July Adoption Resources, Announcements & Discount Codes
From a new adoption panel, to my workbook's release, we are keeping busy this summer!
Hello Everyone,
As a quick call to action, please share this post to help spread the word about my Workbook’s Release on July, 18th, 2023 and my upcoming Adoptive Parent Panel to raise funds for my Reunion with my Birth Family.
I hope you have been having a very wonderful summer this year. It seems like the days have been passing so quickly since I bought the tickets to go home to Colombia to meet my birth mom and siblings.
To be honest, just typing that sentence seems so unreal to me. The last day I saw my mom, was when I was born and the orphanage took me from her mere minutes after she gave birth. And through determination and luck, we have made our way back into each other’s lives. I still can hardly believe that I met my two eldest sisters just last May.
If you missed that update on social media, you can watch my first official video on Youtube going over my reunion with my sisters Jessica and Sara here:
It’s funny to think that a little over ten years ago, I had no idea that that sense of being different in my family was due to being adopted. I always had a nagging suspicion but could never find proof until I found my brothers adoption paperwork that referenced me as their “adopted daughter Melissa.”
Some people ask if I could go back and change things, would I have chosen to continue to be in the dark? Do I wish I was raised by my birth mom?
I wish there was a simple answer. But like most adoption stories, mine is very complex, but no, I would not go back and change things. I believe that I am the person I was meant to be today, helping adoptees, foster youth, and families because of the life experiences that led me here.
And to celebrate that, I am sharing 2 DISCOUNT CODES, with you today. One for the Workbook, and the second, for the Adoptive Parent Panel.
But now, thanks to the enormous help from the adoption community, I have been able to afford passports, trips the NYC consulate to complete paperwork needed to obtain my Colombian passport and cedula, as well as round-trip tickets for a week in Colombia with my family. Right now, I am saving up to hopefully be able to help my birth family take some time off work so we can have as much time as possible to visit with one another while we are there. And to do that…. I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of parents for an Adoptive Parent Panel on August 2nd, 2023.
Who are our panelists?
This panel will be occurring live on Zoom and will also be recorded.
Discount Codes:
What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption: The Workbook
A companion to What White Parents Should Know about Transracial Adoption, this practical workbook guides readers to better understand transracial adoption and do the work of anti-racist, trauma-informed parenting.
A must-read for white parents who have transracially adopted or prospective parents considering transracial adoption, this follow-up to What White Parents Should Know about Transracial Adoptionoffers a wealth of activities, templates, and questions for self-reflection. Melissa Guida-Richards, who learned at the age of 19 that she was adopted from Colombia as an infant, addresses the complexities of transracial adoption with insight, compassion, and the wisdom of lived experience. Through thought-provoking questions and activities, Guida-Richards guides you to:
Consider the role of infant-mother bonding and understand developmental trauma in adoptees
Understand the complex history of adoption; recognize illegal and unethical practices, such as trafficking operations and baby factories; and ask the important questions when working with adoption agencies
Look more deeply at implicit bias, white saviorism, and white fragility
Locate and utilize adoption-competent mental health care
Offer culturally aligned education, community, and resources to your child
Acknowledge the effects of racism and celebrate your child’s race and culture
Editorial Reviews
“Melissa has done it again: asking you direct questions to get to the heart of the issue. For adopted children to have the best possible outcomes, adoptive parents need to heed adult adoptee voices like Melissa’s.”
—Haley Radke, adoptee and creator of the Adoptees On podcast
“...a must-have for all adoption practitioners and agencies! Melissa has struck gold again in putting this workbook together. Her incredible insight and keen perception into the challenges of transracial adoption shine through every page.... Prospective adoptive parents will find a concise and well-thought-out map to navigating adoptive parenting in a way that is child centered and elevates the adoptee experience. Get it, learn from it, and be the best adoptive parent you can be.”
—Ruth dos Santos, co-creator of The Adoption Companion
“This is such a necessary resource despite the uniqueness of every adoption and every adoptee. I commend Melissa for taking the painstaking effort to help parents navigate what could be on the horizon and, more importantly, to validate adoptee perspectives and experiences!”
—Michelle Li, journalist, Korean adoptee, and co-founder of The Very Asian Foundation
“...a powerful workbook that will help adoptive parents support and understand their child. Melissa has gone above and beyond to make sure any parent that goes through this workbook is equipped with the right language, knowledge, and action steps to be a great parent. I would suggest this to any transracial adoptive parent as an essential part of their parenting journey.”
—Isaac Etter, founder of Identity
“I feel like the questions and personal stories made me truly open my eyes and self-reflect into the reasons why I adopted and if I’m doing the work to do right by my adoptee. As a Black transracial adoptive parent, I think all adoptive parents could benefit from this book!”
—Jeena Wilder, adoptive mom and creator of Hey There Wilders
The first is 25% OFF plus free shipping for my Adoption Workbook.
Just use the code: workbook25
The Adoptive Parent Panel
For 10% OFF please use the code: AdopteeThoughts10