Tips on Writing Adoptive Parent Profiles
Creating a Family Resume for an Adoption Life Book
Jan 8, 2009
Parent profiles also are known as Dear Birthmother letters, adoption profiles, life books and family resumes. Profiles “introduce” potential adoptive parents to birthparents and sometimes serve as the only contact between the parents. Whether the profile is viewed on paper or on the Web, it is an important tool to expectant parents searching for the best family to parent their child.
Writing a parent profile can pose a stressful challenge to those hoping to adopt. To ease the process, some adoptive parents hire professionals to write and design their profile. Those who choose the do-it-yourself route should relax and use these tips to construct a profile that will catch birthparents’ attention.
Organizing the Parent Profile
- Choose a few main ideas in which to focus. Don’t bog the profile down with superfluous details. Save lengthy family histories and parenting philosophies for later contacts with birthparents.
- Begin with an outline and stick with it. An outline helps adoptive parents organize and focus their profile on a few main points.
- Be concise. Successful profiles read quickly and fall in the four- to five-page range whether published on paper or on the Web.
- Divide the profile into sections. Titles create a road map for the reader and make the text more pleasing to the eyes. Most profiles begin with a letter to potential birthparents, typically known as a Dear Birthmother letter. Other sections might highlight individual parents, family time, home, careers, hobbies, religion, pets and hopes to adopt.
Window to Your World
- Be honest. Trust is an essential component of adoption. Don’t try to hide information from birthparents, and don’t try to be someone else just to impress.
- Potential parents should directly explain their desire to adopt and why. It is vital to tell birthparents what an individual or couple would offer a new son or daughter if chosen to parent their child.
- Be unique. Some paid services ask potential parents to complete fill-in-the-blank questionnaires, which can produce “cookie-cutter” profiles that look and sound similar to other parents’ profiles.
- Show personality! Don’t be afraid to include silly photos and humor. Profiles should help birthparents connect with adoptive parents. Successful profiles make expectant parents feel like they’ve actually met potential parents.
- Put the best photos forward. Choose in-focus and close-up photos. Avoid red-eye shots. Include mugs of extended family (such as potential aunts, uncles, grandparents and close friends), but don’t overdo it. Profiles shouldn’t confuse birthparents with complicated family trees or distract them from learning about potential adoptive parents and siblings.
The Importance of Perspective
- Edit, edit, edit! Don’t rush; take time to compose the parent profile. Ask friends and family members – and adoption professionals – to review it for content, grammar and punctuation. Listen to their advice and suggestions.
- Most importantly, step back and view the words and photos from the eyes of a birthparent. Show compassion and empathy, and always thank the reader for taking the time to read the profile.
The adoption process requires hopeful families to exercise patience and perseverance. The parent profile is no exception. Investing ample time and insight during this crucial step in the adoption journey will help create a profile that pops off the page – as well as a treasured keepsake of a child’s adoption story.
Related Article:
Creating Parent Profiles for Adoption Life Books
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