I just adopted as a single parent. What should I do to protect the rights of myself and my child?
“I Have Two Countries”
Emilio returned to Bolivia to meet his new sister — and gained a renewed connection to his birth country.
“Goodbye to Grandpa”
My daughter's struggle to make sense of this loss is shadowed by her earliest one.
“Heart’s Desire”
My daughter—like my own mother—feels an almost primal pull toward the woman whose body she grew in.
“The Same, But Different”
When an adopted child gets most of your attention, it doesn't mean you love your other child less.
When Other Adoptive Parents Don’t Understand
Acknowledging our connection to all adoptive families strengthens our children’s place in the world.
Share Your Story: How Have You Told Your Child’s Adoption Story?
How have you handled conversations with your child about his or her adoption story? Real AF readers answer.
Should We Contact our Son’s Birth Parents?
Adoptive Families asks advice on a reader's behalf. Should we contact our son's birth parents?
Culture, Heritage, and Stereotypes
If we don't help our children understand racial and cultural stereotypes, who will?
“The Most Natural Adoption”
As a newly minted adoptive mom reveling in my bond with my daughter, it just seemed natural to me when a mother goat on our farm took in a baby lamb.
Searching for Birth Families
Parents who look for their child’s birth family abroad are ushering in a new openness in international adoption. Many say the decision to search requires careful thought.
Adoption Through the Eyes of a Brother
One brother remembers all of the questions strangers and friends asked about his adopted sister from ages 5 to 15, and how he responded.
“Cornrows, French Braids, and Life”
As a white mom learns about her black child's hair, both come of age.
Ask AF: Reaching Out to the Birth Father
How can we increase the openness of our relationship with our son's birth father?
Adoption, Race, and Parenting at Camp
A summer heritage camp that's all about helping transracial families.
“My Daughter, My Best Friend”
Being a single parent to an only child means forsaking some friends—but gaining a best one.
“Becoming Mom, One Page at a Time”
I found my own way to connect with my children’s cultures—by getting lost in a few good books.
Share Your Story: Intrusive Questions
Our readers share their stories about how they handle intrusive questions about adoption.
“Our Canadian-Colombian Family Reunion”
After returning from a trip to my son's birth country, my heart — and journal — was overflowing.
“I’m a Lot Like You”
In a letter to her son’s kindergarten class, a ghost-writing mom explains what it means to be adopted and to have cerebral palsy.