Adoption Stories and Articles

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Adopt Library:
Stories and Articles

Professional Articles About Adoption Issues
The articles which follow are authored by adoption professionals from agency workers to attorneys to social workers and psychologists.

Articles from Adoptive Families Magazine

Father and Son
Adopted and bio kids in the same family
Quiz: Are you ready to adopt?
Take this quiz and find out!
Adopting a second time...
issues to consider
Tending The Garden
A story of growing a family and healing of an older child adopted from China
How to Lobby Your Employer for Adoption Benefits
Talking to Children about Adoption
You Are Me
You don't have my genes.
You don't have my hair, my nose, or my eyes.
But you have my heart.
Top 20 Adoption Bestseller Books at ODS Conference
Adoption Myths
What are the myths about adoption that are not generally verbalized?
School Savvy
Parents should expect difficult school assignments...so be prepared!
You Don't Have to be Perfect to Adopt and other Myths
Confronting our own misinformed notions
Dear Mom and Dad!
An adoptee's letter to prospective adoptive parents lets them know what their children might be thinking
Adoption Web Sites
You can find reliable information on the Internet, say the authors in this article. But check your sources.
Sometime In The Night
A Single Man Becomes a Dad...Story of Doug Hood's Adoption of Suki from China at age four.
Support Groups
The song “Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime” reveals what an Adoptive Parent Support Group (APSG) is all about.
Scrapbooking
Capturing Your Child's Journey Through Life
Another Generation
Reminiscences of a 41 year old first-time dad and baseball fan!
Communicating with your Baby
Star of the Week
Fielding questions about adoption at school starts early. Is your child ready?
A Grandparent's Joy
Even the most eager grandparents-to-be need time to work through concerns about adoption.
Culture, Heritage and Stereotypes:
If we don't help our children understand stereotypes, who will?
The Waiting Game: Celebrating the holidays alone
Tears of Trust: Being there for child with disability
The Final Step: This mom's tears at finalization ceremony
The Little Girl Who Loved to Swing: Sensory integration article
Until the the Real Thing Comes Along: Waiting for the perfect package?
The Mommy Moment
The instant of true connection is the most joyful part of parenthood.
Taking Charge
Her homestudy completed, one mother filled the waiting time with support groups, networking and even a little shopping.
Connection with a Culture
A mother weaves a strand between her child's Guatemalan heritage and her Arab ethnicity.
A Family Renewed
Can adoption be an act of faith after the greatest loss imaginable?
Parallel Lives
Nicole is 16 and pregnant. Otto and Chanda are desperate to adopt a baby. A generation ago their paths might have crossed. Today, it's less likely.
New Hope for Kids in Foster Care

Articles from Roots & Wings Adoption Magazine

Finding Carlos Roberto
Story of a family who is searches for the sibling of their already-adopted-child.
Questions Without Answers
A teen adoptee's advice to adoptive parents
Annie's Reunion
A Family takes their 7 year old to India
My Two Girls
Appreciating differences in our children, by single adoptive mom of 2.
Post Adoption Parenting
How do I parent my adopted child?
On Our Own
Story of Single Adoptive Dad
The Adjustment Period of my Biological Children
The Care and Feeding of the Multicultural Glutton
How much should we encourage identity with culture of origin vs current culture?
The Missing Part
Adoptee, birthmother and adoptive mom and has a viewpoint which is almost NEVER heard!
Child For Sale
Story of adoption from Korea
Our Adoptive Dad is an Exceptional "Roll" Model
Inspiring story of dad with a disability who has 15 kids!
Adoptive Mom's Diary
The importance of support groups during adoption
Loving Lucas: A Cultural Journey
Adopting from Peru
A Practical Guide: Adopting a Special Needs Child from Abroad
Bridging Ethnic Communities
This is Our Story, This is Our Song
Single woman adopts two special needs children
Telling Your Child's Story
Should you tell your child's story to the school?
Heart Strings vs Policy
This adoptive mom listened to her heart instead of the policy
To Tell or Not To Tell
How and when do you tell your child about his adoption
Toddler Adoption
Accepting Adoption
What happens when one member of the family cannot accept adoption?
Adoption Rollercoaster
Finding Me
An adoptee shares her journey to self identity
A Rose by Any Name
Readers will enjoy the struggle of a parent to choose the “perfect” name for the daughter she adopted from China!
Experiencing Adoption
The Middle Years: Grieving Losses and Fitting In
Pick Me
An Adoptive-dad-to-be writes
The Homestudy
Bulgarian Adoption Story by Terri Bell
Helping Hannah Home...story of trip to India to bring a baby home
Seoul Mates
In a decade of parenting, we had left our 4 kids overnight exactly twice. And now we were leaving our precious kids and going half a world away to pick up a 4-month-old son we'd never met.
Therapy...Making an Informed Choice
As a parent of an adopted child, you must consider the strong possibility of needing to have your child in some form of therapy. How does a parent make an informed choice?
A Family for Every Child: Adopting a Down Syndrome Child
The Older Child and Second Language Acquisition
Are Caucasian families able to parent their Asian-born adopted children effectively?
When You Don't Disrupt
What makes the difference in a family that does not disrupt

