How Will My Child Feel about Being Adopted?

Children who are adopted often grow up knowing the love, safety and joy of a family. Here are stories about how children feel about being adopted, in their own words.

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Choosing adoption for your baby means choosing love. By embarking on this journey, you are providing the type of life you have always dreamed of for your child. You may not have been able to provide such a life without adoption, and your child will have a safe, loving home that they can forever thank you for.

If you want to get more adoption information now, then contact us online whenever you’re ready to start your adoption journey.

How Will My Child Feel about Being Adopted in California? [An Open Adoption Story]

In popular culture, adoption is often portrayed in a negative, inaccurate light. Birth mothers are seen leaving their children on the doorstep of a fire station or an orphanage, and they’re never to be seen or heard from again. Diana remembers that, growing up, everyone who learned she was adopted was surprised that her adoption wasn’t borne out of tragedy. Rather, it came from love.

“My birth parents were young and weren’t ready to raise a baby,” she said. “They have always made it very clear that they love me, and they’ve always had a positive and present role in my life.”

Through open adoption, Diana and her birth family were able to stay in touch long after her placement as a baby. They stay in touch through in-person visits over holidays, birthdays and other fun get-togethers. When you choose an open adoption, it doesn’t have to be “goodbye.” Instead, it can be “see you later.”

“I feel intensely lucky to have a birth family that is healthy, stable, a positive part of my life and whom I genuinely like as people,” Diana said.

How Do Adopted Children Feel during Closed Adoptions?

Unlike an open adoption, a closed adoption means the child and adoptive family have no identifying or contact information for the birth mother. In other words, the adoptee grows up not knowing who their birth mother is, leaving them with plenty of questions that go unanswered for years. Because closed adoptions are no longer the norm, many adoptees from closed adoptions have now reconnected with their birth families.

For example, Jennifer realized the immense sacrifice her birth mother made for her, even though she grew up in a closed adoption.

“When I became a mother – both for the first and the second time – it helped me to understand what it means to be a mom and how difficult it must have been for my birth mother to say goodbye to me,” she said. “She had truly given me the gift of life, and for that, I will forever be thankful.”

Once Colorado’s laws changed, Jennifer opened her sealed adoption records. After discovering her birth mother’s name, she reached out to her and got the answers she’d always been searching for. Now, they’re building a relationship decades after placement.

“Having contact with my birth mother now is an unexpected step in my adoption story, but I’m looking forward to whatever new relationship we may develop from here on,” she said.

How Do Adopted Children Feel About Their Biological Parents?

Adoption is a place of pride for plenty of adoptees. Many adopted children grow up knowing that two whole families love them more than anything in the world. They can also celebrate their adoption stories with both you and the adoptive family, and it’s one that they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.

That’s the case for Jenna, and her parents have always made sure that she understands the brave, heroic decision her birth mother made.

“My mom always said, ‘Your birth mother knew exactly what she wanted for you. We promised them that we would give you everything that we could under the sun.’ My birth mom mostly just wanted me to have a happy, healthy life,” Jenna said.

She was born two days after Christmas, but her jaundice, combined with a massive snowstorm, required her to stay in the hospital for a bit longer than usual. Once she made it home, she got to meet her new family for the first time on New Year’s Eve, which they now fondly refer to as “Jenna Day.”

“Growing up, ‘Jenna Day’ was always a specific time when we talked about my birth parents – how much they love me and why they made this decision,” Jenna said. “And my parents would talk about how I was special because I had extra people that loved me.”

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If you are wondering how do children feel when given up for adoption, then these stories should give you a clear picture of how your child may feel. To get started on your adoption process today, you can fill out our online contact form and get more free information now. We’re beyond happy to help you complete this beautiful journey from start to finish.