99 THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE®…CHOOSING ADOPTION

Jeff Kasky is an adoption attorney. His book that was written together with his father about adoption is available now. We have conducted a short interview with him:

What is the most challenging aspect about your profession as an Adoption Attorney?

Working in the field of adoption requires a unique set of communication skills. Typically, I’m working on one side of the equation with a pregnant woman who may be young, naive, and scared to death about the adoption process. The other side of the equation is likely a fairly sophisticated adoptive family who is successful in many areas of life, but cannot have their own biological child for medical reasons. Bridging the gap between these two parties, while all the while keeping the child’s best interests in the forefront can be a delicate operation!

What inspired you to write about your book "99 THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE®…CHOOSING ADOPTION"?

There are many myths and misunderstandings regarding adoption in the U.S. It’s gotten to the point where most adoptive families will at least consider international adoption before domestic adoption, for fear of being involved in some of the horror stories that come up from time to time.

We wrote “99 THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE®…CHOOSING ADOPTION" to provide a light, easy to read and entertaining insight into the world of adoption, accessible to any and all who are interested in learning about the process. There is no other book on the market that is directed to potential birth mothers as well as prospective adoptive families. It’s just not out there. And, at only $2.99 for the download, we are clearly putting our financial interests on the back-burner in favor of spreading this message far and wide!

What are the myths about adoption? Based on your professional views, how do you think is the way(s) to bust them?

Adoption has always been veiled in secrecy, and little has been done to address the myths that have been perpetuated for a hundred years. For example, many couples come to us expecting to hear that there is a 5+ year wait for babies to adopt. That is preposterous. Birth mothers often think that in the future the baby/child/adult will hate them and think that she gave the child away because she didn’t want it. 99.9% of the time that couldn’t be further from the truth! All of these issues are addressed in the book.

Will you encourage closed adoption or open adoption? Why?

“Open” and “closed” adoption mean different things to different people. I would never purport to encourage either, only because it’s such a personal issue between the adoptive parents and birth parents. There are many social, moral and other factors involved, and what’s right for situation #1 might be the direct opposite of what’s right for situation #2! This issue is thoroughly addressed in the book.

If you have to present internationally "What They Don't Tell You About Adoption?", what will be the essential pointers?

Essentially, the top three points would be as follows:

1. Adoption is not always easy, but it doesn’t HAVE to be hard!

2. Birth mothers are not, generally speaking, the unwed 15 year olds that everyone expects them to be.

3. After adoption comes parenthood, which is more challenging and rewarding than any adoption I’ve ever done!

For more information about 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before®...Choosing Adoption and Robert and Jeffrey Kasky, visit www.oneworldadoption.com and www.adoptionexpertwitness.com.