Search Results for: open adoption

Adoption expert Lois Melina on talking with adopted children about unknown birth family information

The Four Agreements in Open Adoption

Lois Melina offers personal reflections on making relationships between birth parents and adoptive families healthier—for the sake of our children, using the principles of The Four Agreements.

Adoption Experts answer your questions.

Ask AF: Child Wishes She Had an Open Adoption

"My daughter, who was adopted internationally, has been saying she wishes she got to see her birth mother, like her close friend who has a very open adoption. What can I say to her?"

Setting boundaries in open adoption may be awkward, but it is necessary

Setting Boundaries in Open Adoption

In an open adoption, your child's birth parents become part of your extended family. Here are some common questions when it comes to managing those relationships.

Understanding teens and open adoption

Teens and Open Adoption

As teens seek independence, they rethink their relationships with all the adults in their lives — including birth parents.

A family in an open adoption waits for the arrival of the birth mother

Understanding Open Adoption

Among experts who study it and families who practice it, open adoption varies widely. Here's a look at open adoption today.

Real open adoption stories from birth mothers

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.

open adoption stories

Families Share: Our Open Adoption Experience

"The best part about being a birth mother in an open adoption is that I am at peace. Colin and I are still a part of each other’s lives, yet he is so happy and deeply rooted in his family that sometimes I forget that he’s not their flesh and blood. Knowing he has the life I wanted for him allows me to move forward in mine." —Jen

Guide to Open Adoption

Open Adoption: A Reference Guide for Families

Openness brings great benefits to all involved, as well as some unique dilemmas. Addressing them requires flexibility, sensitivity to the birth family, and confidence in yourself as parents. Here’s how to make it work for your family.

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