With each new year comes new possibilities and hope for the future. It also offers the opportunity for commitment to a New Year’s resolution. Are you hoping to adopt in 2018?
We’ve all heard the saying “there’s no time like the present.” Unlike New Year’s resolutions to lose 50 pounds or exercise more, building a family is a resolution that you don’t set to get attention or to please others. The rewards that you get from becoming a parent will mean more to you than all of those superficial things. The life-changing event of adoption will be the start of a fresh chapter in your marriage and your family’s history.
So today, Lifetime is going to share five steps to adoption to take into consideration this New Year:
1. Keep Learning About Adoption
Study topics like open adoption, transracial adoption, and domestic adoption. There are so many great books, blogs, and articles available online. A great place to look for adoption stories is Lifetime’s Newly Adopted page, which gets added to every day. Also, Lifetime frequently hosts free webinars all about open adoption. Visit AdoptionWebinar.com, and you can start hearing first-hand accounts on how open adoption works in the real world.
2. Get Your Finances in Order
It’s important to have all your finances straight so that when an opportunity to adopt to comes up, you’re not scrambling for money. So, it’s smart to meet with a financial planner. That way, you can get your finances in order and learn about creating a budget. You may need to do some adoption fundraising too; our blog has many articles with tips on how to get started. Also, consider taking out a loan and applying for adoption grants.
3. Get Advice From Successful Adoptive Parents
Your best resource is going to be someone who’s adopted recently. Begin conversations with experienced adoptive parents who have gone through these steps to adoption. Ask them about their journeys, and then really listen and reflect. The more adoption stories you hear, the more perspectives you’ll gain, and the better off you’ll be.
Ask adoptive couples for their advice and thoughts. Sign up for email newsletters about adopting, follow blogs, and join up with others in their adoption journey.
4. Set Aside “Adoption Time” Every Week
Everyone’s so busy nowadays, so we recommend that you assign time every week to learn more about adoption. That way, you can plan around work obligations, appointments, and other scheduled activities. You’ll come to find that setting aside weekly “adoption time” will be vital to your adoption success.
5. Start Working on Your Profile
You can begin creating your adoption profile now, even if you haven’t contracted with an adoption professional yet. You might begin by snapping quick photos of each other at everyday activities. Also, you can start writing what birth mothers will want to know, like how long you’ve been married, where you live, your jobs, and why you’re pursuing adoption.
The steps to adoption may get stressful and emotional, but it’s all so worth it! You can make 2018 the year that you begin taking steps towards building your family through adoption.
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
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