I am so excited to see this new resource for current and prospective foster and adoptive parents. As a teenager, I used to think ‘I’d love to have one (biological) child, and adopt one.’ Then after I had complications with my first daughter’s birth, this turned out to indeed be the best way to build our family. My husband and I decided on ‘older-child’ adoption, feeling there was more of a need for adoptive parents for these kids. We were so eager to be matched, the process seemed to take forever; however, it actually went very quickly.

We adopted our second daughter at age four, when our older one was 7. It was a huge adjustment for all of us, with times that were wonderful and others that were quite challenging. It was hard for our first child to understand the behavior issues that are common in children who have experienced trauma – not surprising…as it was overwhelming to us, even as adults. The girls have always played well together and as the challenging behaviors decreased, their relationship has continued to blossom. Adopting our daughter has been one of the greatest blessings of our lives. She is sweet, bright, creative, beautiful, and confident. She is definitely very resilient.

Adoption also led me on a new career path, writing on adoption issues. I am hoping to soon become a mentor to a teen in foster care. I am a strong advocate of older-child adoption and foster-care adoption. It will enrich your life in ways you can’t imagine.

I believe there are three important things you should do when considering adoption:

1. Do plenty of research so you can have realistic expectations.

2. Be honest with yourself and your adoption worker about what issues and special needs you can handle.

3. Line up plenty of support from family and friends and ask for help. Don’t expect others to understand the challenges of special needs or older child adoptions until you help them understand.

Best of luck to all those starting out on this amazing journey!

Christine Mitchell, Author of: • Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond • Adoption Awareness in School Assignments: A Guide for Parents and Educators • Adoption Awareness: Handling Awkward Adoption Questions and Comments.