defamation lawsuit impacts adoption land and resources for back to school
Published about 2 months ago • 16 min read
Important Legal Case in Adoption Land
Abby Fredericksen began posting online hoping that someday, if she ever wanted to, her daughter would be able to find her and know her, her story, and that she cared. To make sure it was findable, she used her daughter’s full name, photos, and geographical location. Unfortunately this allowed strangers on the internet who supported Abby to find the adoptive family’s home address and social media pages. Because Abby endorsed and agreed with comments that her baby was "kidnapped for adoption" and that the adoptive mother was "itching to steal another woman's baby”, a judge ruled that these statements constituted defamation per se because they falsely accused private individuals of serious criminal acts. $70,000 in damages was awarded to the adoptive parents.
Terms like "kidnapped," "stolen," and “trafficked" are frequently utilized online in adoption land to criticize adoption industry practices. They can be emotionally true even when not legally precise (although we cannot forget that these crimes do occur in adoption). This ruling indicates that courts will utilize the literal, legal definitions of these words rather than as community-normed emotional expressions.
This could establish a dangerous precedent where a first parent or adoptee’s public processing can be litigated and financially penalized, effectively limiting the ability to publicly voice lived experience and critique industry practices. Another concern was that the judge found that interacting with comments constituted an endorsement of words used. Birth parents who already feel powerless and fearful adoptive parents could close an adoption may now also fear that litigation that they cannot afford. If an adoptee discovers that their biological family was prosecuted for trying to find them online, imagine the impact that could have on relationships with any of their parents
Back-to-school season can be fraught with classroom triggers many adoptive families don't see coming — family trees, immigration units, baby photo days, personal timelines. These assignments are common, but they frequently land hard for kids who don't have the information being asked for or don't want to share information with teachers or peers. My blog on 7 School Assignments Difficult for Adopted Kids explains these triggers and offers substitutions you can hand straight to a parent or teacher. And when a family is working with a teacher or school that genuinely wants to get this right but doesn't know where to start, my self-paced mini-course, Adoption in the Classroom, gives educators and administrators a 45-minute foundation in adoption-competent classroom practice — something you can recommend without having to train the school yourself.
I want to highlight a book with each newsletter, so we can all continue to grow and learn. AD
First Love Language by Stefany Valentine is a young adult "romantic dramedy" that doesn't fit adoption stereotypes but does allow teens (and adults) to see themselves in this story that covers adoption themes like loss, identity, search, and love. Even the supportive characters are all very likable. The main character's experience is based on the author's lived experience.
The title of this book comes from a theme in the book of Catie re-learning her first language while also teaching her coworker about dating (so he can ask out his long term crush) using the themes from an annotated copy of The 5 Love Languages, left to her when her father died.
For more recommendations, check out my (affiliate) Amazon Storefront
Hosted by FindSelf Counseling, and Kathryn Perkins (Katy Perkins Coveney), LCSW-S
Thursday, October 22-Sunday, October 25
The experience of being separated from original family is an isolating one. Left alone with thoughts unexpressed, it's hard to 'be ourselves' if we're not sure who that is, and limits our ability to freely explore our feelings in relative safety*.
This retreat is meant to be an opportunity for people who have experienced family separation trauma to reflect, heal, and participate in deliberate community with others who share a core experience. Adults who were adopted as children and/or who experienced foster care are welcome. Connect with other like minded folks, deepen your self care skills, learn new ways to express yourself, and have fun. You're also welcome to just not think about it for a bit!
Did you know that only 8.14% of adoptees rate their therapist as adoption-competent? Dr. Abby Hasberry and I built this training specifically to move that number and equip clinicians with the deep, nuanced insights needed to truly support the adoption constellation.
We'll cover the full constellation — first parents, adoptees, adoptive parents, and those impacted by foster care — alongside neurodevelopment, diagnosis and conceptualization, research, systems, racism, and adoption history.
To support systemic equity and continuing education access for clinicians within the community, an Access & Inclusion Rate is available for all adoptee and first-parent therapists.
Baby Brokers | Frontline Have lax laws left the for-profit adoption industry ripe for misconduct? FRONTLINE and Retro Report investigate how so-called baby brokers have targeted pregnant women and families looking to adopt, and an epicenter of the problem in Utah. Short Film: Four Birthmothers - For Mothers
When state legislatures discuss bills that would allow adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates, opposition groups argue that birthmothers were promised privacy. But such groups are not composed of birthmothers (or first mothers, as is the preferred title today). Four mothers speak about their experiences - and feelings - highlighting the powerful and excruciating experience they each survived. Their brief stories reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of birthmothers in this country.
