Dear AKA,

"Thank you" seems hardly enough for the 8 years of education, support and validation I have received from the monthly meetings and annual conference. AKA helped me to understand my experience as a birth mother and did much to renew my dignity and self esteem. It is wonderful to be around adoptive parents and witness their intense love and committment to their adopted children. It feels good to know that it is people of this quality that are parenting the children that we felt like we could not. Likewise, being in the presence of adopted persons and hearing their stories and feelings helps me to feel closer to my found daughter. Thank you. You have added much to the satisfaction of my life.

Arlinda, birth mother.

"I just felt such a need to see someone I looked like, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. AKA helped me realize that yearning was not only ok, but natural and healthy."

"When I was beginning to think about searching, it was so helpful to hear birth mothers at AKA talk about their feelings, through the years, about the children they had placed for adoption."

"Hearing prospective adoptive parents' fears, experiences and emotions has helped me understand my own adoptive parents better."

"Most birth parents deal with such a high level of judgment, it was wonderful to finally find a place of true acceptance at AKA."

"Being in the presence of adoptive parents who really wanted to hear what we thought started our own healing process."

"AKA provided a roadmap through the search and reunion part of my life ... hearing the educational programs, getting the support from others helped me each step of the way."

"We were overwhelmed with questions and fears when we started exploring adoption. The people at AKA helped us sort through the short- and long-term issues involved."

"We've relied on the people, books and tapes offered by AKA to help us handle what each new stage brings in raising our child through adoption."

"Hearing adult adopted people and birth parents talk has changed my life - helping me feel not so frightened, just more prepared for the future and more validated as a parent."

"The world of adoption is in dire need of education, we have leagues to go, both in working with triad memebers and our community at large."

"Each time I attend an AKA meeting, I'm wishing my colleagues were also gaining the awareness of just how profound these issues are for each party touhced by adoption."

"I learned more in one day at your conference than in five years of social work experience."