Media Information

Media Contact: Jane Edwards, President: jedwards@origins-usa.org

Origins-USA invites journalists to contact us for interviews or assistance with news stories about mothers who lost children to adoption. We can provide the perspective of mothers who lost children to adoption, or put you in touch with mothers who are willing to tell their stories to the media.

Journalists' Guide to Accurate and Honest Adoption Language

Origins-USA encourages the media to use language that accurately and honestly describes adoption.

Parents who conceive and give birth to children should not be referred to as "birth" or "biological" parents, because their parenthood is not limited to the moment of birth or biology.  More correct terms include "expectant parent" or "pregnant woman", "mother", "mother who lost a child to adoption", or "parent or origin".

Nearly all mothers who surrender a child to adoption do so because of lack of viable alternatives available to them and feeling they have no other options.  Thus, phrases such as "make an adoption plan" or "choose to place a child for adoption" are misleading.  More accurate and honest language is "surrendered for adoption", "lost to adoption", or "was taken for adoption."

Many children who Americans wish to adopt from other countries are incorrectly referred to as "orphans" or even "unparented" even though they have living parents.  More accurate language would be "children with struggling families" or "children in need."

Referring to non-parent caregivers, including adopters, as "parents" is misleading.  They should be referred to as a "person who has adopted," "adopter," or "adoptive parent."