a guide for creating your profile - adoption profiles by ......around the house, for example. (see...

What Kinds of Photos Should I Include?The photographs that you treasure are the ones that best communicate to birthparents what you love about your family and life itself. Make them a mix of posed and candid/action shots. Perfectly posed photos, one right after the other, can become boring. Adding some “caught off guard” moments will enhance realism. While “people pictures” are best, some “non-people pictures,” such as your home or nursery, are also helpful. Here are some ideas to help you brainstorm. Not all will fit you, since they are just examples, but many will.

LL Doing things you love: attending a concert or a ballgame, fishing, cooking, knitting, volunteering, biking, running a 5K, hiking, playing cards, other hobbies

LL Activities with friends and family: a mother’s day brunch, a trip to the beach, “movie night,” an afternoon together, at the Farmer’s Market, clowning around, out to dinner, a cookout

LL Events: at a wedding or baptism, celebrating a birthday or anniversary, your recent graduation from college

LL Activities with kids:* playing games, at the park, sledding, going to the zoo, at a swimming or gymnastics lesson (*nieces, nephews, friends’ children; in other words, kids you do actually spend time with)

A Guide for Creating Your Profile

Ramsey's brother Ben, with Hillary and Paxton

Kate with her brothers and mom, Lauren

Fourth of July at our house.

OUR DAILY LIFEAlthough we love our adventures around the world, we like relaxing together at home and hanging out in our city even more. We bought our house in early 2013 and love how our neighborhood is both diverse and safe. A typical weekend might include one of these favorite activities:

Kate's brother Ben's family: Poppy, Maisy, and Beth

• Cooking or Barbecuing

• Hanging out with friends

• Gardening

• Hiking in local parks

• Biking around town

• Listening to live music

• Attending a community event

• Making things in the toolshed

• Trying a new restaurant

• Enjoying a good old-fashioned

movie marathon

THANKSfor taking the time to read this slice of our life. We’d love to answer any questions you have, listen to what you’re thinking and feeling, and work together to build a strong foundation for your child. Wishing you peace and all things good. – Kate and Ramsey

Our Family & CommunityFrom candlelit Christmas dinners, to cross-country visits, to everyday moments together, our families play a huge role in our lives. We are blessed to have a brother and three of our parents in town—all of whom are dying to meet (and spoil) the newest member of our family. In total, our child will have three aunts, four uncles, five cousins, and five grandparents---stretching from Cincinnati to Dallas to Washington DC to North Carolina!

We chose to live in Cincinnati because we couldn’t imagine our life without the incredible community of people that surround us. Our friends are a mix of painters and woodworkers, salesmen and businesswomen, teachers and professors, lawyers and nurses—but most importantly, amazing parents, friends, and mentors to both of us. Our child will definitely get showered with love by all these folks, as well as the many others we couldn’t fit on these pages.

Gavin, Sarah and Violet

Ramsey's dad, Doug

Maria, Jon and Hannah

Kate's brothers, Matt and Ben, at our wedding

Elizabeth and Sam

Jody and Ben relaxing at home

Ramsey's mom, Linda

Kate’s dad, Jim, and his wife, Alex, at our wedding

Adam and Eli

Dear Expectant Parents,Thank you for choosing adoption and considering us as adoptive parents. We know you are in the middle of making big and loving choices, and we respect the strength that it takes to continue your pregnancy in the face of many unanswered questions and challenges.

There’s a lot we could tell you about ourselves, and a lot we’d love to know about you as well. For starters, we want you to know that we are ready to be the best parents we can be. After being together for over ten years, living abroad, and starting our own business, we have learned a lot about how to support each other and those around us.

We’ve always felt that our job as parents will be to help our children discover and become who they were intended to be. We feel that children are never really ‘ours’ - they are just entrusted to for a time to love, guide, and behold. We hope to provide a home where our children have respect for themselves, develop and discover an identity all their own, and are emboldened to engage with the world around them.

We hope this booklet will serve as a friendly and honest introduction to our lives. We’d love to hear more about you and your dreams for your child, and believe this is just the beginning of our conversation.

Warmly,Ramsey and Kate (Ford/Hanisian)

For more information about our family, please contact Adoption Link at 1-800-643-3356.

Finding Each OtherEven though we attended the same high school, we never really held a conversation until 2004 when we met through mutual friends. Although Ramsey was living in Boston at the time, we decided to keep in touch by writing letters (not emails! We still have all of them saved.) Our friendship slowly turned into a romantic relationship, and after nearly two years of letter writing, long distance calls, and visits, Ramsey moved back to Cincinnati.

Married! The decision to get married was definitely an easy one. We had been together for three years and we both thought that the idea of ever being apart was just bananas. On October 20th, 2007, we invited 30 of our closest friends and family to a small but memorable gathering. We got married outside, on what was the most beautiful Fall day ever, surrounded by great home-cooked food and the people we loved the most.

Our Life Now Soon after we were married, we combined our passions of social justice and design to start a non-profit organization together. This initially involved us moving to India for two years, living and working in a village, and then working in other cities around the country. Our work has now expanded and our staff has grown, and although we have had the chance to work with people all over the world, the majority of our work is now based in Cincinnati. We love our work; and through it we continue to learn about ourselves and how to partner with diverse groups of people to build a better world. In addition to our organization, Ramsey teaches design at a local university.

We are proud to have forged our own way and built a life that allows us to maintain a reliable income while working directly out of our passions. As our own ‘bosses’, we are excited about the flexibility we have around work schedules, ensuring that we can spend some time at home with our child during the work week.

