When we talk about the Baby Scoop Era, we often focus on the children who were adopted—the 1.5 million infants placed into new families, told they were "chosen," and raised in the silence of sealed records. But there is another side to this story, one that has been hidden for just as long: the mothers. These were young women—often teenagers—who were shamed, coerced, and manipulated into surrendering their babies. They were told it was the "right thing to do." They were told t

Adoption is usually presented as a clean break—a child is “cleansed” of its shameful origin and is placed with a new family, the past sealed away, buried, hidden from that child, and everyone moves forward as if adoption marks the beginning. For adoptees of closed adoptions, the secrecy is not an ending; it becomes an inheritance. Closed adoptions, particularly those of the Baby Scoop Era, were designed to protect not the adopted child, but the adoptive families from the "sti

Adoption is often viewed through a lens of joy and new beginnings. However, for many adoptees, the journey is also marked by profound grief and loss that often goes unspoken. This hidden grief can manifest in various ways, impacting mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. In this blog post, we will explore the complexities of adoptee grief, the importance of acknowledging these feelings, and ways to foster understanding and support within communities. Understand