The Adoption Interview Project

This past September I presented “Tips from the Trenches: Finding Middle Ground in Open Adoptive Parenting” at the Open Adoption Symposium: Realities, Possibilities and Challenges in Richmond,VA. I had a lot of time to converse with other professionals, adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents outside of presenting and attending the sessions. I was profoundly touched by my experiences, the people I met and the stories they shared—of openness, closedness, pain, joy, and hope.

As a follow-up to the symposium and to create more awareness about adoption during National Adoption Awareness Month (November), I am participating in The Adoption Interview Project, an initiative by Heather Schade over at Production, Not Reproduction. I became reacquainted with Heather and met her rappingly-gifted husband Todd at the symposium.

Heather aptly states that during National Adoption Awareness Month, “… we’re bombarded with media pieces and events that try to compress adoption into shiny, tidy sound bites that don’t match the complex realities of adoption as I’ve witnessed it (and often exclude birth parent and adoptee perspectives altogether).” The purpose of The Adoption Interview Project is to shed some insight, differing views and perspectives about the complexities of adoption. I will be one of many who will be interviewed and offer my insights and viewpoints.

The interviews will be posted on participants’ blogs, including right here on The International Mom, on November 17^th.  I’m looking forward to introducing you to a remarkable young woman, so please remember to check back then…or better yet, subscribe to The International Mom so that you receive posts when they’re published (upper right-hand corner).