Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents
This is a comprehensive guide for adoptive parents on how to care for adopted children and promote healthy attachment. It explains what attachment is, how…
Resource Tag: Community Support/Connections
The Primal Wound
This book clarifies the effects of separating babies from their birth mothers as a primal loss, affecting the relationships of the adopted person throughout life.…
In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories
This is a collection of interviews of Black and biracial young adults adopted by white parents. It features personal stories of two dozen individuals “who…
Lucky Girl: A Memoir
This is the true story of Mei-Ling Hopgood, one of the first wave of Asian adoptees to arrive in America. She never identified with her…
A Single Square Picture: A Korean Adoptee’s Search for Her Roots
This book is about a Korean-American adoptee who returned to Korea at 20 to search for her birth mother. The author cites feeling conflicted, shattered,…
Great Value Colleges: “40 Great Scholarships for First-Generation College Students”
This is a list of 40 scholarships meant for first-generation college students. Featured programs and awards feature eligibility requirements, scholarship descriptions, and scholarship websites.
U.S. News & World Report: “Scholarships for Students With a Deceased Parent”
This resource is for students who have lost a parent and are seeking financial support for higher education. The article highlights the award amounts, eligibility,…
Academic Related: “20 Scholarships for People Who Have Lost a Parent 2023”
This is another resource for students who have lost a parent and are seeking financial support through scholarships. The article has information about each 20…
UMPS CARE Charities: All-Star College Scholarship
This scholarship is for children adopted later in life (at or after 13). It aims to provide opportunities for advanced education (must be incoming freshman).…
Also-Known-As: Adoptee Excellence Scholarship
This scholarship is open to undergraduate international adoptees who demonstrate leadership, drive, integrity, and civic engagement. They seek candidates who have used their adoption story…
Asian Pacific Fund: Apply for Scholarships
This fund offers a wide range of scholarships with varying recipient amounts and qualifications. There are scholarships available for undergraduate and graduate students alike and…
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption: “FRUA’s Annual Scholarship Program for HS Seniors, College & Vocational Students”
FRUA offers four scholarships for Russian and Ukrainian students who have experienced hardship and demonstrated resiliency. In order to access required qualifications and submit your…
Family Resource Center on Disabilities: “Scholarships”
This center features a list of scholarships that are available for people with disabilities and come from foundations, organizations, or a broad range of other…
College Consensus: “35 Scholarships for Students with Disabilities”
This is a list of 35 scholarships for students with disabilities. Applicants need proof of a disability before they can find scholarships, financial aid, or…
Scholarships360: “Top 75 Scholarships for Disabled Students in September 2023”
This is a list of 79 scholarships for disabled students that are available in 2023. The majority are college related. The descriptions include the title,…
Scholarships.com: Disability Scholarships
This article gives a brief history of the Americans with Disabilities and details about scholarships. The site includes the scholarships’ name, deadline, amount, and description.
American Adoptions: “College Scholarships for Adoptees”
This lists different scholarships available to adopted and fostered youth. The list is composed of various scholarships for higher education. There’s a brief description about…
SmartScholar: Scholarships for Chinese Students
A scholarship directory that offers scholarships for Chinese students. There are descriptions, requirements and qualifications, award amount, deadlines, and application links for each scholarship.
Adopt A New Beginning: “Support Groups for Adoptive Families”
The Support for Adoptive Families, Birth Families, and Adoptees is part of the New Beginning community. This community provides many kinds of support groups, including…
goingmerry: “30 Valuable Scholarships for Asian American Students in 2023”
This is a list of 30 scholarships for Asian-American and minority students. The amount, provider, eligibility requirements, and application requirements are listed for each award.
NACAC: “The Value of Adoption Groups: Supporting Parents, Supporting Kids, Supporting Families”
An article explaining the role a support group can play in the lives of adopted children and their families. The article also explains how support…
Haiti Scholarships
This organization is geared toward Haitian students in Hawaii. There are five scholarships listed, each with details about the requirements, award amounts, providers, and more.
