What Else Should I Know?

The best thing you can do while you wait for your placement is to prepare thoroughly for life as a parent – and, in particular, an adoptive parent. Here are a few links to parenting information and supplies to get you started…

Links to Information

The Child Development Institute provides information on child development, parenting, family life, teenagers, learning, health & safety, child psychology and mental health, and has been recommended by Psychology Today and the American Psychological Association.

Baby Center centralizes information on caring for your baby or child, their development and behavior, and health and safety. They also offer both expert and community answers to questions you – or others – may pose.

The North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) offers information sharing and adoption support, with a particular emphasis on children who have been in foster care, as well as those with special needs.

The Adoptive Parents Committee (APC) is a non-profit parent support group dedicated to improving all aspects of adoption and foster care.

The New York State Citizen’s Coalition for Children (NYSCCC) is an advocacy organization of volunteer adoptive and foster parent groups in every region of New York State, and offers a variety of resources for adopting parents.

The Top 10 Secrets of Successful Adoption Travel, Adoptive Families.com

Adoptive Families magazine offers a lot of information on both Domestic and International Adoptions, including a particularly good article by Eliza Newlin Carney: Perception & Reality: The Untold Story of Domestic Adoption.

The Infertility & Adoption Counseling Center (IACC) offers workshops and materials that help adoptive parents, birth parents and adoptees understand the lifelong themes and implications of decisions made during the adoption process.

The AMETZ/Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) works with children and families in crisis. They are motivated by the belief that every child deserves to grow up hopeful. They have a well-researched adoption resource center, and offer workshops for both families and professionals in adoption and early childhood development.

Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult Pre-Adoption Consultations for internationally adopted children are conducted by Elaine Schulte, M.D. Dr. Schulte is a board-certified pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital in Cleveland Ohio with interest and expertise in international adoption. Dr. Schulte has cared for hundreds of children from China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Korea, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Romania, Bolivia, Columbia and India. She is an executive committee member of the Section on Adoption and Foster Care in the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Joint Council on International Children's Services. Dr. Schulte is an adoptive parent of two wonderful children from China as well.

Download Brochure

Elaine E. Schulte, MD, MPH
Chair, Department of General Pediatrics
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital

Adoptive Families of the Capital Region, Inc. The Adoptive Families of the Capital Region, Inc. (AFCR) is an adoption support group for adoptive families and individuals hoping to build their family by adoption.   

Links to Supplies

Tapestry Books and Perspectives Press are the premiere online stores specializing in books, CD’s and DVD’s about adoption and adoptive parenting.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble both offer extensive collections of books, CD’s and DVD’s about adoption and parenting.

Babies R Us and Toys R Us offer the broadest selections of baby equipment, baby products and baby toys.

Links to Books Recommended by FFTA

The Adoption Resource Book – All the things you need to know and ought to know about creating an adoptive family, by Lois Gilman

Adopting in America – How to Adopt Within One Year, by Randall B. Hicks (Paperback - Mar 2004)

Successful Adoption, by Jacqueline Hornor Plumez

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Adoption, by Chris Adamec

"Arwen and her Daddies" by Dutch author and adoptive father Jarko De Witte van Leeuwen. Copies can exclusively be purchased through www.feel-good-families.com

In Their Parents' Voices: Reflections on Raising Transracial Adoptees, by Rita J. Simon, Rhonda M. Roorda

In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories, by Rita J. Simon, Rhonda M. Roorda

Inside Transracial Adoption, by Gail Steinberg, Beth Hall

Communicating with the Adopted Child, by Miriam Komar, D.S.W.

Dear Birthmother: Thank You for Our Baby, by Kathleen Silber, Phylis Speedlin

Raising Your Child to Be A Mensch, by Neil Kurshan

Raising Adopted Children, Revised Edition:
Practical Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent, by Lois Ruskai Melina

Keys to Parenting an Adopted Child (Barron's Parenting Keys), by Kathy Lancaster Ph.D.

I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World, by Marguerite Wright

Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, by Sherrie Eldridge

Links to Other Resources

Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offer Special Delivery SM fares to families adopting children from any of their over 100 international destinations throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, India and the Middle East

Adoption Education Classes.com and adoption doctors.com offer online video courses designed to educate and empower prospective adoptive parents with the education they need to have a successful adoption process. Both Adoption Education, LLC and Adoption Learning Partners also offer on-line courses that can be taken to fulfill the New York State and Hague-mandated adoption family training requirement.

The Three Hearts offers a video called Bonding Through Touch: Infant Massage for Adoptive Families, which teaches parents of adopted infants and children a valuable skill to enhance the bonding process.

My Adoption Advisor provides families with practical tactics and tools to better understand the adoption process, anticipate bumps in the road, and adopt more quickly. They offer an assortment of Internet-based, on-demand training programs, as well as services to help families with their adoption profile and networking and advertising efforts. Please visit their website for a full list of products and services.

Four V's Baby Nurses Co-Op has been helping families with single and multiple births for over 30 years. Their professional baby nurses are experienced and all are CPR certified. In addition, their nurses have been trained in techniques that have proven to be successful for parents and their newborn babies.

Respectful adoption language

Positive Adoption Language (PAL) vs. Honest Adoption Language (HAL), Wikipedia

Positive Adoption Language, Adopting.org

Speaking Positively: Using Respectful Adoption Language, Perspectives Press, Inc., the Infertility & Adoption Publisher

Adoption Terminology/Glossary, Adoption.com

Parenting Education And Training

Live Parent Training Classes approved by FFTA - 2011

Adoption Learning Partners (PDF) Website

Adoption Education

Adoption Doctors

Hearts of the Matter (PDF)

Please note, we encourage ongoing training throughout the adoption journey, however, if you are seeking parent training credits, kindly contact FFTA to ensure your selected course will be eligible.

Raising an adopted child

Adoption Awareness in School Assignments: A Guide for Parents and Educators by Christine Mitchell

Learning Peace: Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking for Schools and Families by Naomi Drew

My Creation Books – personalized stories for families who have been touched by adoption

R Family Vacations

Check out the "It Gets Better" Video and share it with your friends and family!!!

Click here for more information!

Every Child Deserves a Family -- LGBT Adoption (NYU Tonight)

Additional Links

Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center - Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning resource center providing programming, information, and events to the LGBTQ  community.

The Loft LGBT Community Services Center - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community services center offering programs and services, events and resources to the Lower Hudson Valley LGBT community.