Recordings of Recent Adoption Webinars
Waiting Well: Carly’s HeartGrown Adoption Story
The ways we wait for the important things in life depend greatly on how you view the season of waiting you’re moving through. We know that every adoptive parent comes to Lifetime having already been moving through their own waiting—waiting through infertility, waiting through miscarriage, waiting for the right time or funding or confirmation that adoption is the next step, waiting to be chosen by a birth mother, and waiting to bring that baby home. When it comes to adopting a baby, the waiting is often a focus, and sometimes a challenge, for hopeful adoptive parents.
“There’s purpose in the wait,” adoptive mom Carly shares through her personal testimony of moving through years of fertility treatments, praying to become a mother, and meeting her son through open adoption. Our special guest explains how she began to see how each step of her story was an important part of the journey, including the waiting, preparing her for what was ahead. Through her own adoption story, Carly grew a passion for encouraging other adoptive moms-in-waiting with monthly subscription boxes holding books, baby items, and self-care treats.
This webinar will remind you that the hard questions and heart-tugging reflections you move through as a hopeful adoptive parent are a normal part of the process, that you’re not alone or the only one who truly feels the journey, and that your season of waiting serves a valuable purpose in your future family’s story. We also discussed the benefits of open adoption, how to handle questions from family about open adoption, what to expect at the hospital when your baby is born, and even how to process feelings of grief or loss along your path to parenthood. If you need encouragement as you wait for the next step in your family’s story, this webinar is a must-watch!
Q&A Webinar: Making the Most of Your Facebook Posts
What are the best kind of posts to put on our adoption Facebook page? What works and what doesn’t?
Discover the answers in this Q&A webinar!
“Is any of this helping my adoption?”
As hopeful adoptive parents wait for the right match, it’s common to question how their efforts have helped them reach their adoption goals. In this private Q&A webinar we discussed how you can keep perspective and take hold of the things you can control as you search for your adoption match. We responded to questions about using social media for your adoption, keeping the right mindset while you wait, how to assess what’s working well for you, and reviewed what to do when you DO hear from a potential birth mother. This is a great webinar if you’re looking for a little encouragement and some practical tips to keep up with your efforts to find a birth mother.
Jason & Ally’s Adoption Story: From Grieving to Hope for the Future
Lifetime often meets adoptive parents in the middle of their journeys to parenthood, at a crossroad where loss—of a dream, of a child, of a pregnancy—meets the potential for good things ahead through adoption.
In this webinar, Lifetime mom, Ally, shares how she went through 4 miscarriages, attempts at IVF, and how she knew she was called to adopt, even weeks before she miscarried her last pregnancy.
Sometimes it helps to know how other adoptive parents knew adoption was right for them, and Ally’s testimony offers tips for anyone starting out in the process, going through the wait, and preparing for baby’s arrival. Her story offers a validating discussion about grief and finding renewed hope through faith and determination.
When You Know It’s Meant to Be: Brandon & Megan’s Adoption Story
New adoptive mom, Megan, shares how she went from one of the hardest milestones to one of the happiest, all in a matter of months. In adoption, there’s only so much you can control when it comes to timing.
In this family’s story, we hear how Megan moved through a last-minute adoption, how she embraced the opportunity open adoption gave her to love on her baby’s birth mother, and how she, and her husband, moved from infertility to adoption.
Megan even shared how they covered adoption costs and answered questions about setting up a nursery, baby showers and how she used wish lists and registries to prepare. As a self-professed “type A” personality, our webinar guest talked about how she let go of things she couldn’t control and made the most of the process that led to her forever family.
Ask a Lifetime Family! Adoption Q&A for Future Adoptive Parents
This webinar features a panel of adoptive moms with their own Lifetime Adoption stories. Each panelist answered questions from our audience of hopeful adoptive parents.
This event was packed with insights, including:
- How to move from infertility to adoption
- Encouragement while you wait
- How to navigate open adoption at a birth mother’s comfort level
- How each family chose Lifetime to help them build their family through adoption.
