Rachel Argyle can have biological children of her own and has been married for 2 years. Yet, she's always wanted to adopt. As we celebrate National Adoption Week, she explains why - and tackles the adoption myths that urgently need busting

For many, there is a simple solution to infertility. Just adopt. Honestly, before we went through our struggle, these were my exact thoughts, too...

If your primary goal is to adopt a child, should you become a foster parent. Why should a foster parent be expected to co-parent if they really want to adopt?

"You are capable of more than you think."

Talking lessons (Pierro is not Kaeya's bio dad HC/Fatui adopt Kaeya AU) There is a reason why Kaeya doesn't speak in front of others for a long time. Context/lore: In this AU, Kaeya came to Teyvat…

We get asked a lot of questions about adoption but we hear this statement often, too: "I've always wanted to adopt, BUT"...and then insert reason.

Unlike adoption agencies, we ensure a more legally sound adoption plan protecting the adoption process.

June is National Adopt a Cat Month. If you’ve been thinking of getting a cat or know someone who wants to, this is a great month to consider adopting one. Learn more about National Adopt a Cat Month, including how you can get involved and why it’s so important.

GONE 01/11/16

Learn how to set new moon intentions and utilize the energy and power of new moon manifesting rituals to attract your desires.

Yes, minimalism with kids is possible! Here are ten ways minimalism can save your motherhood - happier and smarter kids? Sign me UP!

For Edie Falco, having a husband and biological children wasn't important. She said: "I'm just not one of those people who thought having biological

One of the quickest ways to begin changing yourself for the better is to adopt The Golden Rule. The Golden Rule states ‘Do to others as you want others to do to you.’ or ‘Treat o…

We’ve heard from a lot of you that your goal for the year of 2014, is to adopt a 100% plant based diet, part vegan, or just truly focus on including more veggies in your daily meals. We want …

A lot of people ask what I do. I do a few things. I work as a birth parent counselor, an adoption social worker, and an adoption consultant. When I get to that last job title, I often get sweet smiles mixed with blank stares. Because it sounds good but has people wondering, "uh, so what is that exactly." This is sweet little Zola (her parents consulted with me) When families start on an adoption journey, it often takes a lot to get to the decision to adopt and have the couple finally be on the same page. But that's just the beginning. There's actually dozens of decisions ahead. Who will do our home study? How do we find an ethical attorney? How do we raise all this money? How do we find an agency that will care well for our birth family? Open or closed adoption? What race are we open to? What about special needs? Creed's family began consulting in October and brought him home in January! As the questions keep coming, everyone inevitably turns to google. And you can imagine where this might lead you. You could find an amazing agency, or just one who spends all of the adoptive family's money on some fantastic marketing (rather than good, quality care for both the adoptive and birth family). So, in an effort to help families navigate what can be a very overwhelming, time consuming, and costly process, I work as a sort of "adoption coach" to help families adopt. Steve and Maria with their sweet little guy, Asher Consulting offers: Shorter wait time - adopting through a consultant can take as little as six to ten months. Referrals to multiple agencies in adoption friendly states - agencies that provide quality services and are trustworthy More on this approach here. Financial advice - knowing the resources available to an adoptive couple will help them make sound, wise financial decisions and save time and money. Education and guidance for your adoption - I work with families personally and give them a step by step reference manual that guides them from their first questions about adoption until their adoption is finalized. Higher level of protection and security from adoption fraud - I can advise couples on the warning signs and help them find the right agency and adoption situation for their family. Scott gave Elizabeth a consulting package for Christmas. Abraham joined their family in June. I have the privilege of working with families across the country and helping them grow their family through adoption. These pictures are just a glimpse of what I get to share in. To hear from families who have built their family with the help of Christian Adoption Consultants, see their stories: Why We Chose An Adoption Consultant Why I Recommend An Adoption Consultant You can check out more on consulting at Christian Adoption Consultants or email me. Feel free to connect with me by email and we'll set up a time to chat over the phone (or if you're in KC, I'd love to grab a coffee with you). I would love to see if consulting would be a good fit for your family. *Thanks to my sweet clients who shared pictures of their families with me.

"Why do people want to adopt another culture?" Alice Kaplan, the French scholar in her memoir French Lessons , writes. "Because there's something in their own t

Create space in your life - physically and mentally - by adopting a minimalist lifestyle. We share 11 steps on how to become a minimalist for beginners.

