Adopted

Although being adopted isn't necessarily commonplace, about 1.5 million children living in America are adoptees of some sort (2 percent of all children) and it's estimated there are about 10 million adult adoptees. As the adoption community continues to grow in size as well as national exposure, topics, such as teen pregnancy and abortion, are breaking through the social boundaries that once contained them.

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Wanting to Adopt? Pregnant?  

Being adopted is a something that everyone experiences differently. Children placed as infants are likely to have never known their birth mother while children in the foster system are more likely to have known their parents, siblings and relatives. The relationship an adopted child has with his or her adoptive identity is important and contributes greatly to the way they mature into one of the 10 million adult adoptees out there.

There are few generalizations out there about the adoption experience. However, it was reported in the chart book Adoption USA in 2007 that adoptees are more likely than their peers to have depression, anxiety, hyperactivity or attention disorders. Growing up with the feeling of being different will affect anyone and as an adoptee matures, he or she may want to know more about his or her birth parents and pursue a first meeting or reunion.

The question of who an adoptee's birth parents are can be a sensitive and sometimes overwhelming topic for all triad members, especially if the birth parents had their rights involuntarily terminated or voluntarily forfeited their parental rights during a difficult time in their lives. That being said, it's normal for adoptees to become curious about their pre-adoptive life and it's not a sign of discontent toward the life their adoptive family gave them. Thousands of adoptees register with search registries every year, according to Adoptee Search Center & Registry statistics, and most of them are looking to answer questions that maybe even they didn't know they wanted to ask.

Being an adoptee from another country or a Native American tribe can bring additional stress to a family dynamic. Even in a post-racial society, people may think this is a strange family dynamic that can lead to complicated identity issues that cut deeper than the typical adoptee curiosities. It's important to have an outlet or support group that allows international or transracial and trans-ethnic families to connect to an adoptee's origins.