Adoption Profile Book Overview
Having a beautifully designed profile book is an essential step for being selected as an adoptive parent. Your profile book will be the first impression birth parent(s) have of you and your family. The goal is to match you with birth parent(s) whose preferences are similar to yours so that your experience can be as smooth as possible. Your profile book will be displayed on our website under "Available Families" in a non-identifying manner to increase your chances of being selected.
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Creating your adoption profile book may seem overwhelming, but don't get discouraged. Take it step by step and your profile book will come together in a special way that represents your family and your desire to adopt a baby.
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Here are some tips:
1. Create a rough draft of how you would like to organize your book. Briefly describe what will be on each page.
2. Carefully select all potential photos that you would like to include and assign where each one could go.
3. Assemble a final rough draft and present it to others to get their input. Make edits when desired.
4. Finalize your profile. Don't hesitate to sleep on the final design for a couple days to make sure that it's exactly how you want it.
Where do I start?
The most popular websites that our families like to use are:
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Shutterfly
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OurChosenChild
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Canva
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Mixbooks
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Snapfish
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Picaboo
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Graphic Ideals (Phoenix, AZ)
Although, there are many different platforms that we've seen be just as good. Keep in mind, we highly recommend that you verify that your book may be saved as a pdf once complete.
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My Profile Book is Complete. Now What?
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We require all registered families to provide us with with at least 2 physical copies of the profile book.
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You must send us a digital pdf version of your profile book.
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We suggest the bulk of your photos to be relatively recent (within three years or so). Although, significant memories/milestones are important to highlight as well. Photos such as your wedding day (if applicable), big family trips, holidays, etc. are encouraged.
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It's okay to use professionally taken photos in a few places, but try to find ones that are candid to give a better glimpse into what you and your family/friends are like.
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We recommend that your book be anywhere between 8-15 pages in length.
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Keep it short and sweet, whilst also adequately describing you and your family and friends. Include extended family members and pets (if applicable) as well.
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Include photos and descriptions of your home, neighborhood, and community.
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We encourage you to write and include a letter to birth parent(s), this should be the area with the most text. Includes why you chose adoption, and what you plan to do once you are parent(s).
Content Suggestions
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All profiles should contain information that is non-identifying. Such as not mentioning last name(s) and giving exact locations. Please don't mention your place of work, only your job position/title.
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Be authentic and honest; try your best to let your personality shine through. Birth mother's aren't expecting you to be perfect.
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Be conscientious of the birth mother's situation and emotions. Referring to the baby as "hers", and using terms such as ,"thank you for considering adoption", rather than "thank you for deciding to place your child up for adoption". It's important to keep in mind that the birth mother has every right to decide to parent her child before she signs relinquishments. Be gracious in regards to her making this hard decision, and offer kind words of support.
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If you're married, write about each other. As well as express your love story.
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Be a creative story teller and include basic silly facts about yourself.
Keep in Mind
Making sure that your book is neat and eye catching will help you stand out; especially if you are mindful about not overloading potential birth mother's with information. Each page must have concise language that is easy to read, and at least one photo per page is preferred.
It's essential to give the birth mother an accurate and engaging glimpse into what their child's life could look like with you and your family. Every birth mother is different, and they're all looking for different qualities and circumstances in parent(s); don't put yourself in a box by only writing what you think an birth mother wants to hear.
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Our agency does not offer profile making services.
If you're stuck, don't be afraid to use a template from any of the above websites. Using templates can help significantly with keeping a clean and organized looking book.