Articles from Adoption Today (formerly, Chosen Child Magazine )

Dealing with UNsolicited Comments
What are some of the rude questions multi-ethnic families hear and how do you deal with them?
Before You Adopt
Issues you must consider BEFORE adopting.
A Handrail to hold
The importance of support system...especially for single parents!
Becoming a Multi-Racial Family
Ways to expand your horizons...before you adopt.
Infertility and Grief: A Transforming Process
Issues which need to be faced when considering adoption
The Daddy Question
Single adoptive moms deal with no dad in the family
Adopting at Our Age
Adopting as an older parent
JinJin and MeiMei
Story of 2 five year olds joining our family (from China)
The Siblings Perspective on the New Arrival
Adoption Medicine: Healing the Wounds of Troubled Children
First Encounters
Meeting your child for the first time...what's it like?
Reunion Revisited
This Korean adoptee was reunited with birthfamily only to find she had a twin sister!
Being Adopted
Ratings Reality
What happens when ratings are more important than truth in reports on adoption in the media
Perspectives on Waiting
The Bread of Life... story of Vietnam orphanages begun
United We Stand
A Marriage Grows through Adopting and Fostering Children
Promoting Adoption for Adoption Awareness Month
Sue Wants 2, Do You?
Single parenting: How do you decide about adopting another child?
Abandonment
How do you explain to your child?
An Angel Gets her Wings....story of Angel of Saigon
Are You Looking at Me? mini reunion with other families adopting from China
You're Going to do What? 14 year old writes what it is like when his parents decide to adopt a little girl from China

Hope for Children Act 2001...tax credit for Adoption

Child Citizenship Act of 2001

January 2001 Subsidy Information

Adoption Legislation ....put "adoption" in search window...for current USA Adoption Legislation

Legal Encyclopedia: from Nolo on Adoption

Birthmother's Day by Courtney
Birthmother's Day by Brenda Romanchik

Birthmother Art Exhibit

A Birthmother's View Of Adoption

Famous Adoptive Parents, Birthparents and Adoptees

Tax Credit for Adoptive Parents

Cost of Adoption

A Quick Guide to Adoption Law

Getting Help Through the Family and Medical Leave Act for Infertility or Adoption

Articles by Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao

Ode to Elian
How Adoption Shaped My Life

Articles by Ellen Glazer

Considering Adoption in the Midst of Infertility
When do you stop infertility treatments and consider adoption?
Who Speaks for the Kids?
Adoption Decisions
Issues to consider in making adoption decision

Articles by Sharon Kaplan Roszia and
Deborah N. Silverstein

Birth Parent Checklist
What Are considerations/ things to think about for a birth parent considering making an adoption plan for his/her child?
Lifelong Issues in Adoption
The Seven Core Issues in Adoption which all triad members face throughout their lifetimes.
The Open Adoption Experience
Excerpted from book by Sharon Kaplan Roszia and Lois Ruskai Melina.
Kinship: Ties That Bind
Article by Carol Biddle, Sharon Kaplan Roszia, Deborah Silverstein
Specific Techniques to Increase Family Attachment
by Deborah N. Silverstein
Seven Core Issues of Adoption Video

