When you lose a parent or grandparent, you mourn the past. When you lose a child, as I lost my 24-year-old daughter, you grieve for the future that will not be. By adopting after this unimaginable tragedy, I wasn’t aiming to bury my grief or to start over, but to start a new beginning.
Parents Share: “When I Knew I Was Going to Adopt”
Parents share the moment they knew in their hearts that their path to parenthood would involve adoption, whether they always knew or it came after years of trying to conceive.
Parents Share: The “Match Meeting” with an Expectant Mother
“Be yourself” and more real-life advice for the “match meeting” with an expectant mother.
Never Too Old for Family
Today in the United States, more than 123,000 children in foster care are waiting for a permanent home through adoption. Nearly 45 percent of these children are ages eight or older—and desperately need the stability, guidance, and love that only a family can provide. Learn more of the myths and realities surrounding older child adoption.
Ask AF: Should We Try to Adopt Our Children’s Biological Sibling?
“Our children have a younger sibling in a different foster home. Should we fight to get custody of this child, whom we’re told has a strong bond with her foster parents and foster siblings, or leave things be?”
Parents Share: Deciding What Age Child to Adopt
From newborns to teens to sibling groups, adoptive parents share the thought process behind their age preferences when adopting.
Are You Considering Transracial Adoption?
If your family is thinking about adopting a child of a different race, spend some time answering these six questions to help determine if it’s right for you.
“Beyond All Expectations”
She went abroad intending to be an orphanage volunteer—and came back a mother.
“A Family Renewed”
Can adoption be an act of faith after the greatest loss imaginable?
Ask AF: What to Consider Before a Kinship Adoption Placement
“My cousin is pregnant but not ready to be a mom. She and I have discussed my adopting her baby. I realize we’ll need a lawyer, but what else will we need to do in order to adopt a family member’s child?”
“A Different Kind of Sister”
My partner and I thought long and hard about whether we wanted to adopt a second child. We decided to adopt a puppy-sister for our daughter instead.
“My Cardiologist Opened My Heart to Adoption”
The defective structure of my physical heart ultimately led my emotional heart to pause and consider—do I try for pregnancy, or for parenthood through adoption?
Wrongful Adoption: What It Is, What It Is Not.
A lawyer explains types of misrepresentation or fraud that are classified as wrongful adoption—and what parents can do about it.
Share Your Story: How Did You Tell Your Extended Family?
Here are five of the thoughtful letters we received.
“My Journey Through the Stages of Adoption”
Much like the trimesters of pregnancy, I moved through phases of worry, disbelief, and pure joy while I waited to adopt.
Share Your Story: Choosing a Gender
We asked our readers: should adopting parents be allowed to choose gender? This is what real parents shared about their decisions.
Share Your Story: Announcing Your Adoption
We asked our Reader Panel: Outside of your immediate family, who was the first person you told about your decision to adopt, and how did you tell them?
Your Guide to Learning About Adoption Online
Make the most of your digital presence, and avoid scams or pitfalls with these six steps.
Deciding on a Second Child
More might be merrier, but the family dynamic is sure to change.
Ask AF: Our Only Child Is Asking for a Sibling
An adoptive parent wonders how to respond to an only child who keeps asking for a sibling. Real parents share their advice and stories.