Before bringing our son home from China in October 2013, I worked as a school psychologist serving children, families, teachers, and administrators in the school setting. Although the majority of my work was completing special education evaluations, providing direct intervention services was one of my favorite parts about my job. While attending Indiana University for …Read More

“I’ve thought about adopting, but I could never afford it!” I think every adoptive family has either heard that comment, or maybe even thought it themselves at some point. It was those conversations — sometimes at church, sometimes in the grocery store — that led me to write “You Can Adopt Without Debt.” I’ve wanted …Read More

You might think that sign language is only for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We’d like to encourage you to reconsider. Signing is an incredibly valuable tool in any adoptive parent’s tool belt. It makes communicating with your newly adopted child exponentially easier – no matter their age or special need. And …Read More

We recently had an opportunity to talk with Martha Osborne, founder of RainbowKids, and ask her some questions about RainbowKids, the recent changes in the Shared List and the impact of those changes on China’s special needs program. ……… Q: Can you tell us more about Rainbow Kids – how did it get started? Our …Read More

I’m an accidental parent. To be more precise, I’m an accidental adoptive parent of two children with special needs. No, my two adoptive kiddos didn’t just show up one day in a basket with a note tied to it (although, I’m sure that would have cut down on paperwork and the timeline). But I never …Read More

The red thread is pulling us, pulling us speedily now toward our second son, China-born and soon to be an American by the end of the summer. This is our first adoption, second son. We cannot believe we are counting down to holding the little guy in less than a week. Three years ago had …Read More

Becoming a parent, no matter how it happens, is never easy. But for those just looking into the possibility of adoption it can seem positively overwhelming. It is our hope to change all that. This 8-post series will go step-by-step through the process to adopt through the special needs program for those of you who …Read More

You might think that sign language is only for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We’d like to encourage you to reconsider. Signing is an incredibly valuable tool in ANY adoptive parent’s tool belt. It makes communicating with your newly adopted child exponentially easier – no matter their age or special need. And …Read More

Don’t be afraid, For I am with you. Don’t be discouraged because I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ……. My husband Chris and I recently took a much needed respite trip to Portland, Oregon. We live in Austin, …Read More

It was the morning before my daughter’s cleft lip repair. Alongside my husband and with my daughter in my arms, we walked into her surgeon’s office. We had intentionally waited four months after her adoption before scheduling the surgery. I wanted to give her time to begin to know and trust us. I also wanted …Read More