Transracial Adoption (Learn)

The Adoption Wait

2023-07-19T16:18:54-07:00November 13, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Drug/Alcohol Exposure, Hoping to Adopt, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

Once you’ve figured out your preferences in your adoption, what is next? The dreaded adoption wait. If you’re working with an adoption advisor like Purl, you’re likely getting on the waitlist for many different attorneys and agencies. You might be including some adoption outreach, hoping to connect with an expectant family that way. You are then waiting for an expectant family to choose you or find you through your outreach, typically speeding up your adoption journey. But it can take only a few weeks or months, or even a few years to be selected, but your chances are much better in a multi-faceted approach. Click here to read more about what to expect from the adoption wait.

Adoption Preferences In Your Journey

2022-03-30T11:02:10-07:00November 8, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption Process, Drug/Alcohol Exposure, Hoping to Adopt, Open Adoption (Learn), Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

As I spoke about in my post yesterday, the domestic adoption process is so awkward in that you are essentially saying yes or no to a child. Sometimes you are doing it just by setting preferences in your adoption, but sometimes you’re actually reviewing a summary of an adoption opportunity and saying yes or no as to whether to present your family profile to the expectant family considering adoption for that child. When prospective adoptive parents start to consider their adoption preferences, many have no idea what they should say when adoption professionals ask what types of circumstances they would consider. Here are just a few of the things you should research and educate yourself on as you determine your adoption preferences, as well as some resources for helping you navigate these difficult decisions.

Choices You Must Make In Domestic Adoption

2022-03-30T11:03:24-07:00November 8, 2021|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Open Adoption (Learn), Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

One of the things that I like least about the domestic infant adoption process is that prospective adoptive parents are basically saying yes or no to a child. Most people outside the adoption community might not realize that prospective adoptive parents basically set their “adoption preferences”, see adoption opportunities based on those preferences and then basically have to make a choice whether to “present” to an expectant parent choosing adoption for their child. Click here to read more about this awkwardness in the domestic infant adoption process.

It’s not about you…and you will likely be uncomfortable

2022-03-31T10:02:00-07:00June 10, 2021|Adoption Disruption, Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Adoption Process, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Infertility, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

If you’re starting the adoption journey you might not realize that the rest of this journey WILL NOT be about you. You might have endured a lot of pain to get here, infertility, failed IUI or IVF cycles, failed embryo adoption or surrogacy. Really, really tough stuff. But I’m going to tell you something difficult to hear, most likely if you are here now and pursuing domestic infant adoption: your mindset will now have to immediately shift and all your decisions from here need to be about your future child through adoption (the adoptee) and what is best for them. You need to be able to justify every decision you make, and feel comfortable telling your future child the decisions you made and steps you took to adopt. To read more, click here.

Be the Bridge – A Guide to Transracial Adoption

2022-04-01T07:37:02-07:00November 23, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

This is a blog post written by Gina Fimbel, MSW. She’s an educator with Be the Bridge, an organization created to empower people and culture toward racial healing, equity and reconciliation. In her post, she explains more about their organization as well as their Transracial Adoption Guide that can help prospective adoptive families considering transracial adoption, or families who have already adopted transracially. Click here to read more, or to purchase their Transracial Adoption Guide.

Born Out of Tragedy…

2022-04-01T07:38:08-07:00November 18, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

Do you watch This is Us? It is my favorite show right now, but I have to admit I have to be in the right mood to watch it, because it is rare that I don’t end up in tears during an episode. I haven’t yet watched this week’s episode (I was too exhausted to cry last night), but the first episode of this season was SO GOOD. In that episode they discussed COVID and the racial tensions of 2020, and the impact of these events on a close-knit family, including a 40 year old Black man who was adopted at birth by this family. This episode also touched on Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and broken relationships within that family. Many of these topics really hit home for me when I watched it, and I’m pretty sure I cried for about an hour afterwards.

Proud To Be Adopted (An Adoptee’s Perspective)

2022-04-01T08:48:50-07:00November 12, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption is Hard, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

To celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month, we are sharing resources to help prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents in an adoption journey. But we think the best way to learn about adoption is from adoption perspectives, particularly the perspective of the adoptee, the part of the triad that doesn’t typically get to enter into adoption voluntarily. Today, we are sharing the perspective of an adoptee and Purl’s Administrative Assistant, Emily, who wanted to share more about her adoption story, and her thoughts and feelings towards her adoption (see her initial post here). Keep in mind that no two adoptions are the same, and you will hear both positive and negative stories of adoption from adoptees, but we are excited to share her perspective.

My name is Emily, and I’m proud to be adopted. Click here to read more….

Natural Haircare Coaching: Tutus & Tennis Shoes

2022-04-01T14:42:01-07:00November 5, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption Perspectives, Domestic infant adoption, Hoping to Adopt, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

Today we are featuring an amazing resource for prospective adoptive families and adoptive families considering transracial (Black) adoption: Kanisha Tillman, the owner of Tutus & Tennis Shoes LLC (TTS). TTS has been designed to be a community enterprise that celebrates everything about the beauty and health of naturally curly hair and black girls. TTS is dedicated to making sure that everyone has access to the proper education and support in taking care of their child’s naturally curly hair. What started as a brick and mortar children’s salon in Des Moines, Iowa has grown into a global community of fellow natural hair lovers, including and focusing on transracially adoptive families. TTS offers online courses in haircare, support groups, virtual 1 on 1 sessions for education, and an online store full of tools and products to ensure total hair care success. Click here to read more about her and access her ABC’s of Hair Care, and the Tutus Hair Care Shopping List.

Transracial Adoption – Why Understanding and Caring for Black Hair Is A “Non-Negotiable”

2022-04-01T14:51:28-07:00September 1, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption Perspectives, Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

An adoptive mother of a black daughter shares with us today about the importance of black hair care and why it is nonnegotiable to learn more about this vital piece of adopting a child of color. She believes this knowledge is helpful in honestly laying out there before a white family decides to adopt a black child. She also includes details on her daughter’s hair care, so that we can all understand the specificity of hair care. Click here to read more.

Teen Adoptee Shares Her Story

2022-04-01T15:08:38-07:00July 15, 2020|Adoption Education, Adoption Perspectives, Open Adoption (Learn), Transracial Adoption (Learn)|

Young adult adoptee shares her adoption story with us on the blog. Emily is an amazing 19 year old who enjoys painting and doing schoolwork during this strange season of COVID-19 and quarantine. She lives in Arizona with her family, including with her brother who is also adopted. Emily shares her perspective of what it is like being adopted in her family, and some encouragement for other adoptees and adoptive families.

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