My mother was adopted through what is called a “closed” adoption. This means that information about her birth parents was kept from her in sealed records. Parents who choose to give their children up for adoption can opt for closed adoptions in which they do not disclose any personal information to the child.

This type of adoption often leaves the child with many difficult questions and a struggle with identity as they grow up, which is what happened to my mom as she grew up.

Where did I come from? Why did they give me up? What is my heritage?

This past summer my mom was able to contact her biological mother, my biological grandmother, through Facebook with the help of a social worker. It was something she had waited for for years, and finally, it happened.

My mom struggled with the uncertainty of her heritage because of the closed adoption. She often wondered if she had any siblings and if there were any hereditary diseases that she should be aware of.

She said that being able to find her mother was “an overwhelming experience,” because it allowed her to “find closure about where [she] came from,” and many of her questions were answered.

Bringing awareness to this situation is important as it can help children to find their biological family with the help of social workers. This is something they may not have had access to otherwise.

There are approximately 8,000 children in and out of foster homes in Kentucky alone. They may have been placed in foster care for reasons outside of their control such as cases of child abuse or neglect. To find out more about adoption and foster care in Kentucky, you can visit the official Kentucky adoption website.