Reader: I have an issue I would like some advice if possible. We are foster parents and have been for almost 14 years. We adopted our daughter at age 7 she came to us at age 4. We were open to a semi-open adoption and were giving bio mom pictures and emails, but this woman…
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Reader: I have a question that although unpleasant I would appreciate some input. As a mother in the process of an adoption, and as the wife of an adopted person, (who’s biological sister passed away recently) we have had to discuss this. Is it okay, or helpful, or just plain wrong to ever include info…
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I am looking for some advice/input from other adoptive parents and birth parents on an unusual situation I have found myself in. My daughter’s birth parents live in the same town that we do. She is seventeen months old, and was a month old when we adopted her through the local foster system. We have…
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Reader: We are going to be meeting our son’s birth family for the first time since he was born 3 years ago. We have kept in contact via e-mail. Any suggestions for us? Adoption Coach: Dear Reader:Thank you for your question! What an exciting time for your family! Certainly, you are feeling a range of…
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Reader: My Husband and I are adopting a baby who will be born the beginning of April, we want to be present for the birth of the baby. We are in Illinois and the birth Mom is in Florida, our problem is trying to figure out what to do if she should go in labor…
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Reader: I have a question. We are considering adopting a friend’s baby who is currently in care. Social services are understandably concerned about the level of contact with the birth family as we both attend the same church and we would see them at least once a week which is far in excess of the…
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Reader: I have a question about these kinds of scenarios. Are we as potential adoptive parents made aware of the fact that the birthmom continued to drink while pregnant? Is information like that made available or only if the birthmom is willing to divulge it? How can we know? Adoption Coach:Dear Reader: Thank you for…
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Reader: Why is adoption so expensive? If the birth mother/parents have insurance, legal fees CANNOT make up that whole number?! Where does the rest go? Especially if it is an infant/newborn. Adoption Coach:Dear Reader: Your question is common to those new to adoption. Why is adoption so expensive? First, take note that adopting from the…
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Reader: Hello everyone! My partner and I are looking to adopt and it’s a bit easy to get overwhelmed with all the information that comes your way once you start down this road. Would anyone be willing to share their experience/provide information on how their adoption went. We would also be particularly interested in how…
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What adoptive parents need to know to better understand their adopted child: Understand your adopted child has experienced some very real trauma and loss. It is not a make believe story or a phase. Understand your adopted child will have to deal with their adoption for the rest of their lives. Some adoptees will spend the majority of…
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It’s exciting to live in a time where technology is beginning to impact so many parts of our life. I believe that over the next 5-10 years, technology will dramatically change the way the adoption process is conducted, making the process more streamlined for parents, and ultimately, allowing more to be able to experience the…
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A few months ago, a loving, Texas family went viral when their home video hit the web! Shane and Kasi Pruitt captured the tear-jerking reaction of their two young daughters being surprised with their newborn, adopted sister. It was a beautiful, unifying moment that was shared around the world. The Pruitts have five children, three…
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It was a surprise that we would not be naming our adopted child. When my husband and I first began our adoption journey, we really knew nothing about adopting. So, it really came as a surprise that we would not be naming our adopted child until finalization. We had figured her last name wouldn’t be…
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I was recently asked this question, “Would you have placed your daughter with a nontraditional family, like a same-sex couple or a single mother/father? I’m curious what your feelings are about this and what your process was in choosing a couple. First, I think this is a fantastic question. There are so many wonderful nontraditional families…
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We adopted and didn’t know anything about birth family contact. When we adopted our daughter 4 years ago, we really didn’t know anything about birth family contact in open adoption. We were informed by our adoption advisor that we would have a semi-open adoption. To them, this meant we would send pictures to our daughter’s…
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