Being part of a group of people with common interests, experiences, and unique family situations is often a helpful part of Establishing a Support System. As a pro-active parent I have always involved myself in groups that support our family life style and activities. Being involved in something that exposes me to other people dealing with common issues provides networking and sharing of information. Support groups have been a place for me to meet other people facing similar life situations and I have rarely left a support group meeting where I had not learned something or been fortified in some way.
Families adopting children from the foster care system often have several support services and support group programs. Many adoption agencies also have sponsored support groups for families who adopt, and there are a variety of support groups for international adoptive families. During the pre-adoptive stage and when parents are going through the adoption process many of these sponsored support groups offer a wealth of information and access to resources.
The availability of support groups in some parts of the state or county a family lives in is dependant on the number of people in the area. In smaller towns and counties there may be fewer opportunities for adoptive families to find a support group. The Internet has offered many adoptive parents an opportunity to find support with other families around the globe. Adoption.com is a vast community of all different types of adoption choices. We have an Adoption Forum on the Families.com Website and there are other adoption specific websites and forums on the Internet that focus on specific types of adoption related issues. My personal website is for support of families who adopt children from foster care.
In some cases, adoptive parents and families form their own support groups. In my case, there were several adoptive parents who had attended the local Children Services sponsored support group for a number of years. We reached a point in our adoption journey where the scope of the support group needed to be expanded and meet the needs we saw from our own personal experiences after children were placed in our families for adoption. In November 2005 we held our first parent driven support group meeting and have had nothing but, fun working and watching our group develop and expand.
With modern technology, creativity, and a desire many adoptive parents are finding ways to connect with each other and support one another. Support groups can be created in a number of ways and each support group can be what the families involved need it to be.
Look for future Blog entries about creating and building a support group that meets the needs of your family and families in a similar situation in your community. If you haven’t visited Adoption.com or the Adoption Forum here at Families.com please feel welcome to join in and talk about Adoption. If you are considering adopting a child from the foster care system please visit my personal website and learn more about my adoption journey.
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For more information about parenting special needs children you might want to visit the Families.com Special Needs Blog and the Mental Health Blog. Or visit my personal website.