Despite all the best intentions going into an open adoption, the birth mom often withdraws with the hope of a reunion later in life. Jill Croteau has part three of her Forever Families series.

In Part II of Forever Families, Jill Croteau profiles the family of a Calgary resident whose four children—including a set of twins—are at the heart of an open adoption journey.

A growing number of people are embracing the concept of open adoptions—in which the birth parent stays involved in the child’s life, even as he or she is raised by adoptive parents.