The way you write -- the words you choose -- convey important messages. That is why we, who have been touched by adoption, would like to educate the public on terms that convey negative adoption messages and their constructive alternatives. Adoption should never be referenced unless it has a relation to the issue or story at hand.
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| Birth parent | Real parent, natural parent |
| Birth child | Own child |
| Born to unmarried parents | Illegitimate |
| Termination of parental rights | Give up, taken away |
| Make an adoption plan | Give away, give up, put up |
| To Parent | To keep |
| Child in need of a family | Unwanted, Abandoned Adoptable/available child |
| Meeting, making contact with | Reunion |
| Parent | Adoptive parent |
| International or intercountry adoption | Foreign adoption |
| Adoption triad | Adoption triangle |
| To locate, contact | Search, track down |
| Adoption agreement | Surrender |
| Child with special needs | Hard to place |
| Child from another country | Foreign child |
| Was adopted | Is adopted* |
| Genetic relatives | Blood relatives |
*Adoption is a one-time event, not a definition of a person.