Using positive language reinforces the message that adoption is a healthy way of building a family. When speaking with others about adoption, whether family members, friends or co-workers, using the following positive terminology in place of the "traditional", assists with the understanding of what adoption truly is for everyone involved, from a very real and human standpoint.

Below are the positive language terms to use in connection with the adoption of a child.

ADOPTION TERMINOLOGY:

This is a glossary of many terms commonly used within adoption. It is not meant to be an all-inclusive glossary, but it provides a basic reference for communicating effectively as you proceed in adoption.  [TOP]

Adoptee - A person who joins a family by adoption.  [TOP]

Adoption - A permanent, legally binding arrangement whereby persons other than the birthparents parent the child.  [TOP]

Adoption Agency - An organization that is licensed to prepare families to adopt children and to do all the necessary legal, administrative and social work to ensure that adoptions are efficiently handled and are in the best interests of the children.  [TOP]

Adoption Decree - The document issued by the court upon finalization of an adoption, stating that the adoptee is the legal child of the adoptive parents.  [TOP]

Adoption Plan - The unique, individual plan a particular set of birthparents makes for the adoption of their child.  [TOP]

Adoptive Parent(s) - A person or persons who become the permanent parents with all the social, legal rights and responsibilities incumbent upon any parent.  [TOP]

Adoption Triangle or Triad - A term used to describe the three-sided relationship that exists in an adoption between birthparents, adoptive parents and the adoptee, each of which is interrelated with, and inter-dependent on, the others.  [TOP]

Amended birth certificate - The document issued after a child has been adopted, reflecting the adoptive parents as the child's parents.  [TOP]

Birth certificate (original) - A certified document indicates the birth information of a person including mother's and father's name and the name given to the child at the time of birth.  [TOP]

Birthfather - The biological father of a child.  [TOP]

Birthgrandparents - The biological grandparents of a child.  [TOP]

Birthmother - The biological mother of a child who made an adoption plan for the child and subsequently relinquished the child for adoption.  [TOP]

Birthparents - The parents who conceived a child, made an adoption plan for the child and subsequently relinquished the child for adoption.  [TOP]

Closed Adoption - An adoption where there is no contact between birthparents and adoptive parents.  [TOP]

Consent to Adoption - (1) A legal document signed by each birthparent giving legal intent to his/her desire for the adoption of his/her child. (2) A second consent to adoption is issued by the adoption agency allowing the adoptive family to finalize the adoption after all agency and legal requirements have been met. An adoption cannot be finalized without this consent.  [TOP]

Domestic Adoption - An adoption that involves adoptive parents and a child that are permanent residents of the United States.  [TOP]

Employer Adoption Benefit Package - Adoption benefits provided to employees as part of an employer-sponsored benefit program, which are included within their employment compensation package.  [TOP]

Facilitator - An individual that is not licensed as an adoption agency or licensed as an attorney, and who is engaged in the matching of birthparents with adoptive parents.  [TOP]

Finalization - The court hearing that results in the adoption decree. This is the moment when the adoptee becomes the permanent, legally adopted child of the adoptive parents.  [TOP]

Homestudy - A three-part process required before a child can be placed with a family for foster care or adoption: (1) Written portion includes autobiographies, references, medical reports, financial statements, child abuse and criminal clearances and other written materials; (2) Social work process includes a series of visits in the applicants' home to discuss a variety of issues from the applicant's backgrounds to their motivations to adopt and their understanding of adoption and parenting; (3) Educational process includes training in adoption and parenting issues. The end result of this process is a written document completed or contracted by a licensed agency giving a summary of the applicant's family life. This document indicates approval of the applicants for adoption (or foster care). In most states it must be updated annually.  [TOP]

Independent Adoption - These adoptions are arranged by an intermediary other than an adoption agency, such as a lawyer or a physician. The intermediary may find the birthmother for the adoptive parents, or may help the birthmother locate adoptive parents that would be interested in adopting her child. Independent adoptions are not legally permitted in all states.  [TOP]

Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) - The Interstate Compact is an organization with members in all 50 states that must give its approval to any child moving from one state to another for the purpose of adoption, foster care or residential care. The ICPC 100A form must be approved by both the child's state of origin (sending state) and the state where the child will live (receiving state) before the child can cross state lines. In an interstate adoption, the agency with custody of the child is responsible for processing the interstate paperwork.  [TOP]

International Adoption - Any adoption occurring where the child and the adoptive parents are from two different countries.  [TOP]

Match or Matching - The process of bringing together qualified prospective adoptive parents and willing birthparents who are compatible with each other and who can agree on the terms under which the adoptive parents can adopt the child.  [TOP]

Open Adoption - An open adoption is full disclosure of identifying information between the birthparents and the adoptive parents. Both the adoptive parents and birthparents agree upon the amount of contact following the placement of the child.  [TOP]

Placement - A term used to describe the point in time when the child comes to live with the adoptive parents in their home.  [TOP]

Private Adoption - An adoption that is arranged without the involvement of an agency. Often an intermediary, such as an adoption attorney, is involved.  [TOP]

Relinquishment - The giving-up of custodial and legal rights to a child by a birthparent. This is a legally binding, permanent procedure involving the signing of legal documents and court action.  [TOP]

Revocation of Consent - When the birthparent or custodial relative formally changes his or her mind after signing a voluntary consent. How long a person has to change his or her mind after signing CONSENT and under what conditions varies from state to state.   [TOP]

Semi-Open Adoption - A semi-open adoption occurs when the potential birthmother or birth families experience non-identifying interaction with the adoptive family. In most cases, the interaction is facilitated by a third party which is usually an adoption agency or adoption attorney.  [TOP]

Social Worker - A degreed professional that provides services to foster and adoptive parents and children on behalf of and adoption agency, state entity, or the courts. Services typcially include homestudies regarding the foster or adoptive family, counseling, and foster or adoptive parent education.  [TOP]

Special Needs Adoption - An adoption where the child requires or may likely require assistance for disabilities that may be physical, medical, mental, or psychological.  [TOP]

Tax Credit (Adoption) - As of 2011, a refundable tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child. The adoption credit is an amount that was previously subtracted from the adoptive parent's tax liability often times reducing the amount by $10,000 or more in the U.S.; however welcome changes in the tax law now allows adopting parents to receive the refund even if they owe no taxes.  [TOP]

Termination of Parental Rights - A process involving a court hearing whereby a judge enters a decree permanently ending all legal parental rights of a birthparent to a child. This must occur before a child is considered to be "legally free" for adoption.  [TOP]