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Many transracial families can benefit from incorporating the adopted child’s culture of origin into their homes. For transracial families, it is often a matter of bi-culturalism versus assimilation. This document offers a list of 40 items to serve as a guide to get started.

Support adopted children by letting them decide what to share!

One way that children are taught about the world and people around them is through assignments that focus on When these assignments are broadened purposefully to be inclusive and respectful of many diverse family models, children growing up in “non-standard” families can relax and learn. Too often, however, these assignments are not sensitively designed.

One way that children are taught about the world and people around them is through assignments that focus on When these assignments are broadened purposefully to be inclusive and respectful of many diverse family models, children growing up in “non-standard” families can relax and learn. Too often, however, these assignments are not sensitively designed.

Parents often say that their children don’t talk much about adoption and don’t seem interested when parents bring up the topic. Does this mean children really aren’t concerned about adoption’s themes?

Parents who have potentially painful information about their child’s history and/or birth family face a number of complex and difficult decisions. These decisions include: Should we share this information with our child? If so, when, at what age or developmental stage? How do we share this information? How much should we share? Who should tell

Without this awareness, it will be more difficult for them to make conscious choices and to take responsibility for their own behaviors. For this reason, we believe a Lifebook should be made for each child. It is never too late or too early to make a Lifebook.

Not everyone is entitled to the details of our private decisions or our private lives. All families set privacy boundaries and help their children learn to do so. But setting privacy boundaries and secret- keeping are not the same.

“Children who have been affected by prenatal substance abuse can be difficult children to parent, difficult children to get close to, and sometimes difficult children to love. They may find it difficult to love themselves. The reciprocal circle of attachment, so important in adoption, in this case may tilt out of focus not because of