Second-parent adoptions have been around longer than many people realize because up until 2017, they had not been legalized in all 50 states. DC, for example, legalized second-parent adoptions over 20 years ago, which has led to the establishment of laws to protect all...

During the public agency adoption process, mediation may be held between an adoptive family and the child’s family of birth. Mediation helps resolve potential conflicts in open adoptions, where the families are aware of one another’s identities.

Mediation is a collaboration...