Following your choice of which type of adoption to go with, you will need to decide on how many children you will adopt. Countless people choose to adopt, regardless, if you are deciding to adopt 1 child or 10 children you have made an enormous decision. Offering a family to a child that feels like he/she belong nowhere is life altering. As seen with Staci and Eric Dennis of Virginia who decided they would try to ensure that at least one person did not go through life without a family. After going to classes, then getting certified they adopted Kylie, according to Staci, the changes in Kylie after the adoption was like watching a butterfly come out of the cocoon in fast motion (Dennis). According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) as of September 30, 2015 there were 427,910 children in the foster care system just in the United States. While 243,060 left the system in 2015, another 269,509 entered the system during the same year. Although, these numbers change daily, there is no shortage of children waiting for a family; as of September 30, 2015, there were 111,820 children waiting to be adopted in the US. Some of these children have been separated from their parents, but are still with their siblings. If you have the option combined with the means to adopt siblings it can help your children’s adjustment to their new home. Siblings often have strong connections, even those that are not close in age. According to Lynne and Santiago Class who
The majority of the children awaiting adoption are not simply sitting in institutions with little human contact and no sense of family. Most children waiting to be adopted are in foster care. Foster care provides temporary placement in a family setting. "Over 500,000 children in the U.S. currently reside in some form of foster care" (Foster). This is not to say that there are over 500,000 children waiting for adoptive parents. Actually, the number needing to be adopted ends up being much lower. "Two out of three children who enter foster care are reunited with their birth parents within two years. A significant number, however, can spend long periods of time in care awaiting adoption or other permanent arrangement" (Foster).
Every child needs a loving family, a house to live in, and a good education, right? According to Whittaker and Finley, a child can only receive these things by foreign adoption. Whittaker and Finley also believe that foreign adoption allows families to have children, and offers children more comfortable homes than they could have in their native nations. Also claimed by the two authors is that the Hague Convention has eliminated most illegal and unethical adoptions. I do not agree with the authors because children in the U.S. need the same resources such as a loving family, a house to live in, and a good education just as much as foreign children do. Also, I believe children can not be more comfortable in the U.S. than what their native nation
Preserving and maintaining sibling ties and relationships has been an ongoing problem in the foster care system. Hegar (2005) states that “since the decades when orphans trains carried children westward, placement of siblings has been a child welfare issue” (p.719). Studies have noted the inadequate number of siblings in foster care being placed together date back as far as 1921 (Theis and Goodrich, 1921). Research and legislative efforts to address the problem of separation of siblings in foster care have intensified (Hegar, 1988). The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 has been instrumental in increasing legislation, specifically addressing the issue of sibling placements at the state level (Heger, 2005).
In “Races isn’t what defines me: exploring identities choices in transracial, biracial, and monoracial families”, Butler-Sweet, Colleen explains that there has been a controversial issue in the United Sates for more than half a century, among black children raised in white homes. The author’s main claim is that transracial adoption will miscarry a black identity. Comparing experiences among monoracial, biracial, and transracial families on black identity.
According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting system, in 2011 there were 104, 236 children waiting to be adopted in the United States (p. 4). Adoption is the legal process an individual or family goes through to gain legal custody of a child in foster care. This child’s parents have lost custody of their child because they have been deemed unfit to raise the child, either because of neglect or abuse. After the child is removed from the horrible situation, he or she is taken by child services and placed in a foster home or with a family member. This system is in place to protect children from further abuse, neglect and trauma. Today, children in foster care are in the system for a very short period of time; there is a
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 considering adoption, couples need to be aware of what happens to children when they are taken out of foster homes, or homes with unfit parents. Couples are improving the child 's life, and even possibly saving their life. There are many effects of adoption on children to consider when thinking of adoption. It is a phenomenal experience when couples have the opportunity to do this for children, but couples need to know all the information before deciding on adoption.
My Aunt Tammy is a foster parent. She has fostered over 10 plus kids and I remember 3 of their names Tony, Anthony, and Cody Jackson. Tony and his brother Anthony were good kids it was just that they’re dad didn’t want them in the divorce and the mom couldn’t afford to pay for them anymore, But that time I heard Tony wouldn’t want to leave his brother so he told each and every person that was gonna adopt him, he told them that he’s not gonna leave his brother. As far as the foster care system is concerned, there is both good and bad things about it. I mean it’s a good thing that other parents are willing to help a kids and give them a second chance.
With so many more children coming into the system, there is, of course, a shortage of available foster placements for children. This has impacted whether siblings can be placed together as well. It is difficult to find even a single placement in some cases, but next to impossible to place multiple children
Based on statistics gathered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau, approximately 46,000 children found homes through the foster care system last year alone (Cumpston, 8b). It is hard to imagine that there is this unbelievable number of children adopted in just one year, and the process is still different for every family who goes through it. Only after much research, can one conclude that while handling an adoption, a process known as open adoption is the most beneficial for everyone alike.
“In 2001, there were 1.5 million adopted children in the United States, representing 2.5 percent of all U.S. children (“Pbs.org”). Parents and prospective parents who are considering adoption, there are many different types of adoptions. In open adoptions is where the birth parents are still involved in the child’s life. A closed adoption is where no information is shared between the adoptive family and the birth parents (“National Adoption Center”). Single parent adoption is the same as open and closed adoption with the exception of single parent as either a man or woman. People who are considering adoption because there are different types of adoptions including open adoptions, closed adoptions, and single spouse adoption.
The main aim of the paper is to compare the advantages of sibling adoption in foster care homes over adopting single children and splitting siblings for home based adoption.
When the average American citizen today thinks about the concept of adoption, what images are typically the first that come to mind? Although different people are sure to have equally as different experiences in this field, one picture continues to remain the most commonly-accepted. This image consists of a man and a woman who cannot have children of their own, a newborn baby, and a single mother who will certainly be unable to provide for the infant due to her young age, lack of financial support, or another variety of unfortunate circumstances. Making the decision to adopt a child is without a doubt one of the best options available for couples who are unable to conceive, but by thinking of adoption as nothing more than the fallback
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.
Since 1776, the United States of America has had a growing problem with orphans and childhood adoption. Orphanages become overpopulated while foster homes shelter up to 3 children on average. The foster care system has been viewed as positive reinforcement for American homes; yet the point of fostering children is consistently overlooked. Adoption is necessary for orphans, foster children, or children in abusive homes. The act of adopting a child comes with positive benefits and fiscal responsibility, such as government assistance and wiser spending. Children obtain a healthy childhood with a familiar sense of belonging. The drawback of this is the long governmental process of petitioning for adoption. Seeking the birthparents, if they are alive, retrieving consent, being fiscally responsible, and having a safe environment for the child to grow up in are all responsibilities to look forward to when adopting a child. The adoption rate in the United States of America needs to increase dramatically, as there are social benefits, mental health improvements, and economical advantages for families who adopt.