Thank you to mom, Niki M., for sharing this post with us!
My husband and I were about to become forever parents to our two foster kids! We were thrilled. There was so much excitement in our house as we counted down to adoption day. Our children attended a pre-school and we realized that other children may question why their last names changed. I needed a way to introduce adoption to three-year-olds in a way they would understand. I decided I would visit Barnes and Noble.
At the time, there were so many things on my plate, that I didn’t get to the book store until the week before adoption. Surely, I thought, that would not be an issue. Barnes & Noble is so large; I never doubted that they would have an appropriate book in stock. After visiting three different locations that day, along with one stop at Half Price Books, I came up empty handed. All of the children’s adoption books were about adopting an infant! This would not help my son and daughter’s classmates understand our situation. And now I no longer had time to order a book online. What could I do?
Then I thought about Adoption Resources of Wisconsin. I learned about the organization when they visited our final adoption class. The 
office was also conveniently located close to my home. I knew they had a library where you could reserve books online and have them sent to you. I called to see if I would be able to stop in the office and view the library myself, since the adoption was only days away. While I was there, I was blown away by the various books they offered! I was able to find the perfect book for my kids: Susan and Gordon Adopt a Baby (a Sesame Street book). Although the word “baby” is in the title, the child in the book is not an infant. He is a toddler and he comes to Sesame Street to live with Susan and Gordon forever.
The day after adoption day, my children brought cookies to their class, along with the book. The other kids learned what adoption was in simple terms from the Sesame Street characters and were able to celebrate our family’s wonderful day.
Adoption Resources of Wisconsin has many adoption resources. Whether you are adopting through foster care, adopting domestically, traveling internationally to adopt a baby, etc., Adoption Resources of Wisconsin has great information ready for you. You do not have to visit their office. They have tip sheets and documents on their website. You can also view their library online and they will mail materials directly to you! If you prefer to talk to someone, give them a call and they will happily take the time to listen to you and help find answers to any of your questions. Thank you, Adoption Resources of Wisconsin!
We’re happy we were able to help Niki and her family celebrate their very special day! They have remained connected to ARW since they finalized the adoptions of their children. Our thanks to Niki for sharing her story – and for giving such a lovely testimonial about our programs, services, and resources for families.
ARW Blog 