Andrew and Daniela, eager to form a family, travel to Goa to bring home their newly adopted child, who is not willing to leave India and the orphanage where she lives to become their daughter.
To participate, you must be 18 years or older, be adopted, and have underwent residential treatment in the Troubled Teen Industry as a teenager.
For adopted women who relinquished children
Miola, R. E., McGinnis, H. A., Kim, A. Y., Cho, S., Kim, S., Baden, A. L., & Kim, J. (2026). Exploring the role of critical consciousness on complex trauma for adopted adults. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000939
ABSTRACT
Adopted adults may be at a higher risk of developing complex trauma symptoms due to early attachment ruptures caused by separating from caregivers and other potential early adverse childhood experiences. Critical consciousness, or interrogating systems of oppression, may mitigate trauma symptoms of powerlessness for marginalized groups by inspiring purposeful collective action. This study explored the association between critical consciousness (critical reflection, motivation, and action) and complex trauma symptoms from a national cross-sectional online survey of a racially diverse sample (N = 464) of adopted adults in the United States. The final regression model, which included demographic variables, adoption characteristics, traumatic experiences, and critical consciousness, explained 34.9% of complex trauma symptoms among adult adoptees in the sample, R² = .349, F(3, 355) = 5.630, p < .001, and critical consciousness accounted for 3.1% of the unique variance. Critical motivation, or a belief in one’s ability to contribute to social change, was the only variable associated with lower complex trauma symptoms (β = −0.15, p = .019). Critical reflection, or a realization of societal inequality (β = .13, p = .037) and critical action, or political activism (β = .14, p = .004), were associated with higher trauma symptoms. Exploratory findings suggest critical consciousness of systemic oppression may be an important and complex factor to consider when addressing complex trauma symptoms among racially diverse clients who grew up outside of the “traditional” standard North American family (i.e., heterosexual, legally married couple with biological children). Findings suggest that aspects of critical consciousness may cause distress, but other aspects, such as critical motivation, may address feelings of powerlessness and be associated with lower complex trauma symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
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Laura Jayne Carter, Gareth Morgan, John Maltby & Tchilissila Alicerces Simões (03 Jun 2026): The Relationships between Parental Locus of Control and Domestically Adopted Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment, Adoption Quarterly, DOI: 10.1080/10926755.2026.2681507
ABSTRACT
Considering their experiences, adoptees may encounter more difficulties than their non-adopted peers, with post-adoption adjustment varying considerably depending on their age at adoption. This study uniquely examined parental locus of control (PLC) in parents of 224 domestically adopted children, its associations with children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment, and whether age-at-adoption moderated these relationships. Multiple regressions indicated that higher external PLC subscale scores predicted greater child adjustment difficulties. However, age-at-adoption did not moderate these associations, suggesting that the relationship between parental cognitions and adoptees’ adjustment is stable across adoption ages. Study limitations and implications are discussed, highlighting how interventions could support adoptive families.
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Rodriguez-Perez, Maria, Kennedy, Mark, Kreppner, Jana and Sonuga-Barke, Edmund (2026) Childhood post-adoption experiences and the long-term trajectories of deprivation-specific neurodevelopment problems: A longitudinal study of the English and Romanian Adoptee Cohort. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (In Press)
ABSTRACT
Background: early institutional deprivation is associated with a co-occurring constellation of deprivation-specific problems (DSPs), including autism, ADHD, disinhibited social engagement (DSE), and cognitive impairment. While these difficulties often persist into young adulthood, substantial heterogeneity in developmental trajectories suggests that post-adoption environmental factors may influence recovery. This study adopts a transdiagnostic approach to examine how childhood experiences are associated with the long-term trajectories of these diverse neurodevelopmental and mental health domains. Methods: using longitudinal data from 165 Romanian adoptees (total N = 217), we examined whether trajectories from ages 11 to young-adulthood for autism, ADHD, DSE, cognitive impairment, and mental health were predicted by childhood negative family/peer experiences and professional intervention (clinical psychological therapies and special educational support). We tested whether predictions differed between high versus low autism and ADHD symptom groups at age 11. Results: Higher Professional Intervention levels were significantly associated with improving trajectories for autism, ADHD, DSE, and IQ, but not mental health outcomes. Multivariate analysis suggested complementary roles of clinical psychological therapies and special educational support; the former being more strongly associated with ADHD and DSE, and the latter with autism and IQ. Associations were observed across the symptom severity continuum for autism and ADHD, with comparable effect sizes found in both high and low symptom groups. Negative family and peer experiences showed some bivariate associations but were not significant predictors in multivariate models. Conclusions: childhood professional intervention was associated with improved deprivation-specific outcomes, with effects across symptom severity levels, highlighting tractability despite strong persistence. The differential and complementary effects suggest comprehensive support requires both educational and clinical interventions.
