Adoption is a process that allows children that cannot be cared for by their
birth parents, a chance to become a member of another family. Laws are created
to give the adoptive parents the same legal rights that a birth parent would
have in regards to a child. Adoptive parents give a child a new and permanent
home.
Reasons for Adoption
Most children are raised in a family consisting of a father and a mother. In
some cases birth parents cannot give the love and care that their child needs.
Often these parents are very young and unmarried and have not given prior
thought to the responsibilities of being a parent. Sometimes these parents
decide that they would like their child to have the opportunity to grow up in a
family that can offer the love, security, and permanence that their child
needs.
Other children lose their birth parents by death, accident, illness, or
disaster and need a loving and caring family.
Unfortunately there are cases of some parents having serious personal
problems that neglect or abandon their children. These children are often left
for long periods of time in foster homes or other institutions. When it becomes
clear that the parents will never be able to care for them it is decided by
others that it would be best for the child to be adopted and placed with a
permanent family.
Who Adopts
Although almost anyone can adopt a child, in most cases it is the couples
that cannot have children naturally that tend to adopt.
Who Is Adopted
Babies, older children, handicapped, and children of all races and
backgrounds are in need of adoption. In the past most people wanted only babies
that were to be adopted shortly after birth. Today, a greater number of older
children, handicapped children, and children of other races are being adopted.
In the United States,
over 140,000 children are adopted each year. About half of these children are
adopted by other family members such as a grandparent, stepparent, or other
relative. The other half of these children are adopted by people unrelated to
them.
Adoption Procedure
Most adoptions take place through social agencies. Social agencies are
responsible for planning adoptions and selecting adoptive parents. These social
agencies are established and supported by people in a community or by state
governments. These agencies are known as child-welfare agencies or family and
children’s services.
An adoption service’s purpose is to help children, birth parents, and
adoptive parents. Social workers with special training, skills, and experience
deal with everyone involved. Social workers also work with physicians,
psychologists, and lawyers to find the best home for the child. They also help
the adoptive parents through all the legal processes that are necessary to
complete the adoption.
Legal Process
Each country and each state within the United
States has laws that say how a child can be
taken from one family relationship and placed into a new family relationship.
These laws have certain procedures that must be followed in order to protect
everyone involved, especially the child.
A judge must decide whether a parent-child relationship should be broken. A
judge will also grant an adoption decree to make the adoption legal and final.
After an adoption has been arranged, the adoptive parents go to court and
ask for custody of the child. The child must live with the adoptive parents for
a specified period of time. Then a judge will determine whether the adoption
will benefit the child.
When an adoption is final, a new birth certificate is issued with the names
of the adoptive parents.
Responsibilities of the Adoptive Parent
Adoptive parents are encouraged to help their child understand what adoption
is. Children eventually become curious as to who their birth parents are and
why they were given up for adoption. Some children may become very confused and
upset about this or they may feel that they would have been happier with their
birth parents. The more love and support an adoptive parent can offer the less
confusing and frustrating this will be for the child.