Parents adding videos in their profiles at www.Parentfinder.com

Jeff and Amanda have uploaded a video to their adoption profile at www.parentfinder.com.  They are looking to adopt a baby in Indiana. You can view their video and read more about them by clicking here

http://www.parentfinder.com/JeffAmanda

Adoption Journal Update - 5 favorite sounds of summer

Adoption Journal update.  With summer officially here I began thinking about my favorite sounds of summer.  Here are my top 5:
1. Splashing and laughter of kids at the pool.
2. The pop of my ski hitting the water when thrown from a
        boat
3. The sound of my teeth biting into an ear of corn
4. The slap of our porch door closing at the lake cottage
5. A turbocharged Indycar whipping past at 230 MPH
Listing favorites like that gives an expectant birth mom insight into your life.  It’s an opportunity to form that connection that has her interested in learning more about you.

Kevin and Jillyn have added a video to their profile on www.parentfinder.com

Kevin and Jillyn are hoping to adopt a baby in Michigan.They have added a video to their profile on www.parentfinder.com 

Click here to check out their video, eBook, flipbook, read their letters, and view their and their photo albums http://www.parentfinder.com/kevinandjillyn

Adoption Profile Tip - Adding a Journal Update

Adoption Journal update: My daughter Carly wanted a retro bike she could ride to work.  She found an old bike “For Free”. Telling me she wanted to strip it, paint it, add a new seat and handle bar grips and make it new, I thought it sounded like a great project we could do together.  I took it apart, stripped off the paint, sanded it, washed it and painted it.  I had never done anything like that.  YouTube videos showed me step by step what to do.  Yesterday she helped me put it together.  Her smile let me know that the time I spent stripping off the paint was so worth it!  
What did you do over the weekend?  It only takes a few sentences illustrated with a photo.  That story may be the one that resonates with a birth mom. Go to www.parentfinder.com and add a journal entry to your adoption profile.

Adoption Journal update - what did you do over the weekend?

Adoption Journal update - My grandmother had a strawberry patch at the edge of her garden.  In May when I visited her farm I helped her pick strawberries and make jam.  She shared the jam with friends and family and stories of her childhood with me.  We share our berries too.  This past Saturday and Sunday I made 24 pints of strawberry jam.  I share stories of the farm with my girls.  Share a story of family unity in your adoption journal – Don’t forget to illustrate it with a photo!

Introducing Indiana Hopeful Adoptive Parent Laura

Introducing Indiana Hopeful Adoptive Parent Laura.

She is hoping to adopt a baby in Indiana.  Her adoption agency is Kirsh & Kirsh P.C. You can view her profile on parentfinder.com by clicking here http://www.parentfinder.com/laura603

View her interactive profile here

Time to Update Your Adoption Journal

Adoption Journal Update: 

Sunday I attended the ballet with my dad.  He was trained as an artist from the time he was in middle school receiving a scholarship to collage.  His passion for illustrating led to a career as a commercial artist creating artwork for nationally recognized brands. All three of his kids, myself included, have been touched by art.  Yesterday he cried as he watched his granddaughter dance the lead in Swan Lake.  She’s danced for 15 or her 18 years.  He sees in her the same passion for the arts he felt at that age.  She too has a scholarship.  A special bond.  A warm moment in time to witness. 

With Memorial Day approaching, think about your heritage, your family, and those special pieces of family history you want to share with a child.  Mention one in an adoption journal post – don’t forget to illustrate it with a photo!

Why some Adoption Agencies are Expanding

It was great meeting with the Catholic Charities Parentfinder focus group yesterday.  The question that came up first, comes up often when speaking with agencies about the Parentfinder Profile Creation Process: Can you show us proof that Parentfinder works better that traditional profile outreach programs? The simple answer is: YES.  

I can provide you with names and phone numbers of agencies who have added staff to accommodate the increase in expectant birth mother contacts.  

How?  It’s a 4 step process

       1.  Your website should be mobile friendly & as responsive as the old yellow pages ad

             a. Clear calls to action

             b. Trusted information

             c. Availability of staff

             d. Easy to navigate

    2. Advertising that links expectant birth parents to a page set up for them

     3. Increase content to boost your organic SEO

            a. Consistent content updates

            b. Social media connections

            c.  Back links

      4.  Recognize that your Hopeful Adoptive Parent profiles are an extension of your
           agency

           a.Demand quality

           b.Diversify their outreach

           c.Don’t expect Expectant Birth Parents to conform to your way of viewing profiles

Don't understand the terminology?  The clients we help didn’t either.  They are focused on adoption not web marketing. 

They hired us to be their trusted partner and it paid off.  I look forward to our follow up conversation with Catholic Charities. We can do the same for you!

