What Rights Do Adoptive Parents Have?
In the adoption community, we talk a lot about the rights of birth parents and a birth mother’s parental rights in open, semi open, and closed adoptions. What we often don’t talk about clearly that seems to be a discussion on online forums is if an adoptive parent would like to relinquish rights. The […]
What is involved in…
One of the most important aspects of preparing for adoption is the home study or home visit. I talk to a lot of couples who are planning to adopt or are starting the process and this is one thing that makes people nervous. To them, it seems overwhelming to have a stranger come into […]
What You Need to Know About Adopting a Relative
I confess that I hadn’t paid much attention in my adoption research to adopting a relative until my sister adopted her great-niece. When she and her husband got a call that their great-niece was being removed from her home, they agreed to foster her. Eventually, it was determined that staying in their care should be […]
Are Adoption Records Ever Unsealed?
As a parent by adoption, one thing I have done that is a very important part of my daughter’s life is to share her birth story. Since she has a semi-open adoption, the information that I have is limited and will likely remain so until she is able to obtain her birth records legally […]
Birth Father Rights
Nearly 135,000 adoptions take place in the United States each year. Of those adoptions, each situation is entirely different from the other. Each state has its own laws and procedures when it comes to adoption. Legally, one of the most important things in the process is understanding the rights of birth parents and parental […]
How To Talk to Your Child About Their Adoption Story
In the past, adoption was a topic that wasn’t discussed. It’s hard to believe that there were adoptees that didn’t know they were adopted, sometimes their entire life. However, times have changed, for the better. It’s important to be considerate, sensitive, and to share truthful and relevant information to help your child understand their […]
When an Expectant Mother Opts to Parent
Nearly 7 years ago, my husband and I met with a birth mother. After a few meetings, she asked us if we would be willing to parent her child and she began to make an adoption plan. When we got the call that she was in labor, I was in the delivery room with her […]
Single Parent Adoption
In the past, it might have been more common to see couples adopting, but single parent adoption is on the rise. Adopting as a single man or woman is more commonplace than ever before. According to Adoptioncouncil.org, between 2017-2019, single men and women accounted for about 28% of all parents adopting from foster care. […]
Adoption Awareness Month
November is a very important month in the adoption community. It’s a time to raise awareness and share our stories of adoption. This month is an opportunity to celebrate adoption, raise awareness about the adoption triad and the unique nuances of adoption and support organizations and agencies that work in this field. According to […]
Embracing a Birth Mother
I had little experience with birth mothers prior to adopting my own daughter and writing about adoption. It was then that I began to meet many, including friends who I hadn’t known had made an adoption plan for their child. I started reading more about the birth parent process, talking with and interviewing more birth […]