Adoptive

Adopting parents often express frustration with a process that examines them and their lives in minute detail before they are deemed "suitable" as adoptive parents; however, unlike parenting one's biological child, the adoption process confers the legal right on adoptive parents to care for, nurture, and love a child born to someone else - and that entrustment of a child by the court and often by the biological family, merits the careful scrutiny of those hoping to adopt.

Adoptive parenting is not the same as parenting a born-to child. Certainly, there are all the parenting elements - changing diapers, feeding, wakeful nights with a sick child, the joys of first steps and other first achievements - but the added layer of complexity that adoption brings to a family gives adoptive parents extra responsibilities.

So what does it take to be a successful adoptive parent? Adoptive parentsareoften the best resource:

• Jana Wolff explores the "perfect" myth in her article You Don't Have to be Perfect and Other Adoption Myths,
• Susan Ward has great advice in Successful Older Child Adoption Parenting Traits,

Homestudy prepared Bonnie Bernard writes, "The homestudy process, sometimes called the assessment process, is an exploration of the family's or individual's history, characteristics, and strengths that will lead to successful adoptive placement... In general, qualities in applicants that have been found to lead to successful adoptions are: a sense of humor, flexibility, good coping skills, good communication skills, non-judgmental attitude, and experience with children. Persons who later feel good about their decision to adopt are usually those who enjoy being with children, like adventure, have a good support system, can use community resources appropriately, and have a history of surviving and/or solving life's problems." (read more...)

The first step to becoming an adoptive parent is to start reading! Get started now!