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I can generally agree with your post. But my question back to you is how?
The demographics of the US is getting older. The demographics that adoption agencies and attorneys want to work with is younger. (25 - 35 year of age). Older couples are not being selected. Foster Care priority is reunification, not adoption. The Hague treaty is shutting down all international adoption.
So again, how? What is the path forward for the millions of couples that want to adopt, but cannot.
Once again, there are sound reasons for shutting down international adoption. It would be good to take a hard look at some of those reasons. This article should be required reading for anyone who wants to adopt:
If you can't adopt internationally, there is always foster care, and some people continue with infertility treatments (which have higher success rates every year) and some seek out donor embryos.
Once again, there are sound reasons for shutting down international adoption. It would be good to take a hard look at some of those reasons. This article should be required reading for anyone who wants to adopt:
If you can't adopt internationally, there is always foster care, and some people continue with infertility treatments (which have higher success rates every year) and some seek out donor embryos.
Being a foster parent is a totally different proposition than being an adoptive parent. In most cases, the children are going back to their birth homes. The emotional strain is really tough for most people. There are a few people out there who can do this, but I think its a relatively small percentage of people. I've heard it suggested by social workers that the best foster parents are generally people who have already raised their children and are ready for another challenge. I do know it was something my wife and I felt we could never do.
Infertility treatments are an option for some and as technology improves and surrogate parent arrangements become more routine this is probably going to the "go to" method for most people. However, it is very expensive and it--again--often becomes something only the well-to-do or wealthy can afford.
I do agree adoption is shutting down and I don't think anything at this point is really going to change that. I can argue over how wise the Hague Convention's rigid standards are or over some state laws. It doesn't change fact that those are the rules and the current environment.
Seriously, I think anyone wanting to adopt today ought to consider simply being child free. Its what we would have done if we had not been able to adopt conventionally. However, that was in 1992 and 1999. Practically when dinosaurs roamed the Earth
Infertility treatments are an option for some and as technology improves and surrogate parent arrangements become more routine this is probably going to the "go to" method for most people. However, it is very expensive and it--again--often becomes something only the well-to-do or wealthy can afford.
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Infertility treatments often cost far less than one international adoption. International adoption can cost up to 50K or more. Lots of middle class people (not wealthy) do fertility treatments and often succeed. Sometimes the cost is partially covered by health insurance, as well. And a donor embryo cycle is less expensive than a regular cycle of IVF.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Adoption is declining because domestically and globally birth rates are at an all time low. Most developed nations and even many poorer nations have fertility rates below the replacement rate of 2.0 children average per woman. Nations facing catastrophic population loss have no interest in sending badly needed future workers elsewhere. Also they are as overwhelmed by their own orphan problems.
Once again, there are sound reasons for shutting down international adoption. It would be good to take a hard look at some of those reasons. This article should be required reading for anyone who wants to adopt:
If you can't adopt internationally, there is always foster care, and some people continue with infertility treatments (which have higher success rates every year) and some seek out donor embryos.
I heard a great deal about the problems that led to the shutdown of international adoption. I support the arrest and conviction of all adoption workers that violate any of these counties laws. But arrests and convictions of these adoption workers seems to be a very small number. As one adoption worker stated, one bad actor, shut the whole country down forever. It makes me wonder if the US State Department, Office of Children Services, is interested in upholding the laws of adoption or using the Hague treaty to close all international adoption?
I also read your article. I wonder how someone that does not live in Seattle follows the words of wisdom put out by this community adoption activist?
Quote:
"Ethiopia Alemneh, the director of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle, told me some adoptive families are trying to connect with the community through the organization, studying Amharic and volunteering. The organization has “cultural immersion” programs which attract between 20 and 40 adoptees per week, and some adoptive parents are paying members of the community organization, she said.
I just don't see how families in Bloomington, IL or Broken Arrow, OK could accomplish this type of "cultural immersion."
Lastly, the article talks about rehoming. I wonder if the problem of rehoming is related to adoption agencies forcing couples to adopt children where they don't have the skills to parent? I know there are great difficulties in parenting special needs children. There are not many couples with the skill sets to parent these types of children. I'm always told that is the needs of the child that should be only consideration when placing a child for adoption. But if the parents don't have the skills needed to parent such a child, is it really in the child's best interests to be placed with that couple? I also think the mandatory monitoring of adoptive families will accomplish nothing. At best, these types of laws will lower the numbers of couples that consider adoption as a family building option. I also wonder why with all the child abuse in the US, why monitoring of biological families is not considered?
Lastly, the article talks about rehoming. I wonder if the problem of rehoming is related to adoption agencies forcing couples to adopt children where they don't have the skills to parent?
I don't think any couples could be forced to adopt children. If you mean that adoption agencies are hiding the fact that some of the children have problems (special needs, emotional issues, etc), that does go on, and also sometimes the problems aren't apparent until later on.
I don't think any couples could be forced to adopt children. If you mean that adoption agencies are hiding the fact that some of the children have problems (special needs, emotional issues, etc), that does go on, and also sometimes the problems aren't apparent until later on.
I would disagree. We are seeing adoption agencies hiding information from hopeful adoptive couples (toxicology report) and adoption agencies telling couples that drug exposed babies are healthy babies with no short term or long term issues. We are seeing adoption agencies force special needs children on hopeful adoptive couples due to that being the only adoption situation available. Lastly, we are seeing adoption agencies modifying their contract without proper notification to the couple or explaination. (Caucasian children now include all Hispanic children, Drug exposure is not a special need, etc)
There is also the issue that the foster care system does not have a document retention system. It's difficult to believe the amount of paperwork they lose.
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