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Over decades as a foster and adoptive parent and an adoption social worker, I have mothered and supported hundreds of children. Each one has taught me more than I passed along to them. Here is just some of that wisdom.
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The Safe Baby is an easy-to-follow resource that will give busy parents — adoptive or otherwise — peace of mind.
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After finally realizing my dream of becoming a mother, I found what most new parents find—along with the bliss come days filled with crying, spit-up, and leaking diapers. But when I dared to vent, I was chided: “You wanted to adopt…you asked for this!”
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We asked readers, “Have you found any dolls or other toys that reflect your child’s race and/or birth culture that you would specifically recommend?” Here are the top picks.
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Your preschooler may hit you with surprising questions at the most unexpected times and places!
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Many children in foster care have delays in conscience development. A few have no conscience. It is important that parents understand conscience development and identify ways to facilitate growth in this area.
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When my transracially adopted son was teased about adoption at school, he came home upset—and also bewildered about how his friend could have known. When I heard this (and when it came out that he wasn't wholly innocent in the exchange), was it wrong that my reaction turned from anger to laughter?
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Before the moody teen years, pre-adolescence can present its own challenges for parents. How should you respond to tweens’ questions about adoption or initiate conversation with a preteen who doesn’t seem eager to talk?
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We asked our readers: How did you decide whether to introduce the topic of adoption at your child's school? What actions did you take, if any, to start explaining adoption to classmates or teachers? What advice do you have for other parents about how to best interact with your child's teachers?
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If you’re parenting an oppositional child or teen, you probably say “no” a lot. You may say it so often that it’s become your default response, or you may be stuck in the perception that “no” is the healthier option. How can you bring positivity back into your parent-child relationship?
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Embracing your child's racial identity means embracing his friends, too.
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Stumped by your teen's silences and questions? Here's how to tackle them.
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 How to navigate the domestic adoption process. MORE eBOOKS |
 Annual how-to-adopt guide. VIEW DIGITAL EDITION or READ ARTICLES ONLINE |
We left our house this morning a family of three, but the next time we walk through our front door, it will be as a family of four.
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Learn about Wyoming adoption laws and find adoption agencies and attorneys who work with families in your state.
Under the World Health Organization’s previous definition, infertility was failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Its expanded version will apply to more families.
Each year, Adoptive Families polls newly formed families across the country to get actual information on the cost and length of time it took them to complete their adoptions. See the results of the most recent 2016-2017 Adoption Cost & Timing Survey.
If your family is thinking about adopting a child of a different race, spend some time answering these six questions to help determine if it's right for you.
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We polled our newsletter subscribers, "How did you tell your extended family about your decision to adopt?" Here's what some of you said.
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Have you considered growing your family through adoption from U.S. foster care, but don’t know where to begin? Contact the experts at AdoptUSKids for personalized guidance and the reassurance that “you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.”
We left our house this morning a family of three, but the next time we walk through our front door, it will be as a family of four.
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Wondering how to adopt from Ecuador? Find statistics, prospective parent requirements, personal stories, and more resources.
The adoptive mom and critically acclaimed author talks about her adoption of two brothers from Ethiopia, the AIDS crisis in Africa, and Haregewoin Teferra, the foster mother at the center of her book, There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children.
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My love for my youngest child, who was born to me, takes a different timbre from my love for my twins through adoption. Accepting this helps me understand the inimitable bond they share with their birth mother, and the ache she must feel.
My love for my youngest child, who was born to me, takes a different timbre from my love for my twins through adoption. Accepting this helps me understand the inimitable bond they share with their birth mother, and the ache she must feel.
A parent-to-be who’s adopting a four-year-old from foster care solicits advice about what to do that first day home and how to make it easier on the child.
The adoptive mom and critically acclaimed author talks about her adoption of two brothers from Ethiopia, the AIDS crisis in Africa, and Haregewoin Teferra, the foster mother at the center of her book, There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children.
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Have you considered growing your family through adoption from U.S. foster care, but don’t know where to begin? Contact the experts at AdoptUSKids for personalized guidance and the reassurance that “you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.”
“We just found out that we won’t be able to adopt the child we’ve been fostering. How do we tell the child, and explain to our older daughter?”
Our recommendations for online adoption resources — from government sites to attorney directories — selected by the editors of Adoptive Families magazine.
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We polled our newsletter subscribers, "How did you tell your extended family about your decision to adopt?" Here's what some of you said.
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Our recommendations for online adoption resources — from government sites to attorney directories — selected by the editors of Adoptive Families magazine.
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If you traveled domestically to adopt, what's one piece of advice you can give others as they prepare to do the same? See parents' answers.
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We left our house this morning a family of three, but the next time we walk through our front door, it will be as a family of four.
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Three years after her adoption, we returned to our daughter's Russian orphanage to visit her caregivers and friends there.
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The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released a new schedule of non-refundable accreditation fees to be shouldered by agencies and, ultimately, prospective families.
When talk turns to family traits—who got grandma's curly hair or daddy's big blue eyes—how does our child find her place in the conversation?
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An unexpected emergency tests the strength of a mother-daughter bond.
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What we record now about our child will help him or her later in the difficult teen task of forging a positive identity.
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We have a closed adoption, per our child’s birth mother’s request. How can I ever tell my child that I know who her birth mother is, but can’t share that information?
When talk turns to family traits—who got grandma's curly hair or daddy's big blue eyes—how does our child find her place in the conversation?
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Growing up in Trinidad, I didn’t use the word black to describe myself. But as the mother of two black children in the U.S., I walk the fine line of raising them to believe they are capable and worthy while understanding that everyone in this country has been taught to discount their value.
Heritage trips help children discover their past — and inspire who they'll become. Help your child prepare for the journey with these expert-tested tips.
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Find ways to bond and connect with the culture of your adopted African American child.
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Heritage trips help children discover their past — and inspire who they'll become. Help your child prepare for the journey with these expert-tested tips.
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A homeland trip can help kids connect "where I come from" to "where I'm going." Having traveled with thousands of adoptive families, I'm delighted to share my thoughts on the impact of homeland travel on identity formation.
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My child’s birth mother has a drug addiction. How should I explain this to him? How can I do so without sounding judgmental about his birth mother?
If you’re parenting an oppositional child or teen, you probably say “no” a lot. You may say it so often that it’s become your default response, or you may be stuck in the perception that “no” is the healthier option. How can you bring positivity back into your parent-child relationship?
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Although we knew our South American-born son would face challenges growing up in a predominantly white middle class suburb, we were totally unprepared for what was to come.
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When my transracially adopted son was teased about adoption at school, he came home upset—and also bewildered about how his friend could have known. When I heard this (and when it came out that he wasn't wholly innocent in the exchange), was it wrong that my reaction turned from anger to laughter?
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When it comes to socializing, my gregarious daughter has taught me a thing or two.
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We asked our readers: If you'll be giving your child's birth parents a gift this holiday season, what is it and how will you give it to them? Read the answers from adoptive parents.
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