In many families, relationships come without exact names. While adoption highlighted this truth, it was already a given in my family—and maybe in yours, too?
“Family Is Now”
What if my daughter doesn’t choose me? What if she grows up and moves to live near her other mom—her birth mom? I think about that and I get scared. Then I think, so what if she does? I can’t worry about that; I can only parent now.
“We Are All Adopted”
From my own search for my roots through adopting older children from foster care, life has taught me to treasure my children’s biological connections while knowing that we don’t have to look alike to belong together.
Ask AF: Disagreeing About Discipline with the Birth Family
A parent in an open adoption asks what do do (and how to explain to her son) when his birth family uses different discipline approaches for his birth sibling. Adoption expert Regina M. Kupecky, LSW, offers advice.
Parenting with an Open Heart
Whether you see your child’s birth parents frequently or have never had contact, you can still imbue your adoption and your relationship with your child with openness.
“For the Love of My Child”
When Elizabeth was young, closed adoption was comfortable. But my outlook changed the day my teenage daughter said, “I want to find them.”
Ask AF: When Kids Don’t Ask for Birth Family Contact
A mother who adopted older children asks what to say to her children’s birth grandparent when her children don’t ask for contact.
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.
Parent-to-Parent: Photographs of the Birth Family
Parents share whether they have photos of their child’s birth family displayed in their homes—where, why or why not, and how they talk about them.
Setting Boundaries in Open Adoption
In an open adoption, your child’s birth parents become part of your extended family. Here are some common questions when it comes to managing those relationships.
Sharing Difficult Details with Your Child
Experts offer talking tips and sample language for discussing neglect, abuse, abandonment, and other painful parts of your child’s adoption story.
“Googling Her Birth Parents”
Would it really be possible to fill out my daughter’s hazy memories by typing names into a search engine?
Keeping Up Contact with Birth Parents
An open adoption arrangement may be buffeted by passing time and changing circumstances. Here’s how to make your relationship endure.
“Welcomed By Our Daughter’s Birth Family”
I asked my family not to come to the hospital when she was born, then mourned their absence. Enter her birth relatives.
Adopting a Baby: The Truth About Domestic Infant Adoption
Adopting a baby in the United States has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. When will popular perceptions catch up with the new, healthier reality? Here, an adoptive mother dispels common myths about adopting a newborn.
Responding to “My Real Mom Would Let Me!”
When they’re angry at us, teens may bring up the subject of birth parents. Here’s how to answer calmly.
What to Share in the Holiday Letter to Birth Family
It’s normal to think about your child’s birth family during the holidays. What should you share in a holiday letter?
A Forest of Family Trees
Inclusive assignments help your grade-schooler, as well as her classmates, learn about their lives and the world around them.
What’s in a Name? For an Adopted Child, A Lot!
When a child joins a family with his own history, his own culture—his own name—parents may want to look beyond the pages of a baby names book.
Teens and Open Adoption
As teens seek independence, they rethink their relationships with all the adults in their lives — including birth parents.