Whereas adoption was once a private affair cloaked in secrecy and sealed records, adoptions in the US today are increasingly open - that is, birth and adoptive families meet and become acquainted before the adoption, and remain in contact once it is complete. Experts agree that open adoption comes with many benefits for both birth families and adoptive families and their children, but what does it actually look like for families experiencing it, and what can we learn from those experiences? Open Adoption and Diverse Families reveals the strengths, vulnerabilities, daily struggles and triumphs of adoptive families today. Drawing on extensive interviews with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents, many of whom adopted transracially, psychologist Abbie Goldberg confronts the extraordinary questions that open adoption poses: How do adoptive parents feel about openness when they first learn about it, and why do their feelings change over time? How does contact unfold and evolve as a child grows? What types of boundary challenges arise between adoptive and birth family members, particularly in the age of social media and networking? How do adoptive parents talk about adoption with their children, and how does this vary depending on level and type of contact with birth families? Confronting head-on difficult subjects such as birth parents' mental illness and racial differences between birth and adoptive families, Open Adoption and Diverse Families chronicles the decisions and dynamics that adoptive parents sign up for when they pursue option adoption, and is a must-read for all families pursuing or experiencing this exceptional approach to building a family.

This book covers common open adoption situations and how real families have navigated typical issues successfully. Like all useful parenting books, it provides parents with the tools to come to answers on their own, and answers questions that might not yet have come up.

When gay couples become parents, they face a host of questions and issues that their straight counterparts may never have to consider. How important is it for each partner to have a biological tie to their child? How will they become parents: will they pursue surrogacy, or will they adopt? Will both partners legally be able to adopt their child? Will they have to hide their relationship to speed up the adoption process? Will one partner be the primary breadwinner? And how will their lives change, now that the presence of a child has made their relationship visible to the rest of the world? In Gay Dads: Transitions to Adoptive Fatherhood, Abbie E. Goldberg examines the ways in which gay fathers approach and negotiate parenthood when they adopt. Drawing on empirical data from her in-depth interviews with 70 gay men, Goldberg analyzes how gay dads interact with competing ideals of fatherhood and masculinity, alternately pioneering and accommodating heteronormative “parenthood culture.” The first study of gay men's transitions to fatherhood, this work will appeal to a wide range of readers, from those in the social sciences to social work to legal studies, as well as to gay-adoptive parent families themselves.

Sixteen essays ranging from lyric essays to narrative journalism address how we make sense of what we cannot know, how we make change in the world, how we heal, and how we know when we are home. Collectively, these essays convey the longing for agency and connection, particularly among women. They will resonate with readers of all ages, but perhaps especially with women in the second half of life, those dealing with aging parents, retirement, illness, and accompanying vulnerabilities. Here readers will find comfort within keen reflection upon life's ambiguities.

This book explores the reality of what it's like to live adoption-and open adoption specifically. Most people know very little about how contemporary US adoptions "work" - and this book draws back the curtain to reveal the vulnerabilities, strengths, challenges, and daily struggles and triumphs of adoptive families today. It does not shy away from tough subjects, like birth parents' mental illness and racial differences between adoptive parents and their children. It aims to trace the challenging decisions and dynamics that adoptive parents "sign up for" when they pursue open adoption. It also aims to illuminate the unique benefits and joys of open adoption.

Adoption has changed dramatically over the past twenty years; biological parents no longer have to say goodbye to their child forever. Now nearly all adoption agencies promote open adoptions. Open adoption creates the opportunity for a special relationship between the biological parents, the adoptive parents, and the child. Emotionally, this is still largely uncharted territory. Open adoption requires a new approach by all involved, but it also generates invaluable rewards. The supporting relationships of open adoption provide for the better development of the child's psychological and spiritual well-being. Russell Elkins gives valuable insight for making successful open adoption.Open Adoption, Open Heart is the inspiring, true story of Russell and Jammie Elkins heartwarming journey. In this book, Russell offers stories, encouragement, and practical advice about the tensions and triumphs in open adoption. Their experiences take readers deep into the feelings and emotions of adoptive parents, sharing the joys, difficulties, and amazing victories that face adoptive couples. Both adoptive and biological parents need the valuable lessons that Open Adoption, Open Heart will provide.

Every Family is Created by God God forms families in many different ways and sizes, but all are equally important and special. When adopted son Calvin needs to tell about his family for a class assignment, he discovers his parents were praying for him long before they chose him. Not only that, but God chose them for Calvin. It wasn't by chance and it wasn't an accident. It was according to His plan. We Chose You was written to communicate to all children, whether birthed or adopted, that they are chosen. That they are secure. That they are loved. This is a message every child needs to hear. Let this book give you the words to tell your child about your family's unique story.