Helping Children and Youth Maintain Relationships With Birth Families

Children and youth who are adopted need to maintain relationships with their birth families, previous caregivers, or other important connections, and it is vital that their parents support them in doing so. Nurturing these relationships is in the best interests of the child, as ongoing contact with birth family members may minimize or resolve his or her feelings of grief and loss due to separation. This bulletin is intended to provide professionals with information to help children, youth, and adoptive families develop and maintain appropriate and evolving connections.