Adoption
Posted on May 17, 2025
by Sue Shields, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC
As children grow and understand more about their adoption story, it’s natural for them to have questions about their birth parents.
Whether your adoption is open or closed, how you speak about birth parents — and how you frame your child’s story — plays a vital role in building their confidence, identity, and emotional security.
Adoption
Posted on May 15, 2025
by Sue Shields, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC
Adoption, while beautiful, can also stir up feelings of loss, confusion, or sadness alongside love and belonging. Children need the freedom to express these feelings without fear or judgment.
In this article, we’ll explore how to handle tough conversations about adoption in a way that honors your child’s heart and strengthens your family’s bond.
Adoption
Posted on May 12, 2025
by Sue Shields, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC
As children grow, so does their understanding of the world around them — and their own unique story. Adoption is not a one-time conversation but a journey of ongoing dialogue, growing deeper and more meaningful over time.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to talk about adoption at each stage of your child’s development, offering simple tools to help you build connection, identity, and trust at every age.
Adoption
Posted on May 10, 2025
by Sue Shields, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC
The truth is, having open and loving conversations about adoption from the very beginning is one of the most important ways to build trust, security, and a strong family bond. As Christian families, we are called to walk in truth and love — reflecting God’s steadfast love to our children through every season of their lives.
Adoption
Posted on April 14, 2025
by Sue Shields, LMHC, LIMHP, LPC
Adoption is a lifelong journey filled with joy, complexity, growth, and faith. As families consider adoption, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. Our culture, media, and even well-meaning friends often contribute to adoption myths or misunderstandings that can make the adoption journey more challenging.
Adoption
Posted on March 11, 2025
by Tyler & Laura, Adoptive Parents
Gia’s adoption account, written by parents Tyler & Laura, is a story that almost didn’t have a happy ending. In the span of several days, the couple experienced every emotion on their turbulent ride, where some days it seemed like everything might fall apart. Read how Tyler & Laura navigated the journey and trusted God’s plan with ‘Gigi.’
Adoption
Posted on January 11, 2025
by Jackson & Susie, Adoptive Parents
Almost a full year ago, Jackson & Susie got a call from Lutheran Family Service saying that a baby girl had been born in Illinois. They were asked to have their profile book shown to the birthparents and they immediately said yes. They had opportunities to share their book in the past, but this time felt different.
Adoption
Posted on December 5, 2024
by Brandon & Ashley, Adoptive Parents
Hear from Brandon & Ashley, four-time adoptive parents with Lutheran Family Service, and how their feelings of nervousness and anxiousness with Clay’s open adoption melted away meeting his birth family and seeing God’s hand in everything.
Adoption
Posted on October 7, 2024
by Adam & Sara, Adoptive Parents
This story was written by Adam & Sara, an adoptive couple sharing the “God moments” during the beautiful and crazy emotional roller coaster adoption of their son, Zeke, through Lutheran Family Service.
Adoption
Posted on September 10, 2024
Despite struggles with addiction and incarceration, Emma’s birthmother chose life for her baby and she picked an adoptive family that could see past her faults and was willing to have an open adoption.
