Birth Family
A birth family is comprised of an adoptee's biological relatives. They're the family that placed the child with an adoptive family and although they may be genetically related to the child, many birth families have not maintained contact with an adopted child. It's common for adoptees and birth families to think about one another, particularly during important times in their lives, for example during a marriage or graduation. This is what leads to many adult adoptees and birth relatives to search for one another. For some adoptees, meeting their birth family is something they feel can answer questions they've grown up with. Perhaps the questions are serious and related to their medical well-being. Or maybe they're curious about nuances in their personality.
A birth family is symbolic of an adoptee's identity and will have a connection to an adoptee that no adoptive parent can really replace. However, an adoptive family is less at odds with a birth family than they may think.
The decision to search for a birth family is one that hundreds of people make every month. However, it's suggested an adoptee joins a support group before beginning the search process. Meeting a birth relative for the first time can follow months of rejection or waiting and a reunion can be disappointing or overwhelming. Often, these are decisions that affect more than the just adoptee but also his or her birth parents and families.
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