Adoption

In our nation, there are over 500,000 children in foster care according to ("Foster Care"); which means there are 500,000 children in our nation growing up without a secure family. Three of my aunts are foster moms who are fostering to adopt; all 6 of my future cousins have been in foster care for over two years. Four out of the six children's biological parents have already lost their parental rights and their children are waiting to finally be adopted. Out of the 500,000 foster kids, how many children are waiting on the state so they can be adopted, and what can we do to fix the system and give these kids the loving childhood they deserve?

A question asked by few, but the answer known by millions. The definition of the Foster System is “a temporary arrangement in which adult/s provide for the care of a child or children whose birth parents are unable to provide care for them” (Center). The adoption system is more or less the same, except adoption is a permanent placement of children with an adult/s that is not their birth parent/s (Center). Foster care can be informal or arranged through the courts or a social service agency. Usually, the overall goal is to get the children back to their birth parents, but that may change if there were another option that would be better for the child (Center). An example of the courts trying to get a child back to their parent would be with the story A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. This story is an autobiography of Dave’s life dealing with an abusive mother for years, and it continues with a sequel that goes to show how the courts almost put Dave back into the care of his mother, but then he testified and went through living in the foster system until 18. Once the option of going back to the birth parent is out of the question, adoption is the next step. A story that shows this would be Tricia Spellmon’s story. She was put into the Foster System as soon as she was born, and was moved to different homes until the age of 2. After being at that home for two years the foster parents decided to adopt her, and at the age of 4 she became a part of a better family (Spellmon). This type of adoption is called a foster adoption, which means that a child is placed into a foster home with the expectation that the foster parents are going to adopt them (Center). The other type of adoption is when the foster parents will not adopt them, but since they are in the foster system the birth parents rights have been terminated, so children are legally free for adoption (Center). In the end, the adoption system is just a branch of the foster system, and

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.

Children roam around in schools, at work, on the playground, in the malls, and anywhere else a child would like to be. Young children are often accompanied by an adult, of which one would assume to be their parents or primary caregivers.In 2007 forty-eight million americans had considered adoption. Foster care has a goal, it is to help children in need be safe for the time being and try to reunited these children with their biological parents. Believe it or not foster care and adoption is more common than not. Many myths go around making children dread the system when in all reality the system is a support system there to help those children in need. Once the child is in a placement with a foster family, their ultimate goal is to provide the child in a safe, loving, nurturing environment until then can be reunified with their parents. These children get use to their foster family, some even grow rather fond of them and are attached, is it right to take away the only family they have ever really truly known? This can cause emotional arousal and distress on the child and the foster family.

Whether the child is a biological child or a foster child, both deserve to always have stability, support and a loving place to call home, even if it is temporarily. Most biological children have all of these benefits since they reside with the birth parents. The biological parents will always stand by their children and take care of them. Birth parents will always provide a roof over their child’s head, love them with all their hearts and support them in any and all decisions the child may make growing up, while showing them right and wrong decisions. The child may not always make the best decisions, but the parents stay hopeful and stand by them every step of the way. All of those things sound great; however, with a foster child they were not provided the same love and care and were removed from their birth parents. Even though they are no longer with their birth parents, it is the foster parents’ job to love, care, cherish and support the child in the decisions he or she will make, but also guide them down the right path and show them what a loving family is made of. Even if you only have the child for a few months, you have the ability to teach the child lifelong lessons and set positive examples for how healthy families should function, which the child may not have been taught by his or her birth parents. As you see the foster child grow and learn what a loving family is and just see the smile on the child’s face, knowing that they are now loved and cared for is

Are you ready to adopt? It’s a journey that may seem overwhelming to those unacquainted with the process. For many, it is important to take time to understand what goes into being an adoptive parent. Make sure to resolve any infertility issues. Grieve any losses you may have, as these feelings will often resurface after adoption. Consider the timing and your family’s needs.

Approximately five million Americans alive today are adoptees. Having the opportunity to adopt has given many families the chance to have a family on their own that they may not have been able to have before. Although it benefits the parents who are adopting it also helps the birth mother tremendously. There are several ways to adopt. Parents who want to adopt should choose the best option for them while birth mothers should be more educated so they can be sure to make the best decision for herself and her child.

Deciding to give your child up for adoption is an incredibly difficult process, one that is traumatic for both mother and child. However, the following stories illustrate that adoption often works out for the best and that you may even have the chance to meet your child again down the road.

