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3. Preparing an Adoptive Family
3. Preparing an Adoptive Family
3.1 What support is provided to best prepare adoptive families for a family reunion?
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Sometimes adoptive families will also attend the family reunion and receive similar support as the adoptee. It is important to make the adoptive family feel welcome and to underscore the valuable role they play in helping to facilitate a successful family reunion. Some adoptive families may feel alienated and may harbor fears that the new biological family may supplant them as the adoptee's primary family. ProBúsqueda makes special efforts to acknowledge this possible anxiety and to reassure adoptive families.
3.2 What are the questions adoptive families most frequently ask about the birth family and the family reunion?
Does the birth family know we are
How will the birth family react? What will the birth family ask us? Will we be able to communicate with the
What will the birth family think of us?
coming too?
family (i.e., do they speak English, Italian, French)?
3.3 What information concerning the biological family is provided to the adoptive family before a family reunification?
The information provided to an adoptive family depends on the adoptee. We consider that the information of the biological families is the proprietary information of the adoptees. At the beginning of a project, Pro-Búsqueda, and the Human Rights Center share information about an adoptee ’ s biological family first and foremost with the adoptee. This allows the adoptee to decide what information they want to share with their adoptive family.
Pictured Above: German Alberto Zamora reunited with his biological mother Milagro del Pilar Martinez.in El Salvador.
3.4 Typically, how does the adoptive family feel about the family reunion?
In general, adoptive families feel scared about family reunions. Even supportive families, who accompany the adoptee to meet the birth family, cannot help feeling worried. The uncertainty of how the family reunion might impact the relationship between them and the adoptee is a concern. They are afraid the adoptee might distance him/herself from them and/or feel hostile. Adoptive families are afraid of becoming insignificant in the presence of birth families.
