One of Grafted Families’ first outreaches was an Adoptive/Foster Mom’s Night Out. We advertised to the community and invited anyone who was an adoptive or foster mom or who thought she might want to be. It’s a pretty informal night with a pretty open invitation. I was stunned when I received phone calls from moms who were so excited for the possibility of this type of support. These were women who had sought out other support groups only to be turned away because they didn’t fit the qualifications of geographic location or type of adoption.
Seriously people?
Isn’t there enough segregation in the world? Are we so naive to think that we can only relate to adoptive families that have almost identical stories to ours? Do we really think that creating such a bubble is helping us or our kids?
I would love to see more interaction between the sub-communities in adoption and between adoptive and foster parents. Too often, families are biased toward the journey of adoption they chose. However, just because one scenario was right for that family does not make it right for everyone. We have so much to gain by breaking down barriers within the adoption and foster care community. It’s that whole “united we stand, divided we fall” concept.
Your assignment? Find another adoptive or foster family whose story is vastly different from yours. Get to know them. Realize how much you really may have in common. Then join forces and start an open support group.
I realize you may be asking if it’s healthy to create an adoption “bubble” at all. Good question, but that’s another question for another week.
I completely agree!!!!!