Reimagining Adoption: What Adoptees Seek from Families and Faith

by Gayle H. Swift, Sally Ankerfelt

"Reimagining Adoption" examines beliefs, practices, and Scripture to steep adoption policy to attune to the needs of vulnerable children and their families. It examines the historical practices, reviews current practices and proposes revisions as well as changes in policy and priorities. More importantly, it lifts up the words of adult adoptees--the true experts on adoption--and braids them with the insights of adoptive families to craft a new adoption paradigm. Readers will learn:
How to become better Christian parents and more supportive faith communities
How to answer tough questions and to anticipate who will pose them and why
How to clarify Christian adoption beliefs and practices
What makes adoptees the true adoption experts
How to process the pain of birth parent loss
How to validate adoptee grief and loss
How to support family preservation
How the radical love of Christ must reshape the way we approach adoption
What first-hand adoptee/adoptive family accounts can teach us about faith and adoption
How to serve vulnerable children and their families with faith, love, and understanding

Genres: Adoption

260 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2019

About the author

Gayle is a certified coach, co-founder of Growing Intentional Families Together, an (adoptive) mother of two now-adult children, a former foster parent, and a 60-year survivor of ovarian cancer.
She wrote, the multi-award-winning book, "ABC, Adoption & Me" with her daughter Casey A. Swift In 2013, "Shelf Unbound" named "ABC" a Notable Picture Book & "Adoptive Families Magazine" named it a Favorite Read. In 20219 "ABC, was revised & re-illustrated and it was a 2020 Indie Book Awards finalist. Gayle and her daughter also co-wrote "We're Adopted, So What" which also was a 2020 Indie Book Awards finalist,
Gayle’s third book, "Reimagining Adoption: What Adoptees Seek from Families and Faith” was co-written with Sally Ankertfelt. "Reimagining Adoption” earned the Silver in the 2021 Illumination Book Awards. These awards honor the year's best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview.
Gayle also contributed to "It's Not About You: Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion & Open Adoption"

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book if you are interested in adoption and learning from adoptees. This is much gentler and balanced than searching #adopteevoices on Instagram (where fights break out in the comments section regularly 😬 and where prospective adoptive parents often wonder if they are the worst person in the world.)

This book presented the feelings of adoptees interviewed without using blanket statements such as “adoptees feel like _______” as opposed to “some adoptees feel like _________.” I think this is especially important to differentiate because this simple distinction (that *some*, not *all* adoptees experience various emotions surrounding specific terms used, statements made to them, etc.) And the lack of this distinction has caused a lot of unnecessary quarreling and disunity on social media from both adoptees and adoptive parents.

One of the chapters did feel more political in nature, but I do believe their heart was in the right place, regardless of some of my differing views.

I could not believe some of the statements said and actions done to adoptees, adoptive families, and the adoptees’ first families. It is absolutely hurtful what people say (without even realizing what they’re saying or doing.) I will say, this did leave me wondering “what on earth will I even do or say as an adoptive mom without scarring my child?” even though the authors did provide some fantastic alternatives to common negative phrases adoptees hear.

Overall, I am very glad I read this book! I honestly will probably listen to this again soon and take notes next time. It makes for a great listen on #hoopla!

[Abby Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best books on adoption I've read. The ideas in it shouldn't still be so revolutionary, but there's a lot in this book that I think people connected with the subject still need to hear (or rehear), whether or not we agree or like them.

[Janet Byars · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an adoptee, therapist, Christian, raised a Lutheran, and united with my birth family, I loved being chosen. I loved the stories of adoption in Scripture: Moses, Esther, etc. I loved having a purpose that was from God woven into my story.