Boston Area Adoption Agency-Adoption Stories, Stories About Adoption, Adoption Success Stories

	Stories
	Q & A with Dale and Raquel Please click on the titles below to read each story as a printable pdf. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it for free here. Openness Relationships with your child’s birthparents, like all relationships, may change over time. There may have been frequent initial contact and the response may have tapered off... Sharing Information with Your Kids Sharing your child’s difficult personal history with them can seem very challenging. Questions such as “how do I bring a difficult topic up?” or “how old should my child be before we discuss this?”... Lifebooks You may recall hearing about Lifebooks as part of the Waiting Parent’s workshops series here at Adoption Choices. The idea of creating a book for a child that had not yet become... School Fall brings shorter days, football, Halloween and school work. Some assignments can bring stress and tears to any child (and his/her parents!), but there are certain assignments... Responding to Insensitive Comments “Well, now that you’ve adopted, I’m sure you’ll get pregnant!” “Are you ever worried that his/her real mother will take him back?”... Responding to Insensitive Comments Regarding Transracial and Transcultural Adoptions We’ve discussed some of the insensitive comments adoptive parents hear from other people about families formed by adoption. These comments can be even more common and feel even...
	Family Traits It’s a family gathering, possibly a reunion or a holiday. Maybe there are some group photos taken. And then...the talk turns to family resemblances. “Isn’t it amazing how Johnny looks just like... Making the Decision to Adopt Again How do you know you’re ready? Deciding on the right size for your family is an intensely personal decision based on a number of factors... Foster Families Our question this month is “What do I need to know before volunteering to become a foster parent for Adoption Choices?”		Recommended Children's Books About Adoption Here are some of our recommendations for Children’s books about adoption. Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Parents Knew Ideas borrowed from Sherrie Eldridge’s book (no relation to Dale) and modified by Raquel and Dale... Ten Things Birth Parents Wish Adoptive Parents Knew Please do not feel threatened by me – I want you to parent my child because I cannot at this point in my life. Please tell your child all about me. If you have my picture, please put it in their Lifebook...

	Personal Stories These stories were featured in our Continuing Connections newsletter. We welcome you to submit your story and sign up for the newsletter. Contact Lucia lpanichella@jfsmw.org. Please click on the titles below to read each story as a printable pdf. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it for free here. Worth the Wait by Stephanie Each morning this week, I have been woken up by my scary baby dreams well before my alarm has sounded... And Baby Makes Four by Ellen And so, there we were-a family of three. Two formerly inert adults and one extremely active, young child named Lisa who alternately exhausted and amused us... Excited As the Sun by Gail I’m sure that any of us who’ve adopted a child can remember in vivid detail the story of that child’s arrival. Our daughter is almost 9 and I remember it as if it were yesterday... *A Way to Build Our* Family** by Christine Conrad and I adopted our twins Rachel and Caroline at birth over 6 years ago. When we were searching for an adoption agency 7 years ago, there were... They Keep You Young by Annette My husband and I were married almost 11 years ago at the young age of 35 and 40 years (me being 40 of course!). We wanted a little marital bliss so we waited a good three months before trying to conceive a child... A New Grandchild by Katie's Grandpa I remember how excited my daughter and her husband were when they told me they were planning to adopt a baby. My feelings and those of my wife Helen were a bit more complicated... Chloe My daughter Chloe is 16 months old, and I may have met my match. She is determined, focused and strong...		Testimonials “I became interested in adoption from the influence of the founder of Wendy's Dave Thomas. Like many other Wendy's owners I have chosen to seek out organizations which demonstrate the highest level of integrity and professionalism in adoption. It is for that reason that I've chosen to be a long time contributor of Jewish Family Service of Metrowest. Like so many other non-profits JFS depends in large part on the clients it has helped. In these troubled economic times your support of this great agency is appreciated more than ever.” – William J. Zanke President Wendy Management Inc. Operator of 9 Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurants and JFS Board Member “Adoption Choices, Dale and Raquel helped us so much on our journey to parenthood. We are now proud parents to an amazing baby boy and we're able to be a family due to the miracle of adoption. Both Dale and Raquel offered us so much support, education and encouragement throughout our adoption journey." – The Rathbun Family "We especially enjoyed their monthly meeting of waiting parents because it gave us new friendships, insights, and guest lecturers. The staff at Adoption Choices guided us through the whole process of adoption, provided advice at each step, and seemed as happy as we were when we returned from Korea with the child of our dreams.” – The Lush Family