Complicated Love: Supporting the Children in Your Home on Mother’s Day
May 6, 2026
Being adopted or part of the foster care system on holidays like Birth Mother’s Day (on Saturday May 9th), and the traditional Mother’s Day (on Sunday, May 10th), might feel especially complicated for the young people in your home. If you also have biological children, that likely adds to the complexity for your family. If yours is a household with two dads, non-binary parents or other relative caregivers, these experiences add greater nuance to the experience of holidays like these.
We hope that the articles and video below will help you consider how to best support everyone in your home as these holidays approach.
An Adult Adoptee Shares What She Does on Birth Mother’s Day (article)
Ways to Manage Mother’s Day (article)
Including and Supporting LGBTQ Families on Mother’s Day (article)
A Kinship Caregiver Shares Thoughts on Mother’s Day (article)
- Caregiver Training & Resources – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Podcast Library – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Trauma Informed Practice/Parenting – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- Adoption – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- RPC + – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- VT-CWTP Publications, Annual Reports, and Newsletters – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
- On-Line Learning – Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
The point about non-binary parents and two-dad households adding nuance is so often overlooked—thank you for including that. A close friend raises her niece and nephew, and the lead-up to Mother’s Day always stirs up questions about what to call her versus their birth mom. Resources like those linked here can make all the difference in helping families navigate that tender space.
The point about how households with two dads or non-binary parents add another layer of nuance really resonates—it’s a reminder that Mother’s Day can feel exclusionary even when intentions are good. My own cousin grew up with two moms and always felt torn about which parent to celebrate. Acknowledging that complexity ahead of time makes a huge difference for kids.
The acknowledgment of how holidays like Mother’s Day can feel layered for kids in foster care or adopted families really resonates. Growing up with a blended family, those dates always required extra care and communication to honor everyone’s place. It’s good to see
The mention of how two-dad or non-binary families add nuance really stood out. As someone raised by two moms, holidays