Our Journey Kate on Ramsey

Our Adventures We love to travel and explore. Whether it’s checking out a new neighborhood in our city or tasting new food across the world, we love to maintain open minds, try new things, go new places, and meet new people. Being a part of these diverse settings reminds us that there are many ways to live, many ways to love, and many ways to see and be in the world.

Got a fish.

Kate has an innate ability to quickly understand others and provide them a safe space to open up about their thoughts and feelings. She prioritizes close relationships in her life and has kept a number of friends since her teenage years. And, although she will confidently share her opinion, she is always willing to listen and internalize someone else’s at that same time. She is passionate about living a life that is in line with her values. I like that she tends to challenge herself and those around her more than I do, as it pulls us into new spaces and ways of seeing the world. Kate is an amazing partner share life with; she knows how to celebrate life loudly and quietly, through laughter, dancing, and reflection.

Ramsey enjoying dinner prep.

Ramsey is imaginative, trustworthy, and likeable, all without trying to be—which also makes him honest. He has this wonderful ability to make people feel comfortable, accepted, and understood without judgment. He also has great timing; he knows when to tell a joke, when to respond, and when to just listen. He’s an avid reader and enjoys thoughtful conversation around current events, sociology, and social justice issues. Finally, his creativity shows up in everything he does. He teaches students how to draw. He builds furniture. He cooks amazing food without following a recipe. Most importantly, his desire to create a better world for all of us is what drives him. Everyday I feel lucky to have such a fascinating and loving partner in my life.

Ramsey on Kate

Kate & Ramsey

A good selection of photos

Your Adoption Profile is the primary way you connect with birthparents. It is how birthparents get to know you when they are trying to select the adoptive family they think is best for their child. A profile that accurately represents you helps birthparents determine if you are the right fit. In other words, your profile is important.The purpose of your profile is not to sell, but to communicate. You are communicating about yourself. In one way it’s the easiest thing in the world, and in another, it’s a unique challenge that many others never really face. At the most fundamental level, you want the birthparent who is reading your profile to get a solid idea of what life might be like for their child should they choose you as the adoptive parent(s). One thing we can safely say is true for all birthparents is that they are seeking a safe and stable life for their child, one that will give the child better opportunities than they themselves would be able to provide. After that, however, it’s hard to say what might click with a birthparent. That’s why you want to simply tell the truth about yourself: your lifestyle, your interests and hobbies, your family, and your work lives, as well as your values and your thoughts about parenting and adoption.

Introduction

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Your Photos:How to take them and select them

Adoption Profiles by Design | www.adoptionprofilesbydesign.com | 937-312-4250

LL You doing things around your house: cooking, eating, watching TV, pursuing a hobby (playing piano, gardening, etc.) … even cleaning, working, reading, doing outdoor chores

LL Group shots of the extended family: cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles

LL Your home and neighborhood: inside and out, the nursery you’ve prepared, your yard, if it’s nice, a local park and/or playground, you taking a walk around the neighborhood or visiting a park (if you really do these things)

LL Work-related: making a presentation, receiving an award, posing with students, clients or co-workers

LL Other: holidays, travel/vacations, your pets

LL Ask friends or members of your extended family if they have photos they would be willing to share, such as group shots of family, wedding photos, holiday or birthday gatherings.

LL If you are really stumped, you may want to hire a photographer for a half day or so to take photos. A photographer could definitely shoot something appropriate for a main or cover image. And, as long as you have them on hand, have them take photos of your home and neighborhood, your pets, and you doing things around the house, for example. (See “doing things around the house.”)

A Guide for Creating Your Profile:


How to Take PhotosYou will undoubtedly be selecting many, if not all, of your photos a from those you have already taken, and many of those will have been taken with your phone. That’s fine! We’ve been laying out adoption profiles for years and we work with a lot of selfies, especially over the last two to three years. You know what? Ninety-nine percent of the time, they work perfectly well.

If you find yourself in need of extra photos, and want to take them yourself, do the following:

LL If at all possible, take your photos outdoors, using natural light. Photos taken in natural light turn out best.

LL Take advantage of nature’s beauty. Select a background that is not too “busy,” but that contains trees, flowers, meadows, snow-covered ground, etc. This is particularly useful for photos that will be used at a large size, such as on the cover of a printed profile.

LL Avoid flash. If you can avoid it completely, that’s all the better. If you find you must use it, avoid creating shadows by keeping the subjects of the photo not too close to walls where shadows can be cast.

LL Finally, always remember that, if your profile is going to be printed, take photos at the largest size you can – especially images you may want to use on the cover. See the next section.

Your Photos:How to Take and Select Your Photos

DEAR BIRTHPARENTSHi. We are the Hunters and we’re a fun-filled, adventurous family in Dublin, Ohio. We’re honored that our paths have crossed on our respective and possibly united journeys. Our household thrives on loving one another, making memories together, and serving others. We have more love to give and believe God has continued to call us to grow our family through adoption.

We (Don and Erica) are childhood sweethearts and best friends since kindergarten. While family circumstances moved us apart in middle school, love and fate brought us back together in college. We got engaged in Venice, Italy over a decade ago and just celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in December. We have three beautiful, confident and creative children who love to play and laugh together—whether it’s swimming in our pool, having impromptu dance parties or building forts within the pine trees on our land (the go-to hangout spot for the neighborhood kids).

As a family of 5, we often talk about and eagerly await our next child/sibling/playmate that God has in store for us. We believe that children are a blessing from the Lord and can personally attest to the Psalm that says “how joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127:5). We are also passionate about foster care and adoption and know we are called to have an extended, blended family. We are so blessed by how our son, Barrett, came to us, and are thankful everyday for the joyful spirit that he adds to our family. We cannot imagine our family without our son, and know we will feel the same about his next brother or sister. We look forward to raising all of our children in love; growing up to know their self-worth and claiming their inheritance to all that our family has to offer.