Traveling for Adoption, the Hospital, and Networking
When it comes to traveling to meet your baby, should you fly or drive? What should you expect when you’re at the hospital? What can you look forward to in those memorable moments after your baby’s birth? In this webinar we answered questions about adoption travel and your hospital visit, as well as a few reminders if you’re looking to expand your networking or efforts to meet a birth mother.
Trusting God with Your Story: Special Guest, Author Elizabeth Laing Thompson
Hear from author and speaker, Elizabeth Laing Thompson, who has written two books which come highly recommend by hopeful adoptive parents, at any stage of their path to adoption. You’ll be encouraged to hear from Elizabeth’s heart for helping Christians recognize God’s call and trustworthy lead in their stories.
Our special guest shares her own story of waiting for babies and how she stayed grounded in faith, even in the hard parts of her own story. You’ll be inspired by this webinar’s real-life talk, validating questions, and honest, practical tips, and Biblical references, to help you trust God in your adoption story.
This webinar will hit home for any Christian hoping to adopt or trying to make sense of where their dream of a child is taking them.
Q&A: When to Match With an Interested Birth Mother
In this Q&A webinar, we discussed great questions about getting to know potential birth mothers, tips for protecting your heart, and a special message on Mother’s Day for parents in-waiting.
Discover tips for questions such as “How do you know if a woman you’re communicating with is a legitimate birth mother?” and “What should we do if we’re not interested in a match with a mother who has shown interest in us?”
This quick-pace webinar will help you pursue a safe and smooth adoption match, that’s right for you, and for your future child’s birth mother!
Adoption Q&A Webinar from April 5, 2018
In this live Q&A we discussed tips for getting the most out of webinars, setting priorities in the early phases of adoption, and how to work on steps at the same time.
In addition, we got an opportunity to talk about self-care while you’re waiting, and how to know when you need to take a temporary break from actively pursuing adoption.
Understanding Non-Newborn (Older Child) Adoptions
If you’re open to adopting a child beyond the hospital (birth) stage, then you could find an opportunity where a birth mother asks you to adopt an older infant, toddler, or young child.
In this special Q&A-style webinar we learn answers to important questions about adopting a non-newborn, including what to expect when you’re chosen by a birth mother for a match, making a transition plan for the child, and how to navigate the bonding and adjustment process once you’re home with your new addition.
Our expert guest speaker addressed some vital topics any adoptive parent should consider and prepare for BEFORE they accept a match to adopt an older child.
This webinar was packed with insights and tips helpful for any adoptive parent open to adopting a baby or child over six weeks of age!
Safeguarding Your Match
What are the ways you can walk through your adoption match and help move it toward your dream come true?
In this webinar, we discuss common pitfalls and important tips for benefiting your adoption match. While you can’t control everything, there are things to consider so that you can do what you can to avoid a failed adoption.
Plus, we offer insight and practical steps to use IF a birth mother does change her mind. Prepare now for a smoother process once you’re matched!
Talking About Adoption With Your Child
Hopeful adoptive parents go through so much to prepare for the process to become ready to adopt. What about preparing for life after adoption? It’s important to prepare now for how you’ll share your family’s adoption story as your future child grows up.
Talking about adoption with your child doesn’t have to be complicated or a major event. Actually, it’s best to talk about adoption from day one, even as your child is an infant! But where do you start? What tips help make adoption a topic that’s left open for discussion as a child grows up? How have other parents talked about adoption with their children, at different stages of childhood?
In this special webinar, we hear from two seasoned adoptive moms about what’s worked for their families when it comes to helping their child understand their own unique adoption story.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from February 8, 2018
Webinars are a great place to learn about different topics, helpful for hopeful adoptive parents in all stages of adoption planning.
In this Q&A, we discussed getting past nerves of getting to know potential birth mothers, how to take the pressure off yourself to be perfect yet also how to remain proactive, the importance of staying in touch with your adoption coordinator, and why you should be making the most of social media for your adoption search.
Meant to Be: Silas & Dawn’s Adoption Story
The blessing of hindsight is a gift for most adoptive parents. While they wait, hopeful adoptive parents often go through seasons of discouragement or wondering if they are still on the right track with their adoption. Once they adopt, most adoptive parents will share a similar sentiment of how it all seemed meant to be; the timing, the baby, the circumstances that brought their adoption together…all of it meant to be.
