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Expert Q&A

	By Mardie Caldwell Adoption Expert, Author

Do you have suggestions on how to start an adoption support/play group?

We recently adopted from Guatemala, and I would love to start an adoption support/play group in my area. I have posted a couple signs at our local library, but I haven't received one call. Do you have suggestions on how to get something like this up and running? Thanks!

A:

I sure do. Support and playgroups can be so beneficial to those that attend and participate. Long-lasting friendships have started in such a group. I have friendships that reach back to when my son was adopted – and he is now 17.

You can let others know about your support/play group by doing the following:

• Create an informative and fun flier and electronic signature in your outgoing e-mails about your group. Include details about where it will be held, the time and how to reach you. Directions and maps are also important to include for families new to the community.
• Contact all adoption professionals in a 50-mile radius of your location. Give them fliers and ask them to include a notice in any newsletters they send out. Ask them for suggestions, as well. Check back with them every few months with a new flier.
• Send a simple press release out to the local newspapers and radio stations – it should be free, as it is a community notice. Small newspapers are always looking for items of interest to the community. If you need help writing one, search online for "how to write a press release." You will find many simple examples.
• Drop off colorful fliers at local churches, synagogues and elementary schools – let teachers know.
• Include other support and women's groups, pediatrician's offices and child care centers.
• When posting at the library, be sure to make the flier with tear-off tags on the bottom. This can be done on the computer with a program that creates fliers such as Publisher™, or you can handwrite them in. Check back to be sure they are still up, as sometimes they are removed. That might be the reason you're not getting calls. Be sure to set up your answering machine to accept calls and take messages when you are away.
• Post your notice on adoption forums for your state or region. (Ask the moderator for permission to post.)

Don't worry if only one or two moms with their little ones show up at the first meeting. The word will get out, and soon you will have others sharing about the group. It is the quality sometimes, not the quantity, that makes the difference.

Be sure to get others involved so you don't become overwhelmed as a leader and mom. Remember to delegate. Have someone bring snacks or ask each mom to bring their own lunch and a story to share.

Remember to gather all names and contact information at each meeting, and e-mail the moms when possible – this will save time and money. Set a schedule for when you will meet and what you will do, taking into consideration naps for little ones and moms with older children that must be picked up from school. As your group grows, you can include guest speakers in the winter months when you'll likely be inside.

I wish you the best and hope your support and playgroup is fun and rewarding for all."

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