“We are preparing for our first overnight visit with sisters we hope to adopt from foster care, and are nervous. What are we supposed to do for 24 hours with two children who are essentially strangers?”
Ask AF: Advice for Our “Ice Breaker” Meeting with a 10-Year-Old Boy?
“We are adopting from foster care and have an ‘ice breaker’ meeting with a 10-year-old boy scheduled for tomorrow. I’m super nervous. Can anyone share advice about forging a connection?”
“What Being a Foster Family Has Taught My Children”
Amazingly, the number one question we’re asked about being a foster family is: “Are you afraid of what they’ll teach your children?” So, what have my kids learned? To start—to be open, generous, non-judgmental, thankful for their warm home….
Never Too Old for Family – Myths and Realities of Foster Adoption
Today in the United States, more than 123,000 children in foster care are waiting for a permanent home through adoption. Nearly 45 percent of these children are ages eight or older—and desperately need the stability, guidance, and love that only a family can provide. Learn more of the myths and realities surrounding older child adoption.
Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love in Foster Care
When the courts place children in foster care, siblings have only each other to turn to and count on.
The Story Behind the Cover Photo: “The Words I’ll Never Forget”
“Looking back on this picture, I see a child who was confused, but yearning for what we all want and need: security, a family, and love. The picture is about hope.”
A Helping Hand Through the Foster Adoption Process
Have you considered growing your family through adoption from U.S. foster care, but don’t know where to begin? Contact the experts at AdoptUSKids for personalized guidance and the reassurance that “you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.”
Ask AF: Explaining to Our Child That We Can’t Adopt Her Foster Sister
“We just found out that we won’t be able to adopt the child we’ve been fostering. How do we tell the child, and explain to our older daughter?”
Online Adoption Resources for Prospective Parents
Our recommendations for online adoption resources — from government sites to attorney directories — selected by the editors of Adoptive Families magazine.
News Brief: Domestic Adoptions Rise Slightly, Despite Overall Decrease in Adoption
Adoption: By the Numbers, the latest report from the National Council For Adoption, shows a slight increase in U.S. infant adoptions from 2007 to 2014.
News Brief: More Children in Foster Care Than One Year Ago
A new report shows that there were more children in U.S. foster care at the end of 2015 than 2014. This is the third year this number has risen.
“Front Porch Children”
Being a foster parent is not for the faint of heart. Your heart swells, loves, breaks, and heals with each placement—and it is all, every moment of it, worth it.
“Someone to Count On”
Four years ago, I legally became a mother. The adoption day was no less special because I had already been parenting Danielle for 15 months. On that day, I truly claimed my daughter. No one could take her away.
How to Adopt from Foster Care
Thousands of children in the U.S. foster system are waiting for adoptive families. Here, learn how to adopt and get answers to common questions about adopting from foster care.
Ask AF: Defining Special Needs
Are all children from foster care considered “special needs,” and, therefore, eligible for the full adoption tax credit?
“Instant Mom”
Nia Vardalos describes her first meeting with the preschooler she adopted from U.S. foster care.
“From Foster to Adoptive Parent”
As foster parents, you open your hearts and home to a child even as you’re preparing to reunite her with her birth mother.
Ask AF: Foster Care vs. Kinship Care
I have a five-month-old foster child whose case was recently transferred from kinship care to foster care. What does this mean?
Ask AF: Access to Foster Files
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Explaining Foster Reunification
How can we explain to our four-year-old that the baby we’ve been fostering will be going back to his birth family?