Check out the video on my YouTube channel HERE.
Let’s talk about three major mistakes you want to steer clear of when creating your adoption profile.
First, what even IS an adoption profile? It’s basically a tool that expecting moms look at to help them decide which family they want to have a match meeting with. It’s your first introduction, and whether you take the time to really put effort into this? That’s going to speak VOLUMES.
If you don’t put in the effort with your profile, that tells an expecting mama a lot about your family right off the bat. She might not move forward because she doesn’t think you’re taking this adoption process seriously. Remember, adoption isn’t just an event; it’s a lifelong relationship. She wants a family who’s prepared for that, and it’s going to shine through in this very first step.
Using Negative Adoption Language
The number one mistake comes down to being adoption educated. This is a HUGE red flag that screams, “I haven’t done my homework!”
You can literally Google “positive adoption language” right now and find what terms to use versus what to avoid. I’ll link to a document below with positive adoption terminology. Phrases like “giving up a baby” or “real mother” are major no-nos in the adoption world.
Education is super important before you even start your profile, so you know how to best address the expecting mom and introduce your family.
These aren’t trick questions—they genuinely want to know who’ll be raising this child. No need to pretend you’re Martha Stewart if you’re more of a “dinner is whatever doesn’t need cooking” type of household.
Creating a Cluttered Design
Number two: don’t make your profile cluttered!
Keep things clean, simple, and minimalist. Present your information in the most organized way possible – and that means don’t cram too many photos onto a page! Make sure you use really high-quality photos and keep everything from looking jumbled. Clean and simple is absolutely the best approach here. Think modern Instagram aesthetic, not your grandma’s bulletin board.
Too Many Words
Number three: avoid using too many words in your profile.
Words are important for captioning photos and describing who you are as a family. But PLEASE hear me – do NOT write a “dear birth mother” letter! That is so archaic and out of date. Quite frankly, moms don’t read all that text. Some agencies present moms with up to a hundred profiles, and they’re not going to read a novel from each family.
They want to take a quick glance at your photos and see a little bit of text about who you are. Your story should be told through your photos – that’s what she’ll look at FIRST before diving into any text.
When you work with Adoption & Beyond, we actually hire someone to create your profile for you! We take that stress off your plate and make the process super easy. They’ll provide guidelines for exactly what to write and what photos to include, then design it all for you.
But even with help, you still need to know these key mistakes to avoid. There’s work you’ll need to do on your end to gather materials, and these guidelines will help you provide the right content.
Here is a link to that adoption terminology guide I mentioned, and if you’re just starting your adoption journey and want more guidance, check out my All About Adoption 101 course.
Ready to explore different adoption paths? The Avenues of Adoption course has got you covered.
This blog post is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Our services are not financial, business, or legal advice. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content. Adoption & Beyond, Inc. owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted.
