Adoption

Considering adoption on your path to motherhood? This curated resource list supports women interested in building their families through various forms of adoption. While we've researched these resources carefully, this is not an explicit endorsement of any individual, organization, or their content.

Types of Adoption Resources

Adoption Types Overview

Adoption Type Resources
Domestic Infant Adoption Agencies like American Adoptions or Gladney Center for Adoption
Foster Care Adoption AdoptUSKids, State DSS websites
International Adoption Holt International, Spence-Chapin, Children of All Nations
Kinship/Relative Adoption Your local child welfare office; family law attorneys
Embryo Adoption Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program

Organizations

Creating a Family – Adoption Guide

The gold standard for unbiased, comprehensive information on domestic, foster, international, and embryo adoption. Includes courses, articles, and a podcast.

Website: https://creatingafamily.org

Child Welfare Information Gateway

U.S. government-run portal with state-specific adoption laws, steps, and resources. Essential for understanding legal processes and requirements.

Website: https://www.childwelfare.gov

AdoptUSKids

A great place to learn about foster care adoption and view waiting children across the U.S. Provides resources on the process and support for families.

Website: https://www.adoptuskids.org

Adoption.org

Practical information on all types of adoption, including costs, legal processes, and emotional considerations throughout the journey.

Website: https://adoption.org

Legal Support

Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA)

Find vetted adoption attorneys in your state who specialize in various forms of adoption and can guide you through the legal process.

Website: https://adoptionart.org

State-Specific Guides

Helps you understand consent laws, timelines, and parental rights in your specific state, which is crucial given the variation in adoption laws.

Website: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state

Support Communities

Facebook Groups

  • Hoping to Adopt (Domestic & Foster)
  • Adoption Support Group for Moms
  • Transracial Adoption Support

Instagram Accounts

  • @adoptwell (faith-based education)
  • @trauma_mama_drama (real talk about parenting adopted kids with trauma)

Reddit Communities

  • r/Adoption
  • r/Fosterit (for foster-to-adopt journeys)

Therapists & Counselors

Look for specialists in attachment, trauma, and adoptive parenting to support you before, during, and after the adoption process.

Directory: https://www.therapyden.com

Essential Reading

For Adoptive Parents

  • "The Connected Child" by Karyn Purvis - A must for parenting kids from hard places or with trauma histories.
  • "Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox" by Jean MacLeod & Sheena Macrae - Covers a wide variety of parenting styles, needs, and therapeutic strategies.
  • "Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew" by Sherrie Eldridge - A powerful look into the adoptee's experience.

For Talking to Kids

  • "A Mother for Choco" by Keiko Kasza
  • "Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born" by Jamie Lee Curtis
  • "I Wished for You: An Adoption Story" by Marianne Richmond

Podcasts

  • Creating a Family Podcast – Weekly episodes on adoption, trauma, parenting, and more
  • The Honestly Adoption Podcast – Especially strong for foster/adoptive families
  • Born in June, Raised in April – From an adoptee's perspective; great for understanding identity and openness

Financial Help

Adoption Tax Credit

Helps offset costs for domestic and international adoptions (up to ~$15,000 in 2024). Available for qualifying adoption expenses.

Website: https://www.irs.gov

Employer Benefits

Some companies offer paid leave or adoption assistance—check your HR policy to see if your employer provides financial support for adoption.

Grants & Loans

  • Gift of Adoption Fund – https://giftofadoption.org
  • Helpusadopt.org – Inclusive of all family types
  • ABBA Fund, Lifesong, Show Hope – For faith-based families

Top Agencies

Domestic Infant Adoption

International Adoption

For Transracial or LGBTQ+ Adoption

Questions to Consider

As you explore adoption, consider:

  1. What type of adoption feels right for you (domestic infant, foster care, international, embryo)?
  2. How open are you to maintaining connections with a child's birth family?
  3. What age range, special needs, or sibling groups are you open to?
  4. How will you prepare to parent a child who may have experienced early trauma or loss?
  5. What resources (financial, emotional, community) do you have to support your adoption journey?

Adoption offers a beautiful path to motherhood that creates families through love and choice rather than biology. While the process can be complex and emotional, countless women have found profound fulfillment in welcoming a child through adoption. The resources here are designed to help you navigate each step with greater confidence and connect you with the support systems that will sustain you through challenges and celebrations alike.

"Adoption isn't about finding children for families; it's about finding families for children. When you approach it with this mindset, the path—however winding—becomes clearer."

- Cheri Bergeron, Mission: Motherhood