If you want to adopt a puppy and consider what breed to choose, we warn you NOT to get an Irish Setter. Here are at least 16 reasons why.

Every parent will make mistakes, but there are certain toxic phrases for kids that can ruin a child's self-esteem.

"I can never be a foster parent. I'd get too attached." If I had a dollar for every time I heard this. In fact, I hear it almost every single time me being a foster parent comes up. So, I want to clarify a little something. 1) I am not some woman with the super power to love and attach only to the extent that it won't hurt me. That super power doesn't exist. I loved Leyla and I love Baby Z as though they were mine. I fight the inclination to post a cute Baby Z photo on FB every day. I am proud of every single milestone. His eyes melt me, and his screams can dissolve me to tears. I love to hold him and play with him and get those super cute laughs. His snuggles are the best. You could even say I'm attached. And it will hurt to say good-bye. So if you are the kind of person that would get "too attached", congratulations. You'd be a great fit as a foster parent. 2) Attachment is kinda the point. Ok, so I would love to hear about the last time you stopped by your local orphanage. Seriously. If you have visited an orphanage here in the states, please comment and tell me about it. But... My guess is you've never seen one. Right? That is because the US got rid of orphanages. Why? Because of attachment. When a child doesn't form a bond to a person before the age of 2, their ability to function as a normal person is severely impaired. And that bond was not forming in a group home or institution. A kid needs a family. Our family for instance is a little crazy. Our kids hang from walls, literally. So maybe we aren't perfect. But we are loving. And we're available. Bio is of course first choice. But when a bio family can't provide that bonding in a safe and loving atmosphere, enter foster families. Enter me. And Cari. And Keri. And Deanna. And Kryssi. And Elizabeth. And a ton of others. We step in --- and we get attached. At least, as much as we can. We stand in the kids' corner, advocate for their needs, love them as if we gave birth to them, dream, and pray, and hope for them with all our might. And then one day, we have to say Good-Bye. We have to let go and hope that all of our love and sleepless nights and fears and hopes and prayers and meetings and sensory tools and visits and preparations were enough. We hope that we bonded and they bonded to us. We hope that we gave them the gift of the ability to trust others. To believe in their own worth. To know they are loved. To know that God has never forgotten them. To know that there is something to love and relationships outside of abuse and neglect. In short, getting too attached is one of the best gifts we could give these kids. Even if it hurts to say good-bye. And if I might add one more thing... If being a foster parent sounds like it's just setting yourself up for hurt... I want to challenge you. These children did not choose to be foster children. Their lives are completely up in the air, and are dependent on total strangers' decisions. When you guard your heart so carefully that there is no room for them in it ... They do not disappear. When you dismiss their plight with a wave of your hand and a quick excuse, they are still without a home. Just recently, at one given time, there were 150 children in my county that needed a home. 30 of them were placed in our county. Baby Z was one of them. The other 120 had to be shipped off to other counties... Far away from everything they already know. Foster families who are already stretched thin take in one more kid because no one else will. Social workers have the kids sleep on sofas in their offices until they can find a home, somewhere. Siblings are broken apart and only get to see each other every once in awhile. So maybe ask yourself ... What if I could. What if I could get attached, love a child, and say good-bye? What if I could give a kid love and stability because that's what our home is made of? What if there is a child out there who is worth the risk of getting my heart hurt? I can promise you one thing ... There is. There have been two for me. And when it comes time to say good-bye to this sweet precious thing I'm holding in my arms as I write ... I know he is worth every single tear I will cry. To read more about foster care, and the start of our journey, start here "Fostering-to-Adopt: Our Story, Part 1." http://thelewisnote.blogspot.com/2014/04/fostering-to-adopt-our-story-part-1.html

They are babies with no families, in foster care with fatal diagnoses. One mom makes it her mission to make sure they know love.

Yes, minimalism with kids is possible! Here are ten ways minimalism can save your motherhood - happier and smarter kids? Sign me UP!

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a mother. I’m not exactly sure why. It could have been because my mom did such an amazing job when I was little. Maybe I just wanted to be like her. It could have been because I didn’t know my biological parents. Maybe […]

Intermittent Fasting Masterclass with cynthiaTHURLOW It has helped me simplify my decision making around food and my choices. I have also learned I eat more than I need to. After a 16 or so hour fast I am very conscious of what I want to break my fast with. I enjoy the discipline of fasting ... Read more

Scooter is an adoptable Dog - Shepherd searching for a forever family near Akron, OH. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.