The Joy and Miracle of Open Adoption
by Randall and Stuart  

We had been working with our adoption agency's outreach program for well
over a year, with not the slightest hint of a match or even a prospect. We
were tearing our hair out and struggling with next steps - as a same sex
couple, we did not have access to some of the outreach sources (ie. the
adoption.com website) which choose to discriminate against families such as
ours.

It was through good fortune that we met Ellen Roseman and the Cooperative
Adoption Service. While our agency gave us the tools and the basic means to
adopt, we feel that it is only through Ellen that we were given the
education that we needed. Her approach to open adoption is (in the best way)
radical and yet thoroughly natural.

Our son, Benjamin, was born three years ago, and was a 'last minute'
adoption - his birthmom did not make an adoption plan until the very last
minute. However, through our education and support from Ellen, we were
prepared for the situation, and embraced it with both arms. Benjamin's birth
family initially did not want an open adoption, but we worked with them,
knowing how important it would be for Benjamin in the future. We now have a
fully open adoption with his extended birth family - who attended our
adoption finalization as well as all his birthday parties. The entire
birthfamily, especially birthmom are now so grateful that we continued to
persuade them to enter into a fully open adoption and all our lives are the
richer because of it.

Ellen gave us the very best possible education in open adoption; she helped
us navigate the financial pitfalls (so that we weren't scammed, and so that
we no longer wasted money on half-hearted outreach services); and she did
this with a truly open heart and mind, embracing our family when it was
clear that other services either actively discriminated, or just didn't know
how to work with a gay family.

We thank Ellen from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the tools and
resources to fully embrace the joys and miracles of open adoption. Thank you
Ellen!

Randall and Stuart
London, England