A study, the Early Growth and Development Study, is shedding light on open adoption attitudes and outcomes. Here are some basic findings, as well as AF poll results on families’ open adoption experiences.
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?
Open Adoption from the Other Side
How does your child’s birth mother feel about being called a “birth mother,” about the frequency and format of contact, her voice in the relationship, and more? We asked five birth mothers in open adoptions these questions. Here are their answers.
Ask AF: Sharing Details We Found Online
“After my daughter’s birth family stopped corresponding, I looked them up online. Is it unethical to share this information with her, since I obtained it without their consent?”
Ask AF: Continuing Contact with the Birth Family?
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Referring to the Birth Mother
Answers to your parenting questions.
The Basics of Open Adoption
What is “open adoption” — and what might it mean for your family?
Ask AF: Differences in Openness
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Should We Try for the Same Level of Openness?
Answers to your parenting questions.
“Falling in Love with Adoption”
Although my family’s story is a journey still in progress, I’ve discovered a way to feel complete.
Explaining Different Levels of Birth Mother Contact to Kids
We know very little about our nine-year-old’s birth mom, but her younger brother talks to his. How can we help her?
“Getting to Meet Her Birth Mother”
A daughter — and her mother — look forward to a very special family reunion.
“Losing Touch with Birth Parents”
When my son was six years old, his birth mother closed the door on our open adoption. Were we wrong to include her in his life?
“20 Years of Letters to Our Son’s Birth Mom”
Though we never heard back from our son’s birth mother, I continued to write, bragging with a motherly pride I thought only she could understand.