Wayfinder Family Services
This organization provides individualized support and services to children, youth and, adults who have special needs or have been in foster care. They strive to…
Scholarships.com: Scholarships by Ethnicity
This directory is for students who are looking for scholarship opportunities that are based on race and ethnicity. You can filter by region and country…
Considering Adoption: “Scholarships for Adoptees”
This article answers a few questions about college scholarships for adopted youth. It also provides links to different college scholarships for international adoptees and youth…
Adoption STAR: “Scholarship Opportunities”
Adoption STAR offers four unique scholarship opportunities for the adoption community. Scholarships are for academics, LGBTQ+ prospective parents, and special needs children. All of the…
Holt International: “Holt Adoptee Scholarship Contest”
This scholarship is open to all adoptees (domestic or international) who plan to or are currently in higher education. Applicants could be awarded up to…
Gladney Center for Adoption: Adoption Forums
This is an online forum containing numerous threads about adoption. Categories include adoptive parents, foster care, special needs, adult adoptees, and more. Each category contains…
NACAC: Find a Parent Group
This organization has a search directory that allows users to filter through countless adoption support groups in North America. There are many support group categories,…
Heart of Adoptions, Incorporated: Support Groups
Heart of Adoptions is a private adoption agency. They offer a list of various support groups, and descriptions and contact information for each group. There…
Adoption Support Alliance: Connection Groups
This alliance brings adoptive families together in North Carolina. They offer three types of groups: therapist-led, community-led, and a mix of support and education (“support-ucation”).…
ICAV: Adoptee Led Groups
ICAV’s mission is to educate, support, connect, collaborate, galvanize, and give voice to intercountry adoptees. On this webpage, they provide a list of adoptee groups…
Adoption Network: “How to Find Support Groups for Adoptive Parents”
This article explains the benefits of parent support groups for parents of adoptees. It discusses single parents’ and couples’ challenges and provides some resources for…
NCFA: “A Guide to Adoption Subsidies and Assistance for Adoptive Parents”
This article discusses subsidies that provide additional support for adoptees and their families. It explains what they are, which entities provides them, who is eligible,…
Capital Adoptive Families Alliance (CAFA): Support Groups
This alliance explains the importance of support groups and provides information about their own support group. CAFA’s support group offers general support to parents and…
Child Welfare Information Gateway: “Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State”
This article answers the question: “Does your State provide additional finances or services for medical or therapeutic needs not covered under your State medical plan…
Meetup: Adoptees
This is a location-based search directory for adoptee support groups. Profiles include location, contact information, events, and photos. It features a list of the largest…
The Special Needs Parent Handbook – 2nd Edition
This book provides practical advice for parents of children with special needs and disabilities. It discusses hiring babysitters and free respite help, finding the best…
Considering Adoption: “Adoptee Support Groups”
A list of adoptee support groups, including groups for general adoptee support, international adoptee support, foster care adoptee support, and person of color (POC) adoptee…
Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
This is a directory for resources for kids with disabilities across the United States. It lists consultants, psychologists, tutors, therapists, coaches, and other professionals who…
Adoption Family Support Network (AFSN): Post Adoption Support
This network gives adoptive parents a community of people to share experiences and answers about adoption. They have a list of support groups for parents…
Child Welfare Information Gateway: “Parenting Your Child With Developmental Delays and Disabilities”
A brief overview on how to identify a disability in a child, the first steps parents can take to address their child’s needs, and parenting…
Family Resource Center on Disabilities
This center is dedicated to providing parents of children with disabilities with information, training, and assistance. Their resource page features many websites and tools for…
Supportiv: “Mental Health Resources For Disabled People”
This is an ever-growing menu of free resources and ideas for maintaining health with a disability. It discusses insurance, therapy, government programs, and nature programs…
ICAV Post Adoption Services
A list of intercountry and transracial, adoptee-led, post-adoption services located in the US. It includes search reunion services, counseling and therapy services, mentorship programs, and…
Child Welfare Information Gateway: “Adoption”
This webpage offers resources on for all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, however it focuses on adoption from the US foster care system. It…
AAC: “State by State Support Groups”
A list of support groups in North America, including name, state, meeting times, and contact information. Group members can include both adopted adults and birth…
Medical Home Portal: “Adoption of Children with Special Needs”
An article covering general preparation advice for parents adopting a child with special needs. It discusses adoption of children with special needs, getting ready for…
Gladney Center for Adoption: “Special Needs Adoption Guide: What you need to know when considering special needs adoption”
An article explaining what parents need to know regarding special needs adoption. It clarifies special needs adoption, the medical conditions checklist, file reviews, setting up…
Adopted (2008)
This tells the story of two adoptees and their families. One family is a couple excitedly preparing for the adoption of a baby girl. The…
U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs: “Health Considerations”
An article about the differences between convention requirements (which normally have an Article 16 requirement) and non-convention requirements. It also explains the expectations for accredited…
The Drop Box (2015)
A documentary about a South Korean pastor made famous for his “drop box.” The film underscores his religion, work with adoption, and the function of…
CDC: “International Adoption”
An article on vaccinations and disease for parents adopting internationally. It gives recommendations and information for pre-adoption procedures, overseas medical examination processes, vaccinations, finding a…
Adoption Support Alliance
The ASA offers a beginner’s adoption course designed for prospective adoptive families. The class discusses various aspects of adoption, including logistical challenges, managing grief and…
lowcosthealthinsurance.com: “Will my health insurance cover an adopted child?”
