The holidays are a season of hope, joy, and new beginnings – a perfect time to think about giving a child the greatest gift of all: a forever family. If adoption is on your heart, starting now can make next year the year a child finally finds their home.
Why Start Now?
Adoption is a journey, not a quick decision. It’s a journey that takes thought, planning, and love. While the paperwork and processes can feel overwhelming, starting early gives you the time to:
- Educate yourself: Learn about the different types of adoption, the process of adopting from foster care in Kansas, and what your life might look like caring for a child who has experienced foster care.
- Our website has an extensive, but not exhaustive, list of books, podcasts, websites, and trainings that can aid your family in learning more about adoption.
- Find your why: The holidays are a great opportunity to reflect on the values, traditions, and love you want to share with a child. Reflect on why you want to adopt and how you will support a child through transition and attachment.
- Think about a child’s needs: Children in foster care have experienced trauma, which can directly impact their behaviors and development. Early preparation helps you to welcome them with understanding, patience, and care.
- Our team of child welfare professionals created a document that explains various diagnoses, services, behaviors, and more that children in foster care may experience. This is a great place to start learning about what you can expect when parenting kids who have experienced trauma. You can access it here.
Steps to Take Today.
- Attend trainings, workshops, and webinars: KPARC offers free, comprehensive trainings that cover a wide range of adoption-related topics. Click here to explore our current offerings.
- Connect with adoptive families: Listening to the experiences of other adoptive families can inspire and guide you through the process.
- If you are interested in connecting with adoptive parents, check out the peer-to-peer support groups we offer through KPARC.
- Plan financially and logistically: While adoption from foster care usually comes with little direct financial cost, the process still requires time, paperwork, and emotional investment. Early planning can make the path feel more manageable.
- Understand the need: Adopt KS Kids is Kansas’s statewide adoption exchange. On our website, you can utilize the Meet the Kids page to view profiles that will introduce you to the children in Kansas who need adoptive families.
- Are you ready to say yes to an adoption journey? We would love to assist you. Visit our website to browse our extensive library of resources, including a step-by-step breakdown of the adoption process in Kansas. And, if you’re fully ready to take the plunge, you can review our guidelines to creating an account on the Adopt KS Kids website to see if that’s the right next step for you.
Make Next Year the Year a Child Finds Their Forever Home!
This holiday season, you can dream not just for yourself, but for a child who has been waiting for love and belonging. Every step you take now, learning, preparing, and reflecting, brings you closer to giving a child a home filled with warmth, laughter, and security. AKK and KPARC are here to assist families wanting to start their journeys!
Start today and make next year the year a child finds their forever home because there is no gift greater than a family!
Not sure where to start or have questions? Reach out and we will connect you with our team of specialists to answer any questions you might have! Contact us here.