Many birth parents wonder, “Will my child understand adoption and my adoption decision?” Today, children grow up knowing their adoption story and understand how much their birth parents loved them by choosing adoption. In the past, adoptions were often kept secret and adoptive parents and birth parents were not allowed to meet or get to know each.
We now know secrecy often leads to hurt, confusion and anger by each member of the "adoption triad" (the birth parents, the child and the adoptive family). These adoptions often left a birth mother unable to choose the adoptive family and explain why she chose adoption. Ultimately, children were left to wonder who their birth parents were and why they chose adoption. And most often, adoptive parents didn’t have the resources or opportunity to bridge the gap.
By working with American Adoptions on your adoption plan, you will be able to choose the adoptive family and how you want things to happen, thus ensuring that your child knows why you made this difficult decision. You will be able to explain why you are choosing adoption and provide your child with answers to their adoption questions so they will understand your decision.