We have an open adoption with our 30-month-old son’s birth family. Last night we were looking at a photo album.
“The Other Mother”
A birth mom and an adoptive mom delve into the complex — and surprising — realities of their open adoptions.
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: A Difficult Reality
We used to have a good relationship with our son’s birth mother, but haven’t heard from her since he was two. He’s now nine. I recently searched for her online, and learned that she’s in jail.
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?”
A Nation’s Buried Pain
Kay Ann Johnson spent more than 20 years listening to the anguished accounts of Chinese people who relinquished, adopted, and hid out-of-plan or over quota children in the face of the country’s One-Child Policy. In China’s Hidden Children, she shares their stories.
A ‘Lost’ Daughter Speaks, and All of China Listens
I went to China to find the birth mother who left me on a street corner. Instead, I became the focus of a nation’s buried pain.
The Adoption Process from the Expectant Mother’s Perspective
What is it really like to decide on adoption, look through parent profiles to choose a family, and place your child in their arms—and how can the adoption process better serve these women?
Ask AF: Birth Mother Confusion
“My daughter says things that make me a little insecure, like, ‘I love you as much as I love my birth mother,’ or “My birth mother is my real mom.’ How should I respond?
Ask AF: Finding Birth Family on Facebook
My 11-year-old son has been saying he’d like to meet his birth family.
Ask AF: Birth Sibling Contact
When kids find out they have birth siblings, they’re usually interested in meeting. Here’s how parents can help facilitate the relationship.
Ask AF: Sharing Difficult Birth Parent Information
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Opening Contact
“We recently learned that our son’s birth mother is having health problems. How do we tell him, and how can we ask for more contact?’
Ask AF: Continuing Contact with the Birth Family?
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Birth Mother’s Day
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Two Moms, Two Roles
“Our daughter’s birth mother recently signed a card ‘from Mommy.’ It bothered me. Am I overreacting?”
Ask AF: Birth Sibling in Another Family
When I adopted my two-year-old son, I was told that he has a biological sibling who was adopted by a family who lives in another state. My son is my only child, but his brother has adoptive siblings. How do I explain this to my son?
Ask AF: Reluctant About Birth Parent Contact
How to create safe contact with birth parents who have a history of drug use.
Ask AF: Referring to the Birth Mother
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: When to Share Birth Parent Information
Answers to your parenting questions.