For the past several years new laws have enabled adoptees to find out about and meet their natural relatives or have an adoption reunion. Some countries such as Australia have also given rights to natural relatives who have been separated by adoption. England and Wales also passed the Adoption and Children Act of 2002 which means that since 2005 natural relatives have been able to ask an adoption agency to make contact with the adoptee on their behalf.

Adoption reunions are also a huge public interest and all over the country there is lots of media coverage. Search and reunion stories have appeared in magazine articles, film, soap opera plots, and TV shows such as Oprah.

I think that adoption reunion is an interesting topic in the media is because it is dramatic and emotional. Search and reunion is a leap into the unknown for those involved. Whatever the outcome of the search and reunion process it is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. For those meeting for the first time in decades it is a highly charged life changing event and many times those involved may have unrealistic expectations.

I don’t think that the coverage of adoption reunions in the media gives a clear picture of what happens in the real world with real reunions. Here at this blog, Jan and I have tried to describe what usually happens in reunions and the highs and lows to expect. We can not of course predict what will happen in an individual reunion.

I think that if you have been reading this blog for a while you will see that each reunion story is unique with different people with different expectations in different circumstances. With that said, there are often common experiences that people can share and from which they can learn. There are no guarantees that a search and reunion will turn out exactly like you would hope.

If you have already started the journey of search and reunion I hope that you have found insight to help you find your way through some of the potential issues and get the support you might need. There are times that I look back at what we have wrote and think that things seem kind of negative at times. I think it is important to point out that we are not trying to discourage anyone from taking the steps they need to take but rather get across the message that search and reunion is an emotionally challenging process that requires a commitment on the part of the person initiating the search.

Once you know the truth, you will be like many who are glad that they took the steps to complete their search no matter the outcome. Only you can decided when you are ready to take these steps. We will be here to help you be as prepared as possible.