Once you complete all of the courses and home visits, you and your house are licensed for placement of a child. This is the time I lovingly refer to as being “On Market”. It is the time when you have done all that you can to bring a precious baby home, and now you have to just sit and wait to be considered. 

When going through the adoption process, prospective adoptive families are asked to create a family portfolio, or what is sometimes referred to as the Birth Mom/Profile Book.  Several of these books will be selected by the social worker and presented to the potential birth moms as they peruse prospective adoptive families. Your book will only be selected for “presentation” if the prospective birth mom’s situation meets your criteria for adoptive placement.

As a prospective adoptive family, you will be asked what you are willing to consider for placement of a child in your home.  Do you want a boy or girl — are you open to both? How about ethnicity — what races are you open to? Are you okay if the baby was exposed to something in utero — caffeine, alcohol, or drugs? How about physical and mental disabilities that run in the bio family? Your answers to these questions (and more) set your “required criteria” for your book to be shown. The more criteria you are willing to consider, the more often your book can be placed in front of a prospective birth mom.

It helps to think of this book as a marketing tool. This will be your best shot at a first-impression: 

1) Consider your audience. More often than not she is young (in age or mind). What colors/topics would appeal to a young adult?

2) What do you want the birth mom to know about your family? Pick the things about you that are unique, impressive, but not intimidating. The more she can relate to, the better.

Also, make sure you follow the agency’s guidelines for creating a book. They might have specific questions they’d like you to answer. Make it quick and effective with one hand-made copy, and several color additional copies at Staples or Office Depot.  I even added our family name to the binder edge of the book for easier on-shelf access!