This webinar’s guest speakers are no exception. Listen to Silas and Dawn share the story of how they became a family of five through adoption. This uplifting adoption story also included adoption travel tips, encouraging perspective through the waiting, ways to use social media when a birth mother wants a limited connection, and personal testimony about their specific experience with Lifetime. Silas and Dawn’s story will touch anyone hoping to adopt!
Lifetime Webinar: The Modern Adoption
Today’s adoption stories look a lot different than stories from decades ago. Modern adoption has changed the way birth parents and hopeful adoptive families pursue adoption, and create a personal plan in the best interest of the child.
In this webinar, we review the basics of what modern adoption means for women choosing adoption for a child, and for those growing their family through adoption. Discover the benefits of open adoption, for all involved, as well as common adoption myths dispelled and a fresh perspective on the choices birth parents and adoptive families have through the adoption process. This is a helpful webinar for adoptive parents in any stage of adoption planning!
Adoption Q&A Webinar November 2, 2017
In this live webinar, we discussed ideas for celebrating your child’s birth heritage as well as ways you can talk about adoption with your child.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month. In light of this, we provide useful information and ideas in this webinar on how you can increase your networking efforts to find even more potential birth mothers!
Understanding the Adoption Tax Credit
The Federal Adoption Tax Credit is an important resource for most adoptive parents. Whether you’re just beginning to research adoption for your family, if you’re actively waiting to adopt, or if you’ve recently adopted your child, it’s wise to learn about the Adoption Tax Credit so that you can make the most of it when you file taxes after your adoption is finalized.
This is a great webinar to start better understanding the Adoption Tax Credit and how it will apply for your family. Please note that we do not present this material do you as tax professionals, but rather to help you gather knowledge, questions, and other items so that a tax professional can best assist you with your personal tax and adoption circumstances. It’s highly recommended that you consult a qualified tax preparer for specific answers about how the Adoption Tax Credit will apply in your unique adoption story.
Adoption Q&A Webinar: Emotional Scams
In this live webinar, we discussed how scammers can take advantage of hopeful adoptive parents.
Discover how you effectively market your adoption hopes online, while at the same time protecting yourself from emotional scammers.
Lifetime’s Adoption Webinar: David & Deanna’s Story
Waiting to adopt comes with mixed emotions and natural highs and lows. Over one year ago, just days before Mother’s Day, adoptive parents, David and Deanna, anticipated yet another season waiting for a child. Then they got a call from Lifetime about a birth mother who was about to deliver a newborn girl!
Now a forever family, adoptive mom, Deanna, shares her story with other parents-in-waiting in this special webinar. She hopes to encourage you with her family’s testimony of faith and perseverance.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from August 3, 2017
- What to find in the Adoption for Life Blog and why it’s helpful to watch for new posts
- Using hashtags on Facebook and Instagram
- What birth mothers notice in adoptive parent profiles
- Networking and the importance of your personal circle
- How to target your Facebook ads
- Using Instagram to complement your adoption Facebook page
Lifetime Adoption Story: “Still Miracles,” Mike & Vyce’s Story
If you’ve wondered how you’ll move from infertility or the loss of a pregnancy or child to a new miracle through adoption, this will be a validating encouragement for you. If you’re waiting to adopt, Vyce’s story is sure to inspire you to trust the call to adoption and to look forward to how perfectly aligned your story will be, just for you, at the right time, with the right child.
This beautiful testimony of faith through infant loss shows a trust in a call to grow a family through adoption. Lifetime adoptive mom, Vyce shares the story of how she and her husband were led to parenthood through a heartbreaking loss and an adoption story that could only be defined as heaven-sent.
Mardie Caldwell Shares of the Pressure to be the Perfect Adoptive Parent
After adoption, adoptive parents go through all kinds of complex emotions as they adjust to life with a new child, on top of a new, unique relationship with their child’s birth mother. Many adoptive parents express a feeling of relief, while others feel a sort of let-down after adoption.
