10 Components of a Great Adoptive Family Profile

When an expectant/birth mother explores making an adoption plan for  her baby adoption, she has many big decisions to make. One of the most difficult decisions, perhaps, is choosing an adoptive family to raise her child. She will spend countless hours pouring over adoptive family profiles, hoping to find the perfect parent(s) to care for and love her baby. One of those profiles could be yours.  Birthparents typically say: “I knew I found the right family when I read their profile.” Most of the time she is looking for some type of connection with you. It could be your hobbies, your profession, your pet or just something you say in your letter.

An adoptive family profile is a brief look at the life and background of a family hoping to adopt a child. This profile is usually filled with basic information about each parent, the story of how they met, why they are considering adoption, and several photos that put faces to their names.

If you are looking to grow your family through adoption, you – of course – will want your profile to stand out. This is a birth mother’s first impression of your family, a first glimpse into the life you can provide for her baby. It should give expectant/birth mothers an idea of the life you can provide for a child, and all of the love you have to share.

If you are just starting the adoption journey, a private adoption agency can help you create an adoptive family profile and ensure it portrays you and your family in the best possible light.

Before you finalize your adoptive parent profile, you will want to make sure that you hit it out of the ballpark. You will want your profile to “click” with the woman reading it. You will want to include all of the important elements that expectant/birth mothers are looking for in an adoptive family profile. Just what are those key components? Read on to make sure your profile is a memorable one.

1. Photos of your family & loved ones

Nothing will help your adoptive family profile shine like photos of yourself, your family, your pets, and other loveable aspects of your life. These photos will literally put a face to the name on your profile, and help an expectant/birth mom better visualize the life her child could have. Including portraits of your immediate family, and close relatives, can also help showcase the happy home her child could join. At Adoptions With Love, we also recommend including photos of your family doing the things they love most, whether that’s hiking, fishing, cooking, going to the beach, or spending quality time with the dog.

2. Your family story

Along with those photos, your family story is an important one to tell. The romantic tale of how you and your partner met is a great way to share who you are and how your family began. You may also choose to share some background on your family’s origins. Where did you grow up? What about your parents? Did they come here from another part of the country or a different part of the world? What do you do for a career? Share your story and give an insight into who you are and where you are going.

3. Your adoption journey

Some families arrive at the decision to adopt after years of infertility, or learning they cannot have children biologically. Others dream of pursuing adoption because they have, themselves, been touched by adoption in some way. Whatever the motivation and personal journey, share it with your future child’s birth mother. This story will help convey your dream of adopting a child to love and raise, and help her understand your perspective on adoption. You may also share your plan for talking to your child about adoption, or even your comfort level with open adoption, which can be very reassuring to expectant/birth mothers considering this choice.

4. A Letter to the Expectant/Birth Mother

A letter to the expectant/birth mother, commonly called a “Dear Birth Mother Letter,” is an importantway to connect with her and leave a lasting impression. Just think: Your child’s birth mother will give you the greatest gift you could ever imagine. You will want to share a few thoughts and feelings with this woman about what this means to you. Share your gratitude and express your strong desire to adopt a child and become a parent. This will help her feel acknowledged, respected, and more confident in her choice.

5. Your passions & interests

Of course, your profile does not have to be all photos, letters, and background stories. It is equally important to share what is important to you! Do you and your partner travel for Comic-Cons? Are you avid skiers? Do you love to listen to music, dance, be outdoors, or travel the world? Whatever your interests and hobbies are, share them in your adoptive family profile. This will help an expectant/birth mother find a special connection with you. This will also help show your personality and give the birth mother an idea of the kind of parents you will become.

6. Photos of your home

A glance at your home is important to add to your adoptive parent profile. These photos can provide an expectant/birth mother with a visual of where her child  may be raised. It will also help her understand and see – literally – that this child will be living in a safe, clean, and stable environment.  Photos of the neighborhood playground are always well received.

7. Stories of adventures & memories

Just as you should share family background stories and hobbies, you should also share some fun stories! If you and your partner love to hike, share a cool story about your latest climb. If you have great childhood memories of family camping trips, share some of those memories in your adoptive family profile, and how you hope to share those adventures with your future child, too. This will help build that profile to showcase your family dynamic and personalities.

8. Personal quirks that make you unique

Whether you cry at any sappy rom-com, or your partner is afraid of birds, do not be afraid of sharing your personal quirks. These funny little pieces of your personality make you, well, you! It is not something to hide. Any birth mother will appreciate this openness, honesty, and “realness.” She may even feel a connection to you through these stories.

9. Hopes & dreams for your future child

Imagine being in the birth mother’s position. If you were in her shoes, you would want to be sure that your child has the best life possible. You would think about your own hopes and dreams for your child’s life, or the life you want him/her to have.

Now, consider how important it will be for her to hear about your own hopes and dreams for your future child. Share your vision of seeing your child grow up to become successful, to be loved, and to live a long and happy, healthy life. These dreams will help ensure you want the best for your child, and put the birth mother’s worries at ease.

10. Family plans and goals

Right along with those hopes and dreams, you should share your family’s plans and goals. Perhaps you plan to make annual trips to Disney World a part of your family tradition. Perhaps you want to teach your children about your career so that he/she may choose to join the family business someday.  Or perhaps you plan on staying home with your child full time. Whatever big plans you have in mind for your family, include them in your adoptive family profile. It will only help complete your profile and show an expectant/birth mom that you are driven and ready to incorporate a child into your plan.

No matter what, it is important to be open, honest, and share your personality in your adoptive family profile. If you live in Massachusetts and would like to learn more about starting the adoption process, please do not hesitate to reach out to Adoptions With Love. Call us at 617-964-4357 today.