A daughter — and her mother — look forward to a very special family reunion.
“Promises the Adoptive Parents Kept”
The time I spent alone with my newborn daughter meant a lot. But the fact that she has grown up knowing me has meant the world.
“Running to Mommy”
I knew it would be hard for my daughter’s birth mother to give her up. But I didn’t think I’d feel so guilty for taking her.
“Losing Touch with Birth Parents”
When my son was six years old, his birth mother closed the door on our open adoption. Were we wrong to include her in his life?
“Double the Love”
Every Mother’s Day, I celebrate my relationship with my daughter’s birth mother.
“How I Discovered the Meaning of Motherhood”
It wasn’t until the birth of my daughter that I realized my son’s mother was his adoptive mother.
Ask AF: Handling Requests for Financial Support
How should we handle requests for financial support from our son’s birth mother?
“Someone I Will Never Know”
I had never met my child’s birth mother. Could I learn to love her?
Birth Parent Fantasies
Your child’s birth mother looms large in her imagination now. What’s your grade-schooler really thinking?
“A Complicated Privilege”
Was hiring someone to search for our daughter’s Guatemalan birth mother the right thing to do? We decided we had no choice but to try to meet her.
Five Families’ Creative Connections to Birth Parents
When it comes to keeping their children’s birth parents an active presence in their lives, many families are thinking outside the (mailbox and in)box.
“Knowing Their Brother’s Birth Mother”
We knew that our youngest son’s birth mother would be a powerful force in his life. We didn’t anticipate the impact she’d have on his older brothers.
“My Parents Never Judged My First Mother”
With her swollen belly, my classmate reminded me of my own first mother. People expected her to be ashamed, but I wondered, how can someone be ashamed of the mother without also being ashamed of the baby?
“Our Kids Are All Right”: Birth Siblings in Open Adoption
Was moving from a semi-open adoption to a fully open one, with visits, the right decision for my birth son and for the daughter I was raising?
“Finding Peace with My Adoption Plan”
As a birth mother, my path to adoption was full of conflicting feelings. But at the moment my son was born — when two women came together in the same instant to love him — I felt at peace.
What Does the Expectant Mother’s Attorney Do?
When an expectant parent chooses to be represented by an attorney, it is important for all of the parties in the adoption to understand that the role of the attorney is to advocate for his client. Our adoption law expert explains.
“When Will My Daughter Truly Know What Adoption Means?”
“It’s a hard truth, a harsh reality to take in, that love and pain can be so connected, so entwined. When will she truly know what adoption means? When will she finally learn the whole truth of what this word means?”
Ask AF: Explaining a Birth Sibling’s Adoption
Answering your parenting questions.
Is PAL Too PC?
Positive adoption language helps correct misunderstandings about adoption. But is it too politically correct?
“Open Adoption Is…”
For our family, open adoption is peach roses, scrambling to buy bottles, and feeling out our relationship with the birth mom.