My daughter's tenth birthday was the first birthday party she'd ever had. Here's how and why we decided to redo all the others.
Adoption Films for Family Movie Night
Use this guide to plan a family movie night or two this season. These flicks will captivate your kids, and open up adoption talks long after the credits have rolled.
“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.
25 Ways to Nurture Hurt Children
How do you nurture a child who repels nurturing? Start with these practical ideas.
What Is Life Like for Birth Mothers After Placement?
On Your Feet Foundation's national survey provides insight into birth mothers' emotional experiences after placement and what can help them heal.
“She’s Leaving Home”
My daughter, whom I swear I just brought home yesterday, is gracefully settling into college.
Ask AF: How Do We Find Role Models Who Share Our Child’s Race?
We're white and our son is black. I'm ashamed to admit that we do not have any black relatives or friends. Will it seem offensive and shallow if I try to befriend someone simply because they are black?
Ask AF: Feeling Left Out of a Birth Family
Our seven-year-old biological son seems to swing between feeling left out because his siblings (both adopted) have "other families" to feeling that they can't be part of our family because they have "other" families.
Birth Parents on Their Minds
Your teen probably spends a lot of time thinking (or fantasizing) about her birth mother. Here's how to get some of those thoughts out in the open.
Which Laws Apply to My U.S. Adoption?
In an interstate domestic adoption, it's not always clear-cut which state's laws will apply to the process. An adoption attorney explains how to determine "choice of law."
How Should We Deal with Unsupportive Relatives?
How do you respond to family members who say they don't understand why you're adopting? Members of AdoptiveFamiliesCircle share their advice.
Ask AF: Explaining Foster Care
Answers to your parenting questions.
“Certificate of Live Birth and Parentage”
The document we receive is not called a Mothering Certificate, it's a Certificate of Live Birth. So why isn't the birth mother's name on there?
“The Therapeutic Value of Playing Our Adoption Game”
My daughter was two when I first met her at the orphanage in Russia. I knew nothing about the first years of her life, and she has no conscious memories of that time—but an elaborate fantasy life that she cultivated gave me a glimpse into how she may have experienced her early years.