Still another reason why fewer children are available for adoption is the legalization of abortion. While these are not all necessarily negative reasons, they still are a discouragement to families desiring a child. Because there are so few children placed for adoption, the current waiting list is seven years or more (Fulton 2). International adoptions, however, can take as little as four months (Jeffreys 9), and at most one year (Fulton 2). Also, the adoption process itself is much simpler when dealing internationally. There are fewer restrictive eligibility requirements consisting of a home study by a social worker, police records clearing the perspective parents of past wrong-doing, financial statements, a marriage certificate, proof of citizenship, medical histories, and reference letters (Fulton 3). The applicants may work through specific orphanages, adoption agencies, or their personal attorney. International laws state that agencies must be non-profit organizations/and may not operate on the basis of region or creed (Hibbs 211). This extends the possibility of adoption to a greater economical and sociological group.

One would assume that private agencies would not make the potential parents wait longer than nine months for a child to be placed in their arms, the same way that birth parents only have to wait nine months for their child. The truth is most families end up waiting years to adopt. If parents are working with ethical agencies there should not have to wait any longer than a year to adopt, with a shorter wait for mixed-race infants (Byette). The problem is that potential parents, as well as the general public are lead to believe that there is a shortage of babies available for adoption (Byette). According to Samantha Smith, private agencies play into this perception, and charge “fees” to potential parents, guaranteeing they will be able to adopt in a certain amount of time, in her case six to nine months was the guarantee (Smith Interview). With so many private agencies handling open adoptions were the birth mother chooses the potential parents of her child, single-parent adopters, and those in same sex relationships or marriages, tend to have to wait even longer. Birth mothers may feel like a single parent is not adequate enough to raise their child, or they may have morality issues with homosexuality. (Breneiser, Cave, Whatley). In addition,

Although some people argue that people should not be able to adopt international because of money. Despite this idea, That reason is absolutely not valid because people can always get a loan and if the adoption caretakers only care about money, then they don’t need to sell children. For example, article “Overseas Orphans.” claims that children who get adopted learn love. “Providing a loving and safe environment.” (Green,, n.p.) In other words love from a family is greater than a lot of things. Additionally, according to article “The Evangelical Orphan Boom.” claims that children who get adopted are cared for. Adoption also embodied a more holistic "pro-life" message -- caring for children outside the womb as well as within. (The Evangelical Orphan Boom,, n.p.) Basically adoption is spectacular for a caring home. Lastly, according to “Acting Out the Role of Single Mom.” claims that adoption is great for cultural. “Wanted to bring people into our lives and thought we needed a cultural medium to accomplish that.” ( Hyung-sook,, n.p.) What this means is parents want to bring children into their culture. Therefore, It is clear to see, It is very important to have a family because of love, care, and culture in a

Open adoption actively involves the three affected parties ¨C birthparents, child, and adoptive parents. The adoptive parents want a child of their own to care for and to love as their own but on the other hand the birthparents are feeling guilt and sadness at the loss of their child and might want to see their child on a regular basis. There are a lot of things to consider during the process of adoption.

In conclusion, adopting is absolutely something to consider. The most important thing to remember is that every child needs a safe and loving home. Any family who believes that they can provide security, love and safety to a child in need should consider taking this role. It is an unforgettable, life changing experience not only for the parent but for the child as well. Parents have the opportunity to provide that child a normal life which would otherwise be missing. Some researchers say that adopted children who were once in a foster care tend to misbehave or act a certain way in order to create a feeling of rejection, anger, pain and abandonment in their parents. This testing behavior may actually indicate that the child feels comfortable enough with the parent to communicate his or her own true feelings. (Welf Info Gateway 2012). This is a positive reaction which only solidifies the strong bond that parents will be able to attain with the new member of the family. The benefits of adopting are endless, and will only gain love in a child’s heart. Parents will absolutely bring tremendous joy to that child’s life. One thing is true, and this is that no one will ever know unless they experience this.

Adoption is a lengthy process of legally accepting responsibilities of a non-biological child. While adoption is usually governed by laws that vary from state to state, but there are also federal regulations. These federal laws are set in place to provide clarity on who can and cannot adopt, parental rights, consent, the best interest of the adoptees, and the confidentiality of the adoption. Preceding the adoption process, applicants of every state must undergo an extensive background check, mental health analysis, an examination of the household’s members, and the finances of the applicant. About 51,000 American children are for adoption each year, according to pregnantpause.com. This high rate subsequently leads to system slipups- criminals and rather undesirable, unfit parents adopt

According to Merriam-Webster, adoption can be defined as "the act or process of adopting a child; the act or process of giving official acceptance or approval to something". Additionally, the definition for adopting is "to take by choice into a relationship, especially, to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one 's own child; to sponsor the care and maintenance of " (Merriam-Webster). Portions of these definitions may be included in describing the doctrine of adoption. Yet, considering