~WORDS~

What is in a word? So many things! Adoption has evolved over the years, it used to be a secret, and birth mothers were often thought of as promiscuous young girls without a future. Adoptive parents were always white and their babies were always from an Asian country. The children were "rescued" from a life much less desirable than what a wealthy American family could provide. My, oh my, how things have changed! Children are no longer "given up" or "put up" for adoption. A phrase that dates back to the times of children being physically placed upon crates in hopes that the passing train would pick them up and take them off to a better life! Are birth mothers and fathers giving up their parental rights? Yes. Are they giving up on their child? No! In open adoption, birth parents make a plan for their child and that plan includes an adoptive family who will accept the responsibility of raising their child. Gone are the days of "real parents" and "adoptive parents" -- we will simply be parents. Our child will have a birth family, but they will be our child. They will be your grandchild, your niece or nephew, your cousin, etc. They will be wanted and loved by all of their family. The journey of adoption is never ending. We encourage you to educate yourselves with positive adoption language, to avoid the negative, old school phrases that have so often been associated with adoption.