Thanks for visiting our new blog. This is new to us, so please bear with us as we work out the kinks! We created this blog to continue connecting with as many people as possible and to also share our journey in a more real and personal way. Dana will probably be doing most of the blogging, but Chris will also be chiming in here and there. So again, we welcome you and thank you for joining us on our journey through life!
Hello there. I just wanted to respond to your question about resources available to birthfathers. Unfortunately I found but one book that helped me in the process my partner and I undertook in open adoption. James Gritters book "The Spirit of Open Adoption". I've since been given a copy of his book "Life Givers" which is focused specifically on the birth family perspective. I've not yet read the latter. It is sad to note, however, that in "The Spirit of Open Adoption" Gritter's hands are tied in discussing birthfathers as he hadn't access to information about them. The reason for that is there is almost no empirical data or significant studies relating to birthfathers. "Out of the Shadows" is a book about birthfathers written by a female social worker and has been heralded as groundbreaking. I am a skeptic, but I believe the "groudbreaking" work in that book may very well be the subject matter alone. No one really likes looking at the birthfather experience. In large part it is a very ugly one. The short answer to your question is there aren't resources for birthfathers. There isn't help. Each relationship between a birthfather and his child is special, and largely so because it is so rare. The fact that you are interested at all is not only surprising but deserves applause. The resources and support available to any birthfather you know is, quite likely, you.
ReplyDelete