Adoptive Families Blog

Lifetime is excited to announce new webinar coming up in a few weeks, "Trusting God With Your Story." We'll be welcoming a special guest, Elizabeth Laing Thompson. She's a speaker, author, and minister who has first-hand experience with the trials of infertility. This webinar will be open to all attendees; you don't have to be a Lifetime client to join in! 

We first heard about Elizabeth’s book, When God Says “Wait”, from some of Lifetime’s hopeful adoptive moms. With her newest book, When God Says “Go”, launching this month, we’re excited to hear from Elizabeth’s heart for helping Christians recognize God’s call and trustworthy lead in their stories!

Lifetime's webinar "Trusting God with your Adoption" with Elizabeth will start at 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern on Thursday, May 24th. Elizabeth is eager to encourage you as you pursue God’s call in your life, and to help you grow in your faith as you wait on and trust in His next direction of your path to adoption!

It can be overwhelming to begin researching adoption professionals, trying to find the right one for you and your family. Among other tasks, you'll need to check out their website and Better Business Bureau rating, as well as talk to a representative from their company on the phone.

To help you simplify your adoption research, we're providing some quick info on what you can expect with a Lifetime adoption. Keep reading to learn about our ratings, reputation, professionals, and our Founder!

Sometimes, people rush into adoption when they discover they are infertile without taking the time to grieve the loss of the biological child they did not have. They risk sabotaging an adoption or, worse, treating an adopted child as second best to the son or daughter they might have had.

Before you can adopt with success, you must come to terms with your infertility. For some couples, this may take years. Move at your own pace, but realize that the longer you wait, the more you delay the precious time you could have with your child.

When you're preparing for an older child adoption, it's smart to register for all the gear you need ahead of time. We have heard from adoptive families who created a wish list or online registry at Amazon.

Then, once they're traveling for adoption, friends and family can purchase needed items from their list. These items can be shipped to their home or their hotel when they know they'll need them. This allows adoptive couples to enjoy the excitement of registering, but avoid having all those items sitting around while they wait to be chosen by a birth mother. 

Lifetime has built this adoption shopping checklist, so you can be sure you have all the needed essentials for adopting an older child. You can see our suggestions for an infant adoption registry in our previous post, Adoption Registry: Shopping Checklist for Parents-in-Waiting. 

In adoption today, parents waiting to adopt often cannot predict when they will get “the call” to go meet the baby they long to add to their family. Babies are born at all hours and it’s important to be ready to GO when the opportunity to adopt comes calling. This moment is full of mixed emotions, from sheer joy to the jitters.

Remember, most hospitals are located within a short drive to a local mega-mart or drug store, so don’t panic if you pack light and stock up on what you need once you travel. There are some things for adoption travel that you can prepare now, so you have less to pack, and less to remember when the time comes to meet your baby. Consider your hospital packing list ahead of time. Here’s what we suggest getting ready:

When you start to look into adopting a baby, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start. Should you begin by calling adoption agencies, or by reading adoption books? Maybe watching videos of adoption stories is more your style. How is your adoption research and planning going so far?

In case you're feeling a little overwhelmed, or even if you're just soaking up info like a sponge, Lifetime is sharing 3 must-see adoption webinars for anyone hoping to adopt! The best part is that you can watch these webinars on-the-go, from wherever you are. This allows you to fit your adoption research into your already-busy schedule. 

Today's we're sharing a top adoption tip from Lifetime's Founder & adoptive mother, Mardie Caldwell!

"From your very first impression through to the finalization of your adoption, a little sweetness goes a long way with your adoption professional AND with birth mothers.

All lending services are provided by LightStream, a division of SunTrust Bank, and we may be compensated by LightStream through links on this site.

At Lifetime, we don't want finances to keep you from being able to adopt. We recognize that the cost of adoption is an obstacle for many families. Luckily, there's a wonderful resource available to help families offset fees to make adoption more affordable.

An adoption loan through LightStream can make it possible for you to realize your dream of adopting a baby or child. Any hopeful adoptive family looking for an affordable adoption is able to take advantage of LightStream's loan; you don't need to be a Lifetime client.

LightStream loans can be used to pay for any aspect of your adoption process. That means the loan can be used not only to pay adoption professionals but also for things like adoption travel, preparing your baby's nursery, and profile printing costs.

LightStream has created an affordable solution for families hoping to adopt. Keep reading to get information about their adoption loans, as well as how you can apply!

Are you thinking about adopting a baby or child? Before you begin pursuing adoption, it's important to determine if you're truly ready. Also known as "adoption readiness," it can seem like a tricky thing to pinpoint yourself. Many couples wonder how to know when's the right time to stop trying for a biological child and start the adoption process.

So today, Lifetime is sharing four simple ways to know whether you're ready to adopt:

If you're reading this, you already know that your adoption profile is an essential part of how you present yourselves to birth mothers. It's the first impression she gets of you, your lives, and what you have to offer her child. Last week, we shared how to harness the power of your adoption profile. 

Today, Lifetime shares adoption profile tips about what to avoid putting in your profile. Keep reading to learn the top 4 profile don'ts!