Adoption Parent Profiles

Unless you already know the child you are going to adopt, such as with a stepchild or in cases of adopting a foster child, the first big stepfamilies are apt to take with adoption requires first finding the adoptee or, in most cases, the expectant biological mother looking for parents wanting to adopt.

Those who are looking at direct adoptions from an unknown person will need first to create what is known as a parent profile to attract the attention of that unknown expectant parent. The following is an overview of what a parent profile is and some advice on how to make a parent profile that will help you get to the next step of the adoption journey (that first conversation with an expectant parent wanting to initiate an adoption with you).

What Are Adoption Parent Profiles?

An adoptive parent profile has a lot of similarities to a dating profile, only instead of attracting a romantic partner, your goal here is to attract the attention of someone looking for adoptive parents for their baby.

A parent profile might take the form of an insert in a tangible book made and distributed by an adoption agency. Alternatively, it might be an online profile you submit through an adoption agency or a similar third party that connects adopters with expectant parents.

While parent profiles will almost always go through some type of third party for review, prospective adoptive parents should always write their profiles for expectant parents. Consider what you can tell about yourself and how you will raise a child that will give confidence to an expectant mother and/or father looking for someone to adopt their child.

What To Include in a Parent Profile

A well-crafted parent profile can help prospective adoptive parents connect strongly with a birth parent and increase the likelihood of a successful adoption placement. Here are some of the things you should include in your parent profile.

• Pictures of your life and your family. Remember the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. You will, of course, write about the details of your life, but do more than that by showing them pictures of your life. Include snapshots of your house, a shared family event, and hobbies or passions.
• Include details about any experience you have with children. As you put together your pictures and your profile description, make sure to highlight your experience with children. After all, the big question many prospective birth parents want to be answered is what type of parent or parent you will be. What do you imagine a life with a baby like? A life with a child? A life with a teenager? Do you have a niece or nephew you enjoy spending time with? Have you coached or worked with kids in some type of setting? Showing your experience is ideal, but that’s okay if you do not have tangible experience. Just make sure you tell your story.
• Say why you are adopting. Are you adopting because of infertility issues? Have you always wanted to adopt? Maybe you were also adopted and want to give that to someone else? Whatever your journey, share it and be open. We know it is a hard question to answer, but it is a question many expecting parents are curious about as they look around and make that big choice of who to adopt.
• Touch on your values. This can be a very tricky section of any parent profile, as you do not want to come off as too preachy. Being too preachy or pushy here tends to be a turn-off for those reading. That said, it is important to describe what is important to you. What are your core values? If you value education foremost, talk about that. If you want to share your spiritual beliefs, include them (you may find this is exactly what a prospective birth parent is looking for). If your core value includes building and maintaining strong family ties, say it and share how you build a family in your current life.

Are You Ready for This Journey?

We hope this look at what adoption parent profiles are and what to include them helped inform and inspired you to take that next step to get started on building your own. The road to adoption is long, but the destination is grand, and our team at Shively Law Office, LLC, is here to help you get there. Contact us today to learn how our private adoption lawyers can help streamline the process and protect your needs. Schedule an adoption lawyer free consultation with us to learn more!