New laws to be aware of, free learning opportunities, and a new video with Dr. Bruce Perry
Published about 2 months ago • 17 min read
As we approach February, I am very excited for the next Intro (because you never fully arrive) to Adoption Competency training with Dr Abby Hasberry. There have been several updates with new research and the bibliography is extended. I am really looking forward to the thoughtful conversations we will be able to have.
Well done, Illinois for proposing SB2895 the Healing Through History Act. This bill will require the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families, no less than 30 days prior to adoption finalization, with a complete, unredacted copy of the child's full case record. It will also provide for former foster youth, aged 18 or older, to receive the same information and records at no cost in both physical and digital form.
Currently, there is a massive push to mobilize for intercountry adoption exceptions to immigration bans. On the surface, it sounds like a humanitarian "save the children" mission. But if we look beyond family building to our clients' life span, the logic starts to fracture. We are seeing a push to bring children from countries that the U.S. is actively banning or expressing hostility toward. Why would we advocate to bring a child into a culture that is legislatively and socially hostile to their very identity? If a country is "unacceptable" enough to ban its citizens, how do we expect that child to feel "accepted" once they are here? When an adoption is threatened, people will try to call their senator or lean on fast-tracked paperwork to bypass bans. We tell ourselves it’s for the sake of the child; however, we have seen over and over again that when we bypass the system, the child pays the price in adulthood. Fast-tracked and incomplete paperwork leads to lifelong immigration nightmares. Thousands of adult adoptees—brought here legally as children—still lack citizenship. When we advocate for exceptions, adults get to build families and children are brought into a life where they are at risk of deportation.
Why is the community so quick to call Congress when a "waitlist" is stalled, but so quiet when the Adoptee Citizenship Act fails year after year? As therapists, we see the fallout of this. We see the adult adoptees struggling with identity, lack of belonging, and the terrifying reality of being an "alien" in their own homes. If we support the act of bringing them here but ignore the state of their long-term safety and citizenship, are we centering the child or are we centering the desires of the prospective parents? Perhaps we just get stuck on the idea of a beautiful story, but fast-tracked paperwork can be a nightmare for getting a passport, trying to vote, and of course the risk of deportation.
Dr. Abby Hasberry and I would like to share with you the upcoming Intro (because you never fully arrive) to Adoption Competency training that we are doing which is open to all therapists and students.
✨ The adoption constellation deserves access to more therapists with more knowledge and understanding. We believe all therapists are working with the adoption constellation, and we all have more to learn.
💲 Discounts are available for provisionally licensed professionals, students, as well as an access & inclusion rate, which is accessible to all adoptees and birth parents. We want everyone who wants to be there to be able to be!
✅ 14 CE hours (1 Ethics CE) are included through Practice Excellence, NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7601 or through academic sponsorship by the University of Georgia School of Social Work as required by Rule 135-B under the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
This training will include:
adoption competency information,
working with all members of the adoption constellation & those impacted by foster care,
working with children, adults, & families,
special populations within the adoption population,
racism in adoption & foster care,
conceptualization, diagnosis, goals, and modalities for adoption therapy
Relinquishment, Reunion, and Family Truths - A Conversation Inspired by Vivien's Wild Ride
February 26th 5:00–6:15pm PT | Virtual
Join Vivien Hillgrove, her daughter Kathleen Toschi, Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan (In Reunion), and moderator Astrid Castro for a live conversation about Baby Scoop Era relinquishment and the complexities of reunion decades later. This event is co-hosted by adoptee and birth/first mother organizations!
In Evangelical homes across the United States, sex outside of marriage is a sin against God. So, when Abbi becomes pregnant at 16, her devout parents hide her away at the Liberty Godparent Home, a little-known facility for pregnant teens on the campus of Liberty University. The Home says it helps girls decide what comes next – whether that’s parenting their babies or placing them for adoption. But inside the facility, the girls hear a different message: God wants their babies to go to more “deserving” Christian couples. Some girls will find the strength to fight back. Others will have no choice but to give in. And some, like Abbi, will turn their grief into resistance – and take a stand against the system before more mothers lose their children to adoptions they never wanted.
