Older Child Adoption
Planning to adopt a school-age child? With preparation and patience, a few adjustments on both sides, and some unconventional parenting methods, you'll find that bringing home an older child can be a deeply rewarding way to form a family.
AF's guide to older child adoption will help you navigate the journey, with personal stories of parents who have already adopted a child (or two) of toddler age or beyond, as well as a collection of helpful resources, and real-life advice from experts on the transition to family.
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| Getting Started |
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Adopting an Older Child?
by Carrie Howard
Moms and dads share the special joy that comes with bringing home a school-age child, and the unique parenting approach that helps their families bond.
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What We Wish We Had Known
by Judy and Sara Myerson
A mother and her "ready-made" daughter share lessons learned about older child adoption.
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When One Parent Is Rejected
by Mary Hopkins-Best, Ph.D.
Selective rejection of one parent is not uncommon in families that adopt toddler-age children. Here's how to cope.
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Into the Safety of Our Hearts
by Karyn Purvis, Ph.D., and David Cross, Ph.D.
Forming strong attachments is possible when adopting an older or at-risk child. Two experts share how to create a safe environment for our children.
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| Personal Stories |
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Getting Past the Anger
by Janice Goldwater
When a child joined her family at age 10, she was violent and terrified of love. Here, a mother how her family overcame trials to become one.
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We've Always Done It That Way
by Rose Godfrey
Katia and Edward, 10 and nine years old, came into our lives with no more of an idea of how to become a family than we had. But, the journey of our first Christmas together etched a road of heart-warming traditions.
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The Baby Who Never Cried
by Gina Hagler
The experts told me not to worry. But I trusted my instincts and found ways to ease my older son's transition into our family.
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A Past Without Pictures
by Katherine Sanders
When you adopt a child at an older age, putting together a history can be difficult.
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And Now We Are Three
by Jeff Gottesfeld with Cherie Bennett
Mix one American couple, one preteen Russian boy, and one summer program, ...and what do you get? Family.
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What the Books Didn't Tell Me
by Carrie Krueger
When their three-year-old son arrived home, this family quickly learned they had to set aside tried-and-true parenting methods in favor of the nurturing he’d never known.
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A Home for Helen
by Melissa Fay Greene
She was a motherless five-year-old living in an Ethiopian orphanage. But the package in her hands promised a brighter future.
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| Online Resources |
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Older Child Adoption
Articles on older child adoption, a discussion forum, and links about adoptive parenting, international adoption, and special needs.
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Attachment & Trauma Network
An international support and resource community formed by three adoptive mothers for children and families affected by attachment problems or other disorders.
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Children’s Disabilities Info
Interviews and articles pertaining to special needs adoptions.
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Adopt_Older_Kids
Online support group for those who have been touched by older child adoption.
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Families with Older Internationally Adopted Children
Online support group for families adopting children ages 10+. |
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