Neuroaffirming Brainspotting Training for Adoption-Competent Therapists
Elevate your clinical toolkit with a brain-based modality beautifully suited for the nuanced layers of adoption work. Our upcoming Phase 1 Brainspotting Training is fully online, explicitly neuroaffirming, and features a flexible schedule tailored for working parents and professionals. Because Brainspotting bypasses the limitations of traditional talk therapy, it allows clients to safely access and process deep-seated developmental trauma and attachment wounds. Expand your specialized practice and meet your professional goals this August. https://brooke-randolph.com/consultation-training/brainspotting-training/brainspotting-phase-1-training/
Brain Unblocked LIVE 2026 is for Brainspotters (and brainspotting-curious folks) who want to step outside the “what’s the right setup for the [insert issue]” and move into being creative and confident with Brainspotting.
Save the date for August 20, 2026 (and get reminded via email below).
During the event, you get access for free BUT...
You also get the chance to upgrade to The Brain Unblocked LIVE VIP Kit:
️ Lifetime access to interviews
️ Reduced enrollment fees for BSP specialty workshops (like The Adoption Constellation or Group Brainspotting: The Estuary Frame Setups).
️ The “What’s My Problem” GPT to quickly scan through your notebook of group BSP ideas to pick the one you should focus on first
Let’s help this incredible organization continue to lead the way for stronger mental wellness and provide essential tools and support for humanitarian efforts in the Pacific Islands of Oceania.
Camp Dates; July 9-12, 2026 Registration opens January 15, 2026 and Closes June 9, 2026 Location: Front Range Community College
Family Camp July 30 - August 2, 2026 Location: Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
July 26 - August 8, 2026 Adopted Kids Sleep-away camp
Family Camp July 20-25th, Texas
September 18-20, 2026, Columbus, IN
Hope Family Camp 2026 Dates: 2 weekends about 1 month apart -training for first weekend, then check in & adjustment for second weekend July 9th (4p-8p) & July 10th (8a-4p)
Location: Pathfinder Farms: 846 Co Rd 30A, Ashland, OH 44805
Currently available in six languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Haitian Kreyol, and French
Unlike paper or PDF-based emergency plans, ReadyNow! is built for real-time response. If users have a run-in with ICE, they simply press the big red alert button and ReadyNow! will send out those emergency messages via SMS to pre-assigned contacts. All data is encrypted, stored only on the user’s device, not on the Cloud, and deleted after an alert is sent—preventing access by ICE if the phone is seized.
Adoptees United’sCitizenship Clinic assists intercountry adopted people with US citizenship or immigration issues. The clinic’s services include legal screenings, consultation and advice about legal options, and legal representation to secure a Certificate of Citizenship or, if needed, a Certificate of Naturalization.
This website collects community-submitted information about possible ICE activity to help inform the public and raise awareness. All reports are reviewed by a moderator team before appearing on the map and the map is cleared at the end of each day.
AFFCNY has put together two really thorough lists of resources. The Immigration Resources pictured below includes a listing of several legal resources and other information. The Citizenship Resource for Intercountry Adoptees resources is also full of very helpful links. They have also invited Greg Luce to be a Keynote for their May conference.
NAKASEC also has a 24/7 hotline, where you can call and receive live confidential assistance in English or Korean. If you or someone you love is confronted by police/ICE/CBP or has been detained, you can call 1 844 500 3222 for immediate support. For non-emergency calls, such as requesting help determining your immigration status, please contact legal@adoptees4justice.org.
Thank you for your commitment to practicing excellence!
