Finding connection, comfort, and understanding through our adoption community

Guest post by Sarah Breece, adoptive parent

In January 2021, my husband and I had just joined the Waiting Families Pool. We were excited, nervous, and filled with anticipation. At the start of our journey, we resolved to live life as normally as possible while waiting, knowing the process might take time. For the most part, it wasn’t too hard to stay grounded in our day-to-day lives. We filled our days with work, vacations, and fun family gatherings.

But as the days stretched into weeks, and weeks turned into months, I began to feel a growing sense of isolation in the waiting process. I craved connection—a community of people who understood the unique blend of excitement, nerves, and anticipation we were feeling. That’s when I decided to join one of the “Waiting Families” Zoom calls that OA&FS had highlighted in their monthly newsletter.

From the very first call, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort, community, and understanding. These calls quickly became a monthly highlight. They were a safe space where I could share updates—whether it was about a fun vacation or a career milestone—and also openly discuss the challenges, questions, and emotions tied to the adoption journey. One of the most heartwarming parts of these calls was celebrating placements within the group, sharing in the joy of someone’s long-awaited moment.

Fast forward nearly four years since joining the group, and we just celebrated our daughter’s second birthday surrounded by friends and family—including many of the wonderful friends I made in that Waiting Families group. Over time, we’ve stayed connected, supporting one another as placements happened, offering advice, sharing resources, and even passing along cherished hand-me-down baby items.

Most importantly, our children are growing up in a community that was built long before they were born. It brings us so much comfort to know they’ll have friends who understand and share their experiences with adoption. The Waiting Families group didn’t just support us during the wait—it became the foundation of a lifelong network for our family.

Sarah Breece is an OA&FS adoptive parent who works as a nonprofit fundraising consultant. She just started working with OA&FS to support the organization’s fundraising efforts. She lives in Oregon with her family.