An adoptee herself, Maxine Chalker founded Adoptions From the Heart in the basement of her Ardmore home. Chalker saw a need for a more personalized experience, where a birth mother could select her child’s family and stay involved if she chose. Forty years later, AFTH has placed over 7,420 infants and toddlers and now has nine offices across six states.
MLT: Back in the 1980s, what was the status of open adoption?
MC: It didn’t exist—and people were actually against it. They thought adoptive parents weren’t going to be willing to do this. It was difficult to gain support, but I believed people should have a choice. At the beginning, I was on a lot of TV shows because nobody knew about it. It wasn’t taken well at first, but I’d have couples come on air with me and explain their positive experiences. Because of the publicity, it really took off.
MLT: What are its benefits?
MC: Children don’t have to go through the search to find their birth parents. Plus, parents can choose where their child is going, and they get to know how they’re doing as they grow up.
MLT: What level of involvement can a birth parent have?
MC: It’s a legally binding contract, so it depends. There are degrees of openness. A birth mother could want one or two visits a year. We have a picnic every June, and adopted parents can invite the birth parents if they choose.
MLT: How do birth parents choose where a child is placed?
MC: Our families looking to adopt make videos introducing themselves, and we conduct home studies and get references. Then, if a birth parent likes the family, they can have a meeting.
MLT: How did your own adoption inspire what you do today through AFTH?
MC: I always wondered who my birth parents were. I was lucky that I actually found my birth family—but it’s not easy. I worked in public welfare in an adoption department for seven years, and I did a lot of counseling with birth parents and adoptees who wanted to find each other and were having a hard time connecting. I thought it could be done better.
Related: This Former Bala Cynwyd Resident Helped Create Baseball as We Know It Today