For some, especially adoptive moms, the pressure to be a perfect parent, know all the answers, or have everything under control can become overwhelming.
In this webinar, we get an inside look ‘beyond the blessing’ with author and adoptive mom Mardie Caldwell. She shares secrets from her first days as a new adoptive mom.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from July 6, 2017
In this live webinar, we discussed:
- What to do when you’ve done what you can and you’re getting discouraged
- How to keep your networking fresh and active
- What to try next when you’re not getting the response you’ve hoped for with your efforts so far
Behind the Scenes of Your Adoption Home Study
Going beyond the basics about your Adoption Home Study, our expert guest speaker helped us get a deeper look at what’s involved, and how your home study writer is working as a partner in your adoption. In this webinar, we answered many questions from hopeful adoptive parents in the audience, shared a few tips for staying on task and keeping perspective while you complete your home study, and discussed some of the do’s and don’ts that have helped (or hurt) other adoptive parents where their home study is concerned.
5 Key Tips for Adoption Success
What have other adoptive parents done that led to their adoption success?
How can you stay connected and make the most of the tools and support available to you through Adoption for Life?
Watch this webinar for the keys to adoption success!
*This is a must-watch webinar for all Adoption for Life families.
The Adoption Profile Tells a Story: Tips for Strong Profile Content
What makes your adoption profile different than your family’s scrapbook or your personal blog or Instagram feed? What are birth mothers looking for when they view adoptive parent profiles or websites? How do you bring out a balance of what you’re like individually and what your life will be like with a new child?
Watch this webinar as we share samples and discuss tips for making the most of your adoption profile.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from April 6, 2017
In this live webinar, we discussed traveling and baby gear tips for adoptive parents, the benefit of staying informed through your adoption wait, as well as why it’s important to recognize the value of a personal connection with potential birth mothers.
We spoke about answering hard questions from well-meaning loved ones who may not understand the adoption path you’ve chosen to pursue or why you need their help to spread the word about your plans to adopt; find out why the Adoption for Life program was created and why it works.
Other questions covered talking with potential birth mothers, how to overcome nerves in those first conversations or meetings with a birth parent, and what to do if contact with a birth mother drifts off or fizzles out.
Perseverance of Faith and a Preemie Story: Jeff & Christa’s Adoption
Faith, perseverance, and flexibility are key for anyone called to follow a path to adopt a child. New adoptive parents, Jeff and Christa, speak from the heart about the little details they experienced as they pursued the adoption of their son, becoming first-time parents through an open adoption. Discover tips and encouragement for hopeful adoptive parents, as well as perspective about open adoption, controlling what you can and letting go of the rest, and what it means to have peace while you wait for the child you’re meant to adopt. As this adoptive dad shares, “It’s all worth it…keep going.” Anyone hoping to adopt will find this a validating and inspirational adoption story!
Adoption Q&A Webinar from March 3, 2017
In this webinar, we answer questions about making the most of networking within your circle, as well as the benefits of using social media to reach potential birth mothers.
We discussed the best places and ways to share your adoption web link and profile, as well as some things to consider when you look at adoption-sharing websites.
We wrapped up this practical webinar sharing the top 3 networking tips to do now!
Lifetime Webinar Special: A Counselor’s Perspective
This webinar describes many of the emotional aspects involved in adoption. Discover the emotional history and process that comes into play for a woman when she’s choosing adoption for a baby, as well as how adoptive parents can play a role in the healing and hope of a birth mother after her child’s adoption takes place. In addition, our special guest spoke from a heart of faith and 20 years of professional experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist, encouraging adoptive parents-in-waiting to make the most of this time to become a strong parent.
As one of Lifetime’s third-party licensed counselors for birth mothers, guest speaker, Judie, offers a validating, hope-filled, and thoughtful look at the ups and downs of adoption for birth mothers, adoptive parents, and also the child raised through adoption.
Your Adoption’s Legal Needs: Answers from an Adoption Law Expert
When should you retain your adoption attorney? What steps is your adoption attorney taking to move your adoption match forward? What is ICPC clearance and what will that process involve? How does your home study come into play once you meet your baby? What is the legal process like for the birth mother?
