Abstract

How do you create an adoption portfolio that will show prospective birth families why you are the perfect adoptive parent for their child? Do you know which pictures to include and which to leave out? Do you really understand what prospective birth parents care about?

This is a step-by-step guide to creating a portfolio which will reflect your personality, make a strong positive impact and encourage the right birth family to choose you. Madeleine Melcher shares the secrets she has discovered over years of creating successful portfolios, profiles and prospective birth parent letters. She combines simple and effective design ideas and tips for writing and layout with a deep understanding of how portfolios work. Importantly, this book also draws extensively on the experiences of birth mothers and the professionals who support them to examine what they are really looking for, featuring questions which prospective birth mothers will want to see answered in your portfolio.

From text to design, this guide will give you the confidence to create a portfolio that sets you apart. It is essential reading for prospective adoptive parents, as well as adoption attorneys and adoption agencies advising those hoping to adopt.

How-to" tells you something.

"Why-to" tells you more. Way more.

This book will tell you both.

At a time when there is so much confusing advice about adoption, Ms. Melcher "gets it.

Birney Bull, adoption attorney, Savannah, GA, USA, www.AdoptNeed.com
Madeleine Melcher's expertise and guidance in creating an adoption portfolio made parents and satisfied customers out of me and my partner. This book will make the process of adopting less intimidating and the end result, parenthood, more accessible to those who want to adopt - a win-win situation for both prospective parents and children who need homes. It's a beautiful thing, a true gem.
Beth Vollmer, adoptive parent, USA
As a birthmother and the co-founder of BirthMom Buds, I was honored to be a part of Madeleine's book. Madeleine does a great job of giving a voice to expectant mothers considering adoption and through her book educates adoptive parents on how expectant mothers considering adoption think and feel, which will in turn build healthier relationships amongst birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees.
Nicole 'Coley' Strickland, Co-Founder of www.birthmombuds.com, USA
Working with Madeleine was wonderful. She designed our adoption portfolio and we were chosen just two days after its completion. We are grateful for her knowledge and understanding of what prospective birth parents want to know about you. Her book will give you the tools needed to create a portfolio that will stand out among the rest.
Allison and Kendall Sidorsky, adoptive parents, USA
You're told over and over that the profile is the single most important piece in an adoption - the only way to truly represent yourself to potential birthmothers - and this can be really daunting. When faced with the challenge of making an adoption portfolio or profile, the only tool you needs is Madeleine's new book! It's like having her right there alongside you for this incredible journey, as we in fact did. Madeleine created two of our adoption portfolios, which both ended in successful adoptions. Our fourth adoption happened very quickly - and our son's birthmother still tells us over a year later, that it was all because of our portfolio. Thank you Madeleine for putting this into a book.
Rawley and Gus Tziavias, adoptive parents, USA
Madeleine Melcher is an adoptee, mother of three blessings of adoption, as well as the owner of Our Journey to You, a company dedicated to designing adoption portfolios and adoption profiles. She has helped countless prospective adoptive parents create their adoption portfolios, her designs have led some of her clients to be chosen within mere days of their portfolio submission. She lives with her husband and children in the Midwest.
Ms. Melcher's book assisting families with writing their Dear Prospective Birthparent letter and Adoption Profile gives not only the "how to", but an educational experience as well. She discusses what pregnant couples are looking for in an adoptive family to raise their child, the importance of keeping contact agreements between the two families that must be honored (even though many states now have legally binding contracts), and different designs and text to create their profile. Dear Birthmother letters have been used for quite some time but the additional need now for a booklet makes this a timely book for everyone considering an adoption placement. The workbook at the end further assists prospective adoptive families. How To Create a Successful Adoption Portfolio is very insightful, well thought out and helpful.
Maxine Chalker, MSW/LSW, Founder, President & CEO, Adoptions From The Heart, USA