Writing the Text for Your Adoption Profile
The number one way to make your adoption profile copy easier to write is to organize your story into sections — instead of one big task, you then have several smaller, more manageable ones. The organization not only makes your profile easier to write, it makes it easier to read!
Section Headings
Most profiles consist of six to eight sections. In addition to a “Dear Birthparent” letter, the sections most often used include:
Meet Our Family: An overview of your family as a whole. Other ways to word this heading include: “Meet the Smiths,” or “Our Big, Wonderful Family.” One couple we worked with used “Family is Everything” as their section heading.
About (each spouse and/or family member): These sections focus on each individual in the family. One approach with spouses is for each spouse to write about the other spouse – for example, About John, by Jane; and About Jane, by John. Other options: Jane’s thoughts about John, Jane from John’s Perspective, What John Thinks Jane’s Best Qualities Are, etc. 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.
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”)
Additional sections include one or more of the following:
- Our Daily Life
- Thoughts on Parenting
- Dreams for Our Child
- A Note to Our Child
- Our Promise: Directed to the birthparent(s)
- Thank You: A brief thank you to the birthparents for taking the time to read your profile and for considering you as adoptive parents.
The above sections are popular and helpful because they encompass 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. “A Note to Our Child” allows birthparents to see your love for their child and it’s also something wonderful to show your child when he/she is old enough.
What Makes You Unique? Many other major sections are possible depending upon 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.” 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 subheads: Our Faith, Our Pets, Our Home, Our Neighborhood.
Lists Can Add Interest
A list 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. Some 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
Get Ideas by Looking at Other Profiles
Our site is full of samples of adoption profiles, available to view at full size. See them under Our Work, and see our Template Library for even more!
Get Some Help
We know that writing can be challenging, and that’s why we offer a range of editing and writing services, which you can read more about here.
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