Adoption Basics
What is "adoption"?
From a legal standpoint, adoption is the transfer of parental rights from biological parents to the adoptive parents, who assume all financial, legal and other responsibilities for the child. Really adoption is so much more than that. You can't reduce it to a piece of paper or legal terms because it's about individuals connecting and growing together. Adoption is the wonderful, joyous, unpredictable process of creating a family.
Who can adopt a child?
Anyone who has something to give to a child can adopt a child. You don't have to own a home. You can be straight. You can be gay. You don't have to be married to adopt a child. You can already have children. What you have to have in order to adopt is the desire to give something back and to open your heart to a child.
What type of person chooses to adopt?
There's no particular type of person who chooses to adopt. There are single people; there are married people; there are people with kids. Really, the type of person who chooses to adopt wants to bring a child into their home because they see a need in the world. Maybe they can't have children of their own so choose to adopt instead. Maybe they want to expand their family. Maybe they have a stepson or a stepdaughter or a relative that they want to take care of. The type of people who adopt really runs the gauntlet.
Why are people afraid to adopt?
People are afraid to adopt because they have misconceptions about the process. They think it's long, they think it's expensive and they think a certain type of kid isn't out there that they might want to bring into their home. It's really more misunderstanding and apprehension that they don't need to have, which keeps people from adopting. Some of the misconceptions that keep people from adopting are that they think it's a lot of work to adopt a child. There are also some antiquated prejudices about adoption being a way to form a family, and I think some people may have the belief that children belong with their birth parents, and may not understand that sometimes they can have a better outcome being in an adoptive family.
What requirements must be met in order to adopt a child?
There are different requirements for each different type of adoption. There are different requirements for private or independent adoptions, for foster care adoptions and for international adoptions. The requirements also vary from state to state. By and large, each type of adoption will require a home study and some sort of certification that the parents are willing and capable of taking care of child and bringing a child into their home.
What would make me ineligible to adopt a child?
The adoption requirements vary from state to state. However, there are three areas in general that would most likely prevent you from being able to adopt. Those traits that would make you ineligible to adopt are if you have committed a felony, if you've been convicted of child abuse and if you are financially unable to care for the child.
How much does an adoption cost?
The cost of adoption varies depending on the type of adoption. An adoption from a public child welfare agency or foster care is generally free. Adoptions that are private or independent can range in cost from zero to about forty thousand dollars, depending on the arrangements that are made. And international adoptions can range from ten thousand or more, depending on travel costs and any other arrangements that are made.
Which is adopted more - boys or girls?
Girls are easier to adopt and therefore they are adopted more often than boys. In the United States, the number of boys available for adoption out number the girls by three to one. Internationally, it depends. Often, depending on the policies of the country, there are more girls available for adoption.
What is the difference between a "closed" adoption and an "open" adoption?
A closed adoption means that once the adoption has been finalized and the child has been given over from the birth parent to the adoptive parents, there is no more contact between those two parties. An open adoption is an adoption where, after the adoptive parents have assumed care of the child from the birth parents, they have agreed to have ongoing contact between the two entities. That contact can take a variety of different forms from weekly to monthly to only on special occasions. It depends on the agreement that is made between the two parties as part of the open adoption.
What are some common problems associated with adoption?
I think the common perception of the problems associated with adoption are that it takes a long time, that it can be very costly, that there is a huge bureaucracy that gets in the way of the process, and that one of the birthparents will return years later and wrest the child from the adopted family's hands. The latter is not the case, however I think that the perception is very pronounced in the public's conscious. Once a child has been legally adopted, the birthparents cannot re-establish their parental rights.
Do I have to adopt a child within my own state?
You do not have to adopt a child from your own state. You can adopt a child from anywhere in the United States. In fact, there are websites that you can go to and see children up for adoption from every state. You do, however, if you adopt from another state, have to abide by the terms of something known as the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children. The Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children is a set of agreements between states to make sure that an adopting parent in one state meets the right criteria for adoption in another state, and in essence becomes an agreement between the two to move that child from one state to another for the purposes of adoption.
What is a "transracial adoption"?
Transracial adoption is an adoption in which the adopting parent or parents is a different race from the child they're adopting. The policy surrounding transracial adoption has changed markedly over the last twenty years. There was an act passed called MEPA, the Multiracial Ethnic Placement Act, that stated that it's actually unlawful to discriminate in adoption based on the race of the adopting parent. It is okay to place a child of a different race in an adopting family, and that has changed the way adoption has taken place.
What should I consider before proceeding with a transracial adoption?
Before you proceed with a transracial adoption, you should think long and hard about whether you'll be comfortable bringing a child into your home and making sure that they are kept in contact, or made aware of, their culture and where they came from. You must be able to deal with the fact that if you go into grocery store, people may look at you differently. They may make remarks that are totally insensitive. You've got to think about whether you are prepared to deal with that consequence of transracial adoption. You've got to think about whether you are in a place to really provide a great home for that child. You must also be comfortable with making sure they're aware of their heritage and having them do things that connects them back to their heritage.
