Single Parent Adoption

Making decisions about the future for a child in foster care can be difficult and controversial. "Options include: returning the child to his/her birth parents; termination of parental rights (a formal legal procedure) to be followed, hopefully, by adoption; or long-term care with foster parents or relatives. Most states encourage efforts to provide the birth parents with support and needed services (e.g. mental health or drug/alcohol treatment, parent skills, training

504). The heterosexual adoptive mothers struggle most with accepting the birth mother as family during the beginning when they are claiming their “identity” as “mother” (Goldberg, 2001, p. 504). Some problems that could come during an open adoption with the adoptive mother are the feeling that they are competing with the birth mother, they tend to be less satisfied with their control level on the birth parents involvement, but they also tend to be the parent responsible for maintaining the contact with birth parents (Goldberg, 2001, p. 505). However, gay parents tend to have a good relationship with the birth

Younger children usually have an easier time adjusting to a gay and lesbian parented home. They haven’t learned the social biases against gays and lesbians yet.” (Nighlad).

In 1972 the National Association of the Black Social Workers opposed adoptions of another race. This issue expanded efforts among adoption practitioners and policymakers to bring about more same-race adoptions. Then, in the 1980s, efforts increased by transracial adoption advocates to remove race and ethnicity as considerations. Results of experiential studies have varied and are often surrounded by limitations.

Before the 1970’s adoption between race was not popular. Then suddenly there was a shortage of Caucasian babies and parents trying to adopt had to look elsewhere. Many factors took place for the shortage to happen including the legalization of abortion in 1973, the increased use of contraceptives, and the changing social attitudes that led more unmarried white women to keep their children rather than give them up for adoption (“Adoption”). In 1994 Congress passed the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA), prohibiting any federally assisted adoption agency from denying an adoption based on the race of the child or of the adoptive parents. In 1996 this act was amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP), which allows agencies to

To understand some of these issues, the focus will primarily be directed towards how the law views same-sex adoptions. An analysis will compare and contrast on the upbringing of children who have been adopted and the

In the last four decades, the concept of the American family has undergone a radical transformation, reflecting society 's growing openness. Among all segments of society, there is a greater acceptance of a variety of family structures from single parenting to blended families to same sex parenting of children. The introduction of openness into the process of adoption offers new opportunities for children in need of a parent or parents and prospective parents wishing to create or expand their families. Meeting the requirements to become eligible to adopt no longer means being constrained by the conventions of an earlier generation.

Adoption in America been ruled by a stigma. For much too long, those who could not have children, unwed mothers, and the children born out of wedlock have been shamed and humiliated. I believe it is time for these supposedly disgraceful ideas to go by the wayside, and we begin hold onto the idea that all families are beautiful things, no matter how they are composed or how they came about. There is no shame in being an infertile couple, an unwed mother, or a child with unwed parents.

“There is no scientific basis for concluding that lesbian mothers or gay fathers are unfit parents on the basis of their sexual orientation” (Armesto, 2002; Patterson, 2000; Tasker & Golombok, 1997). Ever since gay and lesbians have been parents people have questioned how the parents’ sexual orientation impacts child and adolescent development. Opponents of same-sex parents argue that sexual orientation has a negative impact on child development, while proponents argue that the relationship between the child and parents is what matters. National, state, and local governments are faced with the controversy surrounding same-sex parenting. People have very strong opinions on both sides of the argument. Children and adolescents who are under lesbian or gay parents have normal child development compared with children under heterosexual parents. These children develop normally socially, mentally, and academically.

Leanna, you had some good points and it was understandable. Adoption is a long process and can takes months before the adoptive parents can get the child. My aunt did an unrelated adoption to my cousin’s best friend. Her mother died and she was a teenager, so too young to take care of herself. Since she was older enough to make her on decision she was staying with my aunt before the adoption was process. The adoption agency is responsible for that child and on how his or her future might in up. You do not want to give a child to the wrong people. Not everybody qualify to become an adoptive parents. It is more to it than that, there are good people who want kids, but really do not have the financial support for the child. Independent adoption

Since the 1990’s approximately 8-10 million children in the US alone are raised in a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) household. Same-Sex Adoption is controversial because many people throughout the world are against LGBT adoption; but when faced with the number of kids who pray everyday for someone out there wanting to be the parent of a foster child, it is difficult to understand why the topic of gay adoption is controversial. Yes, there can be a bad outcome but there can also be a very good outcome of these kinds of adoptions. The LGBT Adoption situation can be fixed by allowing any adult or parent to adopt a child if they have the right living environment or the knowledge and skills that it takes to raise a kid in the proper way. But social workers have reservations on considering gay adoptive parents because they are fearful of how the parents will treat and raise the children and how they will grow up feeling. People who oppose same sex marriage, including U.S. elected officials, have argued that a child raised by a LGBT parent will need additional emotional support or will face social challenges compared to children with heterosexual parents (Borreli). Although many people believe that LGBT parents shouldn’t be allowed to adopt because it affects the child, LGBT parents should be allowed to adopt because many kids need a place to call home or someone they can call family, they need someone in a similar situation that they can talk

Recently, research has shown that gay and lesbian parents share the parental characteristics of support, protection, and stability that children need. Sexual orientation should not be problem when adopting children. Children adopted by same-sex couples are more likely to be placed with parents who are patient, dedicated to their children, and have respect for the differences of the

In 1982, Kathleen Silber and Phyllis Speedlin wrote a groundbreaking book about open adoptions, ¡°Dear Birthmother, Thank You For Our Baby.¡± This book opened an ongoing dialog on the

There are currently 107,011 kids in the U.S. foster care system that are hoping and waiting to be adopted, so just imagine how many of those children could be adopted if more lesbian and gay couples were able to adopt. According to lifelong adoption agencies more and more gay and lesbian couples are becoming parents through artificial insemination, a surrogate, or LGBT adoption. It’s hard for same sex couples to adopt because adoption agencies that have religious beliefs against same sex couples reject them, or a state law prohibits same sex parents. Same sex couples face much opposition from a large number of people even though they do not have well supported arguments for their beliefs. Many studies have been done in an attempt to figure

One of the most important thing for children is to have a loving and supporting home. Having a loving and supportive home can come from same-sex couple or heterosexual couples. According to the article Overview of gay and lesbian parenting, adoption and foster care by American Civil Liberties “Good parenting is not influenced by sexual orientation. Rather, it is influenced most profoundly by a parent's ability to create a loving and nurturing home -- an ability that does not depend on whether a parent is gay or straight.” This just shows how important it is for kids to