We are very active in both our community and our local church. Our home has an “open door policy” and we regularly welcome and host friends and neighbors for cookouts, bonfires, pool parties, and small groups. Outside of the home, Erica helps lead worship at our church and Don serves as an elder and often hosts the services on Sunday mornings. The kids also love to make a welcoming environ-ment for their friends and new visitors.

We are sincerely humbled that you took the time to learn about our family and we would welcome the opportunity to learn more about you and understand the hopes and desires for your child.

Walker Texas Ranger is very patient with the kids (when he’s not sleeping)

Getting ready for our annual Father & Son retreat

Erica loves to worship and lead at church

Sitting on the dock of the bayA zoo membership makes for fun weekends with Mamaw and Papaw (Erica’s Parents)

MEET DON AND ERICA

Enjoying Time Square

Hunters love PURE Michigan!

Mommy’s little helpers

MEET DON AND ERICA

Don grew up in Marysville, Ohio, graduating at the top of his class of nearly 400. He received a full-academic scholarship to attend the University of Cincinnati where he majored in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. After working as a volunteer director at Crossroads church, Don and his best friend, Derek started a college application software company for the performing and visual arts. Today, they continue to successfully serve their clients and team of over 20 employees in a fun, family friendly culture (voted one of the top places to work in Columbus 5 years in a row). Don is an outdoor enthusiast and can often be found playing outside with the kids, taking the family to the nearest trailhead, or exploring some of the local waterways on our kayaks. Don’s parents are active in our lives, living a few houses down in our neighborhood with the sought after basketball and tennis courts that the kids love. They often attend church together and have big Sunday meals with Don’s sister who also lives nearby.

Erica is from Spencerville, Ohio, a small town outside of Lima in Northwest, Ohio. She grew up in a very loving and supportive home with parents and a brother that remain very involved and attend all of the kids’ athletic, school and artistic events. Erica has always been passionate about athletics, choosing from basketball and track scholarships in college. She attended Grand Valley State University in Michigan where she represented their track team as a medal earning hurdler. She graduated with a degree in psychology that she utilized working with adults with developmental disabilities after college. She then became a full-time Stay-at-Home Mom when our oldest daugh-ter was born. Today she loves to support, nurture and play with our children. She also enjoys many hobbies including running, sewing, singing, and photography.

About Erica (by Don) Erica is an amazing wife, mom and friend. I knew that I wanted to marry her when I was just 5 years old, and it only took me another 15 to put a ring on it! Erica has a personality and smile that continues to melt me daily even after 10 years of marriage. Our kids also adore their mom—she is the most intentional mother I know, and it’s not uncommon for me to come home to them dancing in the house, playing outside together, or shooting hoops at my parent’s basketball court. I love seeing how she

Don leading a trip to Haiti with their church

nurtures each of our children uniquely. Whether it’s reading a book with Eden, answering Bear’s 100th question about dinosaurs or singing with Selah, she knows exactly how to ascribe worth and value to each of our kids. Her welcoming and warm demeanor also allows her to easily make and keep friends wherever she goes. I get to see behind the scenes at how she encourages those in our community, how she prays for them constantly and how she looks for ways to bless others with gifts and affirming notes. Erica loves singing, photography, running (and late night bowls of cereal). I am in continual thanks for a great wife, mom and friend.

About Don (by Erica) In our marriage, I’ve always said that I’m the lucky one. Don is the most loyal husband, father and friend. His love for others runs deep and you won’t find a more serving heart than his. He is a man’s man who loves to work with his hands, but at the end of the day he is a big softy who isn’t afraid to get on the ground, giggle and snuggle with his kids. Don’t let his rugged beard fool you—he melts into a puddle as his kids run into his arms at the end of each day. I admire Don as a fierce leader, not only in the workplace but also as the shepherd of our family. Even though Don works hard as the founder of his company, he still leaves his office everyday and comes home with a smile on his face. He’s always home for our family dinners where we sit down, pray and talk about how our day has gone. He is one of the most intensional people I’ve ever met. He is always looking out for his family and others instead of himself. He is truly the best of the best and I am blessed to call him my husband and best friend.

Erica completing her first marathon

Always up for an adventure with Nahnee and Papa (Don’s parents)Childhood sweetheartsDON & ERICA

MEET THE HUNTERS

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US, PLEASE CONTACT ADOPTION LINK AT 1-800-643-3356.FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US, PLEASE CONTACT ADOPTION LINK AT 1-800-643-3356.

WITH CHILDREN BARRETT (4), EDEN (7), AND SELAH (2)

Those dimples get us every time.

Hunter Family Facts & FavoritesMost Watched Movie: Moana (but Paddington is catching up)

Favorite Pizza: Dewey’s in Dublin (Ryans Inferno)

Christmas Music Before Thanksgiving: Absolutely, all year round!

Fresh or Salt Water: Fresh (though our pool is ironically salt water)

Tattoos: 3 for Don, 2 for Erica and temporaries occasionally for the kids.

Don giving the message at church on Sunday morning

OUR ADVENTURES

We love to explore and have fun as a family team. In addition to our daily and weekly rhythms of getting out of the house and exploring the parks, waterways and landmarks of Dublin and the surrounding Columbus area, we get away multiple times a year to our top vacation spots and also try to find new favorites. We have fallen in love with “Pure (Northern) Michigan” and find ourselves in Traverse City at least once a year. We’ll hike the sand dunes, swim in crystal clear Grand Traverse Bay (no salt or sharks!), eat ourselves sick while picking cherries, visit lighthouses and tube down the local rivers. We’re also fans of “the most magical place on earth” and

have been to Disney World multiple times—a love affair that began on our honeymoon. It’s a joy to see the kids’ faces light up interacting with Mickey and his crew, having breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom and experiencing new cultures at Epcot. Still on our bucket list for the coming years include the mountains of Denver, Colorado, whale watching in Alaska, canoeing in Emerald Lake, Canada, and introducing the kids to our love of Europe.

