When these children are born many of them seem just as complete as their ten fingered and ten toed neighbor. This may hold true until they start missing milestones as they grow. FASD can be extremely hard to diagnose unless the alcohol consumption is a known factor. Many children who deal with this condition end up in the care of foster or adoptive parents early on in their lives. It has been estimated that 70-80% of the children in foster care have an FASD. Children adopted from Eastern European countries are also more likely to experience this hidden disorder.

My goal is to tell you stories of those touched by adoption, which includes the usual suspects like birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees. I also want to share the stories of social workers, community members who are supporting adoptees and adoptive families, and vulnerable populations, as well as parents who wanted to adopt but for some reason never reached the finish line. From all of these stories I want to draw a lesson, a theme. What can we learn and change about adoption that can make things better for children and families to come.