I’ve talked to many families of late who have experienced the hard side of adoption. It’s not something we’re unfamiliar with ourselves.
Adopted children often have trouble connecting to the family who loves them. They have special parenting needs. Sometimes they need to heal from pre-adoption abuse or neglect.
I’ve become familiar with some wonderful preparation for adoption and post-adoption resources over the past few weeks. If you are thinking about adopting, have adopted, or if you know someone who has, these are resources every adoptive family needs to know about.
Empowered To Connect Free Online Videos and Resources
The Connected Child Book by Karen Purvis
When Love Is Not Enough Book by Nancy Thomas
The Beatitude House Intensive Treatment Center
What about you? Do you know of any other good resources for adoptive families?
Liberian Adoption: Preparing for Your Child’s Homecoming by Angel Q Rutledge
Book description from Amazon.com “A must have resource guide for any family adopting a child from Liberia. It’s one thing to make it through the process of adopting internationally; it’s an entirely different thing to be properly prepared for a child’s homecoming. In this book, written by Liberia Adoption Coordinator Angel Rutledge, adoptive families learn about the history of Liberia, cultural influences that affect Liberian adoptions, common post adoption challenges, medical issues, and how to ensure the best transition possible for their family and child.”
Thank you for sharing!
We all know that healthy families are often anchored at the dinner table-positive association with food and with family are critical to the physical AND emotional health of all of God’s children. I argue sharing a giggle and a meal is more important than making sure beds are made and rooms are clean. It should be a priority in all of our lives as mothers. The years will march by, the stand-offs are inevitable, but the warm memories (or lack of warm memories) they have will be what make them decide if they want to model their life after their parents or choose another path.
We’ve had parents tell us that using our program (with children ages 3-8 was a good technique for helping to bonding, building trust, and with helping create positive associations with healthy food (many of these kids did not have a healthy diet prior to their adoptive/foster homes). One of the moms on our team continues to make time in the kitchen with her 5 year old adoptee and swears it has helped with the adjustment over the past year. In fact, the agencies she has worked with throughout the process of foster and adoption have shared it with parents they work with.
It’s a free program-it is my calling in life to help families share a meal, and more importantly, a giggle, with their kids every day. It’s ONE of the ways family meets that goal as my children are all under age 5)-maybe you will find it helpful as well? http://www.GrowYourGiggle.com
Thanks for the resource list Jill. As an adoptive mom of 3 and soon to be 5 I can use some helpful resources.
Love the Empowered to Connect resources!!! Another book I’ve found is
The Adoptive & Foster Parent Guide (How to Heal Your Child’s Trauma and Loss) by Carol Lozier.
Here’s a link to Carol’s website: http://www.forever-families.com/ . There’s also a forever-families facebook group. It’s closed (approved membership) and safe. A GREAT group of families encouraging one another thru rough stuff.
Thank you Jill for sharing this list of resources. I have been blogging every day this month from my apartment in Suzhou, China (formerly of Central IL) about our family’s adoption journey. I am including your list on today’s post. Thanks again!
Kara, I just learned that tomorrow Focus on the Family is doing an adoption show tomorrow, too! Let people know about that, too!