This post on your "Transracial Adoption ABCs" is brought to you by the letter "D".

Disruption and Dissolution- These are not adoption words that many people like to talk about, as they symbolize a “worst case outcome” for an adoption. Talking about disruption and dissolution when you are in the process of adopting, is somewhat like talking about divorce when you are planning your wedding.

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More on the Transracial Adoption ABCs from the letter "C"...

Closed Adoption- Closed adoption is when no identifying information is shared between the adoptive parents and the birth parents. There is no contact, and records are sealed. This used to be “the norm” in domestic adoptions, but now semi-open (some contact between birth and adoptive parents, such as letters and pictures through... more

Letter “C” is next in our Transracial Adoption ABCs.

Certificate of Citizenship- The Certificate of Citizenship is an important document for parents of children who were adopted internationally. This form, which can be found here, proves that... more

More in our "Transracial Adoption ABCs" from the letter "B"...

Blogs- Blogs are a fairly new craze, and they have taken the adoption world by storm. Adoptive parents love to connect with other adoptive parents, and blogs are a wonderful way to do that. Through blogs you can find other adoptive parents adopting through the same program as you, you can read about other parents’ adoption stories and experiences, you can get an honest look at... more

Next in our “Transracial Adoption ABCs” is the letter “B”.

Babies- Most people who decide to adopt want a baby. For some adoptive parents, choosing to adopt comes after battling infertility and the desire for a baby is very strong. For other adoptive parents, they decide to adopt to add to their existing family and want a baby because the attachment risks and other issues are minimal.

Babies are wonderful…they are small, soft, snuggly... more

Starting off our Transracial Adoption ABCs is the letter "A".

Adopt, Adopted, Adoption- This seems like a great place to start. There is a saying on lots of bumper stickers and t-shirts that, “Adoption is Love”, and I totally agree. But it also is a lot more complicated than that. Adoption means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For instance, as mom who has been blessed with seven awesome kids through adoption, I may have very different... more

When young children learn their alphabet, they sing at the end of the song, “Now I know my ABCs”…

Well, when you finish reading this series of posts, you will be able to say that now you know your “Transracial Adoption ABCs”. You will have at least a basic knowledge of common adoption terminology, steps in the process and big issues related to transracial adoption.

I know that when we started our first adoption, there were a lot of terms that were completely foreign to me…homestudy, dossier, USCIS, referral, post-placement reports, etc.... more