Thursday, March 7, 2013

Positive Adoption Language

Nate and I have obviously been talking about our adoption process with many people lately and sometimes are stumped by specific phrases. Luckily, our awesome agency gave us a cheat sheet for positive adoption language. I know that there are others who struggle with finding appropriate words too.  So in an effort to cite my sources, I will let you know that this was printed in OURS magazine. Hope you find it as interesting as I did.
Positive Language     Neg. Language
Birth parent.................Real Parent
Biological parent.........Natural Parent
Birth child....................Own Child
My child..........Adopted Child; Own Child
Born to unmarried parents....Illegitimate
Terminate parental rights.....Give Up
Make an adoption plan.........Give Away
To parent...............................To Keep
Waiting Child..................... Own Child
Biological Father..................Begettor
Making contact with.............Reunion
Parent..............................Adoptive Parent
International Adoption...Foreign Adoption
Adoption Triad..............Adoption Triangle
Permission to sign a release......Disclosure
Search.......................Track down parents
Placed for adoption........Unwanted Child
Court Termination............Child taken away
Child With Special Needs......Handicapped
Child From Abroad.............Foreign Child
Was Adopted......................Is Adopted