The most populous city of Alabama with over 209,000 people, Birmingham Alabama is filled with culture, jazz music, diversity, and Southern hospitality. The city of Birmingham also has great and affordable housing and is a great place to raise a family. If you’re looking to adopt a child into your Birmingham home, or are looking into placing a child for adoption, this article will list 5 great reasons to go with a Birmingham adoption.
1. The diverse group of families
The people that reside in Birmingham Alabama are of several different races. With the main ethnic groups of people being African Americans and Caucasians, there are also several Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian people. With a mixture of people of different backgrounds, there are all kinds of children that need loving adoptive parents of their own. One adoption option you can look into is a transracial adoption. What’s a transracial adoption?
Transracial Adoption- To adopt a child that is a different race than your own. Also known as a transracial, multicultural, and interracial adoption.
A lot of expectant mothers choose transracial adoption for their children. There’s a lot to think about and consider when going through with transracial adoption. Here are some insightful questions to ask yourself.
- Will I be open to learning about my child’s ethnicity and not try to conform them into my own racial identity? (Meaning that you should learn about who they are and not make them into something that they’re not).
- What will I say to family or friends who are judgmental or biased towards my transracial child? (Sometimes people can be unintentionally biased, and sometimes people say things just out of curiosity. Even in the year 2020, racism is still a big issue. Be open to talking with friends, family, and even strangers about hurtful words about your transracial child).
- Do I live in a diverse community? Will my transracial child feel like they belong? (Think about schools, churches, neighborhoods, friends, etc. Are they made up of all kinds of races?)
- Can you help your transracial child be proud of who they are?
You must be open to understanding your transracial adopted child’s experiences, and be open to talking about whatever questions arise. Confront racism whenever the issue arises, and be comfortable in standing up for your transracial adopted child. Sadly racism is still a huge issue in 2020, and by talking about it with your transracial adopted child, you’ll help them understand and stand up for themselves along with you.
If possible, make sure your transracial adopted child is around peers that are like them. That way, they won’t feel alienated being the only one of their race. Talk to them about every race; not just yours and your adopted child’s races. Celebrate their differences and let them be proud of who they are, not just on the outside, but on the inside too.
No matter what child you adopt regardless of their race, it’s important that you love and accept who they are unconditionally, and to be involved in positively learning about their racial backgrounds.
Head on over to adopting.org to learn more about transracial adoption. Also, read this Adoption.com article Transracial adoption love identity and culture.
2. Diverse families also mean you’ll have many adoptive families to choose to adopt your child
If you’re expecting or already parenting, you can choose a great adoptive family to place your child with.
How do you prepare to place your child for adoption? What type of family do you picture your child living with? Here’s what to think about when choosing an adoptive family for your child.
- Personality: What are the adoptive parents’ personalities like? Are they introverted or extroverted? Do they like to keep busy, or are they more laid back? Are they friendly, and respectful towards you? If they’re married, do they speak highly of each other?
- Family Values: What are their family values and traditions?
- Location: Where in Birmingham do they live? Do they live in a nice neighborhood? What about good school districts?
- Children: Do the adoptive parents already have children whether adopted, foster, or biological? What are their children like? If not, are you okay with them being first-time parents to your child?
- Extended Family: Are the adoptive parents close to extended family members? What are they like?
- Race: Would you like the adoptive parents to be of the same race as your child or no preference? If you’re of a different race, will they be open to talking with your child about their race after they’re adopted?
- Religion: Do you want to adopt a family that has the same beliefs as you?
- Education: Do you think it’s important that adoptive parents have a great educational background (college degrees)? What about your child’s education?
- Occupation: Do you want the adoptive parents to have great careers? Would you like adoptive parents that have a flexible work schedule?
- Why They Wanted To Become Parents: You could ask the adoptive family why they were looking into adopting. Ask them about their parenting styles and rules and routine structures.
Most times when choosing an adoptive family, you’ll get to look at an adoptive family profile. An adoption profile is a way for you to get to know important things about an adoptive family. Adoption profiles can be in scrapbooks, videos, etc, and contains photos, letters, and fun information about the adoptive family.
For more information about choosing an adoptive family, read this great Adoption.com article as a
guide to choosing an adoptive family for your child.
3. There are several local hospitals to deliver your baby
If you’re expecting and don’t know which hospital to go to deliver your baby, Here are the top-rated hospitals in Birmingham.
- Grand View Medical Center
- St. Vincent’s
- University of Alabama Hospital
- Brookwood Baptist Medical Center
- Princeton Baptist Medical Center
Once you’ve chosen a hospital and an adoptive family, you can create a hospital plan. What should be included in your hospital plan?
