Wikipedia:WikiProject Adoption, fostering, orphan care and displacement/Language suggestions
On the topics of adoption, foster care, and relinquishment the words we use often generate messy mine-fields. In recent years, adoption language has become polarized. Two camps – Positive Adoption Language and Honest Adoption Language – each define lists of unacceptable terms and promote others they favor. Sadly, for Wikipedia editors, these words have been chosen to support specific and very different points of view, so when these words are used, editors face complaints of bias; edit wars can erupt quickly. In an attempt help avoid unconstructive battles, we can look at the terms considered unacceptable by both Positive Adoption Language and Honest Adoption Language and construct more neutral phrases. The table below shows the major phrases considered unacceptable by both camps and suggests way to get around them.
| Phrases Editors May Wish to Avoid | Suggested Alternative(s) |
|---|---|
| Adopted Child | Adoptee or Adopted person |
|
Drop the descriptors, try saying, “adopted” |
|
Best to drop the adjective and find a way of using the word parent or child clearly, e.g. instead of "natural parent" you could write the "parent the child was born to," or even "parent," making the context clear. If all else fails, try “original parent;" this phrase is not usually opposed by anyone. |