Families Forever:

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and each one is unique in how it operates.

Let’s face it — being a parent is a complicated job and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Outside of simply caring for your child’s physical needs, you also need to support their emotional and cognitive development. This can be difficult for any parent but, for adoptive parents, there are often additional challenges to overcome.

Regardless of your situation, there are a wealth of resources that can help you deepen the relationships within your family and strengthen your parenting skills to be able to provide the best support and care for your child.

Families Forever supports families formed through guardianship or adoption by connecting them to the resources they need. Our program is built to help you tap in to your parenting skills and work together to strengthen your family’s relationships. By offering a variety of educational resources and one-on-one support opportunities, parents can learn new strategies and connect with peers who have experienced or are experiencing similar situations.

One of the greatest things about NCHS’s Families Forever program is that it comes at no cost to you. Participation is voluntary, allowing you to choose how long you wish to receive our resources and guidance. Our program offers you the support groups, training, and connections to community services you need to thrive as an adoptive or guardianship family.

Every family faces its fair share of challenges. When you share a home and a life, moments of turmoil are sure to arise from time to time. Adoptive families are just like every other family: a beautiful mess that is perfectly imperfect.

Let’s face it — parenting is one of the most important and challenging jobs in the world. Interestingly, it’s also the one job we are often the least prepared to do. Children don’t come with an instruction manual, so the roadmap for a successful home environment might not always be so clear. Most parents do the best they can, but nobody has all the answers. Getting a fresh perspective and advice from outside of the family unit can help a struggling parent learn new strategies and see a better way forward.

As an adoptive family, you are not alone. Chances are that many of the challenges you face are commonly shared by other adoptive families. Some of these struggles include:

Answering Difficult Questions

While all children will have questions that their parents might have difficulty answering, you’re sure to face some challenging and unique questions from your child as an adoptive parent. One unique challenge is that sometimes you might not be able to share certain answers with them.

Some questions you might encounter include:

• Who is my birth mother?
• Where is my biological parent(s)?
• Why didn’t my parents want to keep me?

Children are bound to be curious, and these emotional questions might be difficult topics of conversation for you and your children. As an adoptive parent, you need to be prepared to have these discussions as a family. These questions typically are brought up at times you might not expect it! It’s good to have a plan in place for answering these questions.

NCHS advises you to be honest with your child, always. If you don’t know the answer to the question being asked, it’s okay to let them know that! You can always take the time to find the answer before responding. We also advise adoptive parents to not use bias, negative tones, or negative context when talking about birth parents or families. It is important to let your child form their own opinions.

Tip: You can even ask other adoptive parents how they’ve handled these topics with their own children!

Navigating Physical Differences

Sometimes adoptive parents look similar to their children, while other adoptive parents have more obvious physical characteristics that make it known they are not the biological parent. Adoptive parents often face challenges surrounding their physical differences that biological parents do not. If you look different from your child, you may face some challenges down the road when your child is old enough to become aware of the differences. Adoptive parents would benefit from a support system to rely on to help them feel understood and heard when dealing with these situations.

Emotional Trauma

One fact about adoption is that some adoptive children have experienced past trauma that may impact their health and development. Children who have experienced one or numerous adverse childhood experiences may have developed behaviors that have helped them cope with the traumatic events. Still, these coping mechanisms often present themselves as challenges in their new homes. Adoptive parents need to give their children the time it takes for them to feel safe and comfortable in their new homes. Adoptive parents can be prepared for these situations by educating themselves on signs of trauma. By recognizing trauma triggers, adoptive parents can stay ahead of the issues and seek help if necessary.

Attachment Troubles

It’s no secret that adoptive families can face challenges and disruptions to childhood development. When children are young, they are very impressionable with what skills they develop and the beliefs and values they hold. When these children are adopted, it can make this process more complex. If the attachment process gets disrupted in early childhood, it can be difficult for children to form healthy relationships and feel safe to play, learn, and develop. Adoptive parents will need to have a strategy in place to identify any issues before they get out of hand and how to tackle these kinds of developmental barriers.

One key benefit of adoptive parenting support is that it provides parents with a safe setting to evaluate their parenting methods and ask questions that have been bothering them. This judgment-free setting is a place for parents to feel heard and learn about what resources and support are available to assist them. When we educate parents on the different parenting strategies and resources available, it empowers them to choose a method that works best for themselves and their families.

Research has found that these sorts of support classes and groups have helped to increase the relationships between parents and children. When adoptive parents are trained in how to act with emotional intelligence and adjust their strategies for communicating with and disciplining their children, children’s positive behaviors and overall well-being improve significantly.

Within the adoption process, there are seven core issues that families face. Each family is unique, so one adoptive family’s challenges may not be the same as what another family faces. However, these seven issues often manifest within families that have been touched by adoption. Below we outline the struggles families often face. Later, we will break down the outlets and options available for support and overcoming these challenges.

NCHS offers connections to a variety of services aimed at helping families deepen their relationships and cross over the bridge into thriving. These services are provided at no cost and are not obligatory. For a comprehensive list of services and offerings, take a look at our Families Forever program page.

Some of the services we offer include:

By looking into the support and resources available to you, you’ve already taken the first step. While it may be scary having to ask for help, know that there are thousands of families out there just like yours. Together we can navigate the challenges you face and overcome the barriers in your home environment.

Getting access to our resources and services is easy. For families in Nebraska with children under the age of 21, all you need to do is visit our website to get more information. Or, youcan even give us a quick phone call, and our team will be there to help. Our staff will connect you with someone who can help you navigate your current situation. Together, we can start your journey of building a more profound and stronger relationship with your family.