My daughter brings stuff up at bedtime. Most five-year-olds do; they don’t want to be left alone to sleep. She likes when I tell her stories in the dark and rub her back. Who wouldn’t like all that? Aside: bedtime can—if I let it—take forever.
Becoming a Mom or a Dad In Our Hearts
When did you know you were truly your child’s mother or father?
Ask AF: Writing to an Unknown Birth Mother
Answers to your parenting questions.
News Brief: International Adoption Law Update
Learn about the most recent updates to international adoption laws that impact prospective adoptive parents adopting from countries around the world.
Ask AF: Talking About and Getting to Know Birth Siblings
My 11-year-old has two younger birth siblings who were adopted by another family. That family recently moved into our community. My son often asks if he has siblings. I have not told him yes or no yet, and now it’s so late.
News Brief: Survey Says, Americans Support Same-Sex Adoption
The majority of Americans support the rights of same-sex couples to adopt children.
News Brief: Marriage Equality Victory Is Also a Victory for Children
The United States Supreme Court decision on June 26, recognizing marriage as a constitutional right for same-sex couples, will also have a positive impact on adoption.
News Brief: Challenge to U.S. Indian Child Welfare Act
A lawsuit alleges that the 1978 law discriminates based on race.
News Brief: Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act Update
Efforts are underway to make the adoption tax credit refundable, and available to lower income families with the 2015 Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act.
News Brief: State Adoption Laws Update
State adoption laws were updated in Florida and Michigan that will have an impact on same-sex adoption for couples in those states. Learn more!
“Dear Mom of an Adopted Child”
I knew you right away. I recognize the fierce determination. You are the kind of woman who Makes.Things.Happen. After all, you made this happen, this family you have.
“Bonding with My Daughters Over Pink Nail Polish”
My first 19 years of parenting were spent learning the scientific names of dinosaurs and organizing a bug collection. Was I ready to parent preteen girls?
Summer Reading 2015
Everyone touched by adoption should check out these powerful memoirs, by a birth mother and an adoptee.
“Many Kinds of Love”
Being adopted, I have found, means being familiar with many different kinds of love, many varieties of connection. It’s a roller-coaster of sorts. There’s an immense amount of gratitude; yet an overarching sense of loss persists, and permeates every interaction, every decision, and every relationship.
Documentaries About Adoption
These nonfiction films are sure to open up dialogues about the subjects’ experiences and your family’s story long after the last frame.
Keeping an Adoption Open Despite Challenges
Five moms candidly reveal how they’re honoring their commitment to openness when their child’s birth parent struggles with substance abuse, mental illness, or is experiencing crisis.
News Brief: Mississippi Suit Opposes Ban on Same-Sex Adoption
Many hoped the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to recognize marriage as a constitutional right for same-sex couples would pave the way for changes in same-sex adoption. Now, a suit filed in Mississippi is attempting to do just that.
“Should I Tell Her Teacher?”
I haven't decided not to tell my daughter's preschool that she was adopted, but, so far, I haven't told.
Share Your Story: Tricky School Assignments
We asked our Reader Panel: Have your school-age children been assigned any projects that were difficult for adoptees (timelines, genetics, etc.)? How did you handle the situation?
International vs. Domestic vs. Foster Adoption – Fast Facts
Is adoption for you? Explore your options here.