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Adoption Shows
ABC will be airing a new reality TV series titled Find My Family in which birth mothers and adult adoptees find one another and are reunited. We know that this show could raise a variety of issues so we wanted to provide you with a few ideas to help address questions that may come up in your family, or among neighbors and friends:
- Watch Together You may want to watch the show before or with your child, and be available to answer questions or discuss any situations that may be confusing for your child.
- Reality TV and Real Life It may be necessary to explain that reunion stories on TV can be "sensationalized". Even if the series is not overly sensationalized, it will be important to talk about the fact that the situations on TV are very different from their own adoption story.
- The Importance of Readiness We think there is an important step that should take place between the "search" and the meeting. That's why Gladney has a counseling process that helps set realistic expectations as well as provide a way to process the feelings and emotions that accompany search and reunion.
- Meeting their Birth Mother Gladney believes that a healthy process isn't really about "finding" someone, but about meeting by mutual consent, so we developed the Voluntary Registry to facilitate the search process by mutual consent.
At Gladney we believe in Family for Life, and that means being a lifelong resource for all of our adoptive families and birth mothers. So when your child is ready to make contact with their birth family, as an adult; Gladney will be here to help.
For more information about Gladney's Family Services call 817-922-6000 x2050 or send a confidential email to postad@gladney.org.
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