--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The process of open adoption is not…" description: "\"The process of open adoption is not discussed in the way it should be. Everyone I know who has adopted domestically has at least one tragic story. It w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/jennifer-gilmore-20736_able_the-process-of-open-adoption-is-not-disc_1801779.jpg" --- # The process of open adoption is not discussed in the way… ![“The process of open adoption is not discussed in the way it should be. Everyone I know who has adopted domestically has at least one tragic story. It was important to me to be able to describe those situations.” quote by Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/jennifer-gilmore-20736_able_the-process-of-open-adoption-is-not-disc_1801779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/jennifer-gilmore-20736_able_the-process-of-open-adoption-is-not-disc_1801779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/jennifer-gilmore-20736_able_the-process-of-open-adoption-is-not-disc_1801779.jpg) > “The process of open adoption is not discussed in the way it should be. Everyone I know who has adopted domestically has at least one tragic story. It was important to me to be able to describe those situations.” [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Open adoption is often glossed over, yet many families experience hidden tragedies that need honest discussion. **In simple terms:** Open adoption has hidden painful stories that are rarely talked about. Key Takeaway Address the hidden challenges openly. Themes family adoption truth stigma Mood empathetic concerned hopeful Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - counseling sessions - support groups - legislative hearings - parental education Key Concepts social work psychology policy Questions to Reflect On - What are the most common hidden challenges? - How can society better support open adoption? A Different Perspective Some families may fear stigma and avoid sharing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Adopted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted/) [Adopted Domestically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted-domestically-2037687/) [Adoption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adoption/) [Adoption Discussed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adoption-discussed-2037686/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Know Adopted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-adopted-2037688/) [Open adoption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-adoption/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [By choice, we have become a family, first in our hearts, and finally in breath and being. Great expectations are good; great experiences are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-w-fisher/by-choice-we-have-become-a-family-first-in-our-hearts-and-finally-in/) [Richard W. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-w-fisher/) > [I will say, in open adoption, all these choices you make about race, about the amount of mental illness you can deal with, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-will-say-in-open-adoption-all-these-choices-you-make-about-race/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I want to say that, in general, when it works, open adoption is great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-want-to-say-that-in-general-when-it-works-open-adoption-is-great/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [You may not know it, but I was adopted as a baby by my wonderful parents, Allan and Margaret Atkins of Cumberland Gap, Tenn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-may-not-know-it-but-i-was-adopted-as-a-baby-by-my-wonderful/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [“You know I’m the first rapper to adopt a tabby cat. You know I adopted straight from the ASPCA, you feel me? Just breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mccartney/you-know-i-m-the-first-rapper-to-adopt-a-tabby-cat-you-know-i-adopted/) [Brandon McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mccartney/) > [Time and experience have taught me a priceless lesson: Any child you take for your own becomes your own if you give of yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-evans/time-and-experience-have-taught-me-a-priceless-lesson-any-child-you/) [Dale Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-evans/) > [“Adoption is a beautiful, burdensome blessing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-cantrell-dyer/adoption-is-a-beautiful-burdensome-blessing/) [Jody Cantrell Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-cantrell-dyer/) > [Open adoption, when it works, is fabulous. But when it goes wrong, it's so traumatizing for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/open-adoption-when-it-works-is-fabulous-but-when-it-goes-wrong-it-s/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [I've never been keen on open adoption. It doesn't seem to solve the main problem with adoption, which is that somebody feels she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-ve-never-been-keen-on-open-adoption-it-doesn-t-seem-to-solve-the/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [In an open adoption agreement, you agree to a minimum number of visits - a floor, not a ceiling. It's enforceable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/in-an-open-adoption-agreement-you-agree-to-a-minimum-number-of-visits/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [I finally had my beautiful baby girl. Her name is Michelle Lee. Ugh she's so perfect but unfortunately we're giving up for adoption. Well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi/i-finally-had-my-beautiful-baby-girl-her-name-is-michelle-lee-ugh-she/) [Lexi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi/) > [“We had a meeting where we were supposed to learn how to respond to jerks who ask things like "When did you know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/we-had-a-meeting-where-we-were-supposed-to-learn-how-to-respond-to/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“If the system were designed to protect adoptees, why do so many have to fight for their rights?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/if-the-system-were-designed-to-protect-adoptees-why-do-so-many-have/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [I adopted my dog Fox when he was 5 years old. He had been in foster care for months and was passed over at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ash/i-adopted-my-dog-fox-when-he-was-5-years-old-he-had-been-in-foster/) [Lauren Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ash/) ## More by Jennifer Gilmore > [Idea of the generations continuing is really important. And that's interesting to me. I write about families; I'm interested in families. Even though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/idea-of-the-generations-continuing-is-really-important-and-that-s/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [People might seem to have a perfectly fine life but inside, we don't even know if they've suffered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/people-might-seem-to-have-a-perfectly-fine-life-but-inside-we-don-t/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I feel like if writers used writing as therapy we'd have a ton of happy writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-feel-like-if-writers-used-writing-as-therapy-we-d-have-a-ton-of/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [While I am very much Jewish 'identified,' I'm not a very religious person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/while-i-am-very-much-jewish-identified-i-m-not-a-very-religious-person/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I want to say that, in general, when it works, open adoption is great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-want-to-say-that-in-general-when-it-works-open-adoption-is-great/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [Publishing in a way doesn't have a lot to do with writing, and writing doesn't have a lot to do with publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/publishing-in-a-way-doesn-t-have-a-lot-to-do-with-writing-and-writing/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I think we think that parenthood is confined to the country of mothers, but I think a lot of the men I've spoken to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-think-we-think-that-parenthood-is-confined-to-the-country-of/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I really don't feel that writing is therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-really-don-t-feel-that-writing-is-therapy/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [My first two novels were set in the past, and that freed me up in a lot of ways; it allowed me to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/my-first-two-novels-were-set-in-the-past-and-that-freed-me-up-in-a/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [It would be a lie to say that people are coming to adoption with joy at all times. Hope, perhaps, but it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/it-would-be-a-lie-to-say-that-people-are-coming-to-adoption-with-joy/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [The birth mother is placing the baby out of love. I still believe that. Well, the ones weve dealt with who were actually pregnant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/the-birth-mother-is-placing-the-baby-out-of-love-i-still-believe-that/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [What is it about the blank page that makes me want to hurl myself into a game of solitaire? I ask myself these kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/what-is-it-about-the-blank-page-that-makes-me-want-to-hurl-myself/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [With domestic adoption, you get a form, you fill it out, and there are these boxes: African-American, African-American and Hispanic, and you check the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/with-domestic-adoption-you-get-a-form-you-fill-it-out-and-there-are/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [I will say, in open adoption, all these choices you make about race, about the amount of mental illness you can deal with, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/i-will-say-in-open-adoption-all-these-choices-you-make-about-race/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [The birth mother is placing the baby out of love. I still believe that. Well, the ones we've dealt with who were actually pregnant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/the-birth-mother-is-placing-the-baby-out-of-love-i-still-believe-that-2/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) [Explore all 30 Jennifer Gilmore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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