Post Placement

Using advice from birth parents, the following suggestions have been compiled to assist adoptive parents with ideas for ways to communicate after placement. Please keep in mind, the amount of contact depends on the agreed upon openness or terms.

 1. Phone Calls, emails and texts: If you have exchanged phone numbers or email address, make sure that expectations of contact are clear before you leave the hospital with the child. It is a good idea to call, email or text the birth parents when you arrive home after the child’s discharge to assure the birth parents that the child is safe in his or her new environment. Contact at intervals of two, four and six months is suggested, along with some sort of communication around the child’s birthday, however, this depends on what the birth parents and adoptive parents have decided and are comfortable with.

2. Blogs, websites, online photo books: Creating one of these with photos of your family and updates about the child is a very easy and quick way for birth parents to be updated on the well-being of the child.

3. Child Connect: Child Connect is included in all agency adoptions as it provides a way for birth parents and adoptive parents to remain in contact. More information can be found here.

4. Videos: Sending videos of your child at special milestones (e.g., crawling, learning to walk, etc…) is always a good thing to share with the birth parents

 5. Keepsakes: Things like handprints and/or footprints preserved in some way can be sent to the birth parents directly or through the agency , depending on their agreement

 6. Adoption Jewelry: Adoption-related jewelry can be a great thing to signify special events.

 7. School Pictures: Emailing or mailing school pictures yearly (be  sure to indicate what year or grade the picture is from) is a great way to share your child’s growth and progression with the birth parents.

 8. Art projects and drawings: Collect a couple of these a year and send directly to the birth parent or through the agency, depending on their agreement.

 9. Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day Card: Remembering the birth parents on these holidays means a lot to them as you are recognizing what they have done and the amazing blessing they have given to your family.

 10.Facebook or Social Media Sites: This is emerging as a significant factor in the openness of adoption. It is a quick, easy and usually free way of communication between the birth parents and the adoptive parents without an intermediary. Be sure that you are comfortable with the situation and the resulting lack of privacy. You should also provide guidance to your child as he or she grows up on the use of social media.

As we move further into the electronic age, many entities exchange or submit information via email or through other online resources. While we always strive to keep our clients’ information confidential, we don’t always have control over what happens to that information before it reaches us or after it leaves us. You agree that you will hold the agency and its staff harmless from any problem that may develop.