Description

What happens when adoptive children grow up and search for their birth families? Join Tonya Sauder for an intimate look at her family's 11-year journey, from adopting two 7-year-old sons to navigating reunions with their birth father, mother, and half-brothers at age 18. Through powerful storytelling, Tonya shares practical strategies for supporting children through trauma, fostering identity when pieces of the past are missing, and preparing them for the unpredictable realities of birth-family searches. Discover how Tonya and her husband weathered the best and worst of reunion outcomes while protecting their most important asset: a deep, lifelong connection with their sons.

• Strengthen Historical Connections: Identify strategies to help children build a positive, meaningful connection to their personal histories.

• Foster Identity Amid Gaps: Learn how to support a child’s identity formation when critical details about their past are missing.

• Partner Through the Search: Discover how parents can leverage a child's interest in searching for birth relatives to become their trusted allies.

• Prepare for Varied Outcomes: Proactively prepare children early for both positive and negative search realities.

• Manage Parental Emotions: Equip parents with tools to navigate their own feelings, fears, and anxieties regarding the search.

• Establish Healthy Boundaries: Set boundaries around search and reunion that prioritize the child's well-being and safety.

• Navigate Post-Reunion Realities: Support children effectively through the aftermath of a reunion, whether the outcome is positive or painful.