Our Blog

  • 5 Open Adoption Legal Issues Adopting Parents Need To Know

    This guest post is by Jay Deratany, an adoption attorney There was a time not so long ago when adoption laws in the U.S. seemed set in stone. Both parties were sworn to secrecy and future contact was strongly discouraged, if not prohibited entirely. Called closed adoptions because all records of the arrangement were kept under lock and key, they accounted for 99% of all domestic adoptions just two decades ago. Today, however, 60 to 70% of domestic adoptions are open,

  • Birth and Adoptive Parents Share Vulnerability in Open Adoption

    This guest post is by Robin A. Fleischner, an adoptive parent and adoption attorney.  Appearing in court with my clients, Dee and Bob, and their 8-month-old prospective adoptive daughter, Marie, a few weeks ago, I was struck by the deep vulnerability adoptive parents and birth parents share. We were there for a hearing to terminate the parental rights of the child’s birth father. Dee and Bob already felt like Marie’s parents. They had met her birth mother, been present at their daughter’s birth, and were completely

  • Conquering Your Fear of Open Adoption: What You Need To Know

    This guest post is by Amanda Grant, founder of USAdopt. The words “open adoption” often strike fear in the hearts of adoptive parents, unnecessarily. Think of open adoption as an open door, a new beginning, a starting point. It is a very general term for a very personal and unique experience between birth families, adoptive families and the child that connects them. It is an experience that is unlike any other relationship you will have in life and can be incredibly

  • Open Adoption Multiplies A Mother’s Love

    This guest post is by Jori Reid, a birthmother. The first definition of a mother in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a female parent.” A lot people in the let’s call it “anti-adoption” world feel that a mother is solely the woman who gave birth to a baby. I feel they couldn’t be any more wrong. Loving someone with all you have unconditionally, sheltering them, providing for them — how can that not be a mother as well? Take me for

  • The Gift of Fatherhood: An Open Adoption Story

    This guest post is by Russell Elkins, an adoptive father and author  Every spring I dreaded the father-and-son campout organized by my church. Naturally, I had no qualms with men taking their boys out for some quality time in a tent. My dislike for this time of year didn’t even have to do with our infertility struggles. What I hated was the pressure other men would put on me to come. “It doesn’t matter that you don’t have a son,

  • An Open Letter To Our Future Child’s Birthfather

    This guest post is by Ethan Brooks-Livingston, a hopeful adoptive father. As Father’s Day approaches this year, it has taken on an almost-mythic status in my mind. I look forward to my first (and subsequent) Father’s Days with more anticipation than any day I can think of. It’s bigger than Christmas. And it’s not because I expect and need praise for being a dad. Father’s Day is a celebration of family. This will be my second Father’s Day since my wife and I

  • A Case for the Misunderstood Birth Mom

    This guest post is by Wynter R. Kaiser, a birthmother and author As a birth mom I have my own story and it is unique. I think that sometimes it is easy to romanticize the ideal adoption scenario; a young girl gets pregnant and loves the baby so much that she decides to give it a better home and life than she can offer. But there is much more to my story than that typical, idealized notion. Frankly, I think if

  • Adopting A Baby? Looking for Inspiration? Check Out These Motivational Messages

    Adopting a baby? Tired of waiting? Wondering what’s next? If you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than this year’s commencement speeches. Commencement addresses are always a great source of uplifting messages. And this year’s speeches to the Class of 2014 were no exception. Frozen director Jennifer Lee advised students “when you are free from self-doubt, you fail better. You accept criticism and listen.” Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg warned them “not to put limits on yourself.” And actor Ed Helm advised that “good sense

  • 10 Things I’ve Learned In 10 Years Of An Open Adoption

    This guest post is by Leah Outten, a birthmother. My birthdaughter’s 10th birthday is coming in just a few weeks!   As her parents and I have been on this journey with our daughter at the center, here is what I have learned in 10 years of being in an open adoption: 1. Communication is key Just as it is with every relationship, communication is essential to a positive and successful open adoption.  This is key from the first meeting

  • How To Write An Adoption Profile In 9 Easy Steps [Infographic]

    Writing an adoption profile isn’t easy. It’s hard to know what to put in and what to leave out. To make it easier for you, we’ve broken down the writing process into nine easy steps. We hope this will demystify it for you and make it less frustrating and time-consuming. If you like this infographic, there are three things you can do. 1. You can share it on your social networks. This will help you do it on Twitter: [Tweet “INFOGRAPHIC: How To