Christmas morning excitement

Cutting down the perfect Christmas Tree...a favorite Hunter tradition

Rockstar Personalities

We love to explore near our home

Oldest to youngest. One of our favorite past times.

Chaperoning Barrett’s school field trip to the pumpkin patch

A Note to Our ChildYou have been diligently prayed for and much awaited our sweet child. A welcoming and loving place is waiting for you in our (your) home. You’ll find an environment that values you as an integral member of our family team. You will be supported and championed as you discover and pursue your passions, desires and purpose. In times of trouble and heartache, you will find listening ears and edifying feedback. Your family and community eagerly await you!

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What Size Should My Photos Be to Reproduce in Print?

The old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words” is very much the case. Please take care with your photos. If you are taking photos, take them at the maximum resolution possible on your camera or phone and make sure the image quality is at the highest setting. Not every phone allows you to control this, but most do. If you don’t know how to set the resolution, Google “how to set the image resolution on [your phone’s] camera.” If you are scanning prints of photos, scan them to a size that is about four times as large as you would envision them appearing in print.

When viewing digital photos on your computer screen, keep in mind that the largest size they can appear in print is about one-fourth (24%, to be precise) of what you

see on the screen. (Often that is large enough; however, if what you see on your screen is, say, two inches square, the largest that photo could reproduce in print is a half-inch square, which is too small.)

One of the easiest ways to determine if a photo is going to print well is to check its size in terms of kilobytes and megabytes. For the smaller images, make sure your photos are about 500K or larger. For the best quality in print, a minimum size of 1.5 MG is even better, and if your photos are larger, that’s ideal! For the larger images – your cover, for example – choose the very largest photos you have – 10MG to 20MG is not too big. (Note: All sizes refer to photos saved as JPEGs, also abbreviated as JPG.)

How many photos should I include?A typical four-page profile contains 15 to 25 photos; an eight-page profile contains 30 to 40. Check with your agency – they may have rules regarding your photos and text, as well as the maximum number of pages they require.

Use the Photo Captions to Tell Your Story

When we say to “use the photo captions to tell your story,” we don’t mean that you should write long captions! Quite the contrary. Short captions are ideal. However, these brief bits of wording can play a powerful role in telling your story. For example, if you have a photo of one of you cooking, avoid a caption that states the obvious, such as “Miranda cooking” or “Miranda cooking dinner.” That’s not very useful, since it’s obvious that Miranda is cooking. Instead, take advantage of the caption to really communicate. “Miranda is a great cook.” Or, “For Miranda, preparing good food is a passion.” Of course, the caption must be truthful. If Miranda is not really a good cook and/or doesn’t actually enjoy it all that much, you would need to say something different, yet still revealing: “Miranda preps delicious and healthy meals.” Or, “We value mealtime.” ... “Good nutrition is important to us.” ... “Home-cooked food is the best.” Etc.

Your Photos:How to Take and Select Your Photos

Community&FamilyWe have lived in our home in Tipp City, Ohio for almost 6 years. It is located on a safe and quiet street with a community playground right down the street. Both our families live an hour away from us in Marysville, Ohio. We visit them frequently and they have wonderful relationships with our girls. This new child will be loved by many as we have several cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents excited for their arrival!

Note to Our ChildWe are so excited to welcome you into our family. We have prayed for you and love you and we haven’t met you yet, but know our family isn’t complete without you! Clara and Elise are so excited to become your big sisters. We cannot express how much we desire to watch you learn, grow, and develop your own unique personality and experiences in this life.

Jake's mom (Connie) with Clara and Elise

Amy's parents (Kathy and Mark) with grandkids (Clara, Elise, Nathan, and Noah)

Dear Birthparent,Hi, we are Jake, Amy, Clara, and Elise! We are so happy that you are taking the time to peek into our lives and catch a glimpse of who we are. We are very family oriented and love to be silly, have fun, and explore new places. We hope that as you get to know us, you will feel comforted in your decision to place your child for adoption. We are incredibly thankful for your choice that may allow us the opportunity to expand our family of four. Please know that although life seems to take turns that we may not anticipate, we truly believe that we were destined to have you in our life. We have an unconditional love for Clara’s and Elise’s birthmothers and families and know that we will love you too! We have always wanted to have a big family! It is our hope that these pictures will allow you to know our story and ease any burdens you may have. We hope that this book will spark a new friendship and a desire to know us a little better!

Meet the FroehlichsWe have been together for over 12 years. We both grew up in the same hometown of Marysville, Ohio and were high school sweethearts. We went to the same college and were married in June 2008. In our spare time, we enjoy spending time playing with our rambunctious and beautiful little girls, being outdoors, and trying new things.

We welcomed our oldest daughter, Clara, into our family in September 2012. She is the light of our life and has an energetic and happy personality. She loves everyone and is a social butterfly.

Adoption blessed our lives again in June 2014 when we welcomed our youngest daughter, Elise, into our family. She has such a caring and kind heart and is a problem solver. She gives the best cuddles and is wonderful helper. Elise is also Clara’s partner in crime.

