Adults Adopting Adults

Adults Adopting Adults is a reality television series that premiered on A&E in January 2022, which offers viewers a window into the unconventional and often misunderstood world of adult adoption. The series delves into the lives of several pairs of adults seeking to form new familial bonds through the process of adoption, despite neither party being biologically related nor within the typical parent-child age range.

The show features a mix of individuals from diverse backgrounds and with various motivations for pursuing adult adoption. This unique form of adoption allows persons over the age of 18 to become legally recognized as the child of their adopter, establishing a new, formal family connection. Unlike traditional adoption, which is primarily focused on providing a child with a family, adult adoption covers a multitude of reasons for the contractual agreement, including emotional bonds, inheritance rights, or the formalization of a longstanding relationship.

Throughout the episodes, viewers get an intimate look at the complex processes, emotional journeys, and legal challenges that pairs face as they seek to establish these unconventional familial ties. Each story presents its own set of intricacies and personal motives—for some participants, adult adoption is a way to find the supportive family they never had; for others, it is an opportunity to leave a legacy or to provide caregiving in a structured and legally acknowledged manner.

The show explores the sometimes fraught dynamic that the individuals endure to understand and adjust to their roles within their newly formed family. Prospective adoptive parents and adult adoptees must navigate the labyrinth of legal requirements, which vary widely from state to state. The laws governing adult adoption can be convoluted, as this type of adoption is less common and thus less standardized than child adoption. As the participants work through these complexities, they often encounter skepticism and judgment from friends, family, and society, given the unconventional nature of their relationships.

Adults Adopting Adults highlights the participants' mix of emotions ranging from the thrill of newfound connections to the challenges of blending lives with someone who was, until recently, a stranger. The process often involves extensive background checks, counseling, and court appearances—robbing the procedure of the simplicity that some participants might have initially expected.

The series illustrates how the desire for family and belonging can transcend traditional boundaries and can emerge at any stage in one's life. It underscores the power of choice in creating family ties, as opposed to being restricted by biological connections. Participant stories sometimes reveal profound loneliness and the keen human need for companionship and connection, while other accounts showcase an altruistic desire to provide someone with a family or to complete their own.

The show comprises moments of heartbreaking vulnerability as the adult adoptees open up about their reasons for seeking adoption, which might include past traumas, a history of family estrangement, or the absence of close familial bonds. Similarly, adoptive parents share their personal stories, which often resonate with sentiments of loss, emptiness, or unfulfilled parental instincts that they hope to alleviate through the adoption connection.

Adults Adopting Adults does not shy away from the more controversial aspects of this practice, such as the potential for financial motivations and disputes, the blurred lines between romantic and familial relationships, and the ethical considerations of such arrangements. The series probes into the nuances of these associations, offering viewers the chance to judge for themselves the legitimacy and depth of the bonds being forged.

Moreover, the reality show sets the stage for discussions on the very nature of family and parentage. It prompts viewers to contemplate questions about what constitutes a family, the meaning of parenthood, and the role societal norms play in defining acceptable familial structures. The adoptees and adopters challenge these norms as they weave their unique version of family, demonstrative of the increasing fluidity and redefinition of family in modern times.

While Adults Adopting Adults sheds light on a seldom-seen side of adoption, it also provides a platform for exploring broader themes of human relationships and the diverse ways in which people seek and form connections in contemporary society. The show's portrayal of adult adoption presents it as an unorthodox yet meaningful pathway to family creation, one that can be fraught with complications, but also filled with the potential for warmth, growth, and deep personal fulfillment.