Adoption Transitions: A Practical Guide from Matched to Moving In

Written by an adopter for fellow adopters, this book is a reassuring companion for one of the most exciting, but often overwhelming, chapters of your adoption journey: welcoming a child from foster care into your home.

Blending practical advice with emotional support, it guides you through the early stages of placement and helps you navigate the transition with confidence and care.

Chapters cover key topics such as:

• Getting to know your child

• Understanding neuroception, attachment, and developmental trauma

• Navigating matching panels and preparatory meetings

• Coordinating with the placing authority

• Preparing your home for your new arrival

• Creating introduction videos and books

• Planning and managing soft introductions

• Visiting the foster home

• Meeting birth family members

• What to expect from authorities post-placement

• The first few weeks together

• Planning for the future

The book includes practical checklists for each step, along with guidance on important topics like timelines, questions to ask foster carers, adoption leave, workplace conversations, the foster carer’s perspective, moving day logistics, contact letters, therapy access, life story books, financial considerations, the adoption order, celebration hearings, and challenges like confabulation, executive functioning, separation anxiety, and promoting stability.

This resource is not only invaluable for adopters, but also a helpful reference for social work students and professionals supporting adoptive families.