Making Room in Our Hearts

Although adoption has never ceased to be a topic of wide interest, there is little material that covers the option of open adoption, which calls for regular contact between the adoptive and birth parents and the child. While closed adoption often prompts anguish and confusion over the adoptee's identity, open adoption allows the child access to his/her birth parents. Making Room in Our Hearts shows that children have a right to know and claim both their biological and adoptive families, rather than having to choose between the two or have no choice in the matter at all. Making Room in Our Hearts covers the basic issues of open adoption while also including real-life, relatable stories of those with experience making and living through these challenging decisions. Duxbury addresses common fears and concerns, gives attention to siblings and other extended family, and discusses how adoption has changed and how it will continue to change in the future. Based on the author's interviews with over one hundred adoption professionals/ experts, birth and adoptive parents, extended family, and adopted children, the book provides profiles of families from a variety of backgrounds and situations and includes a host of viewpoints of those with specific knowledge. By showing how open adoption works for others, those who are currently considering it can see how it may work for them. This cutting edge book will help the readers more fully understand the benefits, concerns, and overall process of a child-centered open adoption. Duxbury has conducted extensive research on the topic, making this an effective resource for those considering open adoption, those experiencing it, and professionalsworking with adoptive and birth parents. "Making Room In Our Hearts is an authentic, inside account of the open adoption experience. It offers an opportunity to listen in as the participants of adoption describe the delights and challenges of their journeys. Openness never s

Micky Duxbury is an adoptive parent of a beautiful and expressive daughter brought to her family through domestic adoption in 1994. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has practiced in the Bay Area for twenty years. Currently specializing in pre and post-adoption education and counseling, she has facilitated pre-adoption support groups for the for eight years. She developed and taught a course on The Psychology of Adoption and offers workshops on Raising Adopted Children. A strong proponent of ethical and child-centered adoption practices, she has worked as a mediator and therapist with all members of the adoption triad.

Ito, Foreword. Introduction. My Family's Story. Into the Heart of Child-centered Open Adoption. Understanding Each Other's Fears and Concerns. "This Baby Belongs to Itself and the More People Who Love It, The Better". Becoming Extended Family. Openness in the Public Adoption System. Opening Closed Adoptions. Unique Families - Unique Challenges. Making It Work. A Call For Change. Closing Thoughts. Resources. References