As my daughter grows up, a typical, American kid, we are free to imagine only happy endings for the family she left behind.
Bonding with Baby
“We found that using massage techniques helped our child relax and eased the transition from an orphanage setting to that of a loving family.”
Off to Preschool!
As kids meet new friends—and their families—they face new questions about their past.
Positive Parenting for Behavior Problems
When parents expect the worst from their children, they often get it.
Teaching Your Child the ABC’s of Reading
When it comes to reading skills, parents are their children’s first—and best—teachers. Here’s how to give your child a head start on mastering the written word.
“Sleeping Together as a Family”
At night, each of this mother’s three children wanted to be with mom.
How to Get Your Child Help at School
When a child has learning problems, often the first step is an Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Here’s what you need to know.
Do Adoptees Struggle with Change and Transition?
“My daughter has greater difficulties with transitions than her friends who were born into their families. If we know a transition is coming, we prepare.”
News Brief: LGBT Parents Very Open to Openness
A new study by The Donaldson Adoption Institute found that LGBT families are highly motivated to maintain openness and birth family contact.
News Brief: Higher Rates of Adoption Documented in Transgender Youth
Doctors at a gender management clinic have found that 8.2 percent of the 184 transgender youth they’ve seen between 2007 and 2015 were adopted. The overall rate in their state is 2.3 percent.
Questioning Medical Myths About Adoption
Make sure your infant or toddler is getting the care he needs.
“Is Blood Really Thicker Than Water?”
I could have merely been her stepmother, but Taylor and I chose to love each other. Not even adolescence can take that away from us.
Ask the Doctor: How Do I Feed My Newborn?
Everything you need to know about bonding with and nourishing your child during feeding times, from an adoption medicine expert.
Ask the Doctor: Pre-Adoption Medical Assessment
What kind of referral information will I receive about a child available for adoption, and how do I assess it?
“Can You Suggest Kids’ Adoption Books for Single Parents?”
Books can help our children make sense of their own stories. They may have questions about things they don’t feel like talking about: being adopted, being raised by a single parent, being raised by gay or lesbian parents.
Ask AF: When Grandparents Protest Adoption Disruption
We tried therapy, but, in the end, we found a childless family who adopted her. We are at peace with our decision. Our families are not. They say we gave up on our daughter.
Ask AF: Building a Good Relationship with Your Pediatrician
How can I work with my child’s health care provider to make sure my child gets the best possible care?
Ask AF: A New Sister
We’ve been reading a Big Brother book to our three-year-old son (adopted at birth) to prepare him for the arrival of a six-week-old sister.
Ask AF: “Was I Bad?”
Our eight-year-old has been telling his classmates that his birth mother “gave him up” because he was “bad.”
Ask the Doctor: Asthma
Our child’s referral says he has asthma. How will this affect him? What can we do to optimize his care?