Amy Silverman, Spence-Chapin’s Assistant Director of Birth Parent Services, recommends recent articles by and about birth mothers in Newsweek and The New York Times. “I am all too aware of the stigma and misunderstanding experienced by our birth parent clients. The general public continues to have outdated notions of adoption. Few people realize that ethical agencies like Spence-Chapin provide extensive options counseling so that those who can find a way to parent their children are able to make that choice. For those that cannot, choosing an adoptive family and providing information, as well as staying in touch, are possible ways that they can demonstrate their love for their children.
Raina Kelley’s Birth Moms Deserve Our Respect in Newsweek addresses the myths and stereotypes that prevent some pregnant women from considering adoption as a viable option, and keep those that have made this decision in the shadows. Amy Seek’s Open Adoption: Not So Simple Math is a very personal story, published in The New York Times Magazine, about her experience as a birth mother in an open adoption. Birth parents are unique in their circumstances, personality, and their experience of the impact of their choice. The best way to dispense with the myths and stereotypes is by confronting the realities of birth parents’ lives. I encourage everyone involved or interested in adoption to read these articles.”
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