The Pros And Cons Of Kinship Adoption

More than half of the children in Foster Care are placed with complete strangers, which has many negative effects. Kinship Care fixes this delima by changing the type of placement for them. Kinship care is the care of children by a relative, or in some cases a close family friend ("Kinship Caregivers"). This includes aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who are the most common. 104,000 kids lives in Kinship foster care, meaning they live with relatives instead of foster homes ("Kinship"). Kinship placement can occur in different ways. There is informal, which is a private arrangement between parents and related caregivers. Usually in these cases Child Welfare is not involved and legal custody of the children stay with the parents. Formal Kinship is when the children are in legal custody of the state and the Child Welfare Agency places them with a Kin. This is almost identical to how the Foster Care system works except the children are not placed with random foster parents, but with family. In this situation the relative will most likely have to become certified/approved by the state, similar to a foster parent. During Formal Kinship the states have the right to take the children away and put them in foster care if the caregiver is not following state orders. The last option of kinship care is Voluntary. In the time of a Voluntary Kinship care the Child Welfare Agency is involved but have limited contact. Even though the Welfare Agency is involved, the state has no legal custody of the child ("Kinship Caregivers"). All of these types of Kinships are different, but they all have one purpose. Each type of care is available anywhere, and want to provide children with safe homes where they live with their families.

With child placement becoming more difficult everyday, the practice of kin placement has increased significantly within the past two decades. Kinship care is the placement of a maltreated or otherwise vulnerable youth in the care and protection of a known relative or adult with a recognized kin bond (Ryan, Hong, Herz,, & Hernandez, 2010.) Today approximately 26% of children in foster care are in kinship care placement (Cheng, 2010.)

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

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.

Kinship care is the full-time care and nurturing of a child by a relative or someone who has a significant emotional relationship with the child. If children must be separate from their parents, either voluntarily or by court order, kinship care should be the first placement option explored by the child welfare agency. The Federal Government endorsed this practice most recently in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. Placing children in Kinship care helps States’ compliance with Federal requirements to provide children with safety, stability, and permanency. It also meets provisions of the Fostering Connection Act that requires agencies to notify relatives when

Not many children who are put in closed adoptions get to know who they are and their family history. Closed adoption children do not get to know any of their historical background, and this sometimes gives children self-esteem issues (“Adoption Emotional Issues”). They can also deal with loss and grief issues at times because they do not have their biological parents around to help raise them. It is not until the age of eighteen for the child to legally find their biological parents on their

For many people, adoption is the only choice when it comes to having children. Once someone chooses adoption, however, there is always more than one option available. It is important when choosing adoption that each person involved is educated on the topic. There are three main types of adoption: confidential, mediated, and fully disclosed. “In up to 90% of domestic infant adoptions, adoptive parents maintain some contact with birth parents. It's considered best practice because most women want to know what happens to the child and the child wants to know family history” (Koch, 2009). Even though the adoptive parents may not create a strong bond with the child, an open adoption is better than one that is closed because children respond

This has caused me to want to further research the issue. What are the social and emotional effects that adoption has on children?

Adoption is a big decision for birthparents (and adoptive parents). There are so many factors to consider when putting a child up for adoption and also when adopting a child. A majority of the time the birth father isn¡¯t even considered in the decision. Birthparents often begin to second guess their decision of adoption usually after the birth of their child. They get attached instantly and don¡¯t want to give the child up. There are lots of pros and cons and some people don¡¯t even consider when they make comments about adoptive parents and children and open adoption.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a childless couple wanting to adopt a baby—it would certainly be a wonderful, life-changing decision for both the parents and the child—but this still leaves a fairly large group of older children without a home to call their own. “Because of changes in legislation and policies regarding child welfare, increasing numbers of older children are being placed for adoption. Many of these children are defined as having ‘special needs’ and include children who are at risk for physical, emotional, or behavioral problems” (Schweiger). Statistics today show that the majority of children put up for adoption are said to have special needs, which could be any number of things that might make finding a home more difficult for them: they could be a racial minority, have emotional or physical issues, be of an older age, have siblings that cannot be separated from them, have behavioral problems, or possess a record of difficulty in past adoptive placements (Wind). All of these children are desperately in need of a family to call their own, although some children—such as those who are of an older age or those who have siblings that they do not wish to be split up from— have a significantly more difficult time finding one. Infertile couples are clearly the more traditional adoptive parents, but it would certainly be impossible for every child to find a home if they were the only group looking to adopt. According to Rene Hoksbergen, the

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.

There are common ordeals and situations that can trouble a family emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Adoption is one situation a family must encounter when a child is born without a proper system of support to sustain life after birth. The causes for a family to make a heartfelt decision to place a child for adoption can have dramatic effects on the birth parents, adoptive parents, and child (Adoptee), even if the decision is meant for the best.

     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

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.