This is me two days after my 12th birthday with my newborn niece.
This is her with me and my older sister Erica about 4.5 years later at her preschool graduation.
When she graduated preschool she was technically still in the foster system but in my heart she had been my sister for a few years. She was placed with my mom and step-dad about two weeks after her second birthday. It took almost four years (44 months) from that day until the adoption was finalized. It was an emotional roller coaster ride and my family needed emotional support from friends and family members during that time. Many adoptive families or foster families need financial support as well.
5 affordable ways to support adoption and adoptive families.
1. Small donations and hand-me-downs. Buying an adoptive family a pack of diapers, formula or other essentials can help the family out financially while also making them feel emotionally supported. Even hand-me-down clothing or toys can help out.
2. Local charities or groups. Many areas have non-profit organizations to help foster children or adoptive families. My area has a program called Guardian Angels Suitcases4kids. They accept donations of new or used clothing, toys and other necessities for kids. Local foster children they can come to the Suitcases4Kids location to “shop” for items that they need completely free. Many charities like this could use volunteers to help work even if you can’t donate items or cash.
3. Be a friend but don’t pry. Both parents and children in adoptive families need emotional support. Being willing to really listen and just be there can make a huge difference in the life of an adopted child or family. It can be a challenge for adoptive families to balance sharing information for their own emotional benefit and support, and the desire to keep certain aspects private for the sake of the family. I was lucky to have great friends who I could talk about the adoption with. Yet, it’s important not to pry because many families will feel the need to keep aspects of the adoption private to protect the child. I feel more comfortable if I am able to lead the conversations about adoption instead of having others bring up the topic or ask a bunch of questions. As a friend, be ready to listen but be careful not to pry.
4. Don’t say the R-word. A lot of well-meaning people will say “real mom” (or real dad, etc) in reference to my sisters biological relatives. It’s important to remember that many adopted children will feel that their adopted parents are their “real” parents. For these children, referring to their biological parents as their “real” parents will make them feel that you do not think of them as “belonging” to their adoptive family.
5. Visit your local Wendy’s® to purchase a Jr. Frosty™ Halloween Coupon Book* for $1, which benefits the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®! For 22 years, Wendy’s® has supported adoption. Thanks to Wendy’s® and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® 4,000+ children have found adoptive families.
*Coupon book may contain coupons for 5 or 10 free Jr. Frosty™ treats. Prices and participation may vary. Ninety cents to every $1 coupon booklet sold between 9/15/14 and 10/31/14 will benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®. Coupons valid from 11/1/14 through 2/1/15. ©2014 Oldemark LLC
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Related Posts:
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This post currently has no responses.
Leave a Reply