What a Birth Mother can Expect from the Adoption Profile Book
One of the most important steps you take in your adoption journey as a birth mother is selecting the adoptive family who will raise your child. When you are ready to begin considering adoptive families, you will likely encounter something called an adoption profile book. The main purpose of adoption profile books is to give you an overview of prospective families who are waiting to adopt. They are invaluable resources for you as a birth mother to be introduced to these families and to narrow down your options from a large pool of candidates. They also provide you with clarity over your selection, as each adoptive parent profile offers thorough information on a wide variety of topics, so that you can be sure that the adoptive family you choose will be the right fit for your child.
When you’re in the early stages of considering adoptive families, and you’ve already come up with a list of must-haves, nice-to-haves, and deal breakers, now’s the time to get it out so that you can evaluate how each family compares with your needs and wants. If you aren’t sure what you want to see in an adoptive family, and you don’t know where to start, that’s completely ok, too. Going through adoption profile books is a great starting point for you to brainstorm and get an idea of what you connect with in a family. Even if you know what qualities you want the adoptive family to have, you may come across other qualities as you look through adoption profile books that you didn’t know you would have wanted or needed.
Adoption Choices of Kansas wants to ensure that you feel in control and not overwhelmed when you’re ready to start your search for an adoptive family. That’s why we’ve put together this brief introduction of what to expect from adoption profile books as you begin navigating them.
What does an Adoption Profile Book Include?
While each adoption profile book is unique, there are plenty of components that are often included to give you a robust portrait of the waiting family. Below are examples of what you can expect from an adoption profile book you come across.
- Opening Letter
It’s very common for a profile to begin with a letter that introduces the couple or individual to the birth mother. While brief, such letters often consist of words of admiration toward the birth mother and an expression of gratitude for making such a selfless choice.
- Why They Chose Adoption
The opening letter may touch upon this, but it will likely be expanded upon elsewhere in the profile. Perhaps the couple or individual always considered adoption, or maybe it was even their first choice in terms of raising children. Maybe one or both individuals are facing infertility but still want to have children. In either case, this is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into their adoption journey and get an idea of whether you want to join efforts with them.
- A Love Story (for Couples)
If the prospective adoptive family is a couple, they will often tell the story of how they met, how their relationship has developed over time, and where they are now in their relationship. By reading about their history as a couple, you can begin to gauge the stability of their relationship and determine if there is a strong foundation established for a loving and thriving home for your child.
- Family Pictures
You will, no doubt, find plenty of family pictures in any given adoption profile book. They can be pictures of anything such as family vacations, birthdays, holidays, sports events, and much more. This will give you an idea of what kind of life the prospective family lives on a daily basis, and subtle details can give you some insight into their personalities and interests.
- Family Facts
Written descriptions of each family member may help complement and expand upon any pictures provided in the profile. They often include traits, including, but not limited to:
- interests and hobbies
- educational background
- career
- income and/or economic background
- any religious or spiritual beliefs
- details about their own upbringing
- favorite kinds of cuisine, art, films, books, etc.
- if they have or want pets
- traditions
- Other Lifestyle Information
In addition to providing facts about themselves, the prospective adoptive parent(s) will likely provide information and pictures of their home, community, and even their local schools. They may also include descriptions of any other family members and friends with whom they have regular contact and who play an important role in shaping their lives.
How can I get an Adoption Profile Book?
If you’re wondering where you might be able to obtain some adoption profile books to go through, your adoption agency will provide you with as many profiles as you want. Here at Adoption Choices of Kansas, we will work with you as closely as you need us to at this important stage in the matching process. Once you find a couple or individual that you think would be a great fit for your child, we can connect you with them so that you have an opportunity to get to know them and confirm whether you want them to adopt your baby. This marks the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the adoptive parent(s) that can last a lifetime.
Embarking on an adoption journey is not easy and has its challenges; however, by taking the time to go through adoption profile books, you can get a glimpse of families on the other side of the adoption process who are on their own journeys and facing their own challenges. It may help to think of them not only as prospective adoptive families, but also as additional teammates and allies that will accompany you on your journey. And that journey begins when you open up an adoption profile book.
If you have recently decided to put your baby for adoption and you’re ready to begin the matching process, reach out to Adoption Choices of Kansas today so we can provide you with the resources you need to get started.
Adoption Choices of Kansas serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more!
Call Us 877-903-4488 or Text Us 316-209-2071
Meet the Author: Mary DeStefano is an Ohio native currently living in northern Virginia and works in the litigation consulting industry where she has experience in antitrust, product liability, and mass torts matters. She holds a B.A. in Economics (‘15) and an M.A. in Applied Economics (‘16) from the University of Cincinnati.
Mary finds great meaning in wielding the written word to develop impactful narratives and to help people stay informed. In her spare time, Mary can be found beachcombing and going on other adventures with her dog along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. She also has an affinity for antiquing and loves a good 80’s movie marathon.