Articles by Susan Culver

Articles by Susan Ward

All Families are NOT Created Equally
Older Child Adoption...and then you get home
Do You Love Your Child as Much as I Love My Child?
Advantages of Older Child Adoption
Required Reading: Bonds of Attachment

Articles by Marlou Russell, PhD

Adoption Wisdom
Adoption: Reunion Issues
Meeting my Birthmom
When Adoptees Become Parents by Marlou Russell, PhD

Articles by Joe Soll

What Not to Say to Adoptive Parents, to Adoptees, to Birthparents

Articles by Patricia Irwin Johnston

The Financial Impact of Parenthood by Patricia Irwin Johnston, MS
Getting Real by Patricia Irwin Johnston, MS
Building a sense of entitlement...are you the "real parent?"
Promoting Attachment Through The Senses by Patricia Irwin Johnston, MS
Easing your baby/child's attachment/ homecoming
Dealing with the Loss of an Adoption
Top 5 Hot Buttons... Rude things people say to adopting parents

Articles by Dee Paddock

Pressing Close and Pushing Away:
The Dance of Ambivalence in Adoption Relationships
Orphans & Warriors:
The Journey of the Adopted Heart
Survival Strategies for Dealing with Learning Disabilities Diagnosed in your Adopted Child
A Story of Two Mothers:
One adoptive family's journey
back to Korea
Proactive Parenting
Why is my child so angry, depressed, anxious?
Bent But Not Broken
Building Resilient Adoptive Families
Going and Growing Through Grief and Loss
Parenting Traumatized Adopted Children
Grief and Loss Issues for Adopted Children:
Caring Adults Can Make a World of Difference
Proactive Parenting
How to Recognize Issues and When to Seek Help

Articles by Denise Castellucci

First Contact: You Have Options

Articles by Susan DeLuca

Grieving Peggy:Finding a grave at the end of a search

An Adoption Ceremony/Agreement by Jim Gritter

Articles by Adoption Attorneys and Adoption Law Information

Finding Your Adoption Attorney
Questions to ask, issues to consider before you hire an adoption attorney.
Divorce During/after Adoption
State Adoption Law
US Agency Working with USA Citizens Abroad
Out of State Agencies for NY

A Quick Guide to Adoption Law

Dealing With a Birthparent's Grief
Brenda Romanchik, a birthmother in an open adoption, writes about the healing process for birthparents.

Birthmother sites:
Courtney
Skye
Katey

Articles by Susan Van Sleet, birthmother, artist, poet

The Mary ...Beyond the Canvas Series
To My Birthdaughter

Daisy

Pretty Ribbons

Was There a Kitten? from ...Beyond the Canvas

Kindergarten Picture

Overgrown Bangs

Susan's Reunion Story
Susan's reunion story with her daughter.
Christmas: A Blessed Reconnection
Lavender Blue
A Birthmother's Book of Poetry
sample poetry of "...the silenced emotions carried within my own heart for nearly three decades."
Birthmother Poetry & Art
by Susan Van Sleet
Frozen Emotions
Sands of Time
A Mother Somewhere Holds my Child

Enduring the Wait

HOMESTUDY ARTICLE
by Elizabeth F. Ates:

Homestudy Information

Infertility: School for Parenting
Everything I needed to know about parenting, I learned from infertility

Creating a Family by Birth and Adoption

Common Issues Facing Adoptive Parents

Dealing with Adoption Detours
This author shares her experience and strength with adoptive families dealing with adoption disruptions.

