October 09, 2018
Have You Considered An Adoption Support Group?
We’re a huge fan of adoption support groups, for so many reasons. Most people know multiple individuals within their circle who have become parents biologically. That’s not necessarily the same with adoption. Although it’s more common now than it’s ever been, it can be harder to make interpersonal connections about shared adoption experiences.
Enter: support groups. They’re an incredible way to surround yourself with a network of people going through the same thing you are. People navigating home studies, creating their adoption plan, placing a child for adoption, the unspeakable joy of being matched, the devastating blow when an adoption doesn’t go as planned. Adoption support groups aren’t just for the challenging moments. They’re for sharing and giving advice, celebrating the big wins, and building a local community that understands what it’s like to adopt, or place a child for adoption, and can be a positive force in you or your child’s life.
Adoption support groups have lifelong value, and exist to bolster all members of the adoption community — adoptive parents, adoptees, and birth parents — throughout your various life experiences. They’re also an incredible resource if your life takes you different places. Moving somewhere new and don’t know a soul? Join a local support group and you’ve got an instant, relatable community.
Most states have an adoption support group of some kind. This list is a great resource for finding different kinds of adoption support groups, state by state. Don’t see one in your state or area? Call someone nearby and ask them how they got started, or be brave and start your own with this incredible how-to guide.
We can never over-emphasize the importance of community when it comes to adoption. Like all unique life experiences, there is endless value in surrounding yourself with people who have the words and tools to support you, to give advice during challenging times, and to create a safe space where you can be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings without judgment. No matter where you’re at in your adoption process, there’s a life-changing magic to a good support group, and you never know how it will expand and invigorate your world.