This article explains how health insurance works with adopted children. It mentions that while most insurance plans covering biological children must also cover adopted children,…
Child Welfare Information Gateway: “Preadoption Training”
A brief article regarding different types of adoption training for prospective and adoptive parents. There’s also a list of trainings that are required or useful…
U.S. Department of Labor: “Protections for Newborns, Adopted Children, and New Parents…The Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act of 1996”
An article on protections for newborns, adopted children, and new parents in the context of a health protection act passed in 1996. It explains how…
Holt International: “Parenting Adoptees”
This is a Christian organization that offers programs including Post-Adoption Coaching & Education (PACE) and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). Both programs help parents better understand…
America World Adoption: “Adoption Training”
This Christian adoption agency offers curriculum designed to help families prepare for the placement and care of a child. They also offer courses for post-adoption…
Adoption Training Online
This resource is from the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama and offers several adoption trainings. Trainings cover domestic adoption, international adoption, medical courses, and more.
Gladney Center for Adoption: “Why Are Foster Care and Adoption Training Required?”
This article explains why foster care and adoption training are required. It discusses pre-service training, foster parent in-service training, post-adoption training, kinship-specific training, and more.…
Gladney Center for Adoption: “Adopting a Child With Special Needs and Disabilities”
This article discusses considerations for prospective parents when adopting a child with special needs or disabilities. It explains how to understanding children with special needs,…
Love Without Boundaries: “Adopting a Child With Special Needs”
This organization provides reference information for common special needs, including craniofacial conditions, digestive system conditions, infectious diseases, and more. There’s also a family stories page,…
No Hands But Ours
This organization focuses on waiting children in China with medical needs. They have resources for prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents, and about special needs. It…
Utah’s Adoption Connection: Children with Special Needs
This digital lending library allows prospective adoptive families, foster parents, and adoptive parents to rent books for free. Users can check out up to three…
Gladney Center for Adoption: “How We Decided Which Special Needs Boxes to Check on Our Preference Checklist”
This article by an adoptive mother discusses the considerations that go into the preference checklist adoptive parents must complete. She offers advice about how to…
RainbowKids: “Special Needs in Children”
This adoption advocacy website is a resource for families considering special needs adoption. It has information about special needs, adoption agencies and professionals, hosting, and…
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
BEAM is a national training, movement building, and grant making institution. They’re dedicated to the healing, wellness, and liberation of Black and marginalized communities.
