Transracial Adoption Q/A with Angela True

Last year, Adoption Connection caseworker and adoptive parent Angela True, MFT, participated in the Open Adoption Interview Project, where bloggers interview other bloggers about their experiences surrounding adoption. Blogger from http://stillseriouslyandlovinit.wordpress.com asked some great questions about transracial adoption: Angela, as an adoption caseworker, what kind of education programs are available or mandatory when adopting transracially? … Continued

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Join Us for Upcoming Adoption Conference

Adoption: A Lifelong Journey Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm By Randie Bencanann, LCSW While there are many birth and adoptive families in Northern California, there are definitely not enough opportunities for education. That’s why we are so pleased to offer an adoption conference to the community of adoptive families, adoptees, … Continued

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A Blended Adoptive Family – Writing Their Own Story

Five-year-old Joachim and 2-year-old Jaspar are cherished young men. When the December holidays and birthdays roll around, the brothers get to celebrate with their parents  …  and their birth families. Adopted at birth, Joachim and Jaspar are part of a growing trend in open adoptions: merged families where the birth parents and their extended families … Continued

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Choosing an Adoptive Family

By Leah Sheldon Who will love my baby as much as I do? Many pregnant women considering adoption find themselves asking this question. Finding an adoptive family can be a life-changing experience. It can also bring doubts and insecurities to the surface, even if you are sure that adoption is the best choice for you. … Continued

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Adopting a Drug-Exposed Baby: Making the Decision

Many adoptive families looking to adopt a baby through open adoption will at some point find themselves sitting down to fill out detailed questionnaires about what kind of baby they envision adopting. Sue and Jeff* decided to consider a birthmother who had used drugs during her pregnancy. “We wanted to keep the door open to … Continued

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12 Tips in Adopting a Drug-Exposed Baby

Related Posts: Adopting a Drug-Exposed Baby: Making the Decision Research, research, research. Talk to professionals – pediatricians, neonatologists or genetic counselors.  They can help you feel comfortable with your decision. Enlist a professional who is familiar with substance abuse to help you determine the birth mother’s actual experience with drugs – which drugs she used, … Continued

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Captured in Poetry, Two Adoptions

By Rachel Herndon, ACSW, Birthparent Services Coordinator I recently had the pleasure of working with a 19-year-old birthmother, Allis, who herself was adopted at birth by her parents, Paul and Christina. Her adoptive parents were very supportive of her decision to place her unborn son in an open adoption and heard about a wonderful family … Continued

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Finding Neil, My Birth Father

Her eyes bulge and take up most of the space on her round face. Her thinning, blond hair stands up in places like pieces of fine straw. My birth mother looks over 60, but she is not a day over 45. I guess alcohol, cigarettes, and the Arizona sun will do that to you. People … Continued

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Doulas in Adoption – Wanting to be helpful

By Randie Bencanann, LCSW, Adoption Connection Co-director Last Wednesday, I participated in a wonderful evening sponsored by the Bay Area Doula Project. It was a panel discussion organized to bring adoption information to the doula community and local reproductive rights organizers and supporters. (Yes, it was game one of the World Series— but we were … Continued

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Creating an Adoption Lifebook

What is an adoption Lifebook? An adoption Lifebook, or adoption storybook, is a handmade scrapbook and keepsake that chronicles and illustrates a child’s journey to his or her adoptive home. It is used as a source of information as well as a way to open up the discussion of adoption with a child. Why is … Continued

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