Pre-adoptive Parents: Meeting A Birth Mother for the First Time

Supporting an Adoption

Positive Adoption Language

How to Choose an Agency for an International Adoption

Networking: A ProActive Approach to Adoption/Finding a Birth Family on your Own

Mastering Bad Feelings

Post Adoption Depression Syndrome

How to Choose Your Baby's/Child's Pediatrician

Adoption and FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)

Talking to your Pre-school Child about Adoption

TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL...
What do you say to the school about adoption and your child?

What about the cost of adoption? Can I adopt if I am not rich?
Is there any financial help to adopt?

What is the Jewish position on adoption?
"Adoption as a Jewish Option" by Rabbi Michael Gold
New! Tapes "Family Through the Eyes of God." from Rabbi Michael Gold. 1-888-HEART15
Also see Infertility/Adoption information.

What kinds of benefits are available from employers for adoption?
Includes discussion of adoption leave, list of companies offering adoption benefits

Information on New Tax Credit for Adoptive Families

Can I adopt if I am in the military?

Can I adopt if I am gay/lesbian?

Gay/Lesbian Adoption

What is Interstate Compact?

Dealing with Adoption Detours?

Post Adoption depression syndrome
Yes, it is more common than you think. You've reached your goal of parenthood, but depression often follows.

Dealing with the Grief of a Lost Adoption
Practical Advice for Moving on after a birthparent reclaims her child

Explaining Adoption to Your Child

Answers to children's questions About Adoption

How do I answer those "rude/awkward" questions people ask me about my children?
One mom's gracious answers to awkward questions about our adopted kids

Adoption and the Stages of Development:
What Parents Can Expect at Different Ages

Speaking of Birthmothers
One birthmom and one adoptive mom speak to the issues involved in adoption

Birthmothers and Oppression

Painful Lessons: the Need for True Open Adoption by Marcy Axness

Helping Your Child Deal with Adoption Loss
Helping your child face the loss of his birthfamily

Adopting The International Child With Special Needs

Issues to Consider Concerning International Adoption

What are some of the Issues which face Interracial Families?

An Adoptive Mom's Point of View on Biracial Adoption

Building Bridges to Your Child's Ethnic Community

International Adoption: Opening Pandora's Box by Peter Dodds

Identity Crisis Years
Sometime in their lives, most adopted people must face the issue that they were given up by their birth parents.

Searching Resources

Vital Records Information...from CDC

Adoptee's Advice to Adoptive Parents by Abigail Lovett

When You Need Help
How do I know when I need help? Post adoption counseling.

Common Clinical Issues Among Adoptees
(Those who have received psychological treatment)

Hambun-Hambun
A multicultural adoptee talks about finding her identity

Healing the Hole in the Heart

Late-Discovery Adoptee (LDA)

Top 10 Best Ways to Have a Successful Reunion

Access To Your Adoption Records!
State by state access information

Vital Records Information...CDC information, state by state

Issues Facing Adult Adoptees

Articles by Damsel Plum

What is Bastard Nation?
What is a Bastard Nation Moment?
Psychology of Self-Defeatism in Adoption Reform
From Primal Wallow to Purposeful Work

Articles by Marcy Axness

Second Rejection: The Issue of Rejection Among Adoptees
Painful Lessons: The Need for True Open Adoption
In Defense of the Primal Wound
An adoptee discusses Nancy Verrier's primal wound theory.
In the Best Interests of Whom?
The Baby Richard Case and the Need for Reform
Authentic Beginnings: Real Bonds
Honest Talk About Adoption by Marcy Axness

Articles, Poems, Stories
for all triad members...

News, Announcements, and Events:
Baby Abandonment Bills

Stories, Poems, and Book Reviews:
Black Cats
Don't Go In Alone
Adoptee and Birthmother: A Dual Journey of Healing
Touched by Adoption
A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption
Identity Theft and Recovery: Late Discovery Adoptees
Shame and Fear and Hope
Conference
I Can Say The Words "My Daughter"
My Son's Mom
Adopting the Older Child
Nothing Wrong with Moving On

Triad Stories
The following stories are representative of all sides of the adoption triad, adoptive parents in all situations, birth parents and adoptees, both children and adults. Names have often been changed to protect the identities of those involved. They are all true stories and are presented to represent as wide a perspective as possible.