We love being able to have fun with our girls and can’t wait to add another precious child to complete our family.

aboutAmyAt work: Amy works part-time as a pediatric Registered Nurse at Dayton Children’s Hospital. She has been a nurse for 71/2 years. She has a passion for caring for others and loves the work that she does. Working with children is a reflection of Amy’s wonderful personality. Plus, it allows her to loosen up and be a kid herself.

about Jake At work: Jake works as a Registered Nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He has been a nurse for 71/2 years and is the Nursing Manager of the Cardiac Intensive Care and step-down units. Jake loves the work that he does and touches the lives of the many people he comes in contact with.

At home: When Jake is not working, he loves playing with his girls. He loves making waffles, dancing, building forts, and watching movies with Clara and Elise. Jake is also a sports fanatic and cheers very enthusiastically for his favorite football team, the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is very excited about having another child to share his love of sports.

Jake, Elise, and Lee (Jake's dad)

At home: Amy enjoys spending time with her girls whenever possible. Whether it is taking trips to the Columbus Zoo, Boonshoft Children’s Museum of Discovery, local YMCA, or having fun playing at home, Amy is happiest when she can watch her children learn, grow, and experience life.Jake & Amy Froehlich

For more information about our family, please contact Adoption Link at 1-800-643-3356.


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The Sections that Comprise Your ProfileMost profiles consist of six to eight sections. In addition to the “Dear Birthparent” letter, the sections most often used include:

LL Meet Our Family: An overview of your family as a whole. Who are you? How old are you? If you are a couple, how did you meet? How long have you been married and/or together? What makes you special? What are your interests? Describe what you enjoy doing. How do you spend your weekends? Lists are fine (see below), but tell brief stories, as well. Do you go to church? Is religion important to you? (If not, don’t feel you need to talk about religion.) Do you travel? Have pets?

Other headings for this section include: “Meet the Smiths,” or “Our Big, Wonderful Family.” One couple we worked with used “Family is Everything” as their heading for this section.

LL About (each spouse and/or family member): These sections focus on each individual in the family. Include personality, career (or school), and hobbies and interests. (music, sports,, fishing, cooking, knitting, volunteering, biking, running, hiking, playing cards, etc.) If possible, describe why you like your job, why you enjoy your leisure activities. One approach with spouses is for each spouse to write about the other – for example, About John, by Jane; and About Jane, by John. Adjectives are great, but back them up with examples. Is your spouse “kind”? Briefly tell about a time when he/she performed an act of kindness.

If you have a child or children, include a section about them. However, because a birthparent is most interested in you (the parents) this section will tend to be shorter.

Writing Your Story:How to make your profile easy to read (and easy to write)

Getting Started: The Dear Birthparent LetterUnless your agency tells you otherwise, start your copy with a “Dear Birthparent” letter. Don’t be too general. Don’t try to write an “all purpose” letter to please all birthparents – keep in mind that you are aiming to make a good match. The agency I work with most often requires their prospective adoptive parents to address their letter “Dear Birthparent,” not “Dear Birthmother.” Your agency may differ. One more possibility is to simply say something such as, “Hello. We are Beth and Joe, and we very much appreciate you taking the time to learn a bit about us.” This birthparent who is reading your profile is considering giving you perhaps the greatest gift one person can give to another. Clearly express your gratitude to them for making an adoption plan. Reach into your heart and be absolutely honest about who you are, why you want to adopt, and why you will make good parents. Talk about the life you can offer her baby and describe the possible ways you and she will connect over the coming years. (You may notice I am using “she” and “her” when referring to the birthparent. That is because in almost every adoption I’ve been involved in, the “birthparent” was a woman on her own.) Be spontaneous in your writing, and take the time to make it from the heart. To choose you, birthparents need to get to know you, so open up about your life, and how you envision life with this child.

A Profile That is Easy to ReadFollowing the Dear Birthparent letter, you will be telling the story of you and your family. The number one way to make your profile easy to read is to organize your story into sections. The organization not only makes your profile easier to read, it makes it easier to write! (See some sample outlines toward the end of this guide.)

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Writing Your Story:The Sections that Comprise Your Profile

LL Thoughts on Adoption: Why do you want to adopt? How long have you been thinking about it? How do you feel about openness in adoption? What relationship do you envision having with the birthparent?

If you have any personal experiences with adoption, tell about how those experiences may have impacted your decision to become a parent through adoption. Remember to always use positive language about adoption. For example, use the words “making an adoption plan for your child” rather than “giving up your baby” or “putting your baby up for adoption.”

LL Our/My Home and Community: Give a feeling for your home and neighborhood and the town or city you live in. (Alternatives:

“Home Sweet Home,” ”Our Great Big Beautiful Home,” “No Place Like Home,” etc.) Tell about the neighborhood, whether it is quiet, lively, newer, well-established, close to parks, schools, playgrounds, filled with kids, a place you’ve been for a long time, or a place you just moved to because it’s so perfect for raising a family, etc.

LL Views on Parenting: What kind of parent are you or do you hope to be? If you already have children, you can describe that. If this will be your first child, describe your intentions. Discuss any child-related experiences you have,

if they are significant: coaching, babysitting, being an aunt or uncle, for example. If you feel positively about how your parents raised you, tie your beliefs about parenting back to how you were parented. Were your parents patient? Kind? Loving? Supportive?

LL Your Childcare Plans: It’s very important to include what your childcare plans are. It may not need to a separate section, but do include it somewhere. Will you be a stay-at-home parent, or will you work? If you are taking time off after the adoption, tell when you will be returning to work. Many prospective adoptive parents discuss childcare plans when describing their work. Is the organization you work for family-friendly? Will you be able to take time for family as needed? If you will be hiring childcare, describe what that is: an individual who will be in your home? a great childcare agency you have already selected? Perhaps you can work from home. Or, maybe grandparents will provide childcare. Whatever the situation will be, describe it to the best of your ability.

