In 1988, Kenneth W Watson defined adoption as:

“Adoption  is a means of meeting the developmental needs  of a child by legally transferring ongoing parental responsibilities for that child from birth parents to adoptive parents,  recognizing that in the process we have created a new kinship network that forever links those two families together through the child who is shared by both.”

In so doing, he lit the paths of adoption practice for the following thirty years. Watson identified 4 past practices which he felt were holding,  as prisoners, parties to the adoption –  the first being a denial of the differences between families constituted by birth as opposed to adoption; the second  being secrecy of information; the third being in a definition of adoption which  refers to the creation of a”substitute family” and the fourth being a denial of the pain and trauma of adoption.

During the past 3 decades, much attention has been directed to improving the outcome of past adoption practices outcomes.  Research and literature, recognizing the lifelong impact of adoption,  have informed the development of adoption education programs.  A rich variety of specialized  therapeutic resources with primary focus on the adoptee,  address the changing needs of the parties to the adoption. Adoption reunions celebrate the kinship network created by adoption. 

Throughout November, we will post  a sampling of the current findings, practices  and resources in adoption.  And, each Wednesday morning in November at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, we will be answering your questions on Facebook Live!

Please visit us and respond!

You can see our Facebook Live sessions here:  https://www.facebook.com/milestonesandtransitions/