All Things Are Possible
This story encompasses fifteen years of infertility, secondary infertility, in vitro, foster care and adoption.

Family Album Video
Families tell what it is like to adopt... includes 6 stories of different kinds of adoption.

Infertility: School for Parenting
What good is infertility?

A Baby: From Infertility to Adoption

Coming to Adoption Indirectly
A mother's story of coming to adoption after the devastating birth and death of a child.

Dealing with Adoption Detours?
One mom tells how she dealt with the disappointments and frustrations in their attempts to adopt.

To Russia With Love
A magical story of adoption, after 2 miscarriages, from Russia

Open Adoption Stories by Sandra Lenington
Stories of opening a closed adoption, 2 birthmothers write and a letter from a birth grandmother, Adoptive dad story and birthfather's stories.

A Wonderful Story of 3 Adoptions from beginning through adulthood, including meeting with birth families.

Especially for Men:
Stories written by and for birth fathers, adoptive dads and a reunion story of an adoptee with her birthfather.

A Birthday Card for Alison's First Parents
After a failed domestic adoption, this family went to Russia.

An International Adoption Story
Adoption from Russia in 3 months.

Mallie, We Love You
A birthmother writes about her pregnancy and how she and her boyfriend made adoption plans for their daughter.

Lisa, a birthmom in open adoption, writes of her relinquishment & experiences & opinions about adoption

A Birthmother's Day Poem

A Dream Come True
After delivering 3 boys, this family dreamed of a little girl.

Our Open Adoption: Times Two
This story is written by an adoptive mom and tells of her journey to family X two.

Our Open Adoption Experience
This story is written by an adoptive dad and tells of his positive experience.

An Open Adoption Story
This story is written by an adoptive mom.

Adopting Our Girl
How one family dealt with the news their baby was born with a cleft lip

Independent Adoption by Adoptive Parents

Independent, Biracial Adoption by Older Birth Mom

A Fost-Adopt Story by Adoptive Mom

Adoption by a Single Mom

Older Child Adoption Stories

Adoption Pains: Why does the system make it so hard to give an orphan a home?

A HOME FOR HANNAH is a photo feature of an American family's adoption of a Russian girl, touchingly illustrated through the lens of photographer Melanie Stetson Freeman

An International, Special Needs Birthparent Story

A Modern Day Miracle
The serendipity of an adoption-meant-to-be
A Modern Day Miracle told by the Adoptive Mom
The story above told from the adoptive mom's viewpoint

Choices: A Single Adoptive Mom Speaks Out

Our Song
A birthmom's poem by LindaBeth

Mother's Day Reunion
Reunion of birthmom with daughter she had not seen in 40 years.

Do You Think of Me?

The Calling
A birthmom's poem by LindaBeth

I Gave up my Baby, NOT my love!
Story by birthmom, Carol Bird

Birthday Thoughts
Reminiscing by birthmom Carol Bird on the her child's 45th birthday

The Longing Birthmom's Poem after difficult reunion by LindaBeth

I Choose Life for my Baby
A Story by a birthmother of placing her daughter for adoption and of Reunion and the Healing Process

Many adoption stories from Denmark

An Adoptee's Open Letter to his Birthmother

Adult Adoptee Writes of the Recovery Experience Post-Reunion

Catherine's Experience: Growing up Adopted

Hearts in Exile: A Reunion Story by Marcy Axness
An adoptee writes of her experience.

Many Hands: An Adult Adoptee and the Healing Process by Marcy Axness

Adoptee Reunion Story with Birthfamily in Vietnam
Reunion Story

Ghost Birthfamily

Reunion Story of adoptee from Korea raised in Denmark and Reunited with Birthfamily in Korea

My Reunion Story

Going Back So You Can Go Forward
Adoptee goes back to find foster family

An Adoptees Eloquent Plea for Open Records

At Long Last: A Reunion Story

If you would like to write your story or send us an article as a professional,
please send it to:
Email: info@adopting.org