If you’ve been thinking about adoption, you probably have a wide range of emotions. And, you probably have lots of questions too, about how open adoption works and what your choices are. Lifetime is always just a call or text away to answer your questions. You can reach Lifetime 24/7, by calling or texting us at 1-800-923-6784.

But if you’re not ready to talk or text about adoption yet, YouTube can actually be a great source of info. Here are the top 6 YouTube channels about adoption; they can provide you with support, encouragement, and info on what to expect with adoption:

1. Binti has interviews of birth mothers, which allows you to learn from their experiences. Plus, you might learn about choices you have with open adoption that you didn’t even know existed! The women featured in Binti’s videos answer lots of questions you might also have, like how involved your baby’s father can be, and how contact with the adoptive family will work.

2. BraveLove‘s mission is to change how people view adoption, by producing honest videos with birth mothers telling their stories. At BraveLove, you can watch and listen to birth mothers share how they came to choose a loving adoptive family for their child.

3. Melissa Link is a birth mother and a filmmaker; she produced her own a documentary, telling about her experience of placing her child for adoption. Watch as Melissa shares how she felt when she learned she was pregnant, how she told her family, and why she decided on adoption. 

4. Beauty Amidst the Ashes‘ goal is to educate people about modern adoption. They have lots of videos featuring birth mothers sharing their stories of how their adoption process went. The birth mothers come from all different situations and backgrounds, but all hope that they can encourage and support women thinking about adoption.

5. Mrs. Marshelle is an adoptive mother who’s uploaded videos that give a glimpse of how an open adoption works in the real world. She has videos taped during open adoption visits between her children and their birth mothers.

6. Lifetime has videos about the adoption process from beginning to end, which might answer some of your questions about the process. Make sure to watch some of the adoption videos that hopeful adoptive couples have created, too, because they’re a great way to learn about possible parents for your baby.

Written by Mardie Caldwell Certified Open Adoption Practitioner

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.

Caldwell’s life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.

She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.

Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN’s Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.

Read More About Mardie Caldwell