Ward of the State

Abort the Adoption is a raw and groundbreaking continuation of Karlos Dillard's journey, picking up where Ward of the State: A Memoir of Foster Care left off. After finding a rare sense of safety and belonging, Karlos' life takes a dramatic turn as he enters an adoptive home filled with abuse and racial violence. As an openly gay Black boy, Karlos faced the compounded challenges of being a Black, LGBTQIA+ youth in an environment that offered no understanding or support. In school, he endured relentless bullying and racism, deepening the isolation and identity struggles that many LGBTQIA+ foster youth and transracial adoptees face. This memoir goes beyond traditional storytelling by creating an immersive, interactive experience that allows readers to step into the emotional depth of each chapter. Abort the Adoption unveils the harsh realities within a system that imposes lifelong agreements on children without their choice or informed consent. Through traumatic experiences with practices like Rebirthing Therapy and the Troubled Teen Institutions, Karlos sheds light on the dangers of interventions that prioritize control over child-centered care. This book offers a raw, interactive look at the adoption industry's failures and the urgent need for compassion, reform, and support for adoptees, especially those from marginalized communities. Karlos' story is a call to action, urging society to elevate the voices of adoptees in the pursuit of a more understanding and supportive system. Some of the names in this book have been changed in order to maintain the dignity and privacy of others. This book depicts language that was developed from an adolescent's viewpoint, the tone and vocabulary reflect that. This book is based on Karlos' ages 8 to 15