How to Find Support Groups for Adoptive Parents

Even if you have other friends who are parents, if they are raising their biological children, you may find there is a certain disconnect in some of your parenting conversations. Besides the obvious awkwardness that may arise when pregnancy stories are swapped, parents who have not adopted simply cannot understand the unique journey you are embarking on. This by no means that you should drop or distance yourself from these friends, rather it means that finding a support group filled with parents like yourself who are dealing with a similar experience may be beneficial for all.

How to Find Support Groups for All Adoptive Parents

A support group is a great way to relate to other people who have experienced or are experienced the same or similar challenges you. While you will be able to relate to most parents on the singular topic of parenting, parenting an adopted child is a little more unique. A support group will connect you with people who have gone through the adoption journey, all of its obstacles and trials, and come out on the other side the proud parents of a new child. No two adoptions stories are alike, but most all Adoptive Parents can relate to the adoption journey. Solidarity on this topic is helpful and can give you an outlet when things get hard, making a support group a worthy invest of your time. So, how do you go about finding a support group for adoptive parents? There are actually a number of groups to choose from that have their own subcategories as well.

Singles

Being a single Adoptive Parent can be very different than adopting a child as a couple. Single parents have their own set of challenges to deal with, both in the adoption process and afterward. In addition, single parents may be looking to get married or co-parent and a support group could be a great place to meet other parents who understand what you’re going through and share your same ideas and goals about parenting. Support groups for adoptive single parents can be found by doing a simple online search. Of course, results will vary by state, but some sites have great outlets specifically for single Adoptive Parents. You can explore here and here.

Couples

For Adoptive Parents who are also couples, there are also support groups for your unique situations. Such families may also have biological children, may be raising children with special needs, or may have a blended family of adopted children. Whatever the case, Adoptive Parent couples also have their unique familial scenarios and meeting with other parents with shared experiences can be very cathartic. Again, finding a support group shouldn’t be too hard as it really only requires a quick internet search with some specific keywords. For local support groups, asking your social worker or adoption professional for a referral could be the way to go as these individuals are more likely to have connections to such groups.

No matter where you’re coming from as an Adoptive Parent, you can find help, comradery, and support on sites such as Meetups, which helps you find groups anywhere in the world. They offer different categories and specificities as well, so even if your situation is extra unique, you can find the support you need.