Once you have placement of a child, you are going to need support. There are few adoptions that go through with no issues at all. There will be things that come up that you will want other parents’ input on or just a hug to say “been there, done that.”

There are many support groups already in place. You can connect with one of them, or start your own.

I prefer the on-line support groups, because they fit my schedule and I can “talk” to someone any time of the day or night. I know that these are other parents who are living the same life and dealing with the same issues I am. Going out in my local community and trying to talk to someone who will understand our issues with Sammy is nearly useless. I have a few friends that get it as much as they can, but they don’t live with kids like Sammy. I have great friends that I never would have met if it weren’t for my on-line community.

The people that know what I’m going through live in Kansas, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, California and many other states across the country. A few even live on the other side of the globe. Needless to say, we can’t get together on a regular basis, but for those of us that live in the Midwest, we try to get together a couple of times a year at least. If someone from another part of the country comes to our region we’ll do our best to plan a get together and meet each other. If it weren’t for my on-line groups, I wouldn’t have met Julie or Nancy.

Other people prefer to meet in person, and I would meet in person if there were meetings in my area, but I live in rural Wisconsin. Not exactly a hot bed for adoption meetings. You can find out about meetings in your area by checking the website for the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC). I’m not sure how often the database is updated, but it is at least a starting point. You can also ask your adoption agency, social services agency, or other parent resources.

If an in-person support group is a regularly occurring group, it should have a topic of discussion for each month. Without a clearly defined discussion it can quickly turn into a “gripe session” without anything constructive happening. In an optimal meeting, you want to have a free exchange of information, but where solutions are offered for parents.

If you want to start your group, you can meet at a community center, a church, YMCA, a church, or even a restaurant. Where you meet is less important than the content. The support is the key.

ATN On-Line Support

Adoption.com On-Line Support

Photo credit