A three-year-old with HIV inspired my first of many life books. Her mother was still alive, but she showed signs of her life nearing its end. It was likely this toddler would live long enough to be adopted and have questions like, “Do I look like my birth mom?” And,…

Question: I have heard that children from orphanages can exhibit peculiar behaviors shortly after arriving in their adoptive home. Can you describe some of these behaviors? What do new adoptive parents need to do to help children overcome them? Answer: Peculiar behaviors can be observed immediately post-adoption in many children…

Although it may sound counter-intuitive, adoption and breastfeeding can go together. It's a very personal decision-- and not everyone’s cup of tea (or milk, more to the point). Having the option to breastfeed your child can be a wonderful, although perhaps unexpected, gift of the adoption journey.

Make no mistake about it. Adoption is a beautiful thing. It is a committed couple offering love and family to a child they’ve hoped and worked for. It is brave birth parents deciding that they want to place their child with a different family. And most importantly, it is the…