Preparing Yourself to Adopt in Ukraine

Preparing yourselves in advance to parent an adoptive child will
make the process less stressful and more enjoyable.

Whether you've already signed on the dotted line to adopt or are
still just contemplating international adoption, it's important
to think about the preparations, decisions, expectations, and
emotional ups and downs of this period in advance.

There's no such thing as too much information. Welcome all
opportunities to learn all you can. "Read, read, read. Can't say
it enough," says Carrie Craft in "Preparing to Parent the Adopted
Child" on About.com. Scour the internet for information on
everything regarding the country(ies) you're considering, what
you can expect of children who have been institutionalized,
resources in the community once you adopt, issues such as loss
and bonding that are common to all adoptees, and even general
parenting.

Read books on adoption, international adoption, and parenting.
You can find these in your local library, at a local bookstore,
through online bookstores, and through other adoptive parents who
may be willing to lend a book that was particularly helpful to
them.

Ultimately, you want to be as prepared and knowledgeable as
possible so that your expectations of your child and yourselves
as parents are realistic, you know where to go for help if
problems arise, and you can take the inevitable complications
that occur in the adoption process with a little more equanimity.

"The adoption process is by no means an easy one, but the more
educated and informed you are, the easier and smoother the
process will go," says kir.org, Kids Radio Network, in "Baby
Adoption Information."

Read with thought: You will read and hear information about
potential medical, developmental, behavioral, learning, and
emotional complications for children adopted from institutions
and environments with pre-natal drug and alcohol abuse,
malnutrition, and poor pre-natal care. Some concern is
appropriate and healthy, according to many international adoption
experts, who say that it will lead to one of two positive
outcomes: an adoption that is likely to succeed because you are
aware of potential issues and of the resources and support to
help you and your child; or a decision not to adopt a child
because you don't feel equipped to handle any such issues that
might arise.

At Adoption Services International we work hard to educate you
about the process from beginning to end so that you are as
prepared as possible for your adoption experience.

Credit to FRUA for parts of this article.

If you or someone you love want to welcome a child into their
lives and families, as my husband and I did, we can help.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999