LL Thank You: Although you have already expressed your thanks in your “Dear Birthparent” letter, end your profile with a final thank you. This is one of the most important sections of your profile. It doesn’t need to be long or elaborate, but you must include a brief


We have been praying for you to come into our lives for so many years, and although we haven’t met you yet, we love you more than you could ever know! Your birth family blessed us by allowing us to raise you as our own and we can never thank them enough for granting us the opportunity to be your parents.

Being adopted is something to be proud of and has been a blessing to our family even prior to your arrival. Always know how much we will love and support you in everything you do! We love you with all of our hearts and can’t wait for the day to take you home.

We live in Holland, Ohio, a small suburb of Toledo. Our township is a vibrant growing suburb but still possesses a small community camaraderie. We enjoy the convenient access of several retail/commercial businesses in addition to the recreation and leisure of several community parks where we can participate in sports leagues, take walks, fly a kite or have a picnic near the pond. Our small community is also known for our Strawberry Festival, occurring yearly since 1938. Springfield Local Schools are also rated “Excellent” by the State of Ohio.

Toledo is home to many exciting and educational resources for its community members. We are home to the #1 rated zoo in the country (the Toledo Zoo) and Jim and Emily are proud zoo members and enjoy utilizing their yearly memberships. Toledo is also home to the Toledo Museum of Art, the Toledo Mudhens (minor league baseball team) and the Toledo Walleye (minor league hockey team), and a thriving downtown atmosphere that caters to all looking for entertainment.

Toledo is also home to Level 1 trauma center certified hospitals and children's hospitals as well as major universities and colleges including the University of Toledo Rockets!

F U N c F R I E N D S c F A M I L YEmily and her sisters enjoy a painting class

At Disney World!

Our beautiful family!Here we go Brownies!A sunny day on our cruise ship

Jim with his Freemason Brothers

A beautiful day at the zoo

Cedar Point

Wilson meeting Leota

Jim with father, brother, sister

Dear Birthparents,Thanks for taking the time to read our adoption profile! We hope to shed a little light on our family and pray for the day we can add a child to our home! We cannot wait to be parents and have been trying to make this dream come true for the last 7 years.

After two years of infertility treatments and multiple miscarriages we knew God already had planned adoption for our path to become parents. We are blessed to have an amazing support system including Jim’s family that has been able to grow their own family through adoption with the addition of two of Jim’s brothers and one sister.

We are excited for the day we can take our child on vacations and family outings just as much as being able to sit down together and have dinner and learn about their day at school. It is very important to us that our child know where they come from and we hope to build a strong and lasting relationship with their birthparents.

We hope that this profile lets you see a little bit into our crazy and fun lives and hope to show how much love we have to share!

With all the love in our hearts, Jim and Emily Jackson

Meet the JacksonsJim and Emily met during the summer of 2004 while both were working as camp counselors at Raintree Ranch YMCA in Julian, California. Emily was sharing her love of horses with kids, while Jim spent his time teaching outdoor education and used his experience as an Eagle Scout to get kids excited about nature. Their first date was to the San Diego Zoo and they haven’t stopped exploring since!

Emily followed Jim out to Ohio and the couple were married September 18th, 2009. They bought a house in Holland, Ohio and love spending time outdoors with their two French bulldogs (aka their four legged kids) Wilson and Leota.

Luckily for Jim, his entire family is rooted in Ohio and they get together often for any occasion. Emily’s family is much smaller and consists of her single mother and two sisters and she was surprised when they decided to move to Ohio too! Now Jim and Emily consider their family to be a large extended one and they love getting together for holidays or the random weekend BBQ.

Jim and Emily are huge Cleveland Browns fans and have been season ticketholders since 2010! They also try to catch as many Cleveland Cavs games as they can!

What We Enjoy Doing:

Travel – yearly Disney World vacations, cruising, trips to the ocean

Outdoors – camping, hiking, gardening, horseback riding, kayaking, walks in the park with our dogs

Family – family game nights, BBQs and celebrating the holidays with our family

Emily horsing around with Ty! Jim learning about sea life at the Toledo Zoo. Our handsome guy, Wilson. Our infertility journey.

Emily in Tulum Mexico. At the zoo with some new friends! On our wedding day.

By Jim: I drove 3,000 miles, from Ohio to California, to meet Emily and everyday I am grateful to call her my wife. I know there is no one I’d rather take this journey called life with other than her. For so long, she has dreamt of being a mother and I can’t wait for the day that her dream comes true.

Emily will be an outstanding mother; she is caring, compassionate and full of love. She’s always happy and outgoing and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she were to be down in the dirt making mud pies right along with our child. She’s not afraid to get a little dirty and will always make the most of her time to give her love and affection to our child.

Quick Facts: Birth Place: Oroville, California. Age: 31. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Family: I have two sisters and was raised by my single mother in San Diego, California. Occupation: Labor and Delivery Nurse. Religion: Christian Hobbies: makeup and shopping, reading, music, going to the zoo! (and anything outdoors). Something Most People Don’t Know About Me: I love makeup and all things girlie!!!.

Jim holding our nephew Ivan. At Universal Studios. Bringing home our new puppy Leota.

By Emily: Jim is the most amazing partner I could ever imagine having in life. There is not a single day that goes by that he doesn’t make me laugh and smile and I know that he is my true soul mate. I am so proud of his many accomplishments and I know that he will be the most wonderful and loving father!

I think Jim is most excited about sharing his love of the outdoors with our future child. He can’t wait for the day to take our little one to Boy Scouts or a Daddy-Daughter dance. He’ll be the first one to play dress up with our daughter for a tea party, or take our son fishing! He’s silly, care-free and the most fun person I’ve ever met and I know he will ensure our child is always celebrated for being who they are!

