Resources for Adopting from Africa

 The last time I wrote a post on Give1, I was basically retiring my Give1 password. Well, I’m coming out of retirement to do a post or two while Beth prepares little guy to come home (soon, we hope!). 

Meanwhile, my adoption process is going just as slow as everyone else’s. So while I wait (and wait and wait), I have been looking for adoption resources to arm myself with information.

Here are some gems I’ve found:

Medical Information. Orphan Doctor is a website that discusses medical issues common with adoption. This page, in particular, discusses orphan medical care in Ethiopia. (Last updated in 2007, so it’s a bit old, but it’s something.)

Hair and Skin Care. Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care is a popular site, but just in case you haven’t visited it yet, bookmark it now! 

Here’s another great site with a post about a basic hair routine. This post is fabulous: http://amateurian.blogspot.com/2011/11/basic-black-hair-care.html

General Information. I know we all get tired of the required adoption education seminars our agencies make us take, but I really enjoyed the seminar “Adopting from African Countries” from Heart of the Matter Seminars.http://www.heartofthematterseminars.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=102

My favorite book about adoption is There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene. It’s more of a story/historical account of this amazing woman who started caring for orphans in Ethiopia before adoption was common. Overall, it’s a beautiful—at times, heartbreaking—story. But I feel it’s great at depicting Ethiopian culture and situations orphans face. http://www.amazon.com/There-Is-No-Without-You/dp/1596912936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346299782&sr=8-1&keywords=there+is+no+me+without+you

Government Information. Here is a link to the State Department’s page for Ethiopian adoption information. Major government announcements regarding the adoption process get posted here as they occur.http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=ethiopia

Here is also the link for the DRC State Department page: http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=democratic_republic_of_congo

Please add your favorite adoption resources in the comments.