All of these questions (and more!) were answered as we spoke with Kris Miller, of Little Flower Adoptions and Law Office of David Cole in Texas.
*Our special webinar guest spoke from her experience as a Texas law professional, however, she did bring valuable insights and understanding to any adoption’s legal process. Remember, every adoption is unique, but there are things to be aware of regarding the general process ahead. State laws and individual adoption law professionals may vary in respect to the steps, timing, and fees involved in your match. Lifetime will do everything possible to help you avoid unnecessary costs and to have the right help for your particular adoption match.
Adoption for Life Q&A: Increasing Visibility & Engaging Your Networks
In this Q&A webinar, adoptive parents asked questions about expanding their reach to potential birth mothers, giving us an opportunity to discuss using the latest Facebook Live videos for your adoption search!
We discussed making the most of your Facebook page, posts, ads, and your personal circle to spread the word about your desire to adopt. This is a great Q&A for anyone starting or keeping up their adoption networking efforts.
Adoption Q&A: Making the Most of Modern Networking Tools
In this live Q&A webinar adoptive parents asked questions about:
- Facebook pages and ads
- Blogs vs websites
- Getting an 800 number
- Where to find helpful and necessary tips in your membership site
Julia’s Adoption Story: Expectations & Surrender in Adoption
As a social worker and a new adoptive mom, Julia brings a unique perspective on waiting to adopt, coping with the hard days of the process, and what worked for her as she longed to become a mom through adoption. This family’s story also includes special details most adoptive parents want to prepare for, such as last-minute adoptions, premature birth, and prenatal drug exposure.
Julia’s heartfelt words from her professional and personal expertise focus on handling the unexpected, keeping perspective through the process, and how to let go of what you can’t control while embracing the positive in your story. This is an encouraging and practical webinar for any adoptive parent-in-waiting!
“Why Should We Attend Webinars?”
Our adoption webinars are a valuable resource for you to gain understanding, tips, and encouragement while you prepare to adopt. As part of your Adoption for Life program, each webinar is designed to help you stay connected and in tune with relevant topics that will help the process go more smoothly and successfully.
In this short recording, find out why your coordinators want you to make the most of the live webinars and recordings available here in your membership website.
All About Matching
As you move from waiting to adopt to matched, find out what happens once you and your future child’s birth mother decide to pursue an adoption plan together.
In this webinar, we discuss tips for confirming a match with a birth mother, as well as review the checklists, steps, and forms needed for a smooth and successful match.
Anne and Amber’s Story of Open Adoption
Get a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look at the tender and candid experience of open adoption as one little girl’s adoptive mom and birth mother tell their story.
Anne and her husband David adopted their first child after a long wait for the right match. Amber was already a mom of three and facing an unexpected fourth pregnancy she came to think about adoption as the best future for her new baby.
Together, Anne and Amber have built an authentic and loving relationship through open adoption. In this exclusive webinar, you’ll hear the tender emotions and thoughts each side moved through to come to their beautiful adoption story today.
Your Adoption Profile
Your adoption profile is a necessary tool for connecting with potential birth mothers. In this webinar we walk through the steps to creating your profile, tips for making a stand-out profile, and share ideas and samples for creating a strong adoption profile.
Q&A: What’s next when you have your network tools started?
So you’ve put up your website and social media pages, and you’ve started spreading the word about your readiness to adopt…what now?
In this webinar, we answer questions about adoption networking and making the most of the methods available to modern adoptive parents searching for a birth mother for an adoption match. Learn how you can call upon your personal circle while also using strategic ads and publicity to help your future child’s birth mother find you.
Two Sides of Open Adoption: Lori & Liz’s Story
In this webinar discover open adoption’s great potential for a close, comfortable connection between adoptive parents and birth mother. Many open adoptions may not be as open as Lori and Liz’s story, but through their experience, we see how open adoption can be a healthy and positive relationship for all involved.
Discover a concern many birth mothers have when choosing adoption, and how an adoptive parent’s commitment through open adoption can relieve a birth mom’s heart. Finally, through their candid and loving friendship we also see how these women, as adoptive mom and birth mother, balance their roles in their daughter’s life.
