only on a first-name basis but as the process progresses and the relationship builds, full names, phone numbers and even addresses are exchanged. (more…)

To get some real insight please visit Adoption Survivor.

I don’t get why this society does not promote adoption more in young mothers and women who simply cannot afford another child. Plenty of people are willing to speak out about how the other A word should be illegal but even those folks don’t promote adoption as an option. In the past, adoption was some pretty shadey business. Babies being taken away from their mothers and never knowing who their biological parents were. Now days, the tables have turned and there are many more rights for the biological parents and children to be able to contact each other after a given age. Open adoption is now very accepted throughout the adoption community and healthier relationships are formed by it.

So why the big fuss? Why is it still taboo to talk about adoption?

It should not be so hard for families to willingly accept a child who desperately needs a loving home. That’s why I want to share with you this website that offers help and support for those who are searching. This couple is currently in the process of trying to adopt another child in addition to the 4 they already have. There growing knowledge of grants and procedures is like gold for those who don’t know where to start. Plus, they are raising money for the “Gift of Adoption Giving Circle” which helps families fund expensive trips just to be able to save a child.

Please visit Adopting Amanda-Our Journey to Estonia for more information.

How to Throw an Online Adoption Shower

If you do decide to plan an online shower, please leave me a comment me so I can attend!

Jamie Oliver is considering adoption after seeing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with their children. “Adoption is such a selfless act and they have a lovely family environment. It’s humbling and beautiful to see,” the star told the Daily Telegraph. “Jools would like to have another child but there are so many vulnerable orphans out there. Jools and I need to sit down and have a very serious conversation about it. If I can’t produce a boy I will have to adopt one. I would consider it. We have two beautiful, healthy girls and we cherish them. But I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be great to have a boy.”

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