Adoption Video Profile - Tip

Video Profile tip - Make sure you replay everything you record saving only the best segment in each series. Example- Record 3 different intros saving the best one. This way our video editors will know exactly which clip you liked best and get your video back to you for approval in a timely manner.
Also as you are talking about hobbies, interests and family, make sure we have footage or photos from your profile to add.  That way your voice narrates the additional footage showing the viewer exactly what you are discussing.

For Hopeful Adoptive families Matching and Placing - It's all in the detail

I mention to Parentfinder families that when it comes to your profile, it’s the detail that is important. Detail on your photos and story.   Resting on adjectives when you describe yourself or your spouse robs the reader of the anecdotes that add the color of your life. The person writing the story knows the nugget behind the word “sharing” or “active”.  The reader has no idea what that means.  Those are the pieces of your profile that help you match and place. 

Jodi is looking to adopt a baby in New York

Introducing New York Hopeful Adoptive Parent, Jodi.

She is adopting with Deborah Steincolor Esq in Montclair, NJ. You can view her profile on parentfinder.com by clicking here www.parentfinder.com/Jodi_adopts

Adoption Profile Q & A

Q: Can I increase the resolution of one of my photos for my printed profile?

A: Sorry - But you can’t increase resolution on something. Don’t let people tell you that you can no matter how much you’d like to believe them. I say that with 15 years of experience working in commercial printing. I also say that because we (Parentfinder and your agency) want you to have an amazing printed profile! J

 If the information is not there in the image you have, then Photoshop or some other freeware isn’t going to find it and add it in. It just can’t. The result is blur or pixilation seen in this photo of a water lily.  The blur is caused by missing information within the photo of the flower. If you’ve got a photo that measures 4” x 6” (physical) and 300dpi - you blow it up to 8x10 - it's going to be less than 300dpi no matter what you try to do to increase it. The opposite however it will work great. So you can take away size and be fine, you just can't add to it. 

Introducing Michigan Hopeful Adoptive Parents, David and Heidi

Introducing Michigan Hopeful Adoptive Parents, David and Heidi.

They are adopting with Adoption Associates in Jenison, MI. You can view their profile on parentfinder.com by clicking here www.parentfinder.com/davidandheidi

         

Congratulations to these Parentfinder Parents who placed!

More Hopeful Adoptive Parents are placing! 

Parentfinder congratulates Kirsh & Kirsh parents: Shane & Stacy, Becca & Niel, Josh & Kirstin

www.parentfinder.com Welcomes the families of Alliance for Children

Parentfinder welcomes the hopeful adoptive parents of Alliance for Children into Parentfinder's Featured Membership Profile Creation System!

They get
1-on-1 profile coaching to create

• Printed adoption profile
• Video adoption profile
• eBook adoption profile
• flipbook adoption profile
• Online profile displayed on
• Parentfinder.com
• Their Agency's site
• Multiple Birth Mother sites
• Their own social media pages and a schedule to stay active
• Their own personal url

$590.00 - one time
It costs their agency nothing.  Parents match faster with this program.  To find out how - contact me today
greg.phelps (at) cairsolutions.com

shooting your adoption video profile

When shooting video for your adoption video profile, don’t worry about the order of each segment you shoot.  We simply need you to provide us with the pieces of your story.  Take us on a journey – a day in the life.  We are a passenger in your car.  Show us your world.  Take turns driving and narrating.  Cook for us.  Show us your favorite places in town, in your home, in your neighborhood, in your life.  Invite us in, we will put it all together, put music to it, and make it look great.

Parentfinder welcomes Forever Bound Adoption & their Hopeful Adoptive Parents

Parentfinder welcomes the Hopeful Adoptive Parents of Forever Bound Adoptions, a Utah Licensed adoption Agency.  Forever Bound’s parents will be a part of our Featured Family Profile Creation System.

Parentfinder Welcomes Adoptions by Shepherd Care

Looking forward to bringing the Hopeful Adoptive Parents of Adoptions by Shepherd Care into Parentfinder's Featured Parent Profile Creation System on March 25th.  
Our eMarketing Services significantly increased Expectant Birth Mother contacts immediately after their agency went live with the program.

Professional Experience Matters #HelpingHopefulAdoptiveParents

Our video guru Jeff has 30 years’ experience as a video editor and composer. That level of professional experience yields comments from adoptive parents like this;

"I can't believe you could make that out of what we sent. 

We approve! J “

-Peggy, Hopeful Adoptive Parent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B19a3z_PoaY

Updating your Adoption Journal

Adoption Journal Update March 2, 2015 – what did you do over the weekend?

                Several weeks ago I mentioned that Keely signed me up for sculpting classes for my birthday.

I’ now in week 6 of the classes.  We meet for 3 hours every Thursday evening at the Indianapolis Art Center.  I’m making this fish.  Over the weekend I created the templates I will use to cut steel to finish off the fins.  Artistic ability runs in our family.  My dad created the scrubbing bubbles character for Dow Brands.  He made a living as an illustrator.  Our girls are in ballet.  Every child should have the opportunity to find their passion.