Matching Families with the Birth Parent(s)

• Author: Jeffrey Kasky; Robert Andrew Kasky
• Pages: 57-61

57

CHAPTER

10

Matching Families

with the Birth Parent(s)

Matching adoptive families and birth parents looks and seems relatively easy, but in reality it requires a

skill set that involves several specialties, not the least of which is interpersonal communication with par-

ties that have never given so much as a passing thought as to how to present themselves in such a way as

to communicate effectively with others. This requires efficient coordination of all interested parties, and

it happens tens of thousands of times yearly in the United States.

Once a family has been accepted into an adoption agency’s program, the next step is generally properly

educating the family as to what challenges they will be faced with as parents, especially if they have no

children at the beginning of the process. Education is both available and necessary for families bringing

another child into their home if they already have a biological or an adopted child. There are many re-

sources to which an agency or attorney can direct the family to educate and prepare it for their new family

dynamic, and families are usually encouraged to take parenting and similar classes as well as to secure

counseling on the issues which they will hopefully soon face.

Adoptive families have commented that it’s somewhat unfair that they have to jump through certain

hoops when others with far less in the way of education and/or resources can have a biological child with-

out the slightest degree of training or preparation. We agree. The law doesn’t require every new parent to

receive any kind of study or training, as that would be clearly unconstitutional in this country. However,

those resources are available to citizens of every socioeconomic background, and are heavily promoted in

government-run health clinics serving low-income pregnant women.

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