Adoption Q&A: Your Adoption Attorney
In this webinar, we answered questions about hiring an attorney, using qualified referrals, and making wise decisions for your adoption’s legal needs.
Kerri’s Story of Open Adoption
Most adoptive parents have an idea of what they think their adoption will or “should” look like. That preconceived idea is often changed as an adoption match unfolds and both sides get to know each other, and the circumstances, better.
In Kerri’s story you’ll hear why she and her husband hoped for an open adoption and how open adoption looks for her family, and her son’s birth mother, since his adoption took place. You’ll also learn the value of flexibility and staying ‘in the moment’ through each step of adoption.
Adoption Q&A: Screening Birth Mothers and Wise Communication
In this Q&A, adoptive parents asked questions about handling messages from prospective birth mothers, keeping perspective with each possible lead for a match, and red flags to watch out for as you get to know a potential birth mother.
We shared many examples, including what can be typical or reasonable with birth mothers today, as well as tips for avoiding emotional or financial scams.
Melissa’s Adoption Story
Every adoption story is a unique, encouraging, helpful resource for adoptive parents-in-waiting. Through Melissa’s adoption story we heard validating and inspiring perspective for anyone struggling with the wait or wondering if they are still on the right path.
Adoptive mom Melissa also spoke to her experience traveling quickly for a last-minute adoption, why their daughter’s birth mother chose them, and how she and her husband decided to say YES to a baby exposed to drug use during pregnancy. Melissa’s heartfelt story is a great reminder to never give up, and NEVER stop praying for the child you long to adopt.
Mardie Caldwell Presents: Bonding & Attachment
Listen as Mardie Caldwell, adoptive mom and founder of Lifetime Adoption, shares tips for healthy bonding and attachment with the child you will adopt. Speaking from personal and professional experience, Mardie’s insights help hopeful adoptive parents to focus on the moments they welcome their future child home and begin bonding as a new family.
In this webinar, we covered a variety of topics such as bonding with baby while you also nurture your relationship with your child’s birth mother, as well as tips for helping baby get to know you as mom and dad, speaking with employers about the need for time off after your adoption, and even adoptive breastfeeding. Mardie also took time to answer practical and sensitive questions from our audience of adoptive parents.
Q&A with a Panel of Adoptive Dads
Adoptive dads have an important role through the adoption process, and they often have a unique perspective and experience as they move toward their family’s future through adoption.
In this special webinar future adoptive moms and dads will appreciate the candid, heartfelt testimonies of two adoptive dads who answered questions from our audience and spoke from their own families’ adoption stories. Learn more about adoptive parenting, getting through the process to adopt, and what open adoption looks like for the guys.
Q&A: Screening Birth Moms & Matching
In this webinar, discover tips for getting to know birth mothers, how we help you screen potential matches, and what happens when you want to pursue a match with a specific birth mother.
You’ll hear from one of our adoption coordinators who spoke from her many years of experience helping birth mothers and adoptive parents complete adoptions.
We also walk through important forms found in your membership website, as well as how to use them to make the most of every possibility when it comes to your adoption.
In addition, we shared a special message to move through the fear of an adoption failing, as well as answer questions from the audience about birth mother related topics.
Mardie Caldwell Presents Keys for Great Adoptive Parenting & Bonding
It’s important for adoptive parents to prepare for life-after-adoption as much as they are getting ready for the steps to adopt.
As Lifetime’s founder, Mardie Caldwell, shares, the day you adopt is not the end of your journey, but rather the beginning of a lifetime of parenting the child you’ve been waiting to add to your family. In this webinar, Mardie speaks from her decades of experience helping people adopt and from her own story as an adoptive mom who waited years to start her family through adoption.
Her tips offer encouragement and insight into many of the hot topics of the hard-to-ask questions adoptive parents wants to know. Grab your pen and be ready for a LOT of notes! Mardie covers a lot of ground in this helpful webinar for future adoptive parents.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from May 5, 2016
Q&A webinars are a great place to learn about a variety of adoption topics. It helps to learn as much as possible about adopting safely and successfully, and to learn from the questions and experience of others moving through the process.