I believe some of the best learning comes through case presentation, discussion, and consultation. Participants get to lead the content for this group. Bring any case you would like help with or just to listen and share. This is one of my absolute favorite groups, and I hope you can join us. This is an online group meeting for just $60, although the scheduler that we use says it is in-person. I will be sending a meeting link and calendar invite to all participants. The scheduler allows me to get a consultation group agreement signed, and lets you securely enter your credit/debit card information. (Don't forget that this should be tax deductible and professional growth, but check with your local CPA to be sure).
I want to highlight a book with each newsletter, so we can all continue to grow and learn. AD
The Harris Narratives: An Introspective Study of a Transracial Adoptee was written by Susan Harris O'Connor, a social worker and transracial adoptee. It is a great read for therapists working with adoption and identity. Through deeply personal narratives, this text invites clinicians to slow down and listen carefully to adoptee voice, particularly in the context of transracial adoption and identity development. The author’s reflections challenge assumptions that can quietly shape clinical work and encourage greater humility in how we understand adoption-related experiences, and they have been presented at academic, clinical, and child welfare settings. From Amazon: ...immediate interest to scholars of race, identity, emotional intelligence, adoption, child welfare, as well as clinicians and those directly impacted in families created by adoption... In her narratives the author explores in depth: the impact of foster care during the first 14 months of her life; her relationship with her unknown birth father; the role of race and racism for transracial adoptees who grow up in white communities; the development of her racial identity and a model derived from these experiences, and the relationships between her different identities or mind constructs, her inner strengths and vulnerabilities, and the outside world. There is a progression one chapter to the next, chronicling greater understanding, deeper reflection, and a developing voice. This is an original and sophisticated exploration of the inner life of a transracial adoptee and the forces that helped shape her life. It is at once a case study and an observation of the human condition with universal appeal.
For more recommendations, check out my (affiliate) Amazon Storefront
How Early Separation Trauma Shapes Relationships | Dr. Bruce Perry
It is time to join our brothers and sisters in the collective healing power of writing, and create the first Indian adoptee anthology
Deadline: March 15, 2026. Finalists will hear from us approximately three months later and we will work with you to make our pieces fit together.
Who can submit? Anybody adopted from India (transracially, same race, transnationally, or within country).
What type of writing should I submit? We are accepting anything in the creative nonfiction genre that falls within our four main themes of fate, death, blood, and hunger. You may interpret any of these words as you wish; just choose one. Get raw and bring the emotion.
Any length requirements? No-ish. Your submission could be as short as a paragraph or as long as would be appropriate for an anthology. Poetry/lyrics are welcome. We may cut for length if needed.
What is your goal with this anthology? We are hoping to use this anthology to raise awareness and funds for causes that benefit the Indian adoptee diaspora. In a perfect world, this anthology will be picked up by a regular publisher (vs self-publishing), but we will cross that bridge later. We will keep everybody informed before any decisions are made.
Treating Developmental Trauma and Attachment in Children (TDTAC) is a live, online, 38.25-hour, post-graduate level course for mental health professionals in the fields of child welfare, children’s mental health and adoption / permanency. The course consists of self-directed learning of resources that will be provided, a 1-hour pre class meeting, 31.25 hours of on-line or in-person class, and 6 hours of knowledge implementation classes. TDTAC combines the recent research on Interpersonal Neurobiology with the physiological and relational practices. After completion, participants will be eligible to register as an ATTACh mental health clinician and receive one year membership to ATTACh.
Immigration Resources
Since not all sources agree on some points, it is a good idea to read several. Below are just a few related to adoptees specifically.
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.
Seeking Research Participants
Open Adoption Survey Seeking Birth/First Parents
Birth/First Parent and researcher Candice Learned, B.A. candidate (California State University Stanislaus) said, “The broader goal is to raise awareness that open adoption is not enforceable for those who are pregnant and at risk, that relinquishment-related grief can be lifelong, and that birth parents need independent legal and therapeutic support. Longer-term, I hope this work contributes to better mental health care for birth parents, supports adoptees by addressing the relational impact of unresolved trauma that a birth parent might experience, which could impact the relationship the birth parent can have with the adoptee, and strengthens family-preservation efforts”.
