How to Show Adoption and Foster Care in a Genogram
Adoption and foster care have dedicated notation because both the legal family and (where known) the biological family can matter — a genogram can hold both at once.
The notation
Adopted child
The parent-child line to adoptive parents is conventionally drawn dashed, or as a double line, often labeled with the adoption date. If the biological parents are known and relevant, they can be drawn with a solid biological line, letting the genogram show both origins.
Foster child
Foster placements use a dashed parent-child line to the foster parents, understood as potentially temporary. Multiple placements can be shown side by side with dates.
Why it matters
In child-welfare and clinical work, seeing biological ties and caregiving ties simultaneously is the point of the genogram — neither erases the other.
How to draw it in GenogramAI
- 1Click any parent-child line to change its connection type
- 2Choose Adopted or Foster (Surrogate and Donor types are also available)
- 3The line style updates to standard notation and the type appears in the genogram key automatically
"Lucas was adopted by the Millers in 2019; his birth mother is Sarah."
Frequently asked questions
What is the genogram symbol for an adopted child?
There is no special person-symbol — the child keeps their square or circle. The adoption is shown on the parent-child line: dashed or doubled, often with the adoption date.
Can a genogram show both biological and adoptive parents?
Yes — that’s a genogram’s strength. Draw a solid biological line to birth parents (when known) and an adoption-typed line to the adoptive parents.
How do I show a foster placement that ended?
Keep the dashed foster line and add the placement dates to it. Multiple past placements can be shown with separate dated lines.
Draw it correctly, automatically
GenogramAI renders standard notation for you — describe your family and the symbols come out right.
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