Profile Tips
by Erin McGloinThroughout my first two weeks at Adoption ARC, I have observed the staff in action, interacted with birthmothers and adoptive families, studied the adoption laws and learned the ropes around the office. My first assignment was to review adoptive families' profiles. A profile is prepared by the adoptive family. It usually contains a letter to the birthmother and pictures of the adoptive parents, the house where they live, and their family and friends. The following are some tips as to how to go about preparing an ideal yet creative profile:
- 1. Make sure the Dear Birthmother letter is easy to read with no grammatical errors.
- 2. Be sure to acknowledge the birthmother's courage and thank her for taking the time to read the letter and considering you as the adoptive parents.
- 3. Use a baby photo album.
- 4. Be creative! Incorporate artwork (i.e. computer graphics, stickers, etc.).
- 5. Include pictures of your home, area where you live, vacations, family and friends.
- 6. Place captions under or above pictures describing the picture and who is in it.
- 7. If adopting a child of another race, be sure to include in your Dear Birthmother letter how you will incorporate the child's culture and ethnic background into their life.
- 8. Include pictures of people and/or children of different ethnic backgrounds if possible.
- 9. Put thought into your profile and Dear Birthmother letter.
- 10. Make sure the profile is a good representation of you and your family.
It is essential for the adoptive family's profile to represent their life and family as best they can. This will enable the birthmother to envision the life she wants for her child and place the child with the family she feels most comfortable with. Take your time and enjoy creating your profile!