Adolescence is tough, but don't worry: our adopted kids' experiences will usually fall well within the bounds of typical teen development.
Healthy from Their Skin In
A dermatologist advises on caring for the skin and hair of a transracially adopted child.
Is Open Adoption Right for Your Family?
A legal guide to open adoptions and open-adoption agreements.
“Raising California”
Families are forming in all sorts of ways, in a rainbow of colors, and my son through adoption is growing up right in the middle of all of it.
Ask AF: Parenting a Biracial Adoptee
I am having a hard time finding resources about transracial adoption in which the child is of mixed race.
How to Explain Adoption to Family and Friends
The way you respond to questions like, "What is adoption?" can influence how a person understands adoptive families–and explains them to others. Use these ideas to correct misinformation and set a positive tone.
Why You Need Your Child’s Medical History
A little information about your child's medical history goes a long way for finding and preventing risks.
“On Becoming African American”
Raised in a white community, I've just begun to embrace my heritage.
“Intimate Strangers”
She was going to have a child but couldn’t keep it, I wanted a child desperately but couldn’t have one. She was the mother at birth; I was the mother right after. It sounds simple, but it wasn’t.
Visiting with Birth Parents
When we adopted our son three years ago, our relationship with his birth mother was semi-open (letters, phone calls). Since then it has grown more open, and we're discussing a visit. Any advice?
Ask AF: Grandparent Adoption
I adopted my grandson eight years ago, and he has no idea that I'm his grandmother.
Heritage Starts at Home
How we can help our children feel good about who they are — and where they're from.
The Family Bed
Parents and experts talk about co-sleeping with an adopted child or infant.
What if My Birth Mother Shows Up to Claim Me?
Reassure your child that you are his parent, forever and always.
“Our Family’s Unique Kwanzukkah Celebration”
The story of how one transracial family reinvented their holiday traditions.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Surviving the Wait
In hindsight, these veteran adoptive moms would have done some things differently during the wait — but not others.
“Negotiating a Workable Schedule After Adoption”
I assumed I'd be offered the same leave and benefits as moms who give birth. When I wasn't, here's how I negotiated with my employer.
“Guarding My Heart During the Wait”
After years of grappling with infertility, I could only focus on what might go wrong during our (in hindsight) perfect match and my daughter's birth.
“Seeing My Daughter’s ‘Happily Ever After'”
My daughter, Rubie, has the kind of life I'd dreamed of for her, and is where she belongs. I only wish I had known that sooner.
“The Second Half of My Life”
I had been a hard-driving reporter and happily single. But now, I was ready for something more.