Our Blog

  • The Adoption Reunion That Hits All The Right Notes

    Adoption reunions are sensitive affairs that usually take place behind closed doors. But tonight, Shari Ulrich and Mike Magee, the son she placed for adoption, will be re-connecting on stage. And they won’t be comparing notes. They’ll be performing them. Shari and Mike will be playing together at a concert in Eugene, Oregon. It’s not the first time they’ve done it. Shari, a singer and songwriter, and Mike, an architect, have been performing together for five years. Shari knows that their relationship is far

  • The Day Our Open Adoption Game Plan Changed Forever

    This guest post is by Jody Dyer, an adoptive mother and author. A few weeks ago, my husband Jeff and our sons Houston, 13, and Scotty, 4, spent an afternoon visiting Scotty’s birth family. The small group—Houston; my husband, Jeff; Scotty’s birth mother Kerri; his birth grandmother Lynn, and his birth great-grandparents Larry and Gail — circled my child with love, pride, and adoration. Constantly mimicking his big brother, Scotty showed off his perfected free throw warm-up routine and his

  • Adopting Hope: My Story As A Single Adoptive Black Mom

    This guest post is by AdoptiveBlackMom, an adoptive mother and blogger. My daughter, Hope, and I have been together for more than a year now. Our finalization anniversary is coming up. I don’t know how we’ll celebrate yet, but I’m sure we will. This last year has been peppered with huge shifts for both of us.  Becoming a mom to a teenager is…well, awesome and hard. I wanted to adopt an older child for numerous reasons, not the least of

  • Adoption Has A Bad Rap. But This Music Video Changes Everything

    Melissa and Chris Savage are prospective adoptive parents who have everything they need to welcome a baby into their home. A crib. A car seat. A stroller. And now, even their own rap song and video. That’s right: the Los Angeles-area couple have created a rap song and video set in and around their house. They hope the “Savage Family Adoption Rap” will help them stand out from crowd and get noticed by an expectant mother with an adoption plan. While other waiting parents rely on social workers

  • How I Got Over My Fear Of My Daughter’s Birthmother And Became Her Friend

    This guest post is by Brandy Sacapanio, an adoptive mother and adoptee. “There is a very good chance we will have to remove the right ovary.” I walked outside the doctor’s office in disbelief and sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, too weak to stand. It had been a whirlwind of events. I had gone from feeling “something” one day when I got dressed, to a doctor’s appointment, to the question: “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”, to an

  • TV Anchor Explores Open Adoption By Turning Camera On Himself

    As a TV anchor, Bob Gallaher has covered a lot of stories in his day. But few of them are likely as close to his heart as this one. In this segment for WEAU 13 News, the Wisconsin newsman has turned the camera on himself to share his own open adoption story. The segment includes interviews not only with Bob and his wife, but also with their daughter’s birthmother and her parents. As Bob explains, open adoption is a life-changing event for

  • The Letter I Wrote To My Future Son After Meeting His Birthmother

    This guest post is by Daysha, an adoptive mother and blogger.  My husband and I met our son’s birthmother, Sheila*, twice prior to his birth. The first time was during our initial meeting before she selected us. The second was just after she made her decision. During that first meeting with Sheila and leading up to it, I was a ball of nerves.  “Will she like us? What if we say the wrong thing? What if she doesn’t approve of our

  • Adoption Themes in 2015’s Oscar-Nominated Films

    This guest blog is by Addison Cooper, founder of Adoption At the Movies When I set out to review movies from an adoption perspective, I wondered if I’d ever run out of material. I don’t think that I will. When I started writing on my site, Adoption at the Movies, I had a list of 100 already-released films that I wanted to review, along with reviewing any new films that had adoption connections. Now, two and a half years later,

  • If Only Every Adoption Profile Video Was This Entertaining

    We’ve seen our share of adoption profile videos over the years. But we’ve never seen one quite like this one by hopeful parents Joe and Joey. Entitled “Dear Future Baby,” it’s a hilarious send-up of Meghan Trainor’s “Dear Future Husband.” As Joe and Joey explain in their video, they’ve always dreamed of becoming fathers. And now, with the help of open adoption, they’re hoping to make their dream come true. But when it came to reaching out to a prospective birthmother, they wanted

  • Adopting As A Military Family: The Unique Challenges And Joys

    This guest post is by Jessica Oxendine, a hopeful adoptive parent. Our family’s journey to adoption began through acceptance of infertility and recognizing that adoption can be just as miraculous as giving birth. Having been diagnosed with secondary infertility (we already have a beautiful son), and after 9 years of battling with the unknowns, we were ready to accept the fact that a biological child was not going to be. My husband came to this realization a lot sooner than