The decision to adopt a child is one that usually involves research, time, planning, and depending on the family, prayer. Families considering the adoption of an older child may find that there’s even more research and planning to be done before arriving at a decision. There are many great resources available to families considering adopting an older child.
Books:
Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self, by David Brodzinsky, Marshall D. Schecter and Rabin Marantz Henig
Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control: A Love Based Approach to Helping Children with Severe Behaviors, by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW
Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child: From Your First Hours Together Through Their Teen Years, by Patty Cogen
Adopting a Toddler: What Size Shoes Does She Wear? By Denise Hoppenhauer
Adopting the Older Child, by Claudia Jarrett
Parenting Adopted Adolescents: Understanding and Appreciating Their Journeys, by Gregory Keck
Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child, by Trish Maskew
Parenting Your Adopted Older Child: How to Overcome the Unique Challenges and Raise a Happy and Healthy Child, by Brenda McCreight
What to Expect From Your Adopted Tween, by Judy M. Miller
The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family, by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross and Wendy Lyons Sunshine
Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens, by Debbie Riley and John Meeks
Videos/Webinars:
Preparing Yourself and Your Children to Adopt an Older Child, Creating a Family’s Radio Show
Holt International’s Resources on Post Adoption
Articles/Blogs:
5 Essential Tips for Parenting Older Children Adoption, by Dawn Davenport
Preparation and Support for Older Child Adoptions: NCFA Survey and Conference Feedback, by Jamel Rowe with Melissa Blauvelt and Rhonda Jarema
Creating a Family can be a great hub of information and resources for families regardless of what aged child they are adopting. It is curated with resources in a variety of mediums – webinars, blogs, family stories, and they even have a podcast! While most of the Creating a Family resources are free, families who are adopting through MLJ Adoptions receive free access to the paid courses.
Regardless of the age of the child your family is seeking to adopt, we always recommend attending Empowered to Connect and the countless resources that the TCU Institute of Child Development has available to families and caretakers. Because it takes a village to raise a child, families pursing adoption may find it helpful to share the resources that they’ve gathered with future caregivers, extended family and the schools that their child may attend. The more a person has been educated on adoption-related behaviors, the better care they will be able to provide the child.
Families considering the adoption of an older child may decide to participate in a hosting program prior to adoption. While a successful hosting experience may not always indicate a good match for adoption, families who have participated in the past have indicated that they hosting experience helped them set better expectations and prepared them for adopting an older child.
Caitlin Snyder
Caitlin Snyder works as the Director of Marketing and Outreach for MLJ Adoptions. Working in international adoption has given Caitlin the unique opportunity to pursue both a passion to advocate on behalf of vulnerable people and a profession at the same time.