Get It In Writing

There’s no question about it, adoption requires the use of a variety of professionals.  From your home study provider to your attorney, all families need services. Even families going through state adoptions must work with professionals, take classes, and more. ...

Birth Mother Counseling

Dear Mardie, we have been speaking with a birth mother and she is due in a few weeks, but she feels like she may be getting cold feet. She has mentioned seeing a counselor a few times but hasn’t taken any steps to do it. Should we encourage her to do it?  I’m not sure...

Watch Out for Triggers

We all have triggers: when someone can ask a question or makes a comment that affects us emotionally. When in the process of building our families, this may manifest differently at various stages.   Birth mothers also may have triggers. Understanding what they...

Positive Adoption Language

Recently, we’ve had a number of questions about how to use (and share!) positive adoption language.  Here are a few of the questions we’ve received, along with answers from our adoption coordinators.   Our parents and grandparents keep saying ‘put up for...

Staying Out Of State

Dear Mardie, we are matched with a birth mother who is in Texas. We live in Idaho.  The attorney in Texas said that we will have to stay there at least a week or ten days, and it may be more.  We will leave our children with my mother but what do we do while waiting...

Staying Healthy While Adopting

Todd and Sarah were waiting to adopt, and couldn’t seem to generate much interest from birth mothers. They had a good profile and had been actively networking for quite a while but nothing, not even a nibble.   As Sarah was pouring her heart out to her mother...

Home Study Interviews

Dear Mardie, I have been procrastinating.  I am scared of the home study social worker coming to do a home inspection.  I’m not the best housekeeper and the thought of giving someone a tour of our home is terrifying. What if it isn’t clean enough? What if she opens...

What Would You Say?

Geoff got a call from a friend at work one day.  “I’m not sure anything will come of this, but I gave your number to a friend from work.  She adopted a little girl a few years ago and the mother is pregnant again.”  Speechless, Geoff jotted down a couple of notes and...