Support Groups! This month at AFTH, we wanted to take a moment to highlight one of our greatest resources for all our families. The resource at hand is our wonderful support groups. Adoption is a beautiful thing, but we would be foolish if we didn’t recognize that, as with anything else worthwhile in life, there [...]
Tips For Helping to Support LGBT Adoptees Since it’s Pride Month, it’s a great time for all of us to be thinking about how we can best support LGBT adoptees. While this might sound relatively straightforward, it’s important to keep in mind that supporting an LGBT adoptee is a lot more complicated than love alone. [...]
Books are an important part of a child’s development. As we recognize International Children’s Book Day, we want to acknowledge how essential they are to the growth of children’s minds. At Adoptions From The Heart, we strive to provide resources for every member of the adoption triad. Children’s books are an engaging and meaningful way to share and introduce adoption. Families can connect with their [...]
Adoptions From The Heart is excited to announce its Spring Education Series. We believe education is an essential tool for strengthening families and deepening understanding of adoption. Beginning April 9th, the series will feature four educational classes and one webinar. Each class is designed to educate, support, and guide every member of the adoption triad through their unique journey. Whether you’ve worked with AFTH or another agency, everyone is welcome to attend. All classes will be held on Zoom and fulfill AFTH’s CEU requirements. Classes are $30 per family unless otherwise noted. The webinar is $100 [...]
What do you wish expectant parents, adoptive parents, or other social workers knew about the adoptee perspective that is often overlooked? “What I wish more expectant parents, adoptive parents, and even other social workers understood is that adoptees can be really loved and well supported and still have complicated feelings about being adopted. Gratitude and grief [...]
How has your experience as an adoptee shaped the way you approach your work with clients? Does it change how you advocate for open adoption? “My experience reminds me that adoption is lifelong, not a single event. I approach families with an awareness that the decisions made today will echo decades into the future. It absolutely [...]
Why did you choose to work for an adoption agency, and specifically AFTH? “I chose to work with AFTH because of our moral and ethical mission and values. Originally, I did not want to work with an adoption agency as I thought they all were there to profit off people… I saw [AFTH] was the intersectionality between an agency and [...]
How do you think AFTH challenges many stereotypes and misconceptions people have about adoption agencies? “AFTH challenges the idea that adoption agencies are transactional or profit-driven by centering relationships and lived experience. Being founded by an adoptee and intentionally employing adoptees as social workers shifts the culture from just a “process” to true perspective. Decisions aren’t just policy-based; they’re informed by people who have lived adoption long after [...]
Adoption agencies are often painted with a broad brush, seen as pro-life, pushing people toward adoption, or focused only on adoptive parents. But like in most situations, assumptions can be misleading, and the nuances of how agencies actually work can get lost. At Adoptions From The Heart, our goal isn’t to convince anyone of anything. [...]
As we settle into National Adoption Month, Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH) aims to educate . This month honors and uplifts anyone touched by adoption in any way. Whether birth parent, adoptive parent, or adoptee, there is always more to learn. This piece focuses on resources for young adoptees to explore this month. For [...]
