Making the decision to become adoptive parents is difficult and can seem daunting. Luckily there are a variety of resources for adoptive parents to call on if the need arises. Some of them come in the form of financial assistance, others in the form of mental and emotional support. Sometimes the resources one has are simply ways to educate ourselves to be more effective parents and become a voice in your child’s life that is more specific to their needs. There is plenty of help available to parents of adopted kids. Just reach out for it.
Financial assistance.
There is a federal adoption tax credit that helps parents who adopt children out of foster care. It helps with adoption fees, money spent while traveling, and attorney fees.
Most states also offer an adoption tax credit. Just Google your state and adoption tax credit to find out more information specific to your location in the country.
There are several foundations that provide grants for adoptive families. Help Us Adopt and Gift of Adoption are two out of the many for which one can apply.
Emotional assistance.
There are therapists that specialize in adoption issues. Some of them are even adoptees themselves and so their voice is one of experience. The easiest way to find one is through Google. Also, the therapy community is very close-knit. Almost any good therapist would be able to direct you to a therapist that specializes in the care for which you are looking.
There is some great information on the forums of Adoption.com and Adoption.org where people have come together to share their personal journeys and explain how they overcame some difficult hurdles.
Looking into adoption support groups in your local area is a great step towards networking and community development. There’s no need to wait until a crisis or issue arises before joining one of these groups, they can be fun ways to get together with like-minded people who are living similar lifestyles.
Educational Assistance.
So much can be learned and understood through picking up a book! “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Verrier. “Older Child Adoption” by Grace Robinson. And “Making Sense of Adoption” by Lois Ruskai Melina are really great pieces of informative literature to get started.
The internet is probably the most valuable resource people have when it comes to adoption education. Adoption.org and Adoption.com are two of the most informative websites in circulation at this time.
There is a plethora of information and resources available! Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Blake Johnson is a 29-year-old adoptee living in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. His journey through the various struggles associated with adoption give him a unique perspective that he hopes can be a small measure of help to anyone traveling the same path.