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Adoption Numbers Are Down Overall. While people undeniably lie, numbers do not. Words might mislead, but numbers reveal the truth. And the truth about adoptions is that fewer babies are indeed available for creating forever homes.
The number of adoptions in general has been steadily declining over the years. U.S. adoptions reached their peak in 1970 with 175,000 adoptions tallied. That number had fallen to 133,737 by 2007. Seven years later, the total sank further to 110,373, a 17% decrease.
Reports of a 50% or more decrease in available birth mothers are coming from adoption agencies all over. As a result, some agencies have folded. Those still in operation are compiling long waiting lists of hopeful adoptive parents.
Demand for infants to adopt remains high. According to Chuck Johnson, CEO of the National Council of Adoption, an estimated one million families are trying to adopt at any given time. Of those seeking to adopt, 84% elect to pursue domestic infant adoption. So, a huge number of people are trying to adopt a baby at a time when fewer and fewer babies are available for adoption.
Years ago, it wasn't acceptable to have a child out of wedlock. In fact, there was a lot of stigma attached to unwed mothers. When having a child out of wedlock became accepted, women felt no need to relinquish their children for adoption.
Years ago, it wasn't acceptable to have a child out of wedlock. In fact, there was a lot of stigma attached to unwed mothers. When having a child out of wedlock became accepted, women felt no need to relinquish their children for adoption.
For some people, and in many circles, it is still not acceptable. Teenagers should be preparing for college, not motherhood. Most unwed mothers today, are from white, working-class or lower-class families and have parents who welcome "more kin" in their families.
Typically, the parents are not well educated. They are against both birth control and abortion. They go to evangelical churches that oppose those and encourage them to "keep their baby", as though the child is a trophy, not a human being worthy of adult patents.
Grandparents may try to help out, but they may tire of it due to age and other responsibilities.
Just imagine if little Caylee Anthony had been adopted by mature and loving parents. She would be alive today.
I also blame "Crisis Pregnancy Centers". Children having children never has the best outcome.
This is possibly outdated from 1996, but it was authored by Janet Yellen, Biden's Secretary of the Treasury and former Chair of the Federal Reserve.
"In addition, the decreasing stigma of out-of-wedlock childbirth reinforced the technology-driven causes for the decline in shotgun marriage and increased retention of out-of-wedlock children. With premarital sex the rule, rather than the exception, an out-of-wedlock childbirth gradually ceased to be a sign that society’s sexual taboos had been violated. The reduction in stigma also helps explain why women who would once have put their baby up for adoption chose to keep it instead."
And oddly, people are still being told that a baby given up for adoption will languish for years in a substandard foster home and may never be adopted, because there are thousands of babies already waiting. Faced with that picture, many women with unwanted pregnancies will chose to abort.
An example from right here on C-D:
Quote:
Republicans and those wanting to end abortion should be mandated to adopt every unwanted child in the thousands of foster homes. After they are emptied , then it will be time to limit abortion.
The truth is that healthy and even slightly handicapped babies and young children who are available get adopted immediately. Those children who spend years in foster care and eventually age out are there because of multiple barriers to adoption, the most common being that the birth parents have refused to relinquish their parental rights, and the courts are refusing to terminate them.
And oddly, people are still being told that a baby given up for adoption will languish for years in a substandard foster home and may never be adopted, because there are thousands of babies already waiting. Faced with that picture, many women with unwanted pregnancies will chose to abort.
The truth is that healthy and even slightly handicapped babies and young children who are available get adopted immediately. Those children who spend years in foster care and eventually age out are there because of multiple barriers to adoption, the most common being that the birth parents have refused to relinquish their parental rights, and the courts are refusing to terminate them.
You are correct. NO infant languishes in foster care! Even drug-exposed infants are adopted right away.
The sad part is the number of chances birth "mothers" are given. Many of them, children themselves. By the time they are available for adoption, they have been through multiple foster care placements, abuse, neglect, and the emotional torture of not knowing where they were going next. Many are murdered, molested or beaten by one of the birth mother's "boyfriends". Of course, they are emotionally damaged.
The system should favor the right of the child, not that of a teenager who never intended to create a family in the first place.
You are correct. NO infant languishes in foster care! Even drug-exposed infants are adopted right away.
The sad part is the number of chances birth "mothers" are given. Many of them, children themselves. By the time they are available for adoption, they have been through multiple foster care placements, abuse, neglect, and the emotional torture of not knowing where they were going next. Many are murdered, molested or beaten by one of the birth mother's "boyfriends". Of course, they are emotionally damaged.
The system should favor the right of the child, not that of a teenager who never intended to create a family in the first place.
The sad part is the number of chances birth "mothers" are given. Many of them, children themselves. By the time they are available for adoption, they have been through multiple foster care placements, abuse, neglect, and the emotional torture of not knowing where they were going next. Many are murdered, molested or beaten by one of the birth mother's "boyfriends". Of course, they are emotionally damaged.
The system should favor the right of the child, not that of a teenager who never intended to create a family in the first place.
It's very tempting to be cynical and conclude that the model of children going from the birth parents to the foster system and back to the birth parents, multiple times, creates a nice income for the social workers, while children who are promptly made available for adoption and then adopted, do not.
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