The latest trend in domestic adoption is self-networking or self-marketing. Prospective adoptive parents and birth parents are finding each other through social media, friends and family, and or online parent profiles. Marketing yourself may sound difficult to some, but marketing your hope to adopt in a tasteful way shouldn’t leave you feeling icky in the end.
There are several marketing tools that can be used and each has pros and cons. Stick to a media that you feel comfortable with. If a Facebook page feels too impersonal or not private enough than try a web page, blog, or parent profile. Web pages and blogs can be created sometimes free and surprisingly easy using a host like wix, weebly, or blogger. Your personal site can be shared around social media as you see fit. If creating your own space from scratch seems scary to try a parent profile like those found on Adoption.com. Adoption facilitators can cost monthly but all the hassle and marketing is done for you!
Whatever avenue you choose, make sure to stay organized. An organized profile will make possible birth parents feel like you have purpose and direction. When organizing your life, think about what is most important to you, but also what a potential birth mother might want to know about your life. Everyday family life, extended family and friends, home and community, and core life values and spiritual beliefs are all important aspects to include. Don’t try too hard to paint an elaborate picture-perfect family. Potential birth moms and dads will be drawn to you for many different reasons, but most importantly because you are genuine.
Be sincere when writing, but don’t write too much. Too much reading can be overwhelming to anyone. Get to the point of your paragraphs without leaving anything out or rambling on. Starting with a dear potential birth mother/father letter is always a must. Write from the heart without being too lengthy. A picture can paint a thousand words…good and bad. When selecting pictures you want to convey real life. Include both professional and random family pictures. And, ladies…I know you will most likely be doing the grunt work here, so it’s easy to make sure you look your best in pictures. Don’t forget about your husband; you both want to portray the real you in every picture.
Lastly, when delving into the adoption world, it is important to understand that adoption is a beautiful and sad situation for all involved. A mother seeking a stable supportive home for the baby she loves but can’t keep. A baby who is about to lose a mother and biological connection. And, a hopeful adoptive couple who longs to have a baby in their home but for whatever reasons has not been able to. As you create an online profile keep these thoughts in mind. Your profile is about you, yes, but truly it is about the future child you want to add to your family. Be mindful of the potential birth mother’s feelings as you paint a picture of yourself and the family you long for. It is through her greatest loss that a future will be created for you and her baby. Carry this thinking on to each paragraph and picture you use, and your sincere hope to adopt will shine through.
