Category - Resources

Home / Resources

16

Jul

Perspective is Key to Overcoming Adoptive Parent Struggles

I will just be honest with you – there are times that it is truly difficult to love some of my children. I am so tired of feeling frustrated, of being angry and not being able to have a peaceful moment when they are all at home, feeling unappreciated, taken for granted and nothing is ...

9

Jul

Book Review: Journalist Describes Life in Kinshasa

by Brady McIntosh

in Congo, Resources

Stringer by Anjan Sundaram is a vivid first-hand account of a journalist’s time spent in the Democratic Republic of Congo surrounding the recent election of Joseph Kabila as president. A promising mathematics student, Sundaram had a change of heart while in college and decided to drop out to pursue a career in journalism in one of the ...

2

Jul

Simple Changes Make Affording Adoption Possible

by Lindsay Conner

With some changes to your everyday life, you can change your spending habits and essentially “raise” thousands of dollars by saving money for your adoption. Couponing: Do you clip coupons, or throw them away? Websites like Money Saving Mom and Coupon Mom will help you learn how to stack coupons in order to get many ...

25

Jun

Your Voice Can Make a Difference for Children

by Caitlin Snyder

When I was in high school, George Clooney won an award. In his acceptance speech, he said he’s made his life about challenging those with more power than him, and sticking up for those with less. I was sixteen at the time and I remember thinking, “Yes, that’s what I want my life to be ...

11

Jun

Father’s Day Gift Ideas from the Kids

by Jordan Kelly

Make Dad feel awesome this Father’s Day with these special gifts and fun craft ideas. I don’t know how it is in your house, but I know my dad enjoys being the “Grill Master.” He prides himself in being able to sear perfect grill marks and concoct a marinade bursting with flavor. If Dad is ...

9

Jun

Summer Provides Fresh Ideas for Affording Adoption

by Caitlin Snyder

Summer is here! The kids are out of school. Suddenly your family’s routine has been turned upside down. Checking backpacks for homework has been replaced by packing the pool bag for the afternoon’s adventure to the pool. The summer can provide your family with some new fundraising ideas for financing your adoption in addition to ...

28

May

The Importance of Self Care to Adoptive Parents

Recently, I was able to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Chicago and attended a breakout session that spoke volumes to me. The session was led by Deborah D. Gray, author of Attaching in Adoption, and was titled “It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Your Self-Care and Why it Matters.” It didn’t take long ...

24

Apr

Six Precautions to Take When Traveling with Cash

by Caitlin Snyder

While traveling internationally to complete your adoption, carrying cash is often a necessity. Credit cards, while an everyday convenience here in the United States, are not always practical when traveling to third-world countries. We recommend our families carry cash both in American dollars and local currency. Here are some tips for traveling internationally with cash. ...

16

Apr

Take Care When Completing Your Adoption Dossier

One of the first steps in the adoption process is to gather and complete several documents that will become your dossier. Your dossier gives all the authorities involved in your adoption process a “window” to analyze your family, your home and your life. The purpose of the dossier is to show that you meet all ...

19

Mar

Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplaces

by Jordan Kelly

Would you consider your workplace to be an adoption-friendly workplace? The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption releases an annual list of 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces, in which they recognize companies that provide the best adoption benefits to their employees. The companies are ranked based on two basic requirements: the amount of financial compensation provided and ...

3

Mar

Why an Adoption Playgroup?

in Events, Resources

I remember sharing with some moms about my struggle with leaving my daughter in the nursery at church. Their response was she would be fine, just leave her, all kids go through that. I tried to explain to them that my daughter still had fears of abandonment. Additionally, the nursery looked very much like an ...

16

Jan

Investing the Adoption Tax Credit

by MLJ Adoptions

It feels like perfect timing that the adoption tax credit arrived in my bank account right before Christmas, but ultimately my plan for the majority of it will be invested back into my child in more important ways than gifts. After paying off my adoption loan, I will be saving to ensure I can provide ...

7

Jan

What Type Of Visa Will My Internationally Adopted Child Receive?

by MLJ Adoptions

If you are adopting a child internationally, it is likely that your child will arrive in the United States after receiving one of four types of visas. The type of visa that your child arrives home on depends on two factors. First, it depends on your child’s country of origin. Second, it depends on whether ...

19

Nov

Early Risk Factors for Sensory Deficits

by MLJ Adoptions

Sensory issues are hard for many people to understand. You may not immediately recognize sensory issues in your child, but sensory deficits often lead to behaviors that adults find problematic. For adoptive parents, it can be confusing to recognize sensory issues and not know if they indicate prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol, lack of ...

5

Nov

Hydration, Blood Sugar, Behavior, and Learning

by MLJ Adoptions

Physiological Strategies: Hydration/Blood Glucose Seventy-five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. When I teach Nutrition: Nurture, Health & Behavior, I generally admit that I am likely a part of that 75%, but when I review some of the major impacts of dehydration, I always reach for my Nalgene bottle. Proper hydration: keeps metabolism at ...

24

Oct

Why do we have to do International Adoption Post Placement Reports?

by MLJ Adoptions

In the past week, I have had several conversations that reinforce the significant important of post placement reports in international adoptions. My first conversations were when I was in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and talked with two of their government entities involved in the international adoption process. The Social Services department and Family Court ...

30

Sep

How Do I Afford the Early Part of My Adoption Process?

by Sheri Molnar

Affording adoption can seem daunting. The adoption tax credit is available to help some families, but those funds aren’t available until the adoption is complete. Many generous grant organizations exist to help families afford adoption. However, they often maintain requirements that monies can’t be distributed until later in the process – after a home study ...

17

Sep

Top Five Reasons to be Wary of the Internet During an Adoption

by Sheri Molnar

The internet and social media sites have transformed the international adoption landscape. Previously, we discussed some of the benefits that adoptive parents have gained from the internet. Today we will discuss the top five reasons adoptive parents need to be cautious when going online during an international adoption. It is difficult to judge the ...

10

Sep

Six Money Saving Tips For Adoptive Families

by MLJ Adoptions

As people consider adoption and growing their families, one big concern is its impact on the family budget. Raising children is definitely not cheap, but there are ways to reduce expenses even in larger families. There are a few basic categories where your family budget will feel the effects of additional kids — food, travel. ...

9

Sep

Top Five Reasons the Internet is Good for International Adoption

by Sheri Molnar

The internet and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have profoundly transformed our society as a whole. They have also transformed the world of adoption. When adopted tweens can locate birth siblings or internationally adopted teens can contact former caregivers in their birth countries online, all stakeholders in adoption face a set ...

5

Aug

Why Do I Need Adoption Education?

When my family went through our first adoption, there were no adoption education requirements. We were given a list of books and it was suggested we read one or two. Eager to know all that I could, I did read one of the suggested books, Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best and it ...

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Page 4 of 8