It's Time for Open Adoption Essay

The adoption process strives to serve the best interests of children should be the main focus in deciding all issues of adoption policies and practices. The adoption policy should always focus on finding the best parents for children who are in need of homes. This process helps someone join another’s family and should not be a defining characteristic or lifelong process. People who are adopted as infants grow up as healthy and productive as people who are raised in their own biological families. In November of each year, the President of the United States issues a proclamation to announce National Adoption Month. This is a time that is dedicated to raising awareness for the need of adoptive families and to encourage citizens to become involved in the lives of children and youth that are in the foster care system.

4). In the scope of adoption, it is evident that child welfare agencies use the majority of their available resources for placing children in foster families, investigating child-abuse cases, and providing other family services. “As a consequence, they do not possess adequate additional resources for efficiently placing children in adoptive homes once they are available for adoption, depriving many children of the benefits a stable, permanent home provides” (Snell, 2000, p. 2). The current government operated child welfare system is detrimental to the children involved due to its inability to ensure their safety and

When a couple cannot conceive children naturally, they may look to adoption to start a family. In the past, adoption was shrouded in mystery. Closed adoptions were the norm, and many children grew up not knowing they were adopted. Recently though, open adoptions have gained popularity. Adoptive families and birth families maintain contact in any way that they feel comfortable. I feel open adoption is a better choice than closed adoption because children may have the opportunity to meet their birth parents, the transition is easier for the birth family, and the benefits outweigh possible complications.

“I want to be like my adoptive mother, but my birth mother says I’m like her. I don’t know what to do or who I am. My whole life is messed up. It’s not my fault. It can’t be fixed,” said a girl adopted into an open adoption (Byrd). An open adoption is a process in which the birth parents and the adoptive parents know each other and are involved in the adopted child’s life. A closed adoption is when there is no contact at all and no identifying information is given between birth and adoptive parents (Byrd). While both are common to today’s society, closed adoptions allow opportunities for the adoptive parents to raise their kids without the interference of birth parents (Bender).

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Adoption defines adoption as the transfer of parental rights and obligations from one family to another. The adoptive parents assume all responsibilities of raising the child legally and financially, therefore severing all ties to the biological parents. The difference between a closed adoption and open adoption is when birthparents and the adoptive parents know nothing of each other. Records are usually sealed until the child becomes of age and chooses to open them. An open adoption is when the birthparents and the adoptive parents meet each other and come to a legal agreement concerning the exchange of pictures and letters and sometime visitation is allowed. This is where the conflict comes into play.

If you are considering going through the process of adopting a child, you need to decide if you would like to have an open adoption. Open adoptions have become increasingly popular in recent years. Here are two ways an open adoption can give your child a better sense of themselves.

One of the most common (and arguably the biggest) adoption questions that everyone asks is whether they should have an open adoption or a closed adoption? For many, the discussion must begin with definitions.

There are many decisions, issues, and solutions that come along with the adoption process. It can be a very stressful and time consuming process and experience. The decision to adopt in itself is a very difficult decision, but along with it comes many other tough decisions. The adopting family must decide between open or closed adoption, the age of the child they wish to bring into the home, and the race of the child. Also, the adopting family must consider the social and emotional impact adoption can have on the future adoptee. Each of these variables come with pros and cons and should be considered before making this life altering decision.

The necessity of adoption in the world is astounding. Currently, there is an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide (Wingert, vol.151). As of 2007, there were 513,000 children living in foster care within the United States alone (Rousseau 21:14). International adoption in the United States was jumpstarted post World War II as a way of helping those children who were left homeless, after war had taken their parents. Although there are thousands of healthy children awaiting adoption in the United States, several American couples still turn to foreign adoption when seeking potential children. Americans often fail to realize the need for intervention within their own country and their duty to take care of domestic affairs before venturing to

When a couple or individual decides to adopt a child, they know they are going to take on the responsibility of taking care of someone else’s child. Due to the biological parent(s) who can’t take care of that child anymore, because of either drug abuse, alcohol abuse, abuse to the child or if the parent(s) had died and there is no other care for the child. So that’s why this gives other couples who cannot have kids, the opportunity to promise themselves to be a great parent to a child in need. Though there are some bad things about adoption as well. Like adopting a child from another country of another race, because once that child is adopted into an American family, he or she will be cut off from their culture and never know about their

     Adoption is metamorphosing into a radical new process that is both sweeping the nation and changing it. But this process is not an easy one, there are many steps to go through. Through research it is made a lot easier. Adoption is a also a highly visible example of a social institution that has benefits from and been reshaped by both the Internet and the exponential growth of alternative lifestyles, from single to transracial to gay. It is accelerating our transformation into a more multicultural society; even as it helps redefine out understanding of “family.” The process includes three main steps including a type of adoption, the techniques for location a baby for adoption, arranging

Secondly, birth parent’s intense stress can continue into later years like on the child’s birthday and while they think of what type of person their son or daughter might have become under their care. For example, an adoptee might study and learn to play instruments very well with the adoptive parents, but if the child would have grown – up with his/her birth parents. They might would have been a great artist, but since this was not the case. The child may not develop those skills as the birth parents would have hoped. Through all this loss and guilt, the relationship among both parents may fall apart because of how each one feels about the adoption and their parent’s lack of support will distance them all even farther from one another. A major case is when the birth mother may have to leave her home and family due to pregnancy, which would degrade her educational and work status in the community. (Information Gateway) The birth parents have to encounter much hardship and denial to of most of an adoption plan, but more current issues, such as their shame, identity, and long- term issues effect them as well.

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.

Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead.

After this paper do you think adoption should be encouraged? This is a good question because we need to know that adoption is a good thing, and a blessing to a child’s life. My three main points are what is the problem with this issue, how has this problem been created, and the solution to solve this problem. I hope after this paper that you learned that adoption is a good thing and it needs to be encouraged to family’s. Adoption can save a child’s life and give them hope for the