She should have brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a pretty smile. Or do I want a little boy, so I can raise him to be a football quarterback. Do I want to be buying pink princess costumes or scary monster costumes? Am I even ready to care for another person? People question themselves while deciding whether or not adoption is the right choice for them. Not all hopeful, soon-to-be parents pass the first set of qualifications. Every adoption’s goal is to bring a son or daughter into a new family. However, each type also has different processes and qualifications. In addition to the qualifications, the government has established legislation to safeguard the adoption process. As adoption rates grow, so do the controversies surrounding adoption. Adoption is a long, strenuous process that has continuously changing throughout the years.
All adoptive parents must undergo the adoption process. This process could take months or years and includes lots of paperwork and may even be considered a test of commitment (Bernstein and Bernstein par. 2). Although there are no formal laws stating what kind of person can adopt, adoption agencies establish rules and guidelines for adoptive parents. These rules differ from agency to agency and range from marital status to criminal records. Agencies gather information that will guarantee a “safe and stable environment, with loving and supportive parents” (“Review of Qualification …” 2). Agencies try to warrant compatibility and compassion for each child they place with adoptive parent. Rules and guidelines are not limited to agencies; birthparents and the state can also enforce their own rules. Exceptions to rules are common; however, many adoptive parents do not meet all the qualificati...
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...e numbers still climb rapidly.
Society currently views making a family that isn’t biological in nature controversial. Nonetheless, individual families hold the right to decide the makeup of their family. If each family focuses on the true nature of a family, unconditional love, we, as a society, will adopt and carry on the term of a family. With choice, people have the freedom to make their families, either biologically or by adoption. Jessica hit the nail on the head when she states “[she was] glad [she] made that phone call when [she] did because now [she knows her] son will have the life [she has] always wanted for him” (par. 5). Adoptive parents are a source of that unconditional love that children need for survival. An orphanage creates hostile views on mothers and families. Children waiting to be adopted often feel left out or even rejected.
In my research, during the adoption process, it can take anywhere from three to six months and generally includes a personal history, health statements, a criminal background check, an income statement, personal references, and numerous interviews. Reasons for this is because the org...
Many potential adopted parents have experienced heartbreak, anguish and other problems that can be associated with adoption. There is an imbalance in the Nations foster care system and the system needs to be strengthening and the quality of services improved.
When I heard the clicks of heels in the hallway, I sat up attentively on the waiting couch. A pleasant looking woman came to greet me. She was in her mid fifties and introduced herself as Celeste Drury. She worked with the children home society, an adoption agency that is located in Oakland. I found Celeste through a family friend. The family friend knew my interest in learning about adoption and the criteria used for adoption processes. I was excited to meet Celeste and to learn about what she did. Settling in my chair, Celeste slightly cheered me. Celeste orphanage was licensed under the adoption agencies act. It has been in existence for many years. Children home society is in charge of providing adoption services in the entire state of California. I asked Celeste of its role and she said that it “helps parents to make informed decisions about their children, and also give tips on the adoptive parents” (Drury).
What is adoption? “Adoption establishes a legally recognized, lifelong relationship between a parent and child. The adoptive parent becomes legally and morally responsible for the child's safety, education, health care, value development, development of life skills, as well as the day-to-day care of that child.(Society, 2014)” Adoption is not only maintaining a child, but it is maintaining the responsibility to love and take care of a human being.
Adoption is a process where by a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the biological parent or parents. Unlike guardianship or other systems designed for the care of the young, adoption is intended to effect a permanent change in status and as such requires societal recognition, either through legal or religious sanction. Adoption has changed considerably over the centuries with its focus shifting from adult adoption and inheritance issues toward children and family creation; its structure moving from recognition of continuity between the adopted and kin toward allowing relationships of lessened intensity. In modern times, adoption is a primary vehicle serving the needs of homeless, neglected, abused and runaway children (Wikipedia, “Adoption”).
Adoption is in place to balance, to nurture and create a structural environment of safety in which the child can thrive and develop into a productive individual contributing to society. Also, it allows older children to abandon old maladaptive behaviors and make their first steps toward the construction of new behaviors influenced by their new environment. In years past, parents who adopted a child as an infant often debated whether to tell him or her about the adoption. Many children grew up not knowing they were adopted, and the birth mother’s identity was kept secret from those who did know (Ashford, LeCroy and Lortie 249). This paper provides facts on widely acceptance option of open adoption rather than the traditional practice of closed adoption. Adoption separates real biological family members, removing the adopter heritage whether the adoption is open or closed. Open adoption can lead to problems, but there are proven facts that open adoption is the best option for all parties working together in the best interest of the children.
The topic of child welfare is quite a broad one. There are numerous programs and policies that have been put in place to protect children. One of these policies is that of Adoption. Adoption was put into place to provide alternate care for children who cannot live with their biological families for various reasons. One of the more controversial issues surrounding adoption is that of Transracial adoption. Transracial Adoption is the joining of racially different parents and children (Silverman, 1993).
