What do you wish expectant parents, adoptive parents, or other social workers knew about the adoptee perspective that is often overlooked? “What I wish more expectant parents, adoptive parents, and even other social workers understood is that adoptees can be really loved and well supported and still have complicated feelings about being adopted. Gratitude and grief [...]
How has your experience as an adoptee shaped the way you approach your work with clients? Does it change how you advocate for open adoption? “My experience reminds me that adoption is lifelong, not a single event. I approach families with an awareness that the decisions made today will echo decades into the future. It absolutely [...]
Why did you choose to work for an adoption agency, and specifically AFTH? “I chose to work with AFTH because of our moral and ethical mission and values. Originally, I did not want to work with an adoption agency as I thought they all were there to profit off people… I saw [AFTH] was the intersectionality between an agency and [...]
How do you think AFTH challenges many stereotypes and misconceptions people have about adoption agencies? “AFTH challenges the idea that adoption agencies are transactional or profit-driven by centering relationships and lived experience. Being founded by an adoptee and intentionally employing adoptees as social workers shifts the culture from just a “process” to true perspective. Decisions aren’t just policy-based; they’re informed by people who have lived adoption long after [...]
Adoption agencies are often painted with a broad brush, seen as pro-life, pushing people toward adoption, or focused only on adoptive parents. But like in most situations, assumptions can be misleading, and the nuances of how agencies actually work can get lost. At Adoptions From The Heart, our goal isn’t to convince anyone of anything. [...]
The Beginning of the Internship Journey Finding an internship is the beginning of many students’ careers. School teaches us that internships further our education, beyond schoolbooks and lectures. Internships can help decide what you want your future to look like, providing you with experience and a place to apply what you’ve learned. When I [...]
As we settle into National Adoption Month, Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH) aims to educate . This month honors and uplifts anyone touched by adoption in any way. Whether birth parent, adoptive parent, or adoptee, there is always more to learn. This piece focuses on resources for young adoptees to explore this month. For [...]
Download PDF | Articles Include: Honoring National Adoption Month A Second Chance Through Open Adoption The Eras of AFTH Give Back With Heart This Holiday Season Finding Joy Through Open Adoption Building Connections Through Play Finding Connection This Holiday Season A Mission Match Made With Heart Building Beautiful Families Calendar Stay Connected with AFTH In Every [...]
During the holiday season, AFTH receives gifts to forward along to members of the adoption triad. We ask for you to please include funds to cover the postage needed to repackage and send the gift from our office. To ensure enough time for mailing, please have packages delivered to our offices no later than Monday, December [...]
Kristen is a birth mom from Pittsburgh, PA who had an unexpected pregnancy in 2017. Not knowing what approach to take she was worried about how to provide the best for her child. One day, Kristen’s father heard an ad on the radio for Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH). He came to Kristen's with information [...]
