Tough Conversations in Adoption: Insights from Adoptee and Profile Designer Joanna Ivey

Why the Words We Use in Adoption Matter

A couple of months ago, Joanna Ivey—adoptee and founder of Our Chosen Child Adoption Profile Design—spoke at a virtual conference on adoption. In her session, she leaned into the tough but important topics, sharing why the narratives we create around adoption, expectant parents, siblings, and loss really matter.

If you’ve ever said you feel “called to adopt,” thanked an expectant parent for “choosing life,” or mentioned that you “want to adopt a sibling for your child,” this conversation is for you. Joanna’s perspective invites all of us to pause, reflect, and consider how the words we use impact the people at the center of adoption.