In this webinar, we answer questions about hiring attorneys, protecting your privacy, keeping perspective about and communicating well with birth mothers, profile and website tips, and more.
What NOT to do in Adoption Today
With all of the information available to adoptive parents today, it’s important to make the most of the things you CAN control in the adoption process.
In this webinar we shared tips and examples adoptive parents should consider to adopt safely and as smoothly as possible. Adoptive parents can avoid pitfalls and setbacks along their path to adoption IF they prioritize the right tips and resources available to help them adopt successfully. This “what not to do” webinar has been a great help to adoptive parents in any stage of adoption planning.
Your Membership Website Tour: Making the Most of Your Resources
Adoption for Life is packed with resources, tips, samples, step-by-step instructions, and other tools to help you adopt safely and successfully. As you begin, take an in-depth tour of what you’ll find in this exclusive membership site!
In this webinar we preview the items you’ll find in each lesson of your program, where to find important topics and resources, and how to make the most of the wealth of information available for you as part of Adoption for Life.
Parent-to-Parent Adoption Q&A
It’s helpful for future adoptive parents to learn from people who have successfully moved through the adoption process. In this webinar we met with Lifetime adoptive moms, Toni and Laura, who answered audience questions from their personal experiences with Lifetime and open adoption. Drawing from their families’ adoption stories, we covered topics such as tips for traveling for adoption, talking with birth mothers the first time, preparing a nursery, how to handle the fear of failed adoption, the importance of working with trusted professionals, naming baby, pediatricians and insurance, and the benefits of open adoption.
What if the Birth Mother Changes Her Mind?
With any adoption comes the risk that the birth mother involved will have a change of heart and decide not to place her child with the adoptive parents she’d chosen. When a match falls through what next?
Adoptive parents often ask ‘What happens if the birth mother changes her mind?’ Listen to this short webinar for tips on handling a failed adoption match, what to do first when a birth mother changes her mind, and how to move forward with your adoption search.
Meeting & Matching with Birth Parents
Once you’ve begun communication with a woman who is choosing adoption for her baby there are important steps to take to learn as much as possible and to start the foundation of a possible adoption match off on a positive start. In this webinar we discuss the process involved and questions surrounding the process of meeting and matching with birth parents. We’ll walk you through important documents and tips included in Lesson 7 of your Adoption for Life program.
Lauren’s Adoption Story
If adoption is on your heart, if you’ve been led to this path, it’s for a reason. In this adoption story, adoptive mom Lauren shares her testimony to encourage future adoptive parents to never give up and describes the emotional ups and downs that can come with the process of adopting a child. Adoptive parents in all stages of adoption planning will identify with Lauren’s heartfelt message of hope and perseverance as she details the steps of faith, love and compassion she journeyed through to become a mom through adoption.
Adoption Q&A Webinar from January 7, 2016
Q&A Webinars are a great place to cover a lot of topics and learn from other adoptive parents who also attend live! In this webinar we answered audience questions about networking and how to stay on track when you’re moving through the process to adopt. Discover tips for asking friends to help spread the word about your plans to adopt, as well as how to make wise decisions about listing your website on profile-sharing websites. We even reviewed highlights in the lessons you’re moving through to find an adoption match.
Traveling for Adoption
Many adoptions today will require adoptive parents to travel to meet their child. Whether you adopt a short drive away or travel across the country, this important travel is different than an average trip for fun, family, or work. Traveling for adoption comes with unique aspects and in this webinar we discuss tips from our professional experience, as well as testimonies from parents who traveled to adopt recently. Here you’ll learn how you can prepare as much possible and how to stay flexible for the memorable moments you’re traveling to meet your child.
Avoiding Scams
What does it mean to be “cautiously optimistic” in adoption? How can you adopt safely and protect your financial and emotional stability? In this webinar we offer tips and details to help adopting parents avoid possible adoption scams and fraudulent situations. You’ll learn how to identify a possible adoption scam and what to do when you come upon red flags or possible warning signs in any adoption opportunity, as well as tips for learning as much as possible about the birth mother who chooses you to adopt her child.
