Families built through adoption are as valid as those built by other means. Yes, these family members may not share genetic material, but neither do married couples. The following quotation conveys this elegant truth:
“I wish couples who desperately take every means to conceive a child would realize that adoption is a wonderful alternative. A child who becomes your child through adoption completes a family. Just as when you commit to your spouse or partner there are no biological ties, yet a family was formed. This child enters a family the same way! It is not blood and flesh that form a family, but the heart.” ~ Michele Johnson
Every day, people make choices about who they include, who they love, and who they accept into their lives. The criteria for whether a family is valid are things like commitment and love. These can exist whether or not you are related by blood.
These ideas are especially important when considering the feelings of a child who has been adopted. Children who have been adopted may experience a wide range of emotions as they mature and come to an understanding of the role adoption has played in their lives. Validating those feelings is important, especially when those feelings present a challenge to the family. It helps when loved ones consistently reassure the child that he or she really belongs to his or her family.
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