Quick Facts: Birth Place: Bowling Green, Ohio. Age: 34. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Family: have 1 biological sister, 2 adopted brothers and 1 adopted sister and was raised by my parents in Bowling Green, Ohio. Occupation: Personal Banker. Religion: Christian Hobbies: Golf, camping, traveling. Something Most People Don’t Know About Me: I am a proud Eagle Scout and Freemason!


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thank you to the birthparents for taking the time to read your profile and for considering you as adoptive parents. You can never thank this person enough! And, in fact, you could easily choose to word your thank-you just that way: “We cannot thank you enough for considering us as adoptive parents for your child.” This person is making your dreams come true. They are giving you something you desire with all your heart. Because you are pursuing an open adoption, consider expressing your desire to know more about them and the life they are leading and what hopes they have for the future. You don’t have to overdo it, but you must remember to close with a brief, heartfelt thank you.

LL Contact information: Once you have completed the work of creating a strong and accurate view of you and your lives, don’t forget to let the birthparent know how to reach out to you. Usually that means including the name of the adoption agency you are working with and their phone number and website address.

Additional sections could include one or more of the following:

Friends and Extended Family

Our Daily Life

Our Adventures

Traditions: Are holidays important to you? Is there an event you participate in every year, such as a 5K? Maybe you travel with your family to the beach every year?

Hopes and Dreams / Plans for the Future

A Note to Our Child: Directed to the child

Our Promise to You: Directed to the birthparent(s)

The above sections are popular and helpful because they further develop the purpose of the profile – to introduce your family and your family life to the birthparents so that they can get an idea of what life with you would be like for their child. Some of these subjects may not need to be a separate section, but may be part of another section in your profile. For example, if your extended family is an important part of

your life, you may mention that in the “Meet Us” section. But, if you spend a great deal of time with friends and family, and it is a big and important part of your life, you may want to make it a unique section. “A Note to Our Child” allows birthparents to see your love for their child and may also be something wonderful to show your child when he/she is old enough.

What Makes You Unique?

Many other major sections are possible depending on your unique situation. You may have a large extended family to feature. Or you may have interests that define you well. For instance, one family had experienced many outdoor adventures and used a section titled

“Our Adventures” with just a tad of copy and a lot of wonderful photos: hiking, climbing, camping, boating and more. Another family had five photos showing how they dress up for Halloween and other holidays. Another prospective parent runs a successful and enjoyable hair salon and had a section titled

“Salon Fun.” Consider including a section focusing on what makes you special.

Dividing Up Sections into Subsections Sometimes, especially when a section is longer, it’s useful to break it down into smaller parts by using subheads. For example, several of the families we’ve worked with have divided their “About Spouse” sections into subsections, one focusing on home life and one focusing on work life. They’ve used the subheads “At Work” and “At Home” for each spouse. (Or, one couple used “Personality” and “Education and Career.”) Again, using subheads can make a profile easier to read and to write. Another couple used a section heading of “More About Us” with the following brief subsections. Our Faith, Our Pets, Our Home, Our Neighborhood. That’s a handy way to gather together some “odds and ends” kind of information that doesn’t necessarily fit in another section, or isn’t long enough to need a section of its own.


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OUR PROMISE:To love and cherish this child

To respect him or her

To provide this child with encouragement

To give them everything for their physically and emotionally needs

To make them a priority in our family and cherish them

To help them discover who they are help them grow into the best adult possible

To teach them how to live a happy, positive and affectionate life

To always be there and support them no matter what

At the Farmer's Market

My Better Half:About Peter (by Kendra): Peter is the most incredible person I have ever met. He has the kind of chemistry that makes anyone feel instantly comfortable. He has always made me laugh, and he brings humor and playfulness into our lives. He will be a fun-loving father who will teach our child how to truly enjoy life. It will be such a joy watching Peter and our child play on the floor, explore the woods and just be silly in our backyard. // One of the best things about Peter is his connection to the outdoors. Every winter Peter teaches adults how to winter camp, and inspires them to play in the elements. Through his kind approach, and his playfulness, Peter helps all people (kids and adults) enjoy the wilderness while still feeling comfortable and safe. I have learned so much from Peter, as has our nephew, and I cannot wait for Peter to teach our child to hike, camp, explore and love the great outdoors. When we travel, Peter is kind to everyone he meets, and is eager to learn about them. I know that he will show compassion and love to our new baby. He has a huge, kind heart that guides him daily. Every day I spend with Peter is a blessing, and he helps make me a better person.

About Kendra (by Peter): Kendra is such a wonderful person! Her personality shines every single day with positivity, consistency, love and charisma. AND...she is a great wife! Kendra fills our home with laughter, great smelling food and lots of shoes. She is an amazing first grade teacher. I have never met anyone else in my life who was born to do what they do, but she was born to teach children. It is awesome to see how happy she is around children. // She is so caring with all of the kids at her school. She loves to sing, dance and play games to help them learn and grow. Seeing Kendra playing with our nephews who lives close by and with our 3 out of town nieces and nephews with is such great fun. They chase each other, play card games and spend time together that always includes a trip to the bookstore. Kendra will be the greatest mother because she knows everything about kids and truly loves being with them. // I also love traveling with her because of her curiosity to see new things, meet new people and her love to try local cuisine. She loves taking pictures while going on our nature hikes and when we are on one of our many vacations. Kendra is my greatest love and my best friend, and I cherish every day that she is in my life! She will be the best mom and I can’t wait for her to have that opportunity.