Hornfeck, F., Bovenschen, I. & Kappler, S. Longitudinal Development and Factors Affecting Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Adopted Children after Placement. J Child Fam Stud (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-025-03216-7
ABSTRACT
Most nationally and internationally adopted children are well-adjusted, but preadoptive adversity and parental factors can increase the risk of emotional and behavioral problems. Some problems may even arise later in childhood and adolescence. Data analysis from a German longitudinal study aimed to investigate the course of children’s emotional and behavioral problems and examined the impact of both preadoptive and postadoptive factors. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study with 94 children and their adoptive parents. Wave 1 was conducted on average 33 months after placement of the child in the adoptive family, and Wave 2 took place on average 43 months after Wave (1). Adoptive parents provided information about the children’s preadoptive history. Information about emotional and behavioral problems was obtained from the parental version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parental stress and well-being were obtained through the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and a Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The results indicated that, according to parental reports, adopted children’s emotional and behavioral problems increase over the first six years after placement and tend to persist within the study period. Concerning the longitudinal development, early clinical range problems were the best predictor for subsequent problems. Additionally, adoptive parents’ psychological distress and perceived self-efficacy predicted the level of emotional and behavioral problems at Wave (2). The results highlight the need for early identification of families at risk and underscore the importance of flexible and easily accessible post-adoptive support aiming at strengthening parental well-being and self-efficacy.
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La Fico, G., Ferrari, L., Ranieri, S., Crocco, M., Bazzo, S., Riscica, P., & Rosnati, R. (2025). Parenting Adopted Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Risk and Protective Factors. Adoption Quarterly, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2025.2583535
ABSTRACT
A higher prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been found among adopted children. This condition may pose significant challenges for their parents, potentially affecting their mental health. This study explored risk factors (parental stress) and protective factors (partner and friend support) associated with the mental health of 43 adoptive mothers of children with FASD. The results revealed that more than half of the mothers exhibited depressive symptoms above the clinical threshold. Parental stress is identified as a risk factor, while partner support, but not friend support, emerged as a protective factor. The need for targeted interventions is discussed.
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Parkes, H. (2025). Hiding and being seen: An exploration of the value of, and challenge to, person-centred counselling when working with adult adoptees who have been adopted in infancy [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.
ABSTRACT
Adult adoptees comprise a relatively unexplored population (Melero et al., 2023). This may be due to their ability “to function and appear normal in society” (Sexton, 2013, p. 5). However, this does not mean they are not impacted by their adoption. Many adult adoptees go on to seek out support in the form of counselling, but what are the benefits of this form of support and is it useful for this client group? This research seeks to answer the following question: What is the value of, and challenge to, person-centred counselling when working with adult adoptees who have been adopted in infancy? The aims of this research are to gain insight into the experience of adult adoptees who were adopted in infancy, and to explore what adult adoptees, who were adopted in infancy, gained from, or struggled with in, accessing person-centred counselling to explore issues related to their adoption. Ten research participants, who self-identified as being adopted in infancy and having experience with person-centred counselling, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2022) was used to elicit the depth and richness of the experience of both phenomena. Participants were encouraged to describe their childhood experiences related to their adoption and the perceived impact of this, before relating their experience of person-centred counselling, paying attention to both the perceived values and challenges. Six group experiential themes emerged: 1) Self-Perceived Experience of Adoption, 2) Accessing Counselling – The Nuts and Bolts, 3) Experiencing the Qualities of Person-Centred Counselling, 4) Experiencing the Process of Person-Centred Counselling, 5) Self-Discovery and Perceived Outcomes, and 6) Observations and Advice. Whilst person-centred counselling was found to be largely beneficial for this group, a number of challenges to engagement were also identified. The importance of establishing psychological contact and providing an attuned, emotionally present therapeutic relationship, particularly in the early stages of person-centred counselling was highlighted. Psychoeducation, when offered sensitively, supported meaning-making and reduced shame. A new attachment style, insecure-dysregulated, is identified and proposed as a valuable area for future research. This aims to capture the relational and emotional presentation of some high-functioning adoptees who appear grounded yet experience internal dysregulation, self-suppression, and chronic shame. These findings point to the need for lifelong, adoption-competent support and affirm the value of responsive, flexible person-centred counselling that honours the adoptee’s lived experience.
