Category: Is adoption the best option

Being Illegally Adopted and a Forced Reunion

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not ready for Reunion, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Taiwan, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Aimee shares about her illegal adoption from Taiwan and being forced into reunion through media involvement and her first mother and adoptive parent wishes.

The Feeling of Not Belonging Anywhere

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Eating Disorder and Adoption, Family Preservation, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, South Korea, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Michelle shares the complexities as an intercountry adoptee and the ongoing feeling of not belonging and how this underlies her many medical diagnoses.

Finding Peace after Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Haiti, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Jonas shares on the complexities of being an intercountry adoptee, ending up on the streets at age 13 and getting his life back as an adult to find his peace.

Money never makes up for what I’ve lost as a First Nations Canadian

On By Guest BloggerIn adoption reform, Australia, Birth Parents Searching, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, First Nations Canada, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Jen shares complex emotions following the Canadian government compensation to First Nations Canadians forcibly removed from their families and adopted out.

Adoptees at the Hague Special Commission

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Hague Special Commission, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Lived experience leadership, Peer Support, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares the history of adoptee led organisation involvement at the Hague Special Commission meetings and the importance of adoptee voices being included.

The Trauma Inherent in Relinquishment and Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Attachment, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle's recent Podcast interview with Doc Shauna Springer on the trauma inherent in adoption.

Lived Experience of Racism in Transracial Intercountry Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Antiracism Education, Beauty in Diversity, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Diversity in Adoption, Gratitude in Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption1 Comment

ICAVs panel webinar on the Lived Experience of Racism in Transracial Intercountry Adoption.

Adoptee Birthdays

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Canada, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Philippines, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Maars shares the complex feelings that arise on her birthday as a transracial intercountry adoptee.

Gabby Malpas on Racism

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, China, colourblindness in adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, New Zealand, Politics of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Gabby shares with adoptive parents about racism as part of ICAVs submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission's National Anti-Racism Framework consult.

Racism in Intercountry Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Antiracism Education, Birth Country, colourblindness in adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

ICAV brings you our newest Perspective Paper on Racism, our lived experience as intercountry and transracial adoptees.

Participating in The Colour of Difference: Long Term Outcomes

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Attachment, Adoption Book, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Diversity in Adoption, Eating Disorder and Adoption, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, ICAV Beginnings, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Origins Search, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares how participating in PARCs book project to produce The Colour of Difference changed her life and began the adoptee network InterCountry Adoptee Voices.

Voices Against Illegal Adoptions Speak at the United Nations

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?Leave a comment

Lynelle represents Voices Against Illegal Adoption (VAIA) to the United Nations Committees who drafted a joint statement about illegal intercountry adoptions.

What Would My Utopia in Intercountry Adoption Be?

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth Country, colourblindness in adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares at the CHIP webinar Feb 2022 on what her utopia of intercountry adoption would be, if anything were possible, listing the changes necessary.

What’s the Future of Intercountry Adoption?

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Abandonment and Rejection, Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Presentation by Lynelle Long at the CHIP Webinar on 18 Feb 2022 on the topic: Respecting the Child's Right to Identity in Intercountry Adoption

My Adoption Day Is An Anniversary of Loss

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoption Attachment, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Forced separation, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Sense of Belonging, South Korea, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Mary shares how Adoption Day anniversary can trigger feelings of grief and loss that pervade her life; coming to terms with it, making the most of life now.

Accepting Responsibility as An Adoption Facilitator

On By Guest BloggerIn 1993 Hague Convention, adoption accountability, Adoption Agencies, adoption and power imbalance, adoption conversations, Adoption Conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoption questions, adoption reform, adoptive family dialogue, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth family trauma, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Finding biological mother, first family separation, Forced separation, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Justice Routes, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, Rights in Adoption, State responsibilities in adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?1 Comment

Jessica shares on the legal case against the traffickers of Namata, European Adoption Consultants (EAC). Great to see justice happening but long overdue!

Pain of Loss and the Joy at Seeing her Reunified with her Family

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, adoption accountability, adoption and power imbalance, Adoption Conversations, adoption conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reversal, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth mother choices, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Finding biological mother, first family separation, Forced separation, Generational trauma, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, legal identity erasure, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, Return to Birth Country, Return to Birth Country, right to identity, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, State responsibilities in adoption, Uganda, USA4 Comments

Jessica Davis shares her grief from returning her Ugandan daughter back to her biological family but also the joy at seeing them together. Adoption is complex.

Does Justice or Accountability Happen in Illicit Adoptions?

On By Guest BloggerIn adoption accountability, adoption and power imbalance, Adoption Conversations, adoption conversations, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoptive family dialogue, adoptive parent reflection, adoptive parent responsibility, Adoptive parents, Advocacy, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Exploring adoptive parent journey, Family Preservation, human rights abuses in adoption, identity restoration, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, Justice Routes, legal identity erasure, Legal routes for illegal adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, reparative justice in adoption, right to identity, Rights in Adoption, State responsibilities in adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?3 Comments

American adoptive mum Jessica Davis shares her thoughts since the guilty plea from adoption agency staffer, Debra Parris, who facilitated the illicit adoption.

How transnational adoption practices in South Korea can challenge women’s ability to control their reproductive destiny

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Birth family trauma, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Generational trauma, Impacts to Biological Families, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, South Korea1 Comment

Christla Petitberghien and her academic peers write critically about intercountry adoption from South Korea, looking at the reproductive rights of women.

Governments Finally Recognising Illicit and Illegal Intercountry Adoption Practices

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Birth Country, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?1 Comment

This is one common scenario, it doesn't cover children overtly stolen from hospitals and many other ways I'm an adoptee remaining hopeful I’m very excited and feeling hopeful after hearing Belgium’s recent news, that their Minister has announced his intention to ask Parliament to suspend all adoptions for the next 2 years as a result …

Continue reading Governments Finally Recognising Illicit and Illegal Intercountry Adoption Practices

Korea’s Revised Adoption Process

On By jaymekyopoIn 1993 Hague Convention, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoption Agencies, Adoption policy, adoption reform, Birth Country, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Gratitude in Adoption, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, intercountry adoption investigation, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Rights in Adoption, South Korea, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Jayme Hansen applauds South Korea's revised adoption process more aligned with Hague Convention guidelines, creating more oversight of vulnerable children.

Lifelong Impacts of Identity Loss

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Citizenship in Adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Forced separation, Generational trauma, Hague Special Commission, Illicit Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Survival mechanisms, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle shares about the impact of identity loss in intercountry adoption, including the views of other adoptees to help build a more in-depth understanding.

From Tokenism to Social Justice

On By julietteviaIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Advocacy, Alternatives to Adoption, colourblindness in adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, denial gaslighting minimisation by others, Difficult discussions in adoption, Diversity in Adoption, Family Preservation, first family separation, Forced separation, Generational trauma, Gratitude in Adoption, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Marie Gardom shares how we can move from Tokenism to Social Justice in adoption. Inclusion of adoptees needs to recognise adoptees as the experts of our experience.

We Need To Talk About Adoptee Suicide, Now

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Colombia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Forced separation, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Suicide, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USA2 Comments

Lina shares part 2 of her discussion into adoptee suicide - something we must talk about if we are going to provide a more supportive space.