The transition from foster care to forever family can be difficult on a child. Use these strategies when bringing home an older child.
“Yes, Black Women Do Adopt”
Talking with Black women about adoption became a routine part of motherhood for me, alongside diapers, homework, and the warmth I feel every time I look at my son.
“Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches a Talk About Adoption”
A beloved children’s book sparked a discussion with my three-year-old daughter about adoption and her birth mother.
“The Decision to Adopt a Child with Prenatal Drug Exposure”
Typically, I would have spent weeks — if not months — gathering information and exhausting every possible scenario. But there wasn’t time for analyzing. My son needed me.
Piecing Together a Medical History
What do parents need to know about medical history when adopting a foster child?
What I Wish I Had Known
After the initial adjustment stages, parents who adopt older kids often say, “Why didn’t someone tell me that?” Here are eight of the lessons families I’ve worked with over the past 25 years have learned.
Idaho Adoption Laws and Policies
Learn about Idaho adoption laws and find adoption agencies and attorneys who work with families in your state.
“Intimate Strangers”: Birth Parent Contact in Foster Adoption
The 894 pages of my daughter’s foster care case history described her birth mother’s hard life, scarred by poverty, drug addiction, and homelessness. I never expected to meet her—much less like her.
Hot Topic: Should Parents Choose a Gender?
If given the option, many parents choose to adopt girls. We reported on this preference, as well as the unintended consequences for the boys who are left behind, and the article has sparked quite a debate. Here’s what our readers had to say.
“Finally — Finalization!” — Part 6 of Foster Adoption Series
In part six of our adoption odyssey, Angie and Alexandra become our children in the eyes of the law. In our hearts, that had happened months ago.
“Balancing Act” — Part 5 of Foster Adoption Series
In part five of our family’s adoption odyssey, we begin the tug-of-war also known as parenting a teenager.
“School Daze” — Part 4 of Foster Adoption Series
In part four of our family’s adoption odyssey, our daughter grapples with her learning disability.
“Learning How to Settle In” — Part 3 of Foster Adoption Series
In the third part of our family’s adoption odyssey, our new daughters help us rediscover the joy in everyday moments.
“A New Family Dynamic” — Part 2 of Foster Adoption Series
In the second part of our family’s adoption odyssey, we meet our new daughters and confront their past — and look to our future together.
“In the Beginning” — Part 1 of Foster Adoption Series
In part one of our family’s adoption odyssey, we make our way through our state’s Fost/Adopt program and find that things don’t always go according to plan. But sometimes, that’s for the best.
[Movie Review] Aging Out
A documentary on foster care depicts life without a safety net.
Timing of Adoption Update: 2010-2011
The results of the 2010-2011 Adoptive Families Cost and Timing of Adoption Survey.
When Food Becomes a Battleground
Children who reject food aren’t necessarily rejecting you.
Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child
In this excerpt from her book, Jayne Schooler offers adoptive parents tools for helping their children make sense of the past.
“Guarding Tess” — A Father’s Story
I learned that the ultimate gift of love comes not from the receiver, but from the giver.