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The Value of Adoptive Parent Groups
The Value of Adoptive
Parent Groups
Parent Groups
By National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
Newsworthy Benefits
Adoptive parent groups can bring comfort in the form of a newsletter. "Your newsletter has been a real source of support for us. We have lived in Arizona for a year and a half now, and we still very much miss a strong, supportive parent group."
Special Benefits
Adoptive parent groups can provide examples of the problems and pleasures of parenting a child with special needs. "One thing that makes adopting a child with special needs easier is the encouragement and advice that you get from other group members whose children have experienced the same or almost similar emotional/behavior problems."
Supportive Benefits
Adoptive parent groups can be supportive to prospective adoptive parents while they wait for their child. "Our group is unique in many ways, but mainly because we are like a family. Our children range from infants to teenagers, and some families join us to just endure the 'wait' until their child arrives."
Guiding Benefits
Adoptive parent groups can provide guidance for prospective adoptive parents planning intercountry adoption. "One woman we spoke with provided us with a diary of her trip, giving the sequence of steps. This was invaluable despite the minor changes we encountered. The more we learned from other adoptive parents, the better we felt about our impending trip into the unknown." Prospective adoptive parents have much to gain from the experience of adoptive parents, who can advise them on how to deal with agencies on issues of licensure, home studies and fees. Talking with adoptive families can expose them to the potential difficulties of parenting. It can also reveal the successes and joys.
History of Adoptive Parent Groups
