Adoptee-Centered Language

Open Adoption Project

In this episode we discuss the history of different schools of thought regarding adoption language, including Positive Adoption Language and Honest Adoption Language. We also talk about following the adoptees’ leads and giving thought to circumstances. Words matter! Adoptive parents need to be cognizant of the preferred language of adoptees and biological parents in their lives. We advocate for adoptee-focused language. We discuss the need to focus our adoption language on adoptees and their preferences rather than on others in the adoption community. The tricky thing about this topic is that every adoptee is going to feel differently. As a community, we need to do better at listening to and respecting the needs of biological parents and, most of all, adoptees.