What is your personal connection to adoption?

Camira B

I'm a first mother who went through a fraudulent/coerced adoption this Feb. and am still in court now, fighting for my son. My "open adoption" has, of course, been closed, locked, and sealed with crazy glue. Since then, I've been speaking with House Reps, Senators, and pretty much anyone who will listen about my experience and the need for adoption reform.

Oh yeah. My brief has just been submitted to the Judges so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Lori A

I am a first mother from the BSE, who has been in reunion for 9 years. I am here to learn as much as I can about adoption and what it needs to be a better system. I want women considering adoption to make informed decisions. I want them to hear all the things agencies and lawyers do not tell you before signing those papers. I offer my story, my ear, and my feedback to those considering adoption but are torn and want to know how they will survive. I also want adoptive parents to know that reunion does not mean replacement. My daughters parents have not been replaced by us being in reunion.

Freckle Face

Adoptive mom
6 cousins adopted thru foster care.

Looney Tunes

...i know all you......

...and oh yeah, I was NEVER adopted and foster care raised me. Splendid.

BLW_KAM

I am an adoptive mom to an almost ten year old girl. I am a staunch supporter of open adoption. My personal mission is to be the most informed, sensitive, and open parent I can be. I want to do this right.

We had plans to adopt another child through foster care but I was diagnosed with breast cancer when our daughter was only 18 months old. This squashed our dream of expanding our family.

I am happy to be alive and healthy.

Irish

I am a birth father.

Robin

I'm a former foster child, adopted by my foster parents at age 3 in the BSE. I was taken from my 1st mom b/c she didn't make enough money to support me (before welfare) & was "living with a man to whom she was not married" (per court records) years after her husband abandoned her.

A former "teen" mom (I've since outgrown the "teen" part) pressured by a.mom me to relinquish my daughter (failed). She tried to have my daughter taken away from me (failed) & attempted to enlist the help of my daughter's father & paternal grandmother (failed). I finished high school after my daughter was born, then college (as a divorced mom) without any help from my a.family.

I was reunited with my 1st mom in 1983 & my birth father in 1986.

Former CASA (court appointed special advocate) for a child in foster care.

Gaia Raain II

Prospective mom, adopting through foster care. I spent a few days in foster care as a kid, and my bff spent a significant amount of her pre-teen years in foster care. (I only add that in because sometimes I discuss foster care, too...albeit from a relatively uninformed platform, it's an emotional topic.) I was raised in an abusive home, married an abusive first husband, and finally "broke the cycle" about 11 years ago. (I mention these facts because they inform my opinions about most things...it's hard for me to separate ANYTHING I do from the difficult lessons I've learned.)

SgtShamy

I am adopted

sizesmith

I am a step-mom to my late husband's children, and to "M" now. I am a biological mom to "B", an adoptive mom to "J", and just got approved to do foster-to-adopt. I am sister-in-law to another "J", who was placed for adoption 48 years ago. I am a daughter-in-law to a wonderful woman who placed a child 48 years ago, in a time when that's what a woman did in her case. I am a best friend of a woman who wishes to not be reunited with her child who was placed.

I love every one of my children dearly, and I try to be the best mom I can in every way.

I used to be totally ignorant about adoption, and thanks to all those here, I am trying to educate myself more about the processes. Although I don't agree with a lot of the posters here, I try to respect their opinions, and learn a lot from many.

When I adopt again, it will be a child who needs a home, probably from foster care.

cruzgirlz3

Adopted at birth

raising nephew who was adopted, and my niece both who lost mother to cancer and father to addiction.

former social worker

Nurse Autumn Intactivist NFP

I am a young mother who fits the "profile" to be a "birth mother" (ugh).

I was lucky enough to have a supportive mom when the rest of my life was falling apart. I kept my son and I now see "what could've been" I love my son and I am a good mother, regardless of my age. '

I want others to be able to keep their children (barring abuse and neglect), and not be told they are not worthy of raising their own kids, So I am here. I know a lot of people think that I shouldn't be, because I am not directly connected to adoption, but I think that because I DID keep my son, I bring valuable experiences to the table, and I want to educate my self so that I can educate others

ladybmw1218

I am an adoptive mom. We had a sort of surprise adoption, in that we weren't planning to adopt (we were planning to become foster parents), weren't with an agency, hadn't had a homestudy...heck we didn't have a real home yet because our house was still under construction. We were approached by DS's first parents via mutual friends.

We have a fully open extended family type situation. Even though we are in different states, and first mom and first dad are no longer on speaking terms with each other, we have relationships with both of them and their extended families as well.

Mei-Ling

White girl in a white family in a white neighbourhood -

Oh, wait. You meant who I actually AM, not who I see every time I look in the mirror. Well... fiddlesticks! @@

I am an Asian girl in a white family in a white neighbourhood.

I'm still rechecking in with my Asian counterpart, as she seems to have been dormant for over twenty years and only resurfaced when I made initial contact with Mama and Baba 2 years ago.

