Networking is another way to possibly connect with an expectant parent making an adoption plan for their baby (also known as a potential birth mom) either on your own or alongside the efforts of your adoption professional.
NETWORKINGis simply using "word of mouth" to get out the message that you want to adopt! You let friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, professionals, etc. know that you're hoping to adopt and would like them to keep you in mind if they come across any potential birth moms. You never know when someone you know might know someone who has a friend, daughter, co-worker, etc. who is considering an adoption plan. Many hopeful adoptive parents connect with their children's birth moms via networking, and the trend is increasingly popular with internet usage. Your main objective in networking is to let everyone with whom you come in contact know of your desire to adopt.
There are no steadfast rules to networking only that you do what is comfortable for you. You can network as little or as much as you'd like.You may have a hard time at first because networking exposes you further to the world, so start small and do only what feels comfortable.
BUSINESS CARDS -Create business cards for your friends and family to pass out if they hear of a potential situation. On the card, include a small photo, your first names, your website address, your toll-free number and a statement that you are hoping to adopt. If you feel comfortable, you can also hand these out to the grocery store clerk, your hairstylist, security guard to your office building, physicians, school nurses and social workers, and clergy. Another idea is to write a little note on the back saying, “Thank you for helping us build our family through adoption and leave a card under your tip at a restaurant. Many of us have been known to leave our business cards in restrooms, truck stops, elevators, business card “free drawing” bowls, and community festivals. You can also send them with your bills every month and post them anywhere you see a community bulletin board.
You may think that people will just throw them away, and some will--but you're looking for only one expectant mom to make a connection with, not 50, right? So if you pass out hundreds or thousands of cards and only one reaches an expectant mother who selects you, the process was a perfect success.
WISH TO ADOPT LETTER - Write a letter to your friends and family letting them know about your “wish to adopt.” Post a quick message on the GoAdoption forums asking our users what their letters said. Your'e bound to find a style that works for you.
FREE EMAIL ACCOUNT -Sign up for a free email account for your adoption networking purposes. You will use this email address separate from your personal account. Sign up with a service that will allow you to check messages from anywhere in the world so you never have to worry that the account will go unattended. Free email accounts are available through yahoo.com!, hotmail.com, gmail.com, and others. You may have the ability to get an extra email account through your current internet service provider (ISP), but make sure you have the ability to check mail from any computer anywhere in the world before you go that route. Create an email address that's easy to remember and makes your email stand out a little--for example, , , or
After you've set up your email account, make sure you set up your signature so that every email you send has your wish-to-adopt message. Here's an example:
You can also set up your personal email accounts with this signature. This will help friends and contacts know your intent to adopt. If your family members want to help, they can also add this signature to their outgoing emails.
Hoping to grow our family by 2 feet through open adoption! www.jackandjill.com
Toll Free Expectant Parent Line: 1-800-555-1212
WAITING FAMILIES WEBPAGE – Post your listing on the Waiting Families website of your adoption professional. Your listing will be accessible by any expectant parents visiting the website of yoru adoption professional and will typically include a few photos and a brief description of your family. You can also typically list an additional link to direct viewers to another site for more information about you.
You may also want to list this page on your business cards. If you feel most comfortable with a short description of your family, this is an excellent and affordable resource for you. If you want expectant parents to know more about you than what is available on your adoption professional's website consider the next option as well.
YOUR OWN WEBSITE Create a website that mimics your hard-copy family profile and post it online.You can do this free at sites such as Geocities by Yahoo! or you can get more technical and create your own website, register your own domain (e.g., www.growby2feet.com) and outsource the hosting. Creating your own website requires a little more expertise, but anyone can do it and there are several free online sources to help you navigate the process. Ask your friends and family if any of them know how to create a website. This is a common practice these days, and someone you know (or their teenager!) might be able and willing to help you and consider it their contribution to building your family.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR BUILDING YOUR WEBSITE:
If you purchase a domain name (a .com, .net, etc.) for your website, try to use the word "adopt" in your URL.
Be sure your site is easy to navigate, readable and understandable.
Be sure to include your contact information such as your toll-free number, email address, and agency or attorney information.
Do not put your last name on the internet. This is to protect yourselves and your children.
Some people provide links on their website to different birth parent support sites. This is a nice touch.
Make sure your site is informative as well as functional and efficient. Too many pictures on your site could slow down the loading, which could be frustrating to a potential birth parent.
Submit your website address to all the major search engines. A list is available at: www.loienelle.com/adopt.html.
Post your profile at a myriad of sites. Some are free and others are not.
Get a toll-free number to put on your online profile (in addition to your adoption business cards) and include with your email signature.Toll-free numbers are increasingly affordable--we found one for $4.99 a month for 100 minutes with the option to prepay for additional minutes. Your telephone service provider may offer this service, or a quick internet search will help you find a vendor.
ADOPTION FLYERS - Use your computer to design a simple adoption flyer with a photo or cute clip art and include your name, phone number, website address, email address, and a statement about your desire to adopt. You can leave your flyers on community bulletin boards or post them around college campuses. You can also create a flyer with tear off phone contacts on them, which make it easier to have your information handy.
EXPOSURE - Determine the amount of exposure you want. Do you want to attract only expectant parents in your home state? Do you want to go nationwide? Do you want expectant parents to be able to contact you directly? Do you want your adoption professional to handle all calls of interest?
LOW EXPOSURE: 1) Place your one-page profile on the Waiting Families page, and 2) Write a Wish to Adopt letter to friends and family.
MEDIUM EXPOSURE: 1) Do the above, plus 2) Create a website that mimics your hard-copy family profile, and 3) Register your website with different search engines.
HIGH EXPOSURE: 1) Do the above, plus 2) get a toll-free number and post it on your website. Make sure it rings a phone you usually have with you--such as your cell phone.
Be ready to speak directly with expectant parents and other adoptive families. A situation that may not be right for you might be right for another prospective adoptive family. Remember this, it's not a competition to bring a baby home before another family; it's a journey to bring “your baby home.
Networking is another way to possibly connect with an expectant parent making an adoption plan for their baby (also known as a potential birth mom) either on your own or alongside the efforts of your adoption professional.