- Your hospital room
- If you want or don’t want an epidural.
- If you want the adoptive parents in the room with you.
- Do you want to hold the baby afterward?
- Would you like to take pictures with the baby?
- Do you want the adoptive parents to hold the baby first?
- Do you want someone with you for support?
- Do you want the baby taken to the nursery?
- Do you want to feed the baby? How about changing the baby’s diapers?
- Will you name the baby, or do you want the adoptive parents to choose a name?
All these things are some important things to think about. To learn more, read these Adoption.com articles:
What to expect at the hospital when you’re planning to place your baby for adoption, and adoption birthing plan.
4. The family-fun bonding activities you and your adopted child can enjoy together
Birmingham has so many family-friendly attractions and your family will enjoy every moment creating fun memories as a family! There’s exciting fun to be had for all ages, and these activities are both some great weekend and summer getaways. Here are some great family fun things to do in Birmingham.
- McWane Science Center
The McWane Science Center is named the top 2020’s Alabama tourist attraction of the year! With its hands-on exhibits and educational and creative science exhibits, there’s a lot of magic moments that all children will be fascinated by.
- Birmingham Zoo
The Birmingham Zoo has 950 animals, and if your adopted child is an animal lover, they’ll love the train ride around the zoo. The zoo even has a camp and preschool classes.
- Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute
If you have an older adopted child, taking a trip to the Civil Rights Institute will be an eye-opening experience for them and give them a much clearer understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
If your adopted child is a nature enthusiast, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has over 12,000 different plants, miles of scenic paths to walk on, 30 works of sculptures, and 25 gardens. Check out the unique items in the Botanical Gardens gift shop during your visit.
- Treetop Family Adventures
A kid-friendly indoor and outdoor amusement park, TreeTop Family Adventures has a full-service snack bar, miniature golf, go-kart races, bowling, an arcade, laser tag, and a kid zone.
- Urban Air Adventure Park
A family entertainment park, Urban Air Adventure Park has fun activities for all ages! The park has trampolines, an indoor playground, a Sky Rider coaster, a rope course, climbing walls, a kids area for those under 7 years old, and so much more.
Those are just a few of many family-friendly bonding activities you can do to bond with your adopted child, and experiences you’ll both value forever. To learn more about bonding with your adopted child, visit this Adoption.com article about the 5 ways to create a strong bond with your adopted child.
5. Birmingham has a wonderful cultural and contemporary life
The city of Birmingham has all kinds of different art galleries, museums, performance venues, and theatres. The creative arts are the heart and soul of Alabama, and there’s something to offer for everyone.
- The Birmingham Museum of Art
The largest museum in the South East, the Birmingham Museum of Art is full of diverse artwork. The artwork represented is African, European, Asian, Native American, and PreColumbian cultures. The museum even has a studio school where you can learn and create arts and crafts, and is fun for any age!
- The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Opened with a mission “to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original, and distinctive art form indigenous to America. Its mission is also to preserve a continued and sustained program of illuminating the contribution of the State of Alabama through its citizens, environment, demographics, and lore, and perpetuating the heritage of jazz music.” If your adopted child is a jazz enthusiast, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame also has free Saturday Jazz classes to nurture young talents.
- Alabama Ballet
If your adopted child loves to dance, then they’ll love the Alabama Ballet! The state’s premier professional ballet company offers dance education, and community outreach programs. The high quality contemporary and classical ballet classes are offered for ages 3 and up.
- Southern Museum of Flight
- With both military and civil exhibits, the Southern Museum of Flight is a great aviation experience. The museum has a summer camp and even hosts birthday parties.
- Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Holding 11 special event concerts a year, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra offers a series for kids called the Young People’s Concert. With 6 series a season, thousands of children have attended a very successful program.
- Birmingham Children’s Theatre
A professional theater that produces love theater for younger audiences, the Birmingham Children’s Theatre performs 8 stage productions a year. They have a Wee Folks theatre for younger children, and a Mainstage section for children under 13.
- The Birmingham Public Library
Known as one of the largest library systems in the Southeast, The Birmingham Public Library has fun and innovative programs for any age.
To learn more about things to do with your birth child, read this adoption.org how do I prepare to visit my birth child and this one about how to bond with your birth child.
To read about bonding with your adopted child, read this article about how can I bond with my adopted child and this one about the best ways to bond as a new adoptive family.
Birmingham Alabama is a great place to raise a family, is full of diversity and culture, and is full of sweet adoptive families just waiting to adopt a child. With so many fun and educational things to do with families, Alabama is a great place to start your Birmingham adoption journey!
For more information, check out this Adoption.com article, adoption in Alabama, and this Adoption.org article, Alabama adoption guide.
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