Real Adoption Stories


Adoptive Families’ collection of personal adoption stories, written by adoptive parents, adoptees, birth parents, and others touched by adoption. We hope the stories will make you nod your head in recognition, help you reminisce, make you laugh—or fight back tears—and encourage and inspire you on your adoption journey.

Making the choice to adopt an older child created a family

“Parenting a Child Who Was Terrified of Love”

“Parenting a Child Who Was Terrified of Love”

When you adopt an older child who pushes you away in anger, you learn a different way to parent, to give love without immediately receiving it in return.

Jillian Lauren with her son, Tariku.

[BOOK EXCERPT] Everything You Ever Wanted

In this excerpt from her candid, hilarious, inspiring adoption memoir, Jillian Lauren explains how she and her husband addressed their son’s trauma and special needs and turned things around for him at home and at school. Accompanying the excerpt is a Q&A with the author.

Melissa and Maya Ludtke at the Xiaxi market in 2004, the trip that inspired Touching Home in China

Two Adoptees on Going “Home” to China, Again

After a birth country visit to China that was too much, too soon for my seven-year-old daughter, she and a friend returned on their own terms as teens. The trip helped them imagine what their lives might have been and explore their Chinese-American identities.

Top