Today’s positive adoption term is “making an adoption plan” or “made an adoption plan for my child” and it’s negative counterparts are “giving away” or “giving up” or “gave away” or “gave up a child for adoption.” This refers to the birth parent’s decision to make an adoption plan for their child. This is a decision that is always made from love, and wanting what is best for the child, not due to wanting to “give away” or “give up” their child.
Not only is this negative phrase offensive to birth parents, it also has the potential to hurt an adoptee. The adoptee will feel much better about themselves knowing that their birth parents made a thoughout “adoption plan” instead of being told they were “given up.”
Adoption STAR educates adoptive parents, birth parents and adoptees to use the more positive term “making an adoption plan” as this phrase genuinely explains what is being done. In addition, Adoption STAR works to encourage community professionals to stay away from the more negative counterparts.
What do you do when you hear offensive adoption language?