You’ve waited years, completed a seemingly impossible amount of paperwork, been fingerprinted, background checked, vetted by social workers, approved to be parents by a court, and now the fun/hard part… parenting!
Parenting is already challenging. Parenting an adopted child adds another layer of complexity. That’s why it’s important to seek out help and support. Although I have only been doing it for a (relatively) short amount of time, I’ve discovered some helpful resources that I thought I would share.
Organizations
C.A.S.E. (The Center for Adoption Support and Education) provides support and educational resources for all members of the adoption community.
The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) defines their mission as follows: “to meet the diverse needs of children, birth parents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and all those touched by adoption through global advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.” They have a number of resources for adoptive parents, including articles, newsletters, conferences, and webinars.
Medical Resources
The Adoption Medicine Clinic at the University of Minnesota is an outpatient clinic serving families with children adopted domestically, internationally, and in foster care. They offer pre-adoption consultations as well as post-adoption services. Their website also includes some helpful resources.
Mother to Baby has conducted numerous studies on the short- and long-term effects of various exposures during pregnancy (both legal and illegal substances). They also study how a pregnant woman’s medical condition(s) and/or environment might affect the child later. This can be a very helpful place to start.
Trauma-Informed Parenting Resources
Even if you adopted your child from birth, it is so important to understand how trauma affects children and impacts the way the brain develops.
Robyn Gobbel is a trama-informed therapist who I follow on instagram and had provided a lot of helpful information. She also has a podcast and seminars.
Several books are dedicated to this including, The Primal Wound, and The Connected Child.
As I find more invaluable resources in my own journey, I will add them to the list. Do you have any others you think I should add? Send me an email at info@laurenbateslaw.com!
