While you await the arrival of the new addition to your family, it is a great idea to find other people who are in the process of adopting or have previously adopted. Sharing personal experiences with others that are going through the same process can help you deal with the stress, fear and anxiety you may be feeling. You will meet people with a common goal, and you can share in each other’s excitement and anticipation as you await the day that your lives are going to change for the better.
You may want to find a support group that specializes in the type of adoption that you are pursuing, such as a local chapter of the FCC (China adoption), FRUA (Russia and Ukrainian adoption) or PACT (the largest national support organization for adopted children of color). Try to find a local support group in your area where you can meet other waiting families in person. If you don’t have a local group, you may want to consider starting one yourself. Local support groups often gather for workshops, playgroups, potluck dinners and special events.
A great way to find other waiting families is online. Online chat groups, such as Yahoo, offer great ways for people to meet that are in the same situation. It is a wonderful way to connect with people from all over the world. Online groups sometimes create swap groups – these are groups in which members give (or swap) themed gifts. Swap groups can help pass the time while you are waiting for a referral and can also help you start gathering much needed items for your new addition.
Finding a support group not only allows you meet people with common interests, goals and experiences, it also gives you the opportunity to make some new lifelong friends.