Christian 's adoption has been a journey of discovery, acceptance, and healing that has shaped his identity in profound ways. Five years into the reunion with his birth family, he has experienced highs and lows, finding joy and a sense of belonging in this intricate web of relationships. The acceptance of his feelings surrounding his [...]
Adoption is a beautiful and life-changing journey for both parents and children involved. Last week, we heard from two adoptees, Christian and Jackie. Their stories shed light on the less-discussed aspects of adoption- the struggles that come with it. While these challenges may not always be in the spotlight, it’s crucial for potential adoptive parents [...]
Adoption is a journey filled with joy, however, with joy comes loss. It's important to recognize that adoption also comes with inherent grief and hardships. No two adoption stories are the same, and each adoptee's experience is unique. At its core, adoption begins with the loss of one's biological family, heritage, and culture, and each [...]
Seven families set out on an adoption journey together, faced some unexpected challenges, and rose above the odds by creating a new family not only with their adopted daughters, but also with one another. The Beginning of Something Special It was an unsettling time. The Iraq war, the Gulf war and SARS were raging across [...]
An AFTH 35th Anniversary story Throwback In 2016, AFTH received an email from a family who had adopted through our China Program over ten years ago. Marie Kilgore and her family had a wonderful experience and were enjoying the past ten years with their daughter, Grace. However, they reached out to us because their adoption [...]
Establishing a bond with your child as an adoptive parent can have many ups and downs. Adoptive parents may be wondering how to develop a healthy, strong relationship with them. It is possible to develop a bond with the adoptee, and there are specific steps you can take to ensure a healthy, strong relationship with [...]
Alexandra Miller's reunion with her birth family in China Growing up in the States Jeff and Maxine Miller adopted Alexandra from the Quzhou Social Welfare Institute in China at 10 ½ months old. Alexandra grew up in the rural countryside of Garrett County, MD. Throughout high school, Alexandra was a proud and active [...]
A picture with Maxine 10 years apart As a single mother, I set out on the adoption journey with Adoptions From The Heart almost 15 years ago. I had researched many agencies and I loved so many things about AFTH. They had a great international program that they were involved with at the [...]
Intro The desire to parent a child was the driving force that led us to adoption. We both came from “traditional” family structures with a mother and father plus siblings. I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of our nation’s capital amidst a diverse shifting population in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. It felt like [...]
My mother and I went back to Guatemala, my birth country, a few years ago. We traveled all across the country and did many things but what I enjoyed most about going to Guatemala was just seeing a whole country of people who looked like me. I felt like I could relate to them, in [...]
