Why adopt with the help of an adoption consultant?
So, you have read and prayed about adoption, and are ready to take the plunge! But how do you know where to get started? How do you know the "good guys" from the "bad?" How do you discern the best use of your time, resources and emotions? How do you choose a group who will highly value and honor all parties involved in adoption?
These are the questions that led me to an adoption consultant. I was overwhelmed with all the options, and wanted to work with someone I trusted, and who would guide me in the right direction.
Adoption is a life-changing decision for everyone in your family and something to not enter into lightly as you want to be wise with your time and money and emotions. Here are a few factors which set our team apart:
1. Compassionate support. We have been in your shoes. At Joyful Adoptions, we are a small team of adoption experts who provide individual care and support and guidance to hopeful adoptive parents here in the United States. Our entire team has personal experience with adoption, either as adoptive parents, adoptees, or birth families. As consultant Stacy says, "I think ultimately a consultant is YOUR advocate. Someone you can count on to support and encourage you and offer advice and ground you when things seem to be going haywire. Adoption can be hard and full of anxiety with all the unknowns and issues that may arise along the way. Having someone there that can walk you through it, who also intimately understands all the fears that go with it, can be extremely comforting for families."
2. Personalized support. When a family invites us to join their adoption journey, they have 24/7 access to a knowledgeable industry adoption(?) professional to answer all of their questions. We help them get started and provide education on current adoption topics, so that they know what to expect. Your dedicated adoption consultant will walk you through the process step by step, from start to finish. We are committed to providing personalized guidance. We only work with a certain amount of families at a time, so that you don't get lost in the crowd. We recognize that there are no two families who are alike and there strive to provide a personalized approach.
3. Multi-agency approach. Although a "fast adoption" should not be your only reason for working with a consultant, we have an amazing multi-agency approach. Our families are able to be as proactive as possible, which often results in a shorter wait time. All of our families receive cases directly from us, as well as the opportunity to pre-register with ethical agencies that provide strong expectant mother/family support.
4. Funding and grant guidance. At Joyful Adoptions, we also recognize the sometimes overwhelming expense involved in completing an adoption. We have brought a wonderful Funding Specialist to join our staff, to help families map out specific grants to help underwrite the overall cost. She is highly skilled at helping families craft their grant writing, and has helped families offset close to $40,000 in agency fees in the last four months alone.
5. Help in sharing your story with expectant women/families considering adoption. Our gifted In House Professional Profile Designer Kristina is also a professional photographer, and knows how to weave a family's story together, to share their authentic hearts for everyone involved. The end result is a beautifully crafted, "light and airy," magazine style book, in both electronic and physical format.
6. Post-placement support. Through our virtual support group, past and current families can connect and support each other as parents, and cheer on new hopeful families. We love staying in touch, even years later!
Next up on the blog -- How to choose an adoption consultant!
