The Adoption Symbol
What It Means to Be a Part of the Adoption Triad
As you’re considering adoption, you’ve probably come across the adoption symbol at some point. But, what does the adoption symbol represent?
Below, we’ve created a guide on everything you need to know about the adoption symbol meaning and how you can use this symbol to educate others.
What Is the Adoption Symbol?
The adoption symbol is a triangle intertwined with a heart that represents what many people call the adoption triad. Many families have used this adoption symbol to share their love for open adoption.
The three points in the adoption triad represent the child, birth family and adoptive parents, and the intertwined heart represents the love involved in an adoption relationship.
What Is the Significance of the Adoption Symbol?
The symbol of adoption captures the love and significance of choosing an open adoption relationship. It highlights the birth mother’s choice in choosing adoption.
Also, it highlights one of the most loving decisions they can make: choosing an adoptive family for their baby. The adoptive parents have a place on the adoption symbol by opening up their homes and lives to a child waiting for adoption.
What Is the Adoption Triad?
When you’re pursuing adoption, remember that the birth mother is a part of the process too.
At American Adoptions, we require all our adoptive families to be open to contact with the birth mother during and after the adoption. The adoption symbol represents the adoption triad and the budding relationship that comes from open adoption.
Understanding your role in the adoption triad helps you see how each part fits together. Below, we’ll explore each role of the adoption triad.
Adoptive Parents
One of the pieces of the adoption symbol represents adoptive families. Adoptive parents choose adoption for various reasons.
It’s common for single people, LGBTQIA+ couples, and couples who have struggled with infertility to build a family through adoption.
This path gives you the opportunity to become parents.
Experiencing the joys of parenthood is one of the best parts of pursuing adoption. Although there are many joys of becoming parents through adoption, there are some unique challenges.
Parenting adopted children means talking about adoption openly, and, in some cases, you may have to address your child’s cultural and racial identities.
As part of the adoption triad, you may come across a time when your child wants to know more about their identity. Having an open relationship with the birth parents will help you approach this conversation.
Even with its unique challenges, adoption allows you to fulfill your dreams of becoming parents.
Adopted Children
The adoption symbol reflects another important aspect of the adoption triad. Adoption has allowed adoptees to experience opportunities that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
This is because adoptive parents have been preparing to welcome a child into their home for a long time.
These families provide children with a stable, nurturing environment to flourish. Through open adoption, they also grow up knowing they have two sets of loving parents: the adoptive family who raised them and the biological parents who selflessly chose to place them.
Although there are many benefits of adoption for adoptees, there are also some unique challenges.
Adoptees may struggle with feelings of grief, separation or loss. They may also struggle with self-esteem, identity development, attachment issues and other mental health challenges.
Despite these difficulties, most adoptees have a favorable opinion of adoption with more than 90% of adopted children age 5 and older having positive feelings about their adoption.
Helpful Information
Birth Parents
One of the most important aspects of the adoption symbol is the birth parents. Although there are many stereotypes and myths surrounding birth mothers, they’re the brave and selfless people who place their children for adoption.
Each birth mother comes from different experiences and has different reasons to choose adoption.
The reality behind birth parents is that, regardless of their age or background, they make difficult choices and sacrifices to give their children the best life possible, and that makes them great mothers.
Modern-day adoptions allow the birth mothers to have control of nearly every aspect of the adoption process. Although adoption is a beautiful journey for everyone involved, it can also be hard for the birth parents emotionally.
Adoption is one of the most difficult decisions a birth parent could ever make, but there are many benefits of choosing this path.
It allows them to continue their education, careers and other goals. It can also relieve any financial burden and the stress of raising a child.
The adoption symbol is a great representation of the adoption triad and can help you show the world how proud you are of your adoption story.
Knowing about each aspect of the adoption triad will make your adoption experience that much more meaningful.
Disclaimer
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