Why I am relieved that China terminated its adoption program

On January 31, 2025January 31, 2025 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, adoption reform, Adoption Research, Birth Parents Searching, China, China, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Generational trauma, Grief and Loss, 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, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Uncategorized1 Comment

Cindy shares her thoughts as a Chinese adoptee about the closure of China's intercountry adoption program announced late 2024.

New Motherhood Journey

On January 24, 2025December 30, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees as parents, Adoption Attachment, Belgium, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Motherloss, Not Knowing in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, VietnamLeave a comment

Mai Linh shares her thoughts since becoming a new mother as a Vietnamese adoptee.

Black Lotus

On January 17, 2025December 30, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoption Attachment, Alternate therapies in adoption, Art therapy, Complexities in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Generational trauma, Germany, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Sense of BelongingLeave a comment

Jonas Haid shares his artwork Black Lotus created and inspired by his own story of adoption from Sth Korea to Germany.

Diagnosis

On January 10, 2025December 30, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Complexities in Adoption, Generational trauma, Germany, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Jonas Haid shares his latest artwork Diagnosis that helps him see himself and the complex impacts of adoption.

Birthday’s after Reunion

On January 3, 2025December 30, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptee vulnerability, Belgium, Birth family trauma, Complexities in Adoption, Generational trauma, Grief and Loss, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Romania, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Céline share the complications of birthdays after reunion with her Romanian mother.

Silent Night, Romanian Musings

On December 25, 2024December 25, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Germany, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, New Zealand, Origins Search, Poetry by Adoptees, Politics of Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Romania, Sense of Belonging, Transracial AdoptionLeave a comment

Alex Kuch visits his birth country Romania and shares a poem inspired by this trip.

Addressing Sexual Abuse in Intercountry Adoption

On November 18, 2024January 19, 2026 By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Discharge Annulment, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoption Research, Adoptive parents, Alternatives to Adoption, Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Gratitude in Adoption, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Philippines, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Puerto Rico, Racism in Adoption, Religion and Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Romania, Russia, Sense of Belonging, Sexual Abuse in Adoption, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suicide, Taiwan, The Netherlands, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USA, VietnamLeave a comment

ICAVs newest Perspective Paper on Sexual Abuse experiences of intercountry adoptees helping to elevate their voices and advocate for much needed supports.

Adopted from Moldova

On October 16, 2024October 15, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Abuse in Adoption, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoption and Disability, Alcohol and drug addiction, Complexities in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Diversity in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Maldova, Origins Search, Sense of Belonging, Special Medical Conditions, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Jacky shares about growing up with fragmented memories of their birth country Moldova and adjustments to fit in with life and family in the USA.

What do I want from my adoptive parents?

On October 3, 2024October 4, 2024 By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, adoption reform, Adoptive parents, Adoptive parents silence on illegal adoptions, Australia, Belgium, China, China, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Denmark, Difficult discussions in adoption, France, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, India, Is adoption the best option, Italy, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Norway, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, Uncategorized, USALeave a comment

Lynelle shares what she would have wanted from her adoptive parents in response to the fraud and human rights abuses in her adoption.

Finding Home = Sense of Belonging

On September 14, 2024September 11, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Post Adoption Support, Return to Birth Country, Sense of Belonging, South Korea, The Netherlands, Transracial AdoptionLeave a comment

Sascha shares about her journey to find a sense of belonging as an adoptee from Sth Korea.

My day of reckoning with the Lutheran Church

On November 6, 2023January 21, 2024 By lynellelongIn Adoptee Activism, Illegal Adoption, Trauma in Adoption1 Comment

Lynelle shares her healing journey thru a Direct Personal Response (DPR) with the Lutheran Church who gave a face to face apology for their role in her abuse.

Victims of Illegal Intercountry Adoptions speak out at the UN

On September 21, 2023May 16, 2024 By lynellelongIn Adoptee Activism, adoption reform, Australia, Birth parents speak out, China, France, Greece, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Korea, South Korea, The Netherlands, Trauma in Adoption, UK, USA, Vietnam2 Comments

ICAV presents at the UN first year anniversary of the Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions, where to from here.

Pride in my Disability

On August 22, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoption and Disability, Diversity in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Maddy shares her pride in living with disability as an intercountry adoptee.

Reunion and Beyond Webinar

On August 14, 2023January 9, 2024 By lynellelongIn Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Diversity in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

ICAV shares part 2 of the Search and Reunion webinars in intercountry adoption by adoptee panelists.

Call me by my Name

On August 3, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Names, Belgium, Grief and Loss, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, South Korea, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Ae Ra shares about the process of embracing of her birth name at an adoption retreat.

Searching for my family in Russia

On June 29, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Canada, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Russia, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Trauma in Adoption2 Comments

Raya shares about searching for Russian family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

Searching for my family in Sri Lanka

On June 24, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Australia, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Gabbie shares about searching for Sri Lankan family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

Searching for my family in the Philippines

On June 19, 2023January 21, 2024 By Desiree MaruIn Adoptees Educate, Grief and Loss, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Philippines, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USA1 Comment

Desiree shares about searching for Filippino family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

Searching for my family in Romania

On June 14, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Germany, Impacts to Biological Families, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Romania, Search and Reunion in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Sonia shares about searching for Romanian family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

Searching for my family in South Korea

On June 9, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Australia, Impacts to Biological Families, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, South KoreaLeave a comment

Samara shares about searching for Korean family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

Searching for my family in Vietnam

On June 4, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Impacts to Biological Families, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, USA, Vietnam1 Comment

Hyun shares about searching for Vietnamese family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.

My feelings regarding my first mom

On May 6, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Chile, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Sweden, Therapy, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Maria shares on how to practically access her younger years emotions about her Chilean mother, an exercise that she was never encouraged to do while young.

Dear Mum and Dad

On April 3, 2023January 21, 2024 By Guest BloggerIn Australia, First Nations Canada, Grief and Loss, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Racism in Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Jen writes to her original parents expressing the sorrow and grief of never meeting them and her life being adopted to Australia as a First Nations Canadian.

Dear Korea, About Mia*

On March 14, 2023July 27, 2025 By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Grief and Loss, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, South Korea, Suicide, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

kim thompson shares her letter to Korea about her friend who was adopted and committed suicide in her 30s

InterCountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV)

Tag: adoptee voices matter