Accidental Sisters: My 52 Year Wait to Meet My Biological Sibling
I was adopted at birth from Catholic Charities in Des Moines, Iowa. My birth mother was from a small town in Illinois, and was hiding her pregnancy from her parents- well actually- hiding it from all except a very small circle of sisters and best friends. She called...
The Fear of Never Being Chosen For Adoption
When working with families looking to adopt, one of the most common and deeply held fears they have is that they’ll never be matched with expecting parents. The reality is: that’s a valid fear.They might not be matched with expecting parents. But I am a firm...
Adoption Education Requirements
Many families come to us asking what the education requirements are for adopting. The easy answer to this question is that it depends. Here are the education requirements for the three most common avenues of adoption: Foster care adoption – The training is...
Adopting as a Single Parent
A question I get asked often is if single parents can adopt and, even more specifically, if single males can adopt. While the answer is yes, there are some limitations and particular avenues that a single parent may want to consider over others. In an earlier blog, I...
5 Tips For Preparing Your Home For Adoption
Are you considering adoption? If you’re ready to take the next steps in growing your family, the first thing to do is to prepare your home. The amount of preparation that needs to be done can quickly become overwhelming to new adoptive parents. The most...
3 Adoption Terms to Know
Adoption is one of those pursuits that has, over time, developed its own language and terms to help adoptive parents understand different aspects of their adoption journey. It’s important to have clarity on what exactly some of these terms mean, and today I’d like to...
Adoption Works Best With These 3 Things
There is a lot to consider when entering into the adoption process. There are so many steps, relationships, and assumptions to consider and negotiate, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Today I want to focus especially on the part of the process that relates to...
Introduce Children With Developmental Disabilities to the Wonderful World of Art
​Approximately 17% of the school-age population in the United States has at least one developmental disability. The parents of these children are often looking for ways to connect with and help their kids learn, grow, and engage with the world in healthy ways. Arts...