General Adoption & Foster Care Resources

 Lifesong for Orphans
We seek to mobilize the church, His body, where each member can provide a unique and special service: some to adopt, some to care, some to give.
 

 Christian Alliance For Orphans
The Christian Alliance for Orphans (Alliance) works to ignite and equip individuals and churches for effective, Christ-honoring service to orphans.
 

Together for Adoption
Together for Adoption provides gospel-centered resources to mobilize the church for global orphan care.
 

Show Hope
An all-purpose Christian-based adoption and orphan care site that will help you learn about the different types of adoption, the adoption process, issues to consider, funding assistance options, and ways to prepare yourself to become an adoptive parent.
 

Cry of the Orphan
Contains extensive resource pages full of helpful links related to foster care, adoption and orphan care, as well as help for churches who wish to start ministries to orphans. Cry of the Orphan is a joint ministry effort of three well known Christian ministries: Focus on the Family, Family Life, and Show Hope.
 

Hope for Orphans
A ministry of Family Life. Their website includes many links to sources that address a broad range of adoption and foster care topics.
 

 Holt International Children's Services
Holt International was the very first international adoption agency in the U.S., which began approx. 50 years ago. This site lists the specific requirements adoptive parents need to satisfy in order to adopt from each sending country Holt is involved with. This information is helpful even if you choose a different adoption agency because countries use the same criteria for all applicants, regardless of which agency you choose.
 

Empowered to Connect
Empowered to Connect is a collaborative effort among Michael & Amy Monroe and Dr. Karyn Purvis. A great many adoptive and foster families have already benefited from Dr. Purvis' insight, wisdom and practical approach to parenting. Empowered to Connect is aimed at sharing this insight and these practical tools with many more families as well as with churches, ministries and professionals focused on serving children and strengthening families.
 
Empowered to Connect has created an online library of articles, audio and video presentations covering a variety of relevant topics. In addition, they are developing a study guide that will be available later in 2009. Great for individual use or small group discussions, this study guide will highlight and examine many of the Biblical principles that serve as the foundation for the approach and interventions taught by Dr. Purvis in her book The Connected Child.
 

 Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly known as the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. A U.S. government website that provides a variety of general information on all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, including adoption from foster care.
 

 Adoptive Families Magazine
Offers a wide variety of articles and stories about foster care and families adopting from foster care.
 

 Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Information and resources focused specifically on adoptions of children in America’s foster care system.
 

 Adoption.com
General information on adoption.
 

Adoption Financing Options

Consult these resources to see how affordable adoption can be! Also, many adoption agency websites include a link to help families explore their options for financial assistance. Some agencies also reduce their fees for special needs or waiting children and offer special financial assistance to adopt these children. Please investigate these options with the agency you choose.
 
 Loving Shepherd Ministries
Our Adoption Services program saves time, money, headaches and potential heartache for couples interested in adoption – all at no cost. We do this because we are passionate about orphans finding a forever family. LSM is not an adoption-placement agency. We are a not-for-profit Christian adoption organization that helps families at the beginning stages of adoption.
 

 Resources 4 Adoption
 

Adoptive Families Magazine
An article that includes a survey on adoption costs.
 

 Crown Financial
An article by Crown Financial containing general advice on how to finance an adoption.
 

 Adoption Learning Partners
An outline of the details of the federal adoption tax credit which was $11,650 in 2008! It is important to realize that this is a credit and not merely a deduction! Save all of your adoption related receipts (travel-related expenses, agency fees, etc.) because you will need proof of what you've spent when you file your taxes and claim this credit.
 

 The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE)
A coalition of numerous adoption agencies which has created a booklet to help adoptive families learn about different ways to finance an adoption.
 

Attachment & Bonding Resources

Whether you are adopting or foster parenting an infant or older child from the U.S. or another country, adopted and foster children have unique emotional needs. Some of these needs may be obvious to the parents soon after their children arrive home, but others may be much more subtle and may change over time. We encourage every adoptive and foster parent to educate themselves on the subject of attachment and bonding for adopted and foster children to make the transition for their child and their family as smooth as possible.
 
Sherrie Eldridge – Your Adoption Coach
Sherrie Eldridge provides excellent resources for adoptive parents to learn how to help their adopted children deal with the grief and loss inherent to all adoptions. Her work can help us to build very close bonds with our adopted children as we use her advise to engage our children in deep and healing conversations regarding their adoptions.
 

Empowered to Connect
See description listed under "General Adoption & Foster Care Resources".
 

 Adoption Learning Partners
Offers a number of free online courses that address attachment and bonding.
 

Center for Family Development
This is Western New York's only attachment center specializing in the treatment of adopted and foster families with trauma and attachment disorders.
 

The Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio (ABC)
The director, Gregory Keck, PhD, is the author of Parenting the Hurt Child.