When the Holidays are Hard
The Christmas season so often focuses on children, which can emphasize the longing of a hopeful adoptive parent as they wait to add a child to their family.
In this webinar, adoption expert and adoptive mom, Mardie Caldwell, speaks from the heart about her experience moving through the holidays while waiting to adopt, and shares tips that have worked for her and other adoptive parents over the years. If you’re feeling alone or discouraged this time of year, Mardie’s webinar will speak to you and encourage you to hang in there, and not give up.
Embracing Adoption After Infertility
Hopeful adoptive parents will be encouraged and motivated hearing adoption expert and adoptive mom Mardie Caldwell share her testimony through miscarriage, infertility, and adoption.
Any adoption journey comes with questions, hurdles, and excitement. In this webinar, Mardie speaks candidly of the moments that challenged her along her path to parenthood, and shared what helped her to stay focused on her dream of becoming a mother. Offering validation and tips for staying positive, keeping perspective, and embracing the blessings of adoption, Mardie brought a wisdom and hope to all who attended. Audience questions and comments helped create a comforting community in this heartfelt webinar for anyone who is taking steps to answer the call to adoption.
Adoption Webinar: Alan & Rebekah’s Adoption Story
Alan and Rebekah’s adoption story is a classic example of waiting for the right match and how to have a healthy perspective on open adoption. In this adoptive couple’s testimony you’ll learn tips for choosing the right adoption help, how to manage the waiting, and the truth about connection with a child’s birth mother through open adoption. Speaking uniquely from their perspectives as adoptive mom and dad, this webinar is encouraging and helpful to anyone planning to adopt a child.
Creating Your Facebook Page and Ads
Adoptive parents today can further their adoption search through the use of Facebook pages and paid ads.
In this webinar, we walk you through the steps of setting up a Facebook page, the difference between profiles and pages, and how you can promote your page and website to reach women who are looking for adoptive parents.
Speaking from our own experience managing Facebook pages, we discuss ideas and tips for posts, photos, and privacy. Find out why this simple tool could be the key to connecting with your future child’s birth mother.
Adoption Q&A: Your Monthly Check-in and more!
In this Q&A we answered questions about staying connected through the various steps of your adoption process, including how to make the most of your monthly check-in and what to expect when you check in with your adoption coordinator. We shared tips for staying proactive and how to make steady progress and avoid feeling overwhelmed or tempted to procrastinate as you prepare to adopt, as well as the benefits of accountability and progress tracking in adoption. Adoptive parents in the audience also brought up questions about birth mothers and what happens when there’s a change of heart…
Adoptive Parent Q&A on Transracial Adoption
Every hopeful adoptive parent will have to decide what preferences, or search criteria, to specify as they pursue a child through adoption. The best way to decide how to set those preferences is to learn as much as possible and to be confident that those preferences will lead to an opportunity adoptive parents will eagerly and comfortably accept.
If you’ve been thinking about adopting a child of a race different than your own, or if you’ve wondered how to talk about adoption with your future child, this panel of adoptive moms will be a helpful resource. The tips and experience of the adoptive parents in this special webinar will touch the hearts of anyone hoping to adopt or who has recently welcomed home a child through adoption. There are questions any adoptive parent may face as they raise a child through adoption. The unique questions a child has about his or her adoption story should be embraced; a great way to prepare for those conversations or to become the parent your child needs is to learn from parents experienced with adoption.
Q&A Webinar: Reaching Today’s Birth Parents
In this live Q&A, we addressed audience questions about networking and advertising in adoption. Learn the differences between adoption networking available today and how to make the different mediums work together, as well as how to engage your friends and family in spreading the word about your plans to adopt.
Embracing Open Adoption: Jess & Kevin’s Adoption Story
When it comes to open adoption, perhaps you’ve heard yourself or another say “I get why open adoption is good, but I’m not sure I could do it.” Understanding and embracing open adoption can feel like different steps, however actual adoption stories help future adoptive parents get a look at what open adoption can be like for real families, just like yours.
Through Jess and Kevin’s adoption story, discover the blessings open adoption offers when you remain open to the possibilities of a unique relationship with your child’s birth parents.
