The attorneys at Fiddler Osband are compassionate, child-focused and bring over 20+ years of combined adoption experience to every matter. Mark is a nationally-recognized attorney in the areas of adoption and ICWA. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Mark is one of twenty Americans awarded a Kellogg International Leadership Program Fellowship,<a href="https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/directory/fiddler-osband-llc-edina-mn/" title="Read more" >...a>
TruAdopt Law
TruAdopt is a non-profit law firm in Southern California dedicated exclusively to the representation and support of expectant mothers who are making an adoption plan.
Ask AF: How to Cope with the Disappointment of Not Being Chosen by an Expectant Mother
"Our adoption profile was shown to an expectant mother, and she selected a different family. We knew this was a possibility, of course, but feel disappointed. How to cope?" Readers offer advice.
Ask AF: Should We Tell Our Child She Has a Birth Sibling if They Can’t Be in Touch?
"Would knowing that somewhere, out in the world, she has a biological sister—but one she can’t get in touch with or live with as a sibling—help our child, or be harmful?"
Parents Share: “When I Knew I Was Going to Adopt”
Parents share the moment they knew in their hearts that their path to parenthood would involve adoption, whether they always knew or it came after years of trying to conceive.
“I Needed a Different Parenting Handbook…” – Parenting Children with FASD
Belated diagnoses of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) changed the way this mom parented her children, and the way she savored their successes. Join with her as she recounts some of their small victories and hard-won life lessons from their 20-year journey.
“I Can Still Be Shocked” – Encountering Ignorance About Adoption and Race
Fifteen years into parenting in a transracial family, I thought I had heard it all—with appropriate comebacks at the ready—until an interaction with a racist (former) boss left me simply dumbfounded.
Letters to the Editor, RE: April 2019
Readers share feedback about articles published in the April 2019 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
“A New Path in Our Adoption Journey”
For years, my daughters’ birth mother dropped in and out of our lives as she battled a drug addiction. Now she is back in our lives, back in her own life, and I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for all of us.
Ask AF: What to Do the First Time a Foster Child Comes to Stay with Us?
"We are preparing for our first overnight visit with sisters we hope to adopt from foster care, and are nervous. What are we supposed to do for 24 hours with two children who are essentially strangers?"
Ask AF: How to Discourage Indiscriminate Affection
A mother who adopted from foster care seeks advice about discouraging her children from charming or hugging strangers— and how to respond to the adults who think the child is just 'being sweet.'
Parents Share: The “Match Meeting” with an Expectant Mother
"Be yourself" and more real-life advice for the "match meeting" with an expectant mother.
8 Keys to Talking About Adoption
There is no one-size-fits-all script to walk parents through conversations with their children about they way they joined their family, but there are guidelines you can follow to ensure years of open, honest communication.
Parents Share: How Is Parenting After Adoption Different?
We asked parents to "name one way in which adoptive parenting differs from parenting a biological child." From maintaining an open adoption to understanding trauma parenting to feeling free to agree wholeheartedly with compliments about your child's looks, here's what readers shared.
“Almost Famous”
The day we became a transracial adoptive family was the day we lost our anonymity in our community. We’ve learned to handle the extra attention with some advance prep before going public, some choice words, and some perspective.
“She’s Leaving Home”
As parents, our goal is to raise independent, self-sufficient human beings. But, truth be told, it hurts like a %$#* when you realize you’ve done your job.
Ask AF: Should I Try to Contact My Children’s Birth Siblings?
A mother who adopted from foster care seeks advice about contacting the adoptive parents of her children's birth siblings. Fellow adoptive parents weigh in.
Ask AF: Seven-Year-Old Has Been Saying She Doesn’t “Belong Here”
Parents are puzzled by their seven-year-old's new questions and feelings about adoption. Adoption expert Beth Friedberg, LCSW, offers an explanation and talking tips.
Media Focus: Lissa Schneckenburger
Lissa Schneckenburger’s new album, Thunder in My Arms, takes foster and adoptive parents on a melodic song cycle about the ongoing effects of early trauma and the healing power of community, understanding, and love. Tune in to learn more.
21 Noteworthy Adoption Books Published in 2018
Looking for a new book for yourself or your child? Look no further than Adoptive Families' annual roundup of new memoirs, novels, children’s books, and non-fiction with adoption storylines or themes, including a compelling crop of young adult fiction.