Category: Importance of Connections to Origins

Bolivian Adoptee Anthology Book Review

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Book, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, DNA Searching, France, Gratitude in Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Italy, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Norway, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Lynelle provides a review of the Bolivian adoptee anthology Communal Histories of Displacement and Adoption by the Network of Bolivian Adoptees

Embracing Therapy as an Adoptee

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Russia, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Oleg shares the journey from being ashamed of needing therapy to fully embracing and recognising the benefits it added to his life as an intercountry adoptee.

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.

Why are Dutch Adoptive Parents Silent En-masse?

On By Guest BloggerIn adoption reform, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Illegal Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Politics of Adoption, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Hilbrand Westra discusses the politics in adoption and why adoptive parents involved in historic practices remain silent, leaving adoptees to advocate alone.

Search and Reunion in Intercountry Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Search Service Orgs, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, DNA Searching, Importance of Connections to Origins, Key Themes in Search and Reunion, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Not ready for Reunion, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle provides a summary of ICAVs 2016 Perspective Paper: Search & Reunion - Impacts & Outcomes

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.

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.

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.

Adoption: Not a Default Setting

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, adoption reform, Birth family trauma, Birth mother choices, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Greece, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Religion and Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Survival mechanisms, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Mary Cardaras, Greek intercountry adoptee in the USA, critically examines Amy Conley Barrett's assumption that adoption is a default to abortion.

Toxicity and Grief

On By Guest BloggerIn Abandonment and Rejection, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Origins Search, Philippines, Racial Mirrors, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

by Dan R Moen, adopted from the Philippines to the USA. Part three of this series focuses on toxicity and its impact with grief. The black vine-like shapes represent toxicity and how it manifests itself within and around all of us. It’s depicted as an uncontrollable beast and has completely engulfed an individual. It grows …

Continue reading Toxicity and Grief

Relinquishment, Adoption and Grief

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, India, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Sense of Belonging, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Bina shares about the loss that goes unrecognised in adoption during November Adoption Awareness Month and highlights the necessity of support for grieving.

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.