My List of Favorite Adoption Resources 2017

One of my favorite parts about adoption is the connections I’ve made with people all over the globe. I’ve come to know and appreciate a beautiful network of gracious truth-tellers doing hard, meaningful work with sustainable results in the adoption community.

If you are open to adoption/foster care or are looking for practical ways to support adoptive/foster families or want to know how your church can be more involved in reaching vulnerable children, please read on! And if you are none of those things, I’m gonna have to put on my Bossy Pants and tell you to read on anyway because there’s some good stuff here.

Below is a list of resources that have encouraged and provided practical help for our family and many others, as well. I’ve done the research and compilation for you. So, grab a cup of coffee, unless tea is your thing. Or soda. Or a wheatgrass smoothie. Whatever. Just get your beverage of choice.

Go on. I’ll wait…

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Now, have a seat at your desk or curl up in your favorite chair with your laptop and scroll down as you read.

See? Isn’t that easy? The bulk of the work is already done for you.

YOU’RE WELCOME.

 

ORGANIZATIONS:

• Lifesong: “Seeks to mobilize the Church, where each member can provide a unique and special service [related to orphan care]: some to adopt, some to care, some to give.” Lifesong was instrumental in helping us to bring Sam home. They provided two matching grants—one personal matching grant and one church matching grant (our church had partnered with Lifesong). They are an amazing, generous organization.

 

• Adopt US Kids: “A national project that supports child welfare systems and connects children in foster care with families.” Provides great information for starting the domestic adoption-from-foster-care process.

 

• National Down Syndrome Adoption Network: Led by the kind and fearless Stephanie Thompson, the NDSAN seeks to provide a loving home for kids with Down syndrome. This organization matched us with our Sam. Stephanie continues to be a part of our lives and we feel privileged to call her ‘friend’.

 

• Reece’s Rainbow: “The mission of Reece’s Rainbow is to advocate and find families for orphans with Down syndrome and other special needs by raising funds for adoption grants and promoting awareness through an online community, media communications, and other events.” This international organization informed me of the desperate need for kids with special needs to be adopted. If these kiddos don’t get adopted, many will age out of their orphanages and often get lost on the streets or left to languish in poorly run institutions.

 

• Empowered to Connect: ETC is a ministry that works to connect, encourage, and equip families and churches by providing a supportive and authentic community that encourages families on their adoption/foster journey.

 

• The Post Institute: This is a place where parents and professionals involved in the lives of our most vulnerable and challenging children can find effective solutions, education, and support. They offer educational materials and support services to help parents lead their families on a journey of healing the wounds of complex trauma.

 

BLOGS/WEBSITES:

• cherideejohnson.com. Adoptive parent and writer, Cheri Johnson offers wisdom and compassion to non-biological moms. She candidly shares her experiences and the hard truths of adoption while graciously offering hope for the tough seasons. She also provides practical suggestions for ways the local church can better relate to non-biological parents and offer ongoing support for them and their children. (Side note: Cheri has become a dear friend to me, a clear voice that I trust to point me to the Truth. She’s a real gem.)

 

• confessionsofanadoptiveparent.com Mike & Kristin Berry’s passion is to encourage adoptive families “in the trenches”. They share and speak on a wide range of topics with the goal to offer hope and solidarity to adoptive and foster families.

 

• sherrieeldridge.com Author and parent, Sherrie Eldridge, frequently writes from an adoptee perspective. She explores the topic of grief in adoption and reminds her readers of God’s deep love and acceptance. Sherrie is currently waiting to find out the identity of her birth father.

 

• theadoptedlife.com This is my new fave, especially on the topic of transracial adoption. Angela Tucker, who is an adoptee, is the heartbeat behind this informative, thought-provoking space, where she endeavors to give adoptees a bigger voice in our culture. Angela & her husband filmed the documentary, Closure, in which Angela shares her challenging quest to find her birth family. It aired on Netflix. (Click on the link to watch the trailer.)

 

BOOKS FOR ADULTS:

• The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child by Nancy Newton Verrier
• Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge
• Under His Wings Adoption Workbook: Truths to Heal Adopted, Orphaned, and Waiting Children’s Hearts by Sherrie Eldridge & Beth Willis Miller (both adoptees)
• The Connected Child: Bring Hope & Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Dr. Karen Purvis
• Handbook on Thriving As An Adoptive Family edited by David & Renee Sanford
• From Fear to Love by Bryan Post
• Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self by Brodzinksy, Schecter, & Henig
• Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming Our Familes—and America by Adam Pertman
• Talking With Young Children About Adoption by Mary Watkins & Dr. Susan Fischer
• The Lucky Few by Heather Avis

 

 

BOOKS FOR YOUNG KIDS:

• I’ll Never Let You Go by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Allison Brown
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
• Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell
• Shaoey & Dot by Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman
• God Found Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren

 

PODCASTS:

• Tapestry’s Empowered to Connect
• Honestly Adoption Podcast-Hosted by Mike & Kristin Berry

 

INSTAGRAM:

There are countless adoption-related Instagrammers! I follow just a few but find great value in what each has to share.

• standforlife
• theknottednest
• adoptionshare
• macymakesmyday
• angieadoptee

 

This list, of course, is not exhaustive but it might help to get you started or lead you to consider a few more. With all the excessive noise on the Internet, I struggle with where to focus my time and attention when I’m interested in any topic, especially adoption. I hope I’ve been able to spare you a few hours.

What adoption/foster care resources have been helpful to you and your family?

Would love to hear from you—please share in the comments below!