110: Figuring Out Open Adoption From Scratch

Can you imagine fumbling around in the dark for one of the most important missions of your life, without having any training at all? Once the deep flaws in the closed adoption era started to become apparent, some adoption agencies decided to experiment with this newfangled thing called “open adoption.” Adopting parents and birth parents were told to "go have contact” but not given much more info and support than that because at that time, 25-30 years ago, no one had it figured out.

We have 2 guests today, both pioneers, both figure-outers. They entered into the world of adoption around the time that social workers were coming to understand that the decades-long experiment called Closed Adoption hadn’t worked so well for adoptees, for birth parents, even for adoptive parents. Listen in to Kim Court's account of being a birth mother in the pioneer days of open adoption, and Linda Marie Mueller's account of the same as an adoptive mom. What they have to share is so illuminating for those trying to make open adoption work well in current times.

5. Show Notes

Kim on Twitter: @court0516

Kim on Instagram: @court0516 (private; ask for connection)

Kim on LinkedIn: Kim Court

Kim’s email: court0516@yahoo.com

Linda on Facebook: https://bit.ly/LMMfacebook

Linda’s email: linda@lindamariemueller.com

Linda on Twitter: @openadoptmom

Linda on Instagram: @openadoptmom

Previous work with Lori

Kim on Birth Mother Stories Over the Decades, Part 1

Kim on Birth Mother Stories Over the Decades, Part 2

Linda’s Guest Post 1: The Happy/Sad of Adoption

Linda’s Guest Post 2: The Christmas Box

Hospitious Adoption by Jim Gritter (mentioned). May be out of print; request at your local library.

Transcript

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About this Podcast

Lori Holden (The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole) brings to you an array of articulate and thought-provoking guests with lived experience in adoption, each with valuable insights to share about the all-encompassing journey of parenting an adopted person from babyhood to toddlerhood to school age to teenage -- and ultimately to adulthood. Join us as we explore Adoption: The Long View.

Named a Top 25 Adoption Podcast