Lillie

I am your sister's cousin's best friend's roommate's adopted hairdresser.

Rowan

i'm an adoptee. I was officially adopted at age 3, but lived with my a family from the time i was 8 months old. It was an in the family adoption, me and my twin brother were adopted by my aunt(bio fathers sister) as my bio moms family were no where to be found.

Skylar

I was adopted when I was two weeks old.

IDK!!

Adoptive mom
sister to someone lost to adoption
relinquished by mom at 16

Obias

Andraya you beat me to it! I was wanting to know what "titles" others had here. Thanks for doing it, it'll give me better understanding to everybody's answers.

I'm an adoptee, brought to my a-parents home at the age of 3 months and began using their name, but wasn't legally adopted til age 11.
I've recently introduced my birth mother to this forum since she has a Yahoo account. I've already shown some answers/questions to my mom as well.

Sofiakat

I am an Ap.
My husband and I adopted a sibling group of two from foster care almost three years ago.
My son was 3 years old and quite troubled when he entered my home.
My daughter was 18 months and delayed physically and developmentally by almost a year when she first came into my home.
I send packages quarterly to their mother with pictures, drawings from the kids and very detailed letters with updates on the kids (altho she still has not picked them up).

tish_part deux

breeder for the infertile, black elite...

i am a foster to adopt parent

Ems N

I have a relative who was given up for adoption a few years before I was born. I would love to meet them, but I don't know anything about them. It feels a bit like a part of my family is missing.

I'm also trying to get more information about adoption generally, and learn people's views and such.

kateiskate

I was adopted at three months old from Korea to an entirely white family that lived in a very white community. I have a younger sister who was adopted at birth (domestic) and is in reunion with her first mother. My parents divorced when I was four. My mom remarried a military man and we traveled the world til I was eleven. I don't have kids (I'm only 21) but am afraid to have them because I don't want to pass any of my "crazy" lol on to them. It is really important for me to resolve as much of my issues around adoption as I can so that I can be a mom who is able to be there for her kids mentally and emotionally without relying on my kids to love ME and take care of my needs.

I Love A Child With Autism!!!

I am a mom in 3 ways...I have 2 teen step children, I have two adopted special needs children, and I have a biological child. I had no idea there was even a down side to adoption before visiting Y!A. I am here to listen, to help if I can, and to educate myself on the best way to parent my children, especially when it comes to dealing with the highs and lows that can come from being adopted.

Linny G

I am adopted. Was in 2 foster homes after I was born, because my n mom started her confinement in a chain- maternity home in one state, then there was "no room at the inn", so they shipped her to another state. 2 states claimed they had dibs on me, so I went to a foster home in Ky, then I had to go to a foster home in Ohio until it was settled. I went to an Ohio family, because I was born in Ohio, although my n mom signed all the paper work in Ky.

I was finally placed with my a family at almost 6 months of age, and I have attachment issues because of not bonding with anyone during my formative months. Thanks, Ohio and Kentucky.

I have adoptive parents who adore me, as I do them, but unfortunately, times were different then. They were taught to never discuss my adoption, and "if they loved me enough I would never want to search". They did not want to talk about their infertility issues, so that loss was not recognized. My pain was never recognized either, nor was my confusion about adoption.

I found my n Mom 22 years ago. She just NOW told my siblings (4) about me. And surprise!!! Her family did not hate her, nor am I going to run away to live with my new old family. I feel complete now, and like a real person, as I know BOTH my families histories and stories.

I joined Y A to get other perspectives, and enjoy telling my story. My "goal" is to educate others, whether they are a p's, n family members, or adoptees that all is not perfect in Whoville. Meaning, people MUST learn to acknowledge the pain EVERYONE has in order for their to be peace.

I am NOT anti-adoption, just anti-closed adoption, and anti- international adoption. I am against closed records, as they can potentially end someone's life if there are health issues we need to know about. I am an 8 year cancer survivor of an extremely rare type of genetic cancer. I am THE poster child for open records.

I have some issues with some of the posters here who do not want to acknowledge other's FEELINGS and experiences. It makes me sad when I see some a p's or pap's or even adoptees who do not want to know every aspect about adoption. Yes, it CAN be a wonderful thing, but attitudes need to change in order for a child to have a "normal" life.

myst1998

I am a MOTHER to a stolen child and MOTHER to two other gorgeous children who were not stolen from me (so lucky... wedding bands DO make a difference in this day and age).

I also have many, many friends somehow involved in adoption and have researched,observed, lived and breathed adoption and all its guff since I lost my beloved daughter.

Heather Leigh

I am an adoptive parent to a 14 year old boy. He was our foster child on and off since he was 5. Our adoption was finalized six years ago. He is a distant cousin to by two bio kids so he has regular contact with his bio family.

I am also caring for my two nieces ages 5 & 3. They will probably be with us a couple more months and then they will go back to Mommy.

SJM

I'm an adoptee. I've also been a CASA volunteer.

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