The adoption process can be a long, emotional, and expensive process. It is a continuous progression of gathering knowledge and education about the choices available. These hurdles take much time to pursue and a serious commitment. Overall, adoption is an
According to American academy and adolescent psychiatry, about 120,000 children are adopted in the United States alone. That is a lot of children that need to find a new home to stay in. Not only do adoptions affect the child after they are adopted, no matter the age; but adoption also affects the parents giving their child up for adoption. There are many types of adoptions. Along with that, there are many reasons for giving the child up for adoption. There are three main perspectives that I will be talking about. One function would be the structural functionalism. How society cooperates. The second would be the conflict perspective. The third would be symbolic interactionism approach. There are many different aspects of adoption, making it
Adoption is the complete and permanent transfer of parental rights and obligations, usually from one set of legal parents to adoptive parents(Ademec 27). Not until the late 19th century did the U.S. legislative body grant legal status to adoptive parents. This is when children and parents started to gain rights and support from the government. Through the years new laws have been passed and amended to keep the system fair to all adoptive parents. In 1994, Congress passed the Multiethnic Placement Act, making it illegal to delay the placement a child to find a racially matching family. In 1996 the Multiethnic Placement Act was amended to say, “One can not use race as a routine consideration in child placement”(Lewin sec.A). Before 1994, it was difficult to place a black child with white adopters. Last year 5,000 children were adopted from Europe, and 6,000 from Asia, while 183 came from Africa.(Lewin sec. A). The number of out-of-country adoptions are so high because of the requirements and regulations one must follow in the U.S. The requirements include being 21, and include being committed and loving. The home income must be adequate enough to support the family. Passing all of the medical exams and filling out the personal information is mandatory. But the main reason people adopt from overseas is because it is much quicker. A person can adopt a child from another country in a matter of months. In the U.S. the wait can exceed 5 years, which is why some people choose international adoption.
There are now different types of adoptions such as going through an agency adoption, independent adoptions, step parent adoptions, international adoption, and lastly an open agency adoption. Many individuals face these particular adoptions today. Adoptions however affect adoptive parents, biological parent, and over all family. An adoption can affect an adopter by yearning to build that family but on the other hand still being terrified that something can possibly go wrong. Also an adoption affects a biological parent the most because there whole life is affected by this choice but sometimes a mother or father will do it for the better of the child. A biological parent will ponder to a whole bunch of unanswered questions about the child’s life with the adoptive family such as being care and nurtured by the new family? Or maybe even wonder if the new family will tell their child they’re adopted. Adoptions affect a biological parent by grief because they know its not a conversation to touch upon with anyone, they can encounter unresolved grief where it can affect the mothers feelings of happiness and worthelessness because they put there child up for adoption. This can escalate a biological parent to become angry at their parents or even the
Many people grow up in loving families and cannot imagine not having their parents and siblings around, but each year, 18,000 or more American born babies are put up for adoption (Newlin Carney). That means at least 18,000 children face the harsh truth of maybe not having a family to grow up in. Childhood is a very important part of one’s life and helps shape who one is. These children that are eligible to be adopted just need loving parents, good homes, and stability. And who is to say the high price of adopting is not ho...
Let U.S. Families Living Abroad Adopt through the U.S. Foster Care System Advocacy Plan Since 2004, there has been an 80% decline of intercountry adoptions in the United States (National Council for Adoption, 2018). The quantity of families desiring to adopt has not gone done, however the cost to complete a domestic or intercountry adoption continues to rise and can range on average from $25,000-$50,000. In just the first quarter of 2018, our organization American Adoption Professionals Abroad, Inc. were contacted by over 70 U.S. families wanting to adopt while living abroad. A majority of them would use the U.S. foster care system if it were an option.
Or what about a situation where a child you closely know is in need of a loving family? Maybe you were adopted, or your life has been deeply touched by adoption. Wouldn 't you want to benefit others lives in the same way? Now of course there are numerous hardships and dangers of adoption as well. The process of adoption can take anywhere from quite a few months to several years. You must connect with adoption agencies, complete home studies, submit important documents, and fill out possibly endless amounts of paperwork. The financial implications can also be quite large for the different required services to become an adoptive family. Also, when adopting, you don 't always know what you are getting yourself into. What health or behavioral issues will my new child have? Will they be strong and healthy? Or was their birth mother irresponsible during pregnancy causing developmental issues? All these aspects from how to adopt, why to adopt, and hardships of adoption will factor into ones decision to adopt and pursuing that decision, or
The practice of adoption began over 4,000 years ago. All adoptions are arranged in 3 ways private, independent, and closed. Private adoptions are adoptions where you can place your child with anybody you choose with the courts approval. Independent adoptions are adoptions where a child’s placement is put arranged by a lawyer or doctor, in some cases the adoptive parents put in the expenses of the pregnancy and deliver of the couple their getting the child from. There are also black market groups that will illegally adopt your baby (with the birth mother’s permission) in some cases you will have nothing to do with your birth if and when the baby is handed over to the adopted parents. Closed adoption is where there is no information about either families, the birth parents or the adoptive parents, after the adopti...