Friday, November 25, 2005

The American Adoption Congress



The American Adoption Congress is composed of individuals, families and organizations committed to adoption reform. AAC represents all those whose lives are touched by adoption.Through education and advocacy the AAC promotes honesty, openness, and respect for family connections in adoption, foster care, and assisted reproduction. This organization is committed to increasing public awareness about the realities of adopted life for birth and adoptive families, changing public policies related adoption practices to acknowledge adoption as an extension of family, changing legislation in all states so that there is guaranted access to identifying information for all adopted persons and their birth and adoptive families through records access and preservation of open adoption agreements, and the right for birth familty reunification for all adults, without prior restraint, through search and support group networking and/or social service assistance.
(This information is quoted from the AAC website at www.americanadoptioncongress.org)

2 Comments:

Blogger Gwendolyn C. Natusch, M.Ed., MSW said...

Bonnie,

I am so glad that you checked in here. I too have quite a bit of mental illness in my biological family tree. My birth mother suffered quite a bit from manic depression and over use of substance in the 60s. My maternal grandfather suffered from severe depression and my brother has schizoaffective disorder. I have battled manic depression (it is currently politically correct to call it bi-polar disorder as this has less negative connotations)throughout my life with more relief in my 40s since I have been able to develope tools and strategies to keep a mental, physical, and emotional balance. This has been a driving force inside of me as well in regards to finding wholeness. It has also allowed me to find acceptance and gratitude for the balance that my adopted parents gave me. You are not alone. Can you share more?

6:25 PM  
Blogger CWA said...

My mother was new to the US, lied to my father that she was older, he ended up in jail for having sex with a 16 yo, I was born at a home for unwed mothers then, placed into the County orphanage then, foster care then, adopted. Childhood was pretty miserable. Stigmatized for both circumstances even though beyond my control.

Met maternal grandmother and uncle first almost 20 yrs ago ~ we are bonded. Mother bipolar, etc. dad since died. Lots of mental illness throughout her side but, recent discoveries - including a 1/2 brother!!! are amazing.

I make so much more sense now and am entitled to know my own story . Everyone should have that basic right and nobody should have the right to shame us for wanting to know. They can never understand what basic things they take for granted.

I am a legal professional with a doctorate degree. I want nothing more than to help with reform efforts. I understand from more angles than most.

It is comforting to have found this and you are not alone either. We are who we are. We may not have had a choice in the matter during our youth but, it does not define us, we do. No more time to waste looking back unless it propels us forward.

12:27 AM  

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