Adoption Profiles. What Are They + Why Do I Need One?

Adoption profiles have been a mainstay in the domestic adoption process for decades now. In fact, I’ll never forget finding my parents’ adoption profile book; the scrapbook-like pages tucked away neatly into an unopened cardboard moving box full of old family relics and dated documents. As my hands grazed over the glued-on photos and typewriter-inked paragraphs, I imagined a time before I was around. In my hands were the heartfelt words and images put together nearly two decades before by a couple who dreamt of expanding their family. 

As an adoptee, I’d always known the road my parents took to adoption was a long one, full of paperwork, rollercoaster emotions and more than anything, hope. My birth mother had chosen them as the perfect adoptive family for her baby, but I had never given much thought to the “how.” How did my birth mother find my parents? How did my parents find my birth mother? The pages in my hands, now tinted an off-white with time, told the part of the story I had always been missing- how an adoption profile book led to the beautiful life I was given. 

As I leafed through the pages, I read about my mother’s passion for flowers, her job as a florist and her hopes to spend time teaching a child about the beauty in the world- flowers, bugs, trees and all. 

My father described his love of athletics, college basketball and golf. He told of his experience coaching teams at the Boys and Girls Club and his wish to one day coach a team for a child (or at least be their biggest fan on the sidelines). 

Among the images were pictures of my grandparents, cruising through Italy and learning more about their heritage. There were snapshots of my parents’ silly canine companion, a Dalmatian named Dice. 

It was clear they had poured their hearts into putting together this book- hopeful that it would be picked up by someone who saw the life and love they could provide a child. 

What Is An Adoption Profile Book? 

Designed for expectant mothers who are considering making an adoption plan, an adoption profile book is a collection of biographical writings authored by waiting adoptive families. 

Adoption profiles are a birth mother’s view into your life, an informative gallery of pictures and paragraphs detailing what makes you, YOU! Clichè as it may seem, adoption profiles are like snowflakes, each is individually unique. 

You know how they say dogs can sometimes look like their human owners? Adoption profiles function similarly- a profile should directly reflect who you are. 

Nowadays, profiles are optimized for use both in-person and digitally. Many expectant birth mothers use the internet to search for potential adoptive parents and have turned to online profiles as a way to browse through prospective parents. 

Why Do I Need One? 

The answer is simple: To find a match! 

Adoption profiles are the standard tool for establishing the first connection between hopeful adoptive parents and an expectant birth mother. 

How Do I Make An Adoption Profile Book? 

Creating a moving and personalized adoption profile isn’t a walk in the park. In fact, many people who are going through an adoption journey struggle to know what to write, what kind of content to include or what pictures are best suited to be featured. 

Luckily, Parentfinder is here to help.  

ParentFinder has assisted over 4,000 hopeful families put together effective, unique and moving profiles. In fact, as trusted industry professionals, Parentfinder works with dozens of adoption agencies, law firms and adoption consultants nationwide to help their parents create dynamic adoption profile books. 

With writing coaches to edit and guide you on narrative style and an expert design team to help you create a stunning final product- Parentfinder professionals make putting together your adoption profile a breeze. Plus – with Parentfinder, you’ll get physical copies of your profile, as well as a digital version, made available and searchable to expectant mothers via Parentfinder.com. 

Sharing your heart and telling your story through an adoption profile is a key element of matching with an expectant mother and placing. Let Parentfinder help you tell your story! 

If you’re ready to get started, or if you have any questions about the profile creation process or best practices, reach out to the Parentfinder Team by email at info@parentfinder.com or by phone (317) 652-7696.