Unlocking the Heart of Adoption (2002)
This is an hour-long documentary revealing the filmmaker’s journey as a birthmother. It also features the stories of adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents. A wide…
Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
This foundation offers Black communities resources, connections, and support needed to help break the silence and stigma around mental health. It offers a directory of…
Somewhere Between (2011)
A documentary following the lives of four teenage girls adopted from China. The film explores their struggles with racism, identity formation, belonging, race, gender, and…
InnoPsych
An organization dedicated to “healing to communities of color by changing the face and feel of therapy.” Their goal is to make therapists of color…
Therapy for Black Girls
This is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. The site has a search directory where users are…
Mental Health America: “Black and African American Communities and Mental Health”
This is resource promotes mental health as a critical part of overall wellness — including prevention services. The site includes statistics about what Black and…
Therapist Locator
A search engine that locates marriage and family therapists. Users can search using zip codes or a city name for therapists in the US, Canada,…
Counseling Directory: “Family therapy”
An article and a search engine combined, this resource addresses what systemic family therapy is, its purposes, how it works, and what it is. Users…
Healthgrades: Family and Marriage Counselors Near Me
A search engine that allows users to search for family and marriage counselors. Users can filter by state and browse therapists’ profiles by rating, testimonial,…
OnlineTherapy: “Marriage and Family Therapist Online”
An article and search directory, this source discusses the decision to find a marriage and family therapist online. It also links to a directory that…
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: “Adoption”
This article explains how adoption and the attitudes surrounding it have changed. It explains different reasonings behind the decision to adopt, and how adoptive parents,…
Chris Massman (LMFT): “What to Look for in a Family Therapist”
This article provides an introduction to family therapy. It offers advice about what qualities to look for in a therapist, therapy sessions, and how to…
North American Council on Adoptable Children: “Therapy Plays an Important Role in Adoptive Families’ Lives”
This article discusses the role that family therapy plays in adoptive families’ lives. It explains why therapy is important and encourages readers to choose a…
No Hands But Ours: “Preparing for Adoption: A Family Therapist’s Perspective”
An article on preparing for adoption by Ashley Yeager — a family therapist and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner. She offers five pieces of advice…
The Dark Matter of Love (2012)
A documentary on the psychological aspects of growing up with and without parental love. The story follows the Diaz family, who chooses to adopt three…
Found (2021)
The story of three adopted Chinese-American girls who discover they’re cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions…
Stuck (2013)
A documentary about children on their journeys from orphanages to homes in the United States. This explores the corruption and greed behind the adoption process.…
Lion (2016)
A movie about a birth family search based on a true story. A child from India gets lost, taken thousands of miles away from home,…
Angela Tucker
Angela Tucker is a multimedia phenomenon leading discussions about race, class, and identity. She was adopted from foster care to a white family, and grew…
Find Black Therapist
This is a search engine for searching for Black therapists in the US. Users can filter by state, city, issue (including adoption), and type of…
African Diaspora Mental Health Association (ADMH)
This association is an outpatient mental health clinic in Massachusetts. They offer many different mental health services, including individual therapy, family therapy, bilingual services, couples…
Safe Space Africa
Mental health educational products and therapy services for Africans on the continent, as well as the African diaspora.
Black Mental Wellness
An organization that provides access to evidence-based information and resources about mental health and behavioral health topics from a Black perspective. It highlights and increases…
Adoptee Voices Rising
An adoptee-led, social justice group that advocates for the adoptee community through political engagement and legislation.
NCFA: “Is Anyone Out There?: Finding Support as a Birth Mother”
A first-person perspective article from a birth mother on adoption, loss, and finding support after birth. She explains the loss that she felt after placing…
Rhonda M. Roorda, MA
Rhonda is a transracial adoptee from New York. She is an author and public speaker and her work focuses on her identity as a Black…
Adoptees On
A Spotify podcast where adoptees discuss the adoption experience. Hosts emphasize open and vulnerable discussions. Episodes range from 40 minutes to an hour and a…
Who Am I Really?
A podcast where adoptees of all different backgrounds discuss their adoptions and attempts at reunion with their biological families. Episodes range from 30 minutes to…
Vox: “Genes aren’t destiny, and other things I’ve learned from being adopted”
An adoptee speaks candidly about their adoption experience — dealing with other people’s expectations and the ways in which birth family connection can be powerful.
Considering Adoption: “5 Things the Spouse of an Adoptee Should Know”
A brief article about five ways in which you can uniquely support and love an adopted spouse.
NCFA: Stories
A list from The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) of articles for and fromadoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and expecting parents.
The Adoption and Fostering Podcast
A podcast series that interviews birth parents, adoptees, and family members of adoptees. It features conversations about contemporary adoption and fostering. Episodes are 40-50 minutes…