A few fun facts about us: We met on Match.com… online dating does work :) Kendra spent her college years in Missoula, Montana. • Our favorite music: Peter likes Blues, Rock and Roll, Old School Rap, Gypsy punk rock, jazz and bluegrass. Kendra likes Country, Top 40, Show tunes and 80’s rock. • Kendra never met a pair of shoes she didn’t like. • Our favorite foods are Sushi and thin crust pizza. • We’ve traveled all over including backpacking trips in Colorado and Utah and Europe. Peter hiked 3,000 miles across America from Mexico to Canada in 2013. • We both love seeing live theatre and visiting art galleries. • Peter has lots of family living in the Czech Republic and looks forward to teaching our child his country’s language. We are eager to have our child be bilingual in English and Czech. • Peter’s dad is a truck driver, and as a child Peter rode all around the USA with him. We love taking road trips to anywhere. • Kendra used to work at the mall taking pictures with Santa Claus and the Easter bunny, with her dad playing Santa one year unexpectedly!

Visiting Peter’s family in Czech Republic

Kendra attending a Paul McCartney concert with her Mom, a diehard Beates fan

Kendra and her cousins enjoying an afternoon together

Traveling in Europe – we love to experience other cultlures.

Christmas with our nephew AlexThe two of us with Kendra's brother and his wife

FamilyProfile - Sustr.indd 4 10/2/15 9:03 AM

Our Hobbies:Anything outside – walking, hiking,

camping, biking, swimming, golfing,

playing fetch with Baxter, sledding

Traveling – Disney World every summer,

Wisconsin, Maryland, California,

Canada, Jamaica, Europe, England,

Scotland and the Caribbean

Games – We host game nights with

family and friends, and watch the

Bengals, Packers and Reds.

Exploring – Museums, local festivals,

enrichment centers, fire trucks new

restaurants, salsa dancing

Above all – Spending time with family

and friends

Lists Can Add InterestLists can be a good way to communicate a lot in a small amount of space. They are optional, of course, but if you use them, we suggest no more than one to three lists. Lists should contain about 5 to 10 items to be of ideal length. The possibilities are endless. Here are a few ideas:

Our Favorite Things

Favorite Weekend Activities

Strengths for Parenting

A Few Fun Facts About Us/Me

About Jane/John At-A-Glance: education, work, hobbies, favorites, etc.

Places We’ve/I’ve traveled


Finding the Right Words“Our Child” or “Your Child”?Prospective adoptive parents ask about this one all the time: “Should we say ‘our child’ or ‘your child’? Well, the answer is ... both. And it’s easy to see why, right? Because it is the birthparent’s child and it will be your child, too. So, pay attention to what you are expressing and choose the words that fit best. For example, “We promise to love your child unconditionally.” But,

“We can’t wait to take our child along with us on our yearly beach visits.” See the difference?

First Person or Third Person?When talking about your spouse and/or others in your family, you will inevitably need to use the third person. Perhaps you are describing your spouse: For example, “Joe can fix just about anything.” Later, however, when speaking about the two of you (if you are a couple), you

will want to switch to first person: “We are crazy about country music.” Do not worry about going back and forth between first person and third person. When people try to use all third person, it just doesn’t work. It’s as if you are talking about someone else, and not yourselves, and ends up sounding aloof. An adoption profile is much too personal of a document to sound that impersonal.

RepetitionHere at Adoption Profiles by Design, the vast majority of the profiles we work on are very well written. However, all writers get tripped up. Writing can be hard!! The number one issue we encounter in profiles is a tendency to repeat a word too often. The most commonly


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overused word is the verb “love,” as in “we love to cook” or “We love to go to the beach.” Some possible alternatives:

One of our favorite ways to spend a Saturday / A favorite activity of ours is ...

We are crazy about [hiking, sledding, reading around the fire]

We enjoy / We appreciate / We have a ball when we [name of activity]

On Using “him or her” and “he or she”Since you don’t know the gender of the child you will be adopting, you may be tempted use “him or her” and “he or she” when speaking about them. This phrasing quickly becomes awkward and tiresome. We strongly suggest that you use “them” and “they”– yes, even though you are referring to just one person. It works, and it is so much easier to read. Compare: “We promise to love him or her unconditionally. He or she will be the center of our lives.” Or “We promise to love them unconditionally. They will be the center of our lives.” The second approach is clearly superior.

A Simple Technique for Uncovering Potential Problem Areas in Your Text

Read your profile text out loud to your spouse, to another family member, or to a friend. When you read your text out loud, problem areas really pop out. We strongly recommend using this simple technique to make sure your copy is good.

Writing Your Story:The Right Words

Sample OutlinesHere are three outlines from actual profiles.

Outline #1

Dear Birthparent

Meet Our Family

About Spouse 1

About Spouse 2

About Child (the child the couple already has)

Home & Community

A Note to Our/My Child

Outline #2Dear Expectant Parents

Our Journey Finding Each Other Married! Our Life Now

Jane on John

John on Jane

Our Adventures

Our Family and Community

Our Daily Life (Sidebar/List)

Outline #3Hello! (In lieu of the words “Dear Birthparent”)

About us

About John, by Jane

About Jane, by John

Our Son (Might also be: Our Child or About Scott, if child is named Scott)

Quick Facts and Favorites (a list)

More About Us Our Home Our Neighborhood Our Pets

Our Promise

Remember, the whole idea behind just about every aspect of your profile is to make it easy for a birthparent to know and understand who you are.When your heartfelt words and wonderful photos come together in an easy-to-read format, you will not only have an effective means of reaching birthparents, but something your family will treasure forever.

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a guide for creating your profile - adoption profiles by ......around the house, for example. (see...

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