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Is the amount of monies involved in adoption a concern? Yes, without a doubt. The monies concerns involve all members in the adoption arena. No one should be making large profits on a child or baby needing a family.
An adoptee friend’s birth mother had her college paid for by the adoptive parents. To my friend she felt like her birth mother gave her away for a college education. The adoptive parents did not do this in a bad way. They had money and wanted to help the birth mother of the child to have a better life.
The government controlling and handling all adoption concerns me for several reasons. Let’s look at our foster care system. It is in shambles, plagued with numerous problems that continue to grow with each passing day, etc. This is the biggie. A number of states are looking to turn their foster care system to the private sector. Time will only tell if the state becoming less involved is a benefit to the children it is responsible for. Could this be easier than fixing the problem they have created?
The problems that the government is facing with the foster care system did not happen overnight. They just choose not to deal with it because the problems are so huge. The government does not know where to start. Non profit organizations are stepping up for the children in foster care trying to help more children find forever homes and helping the foster teens become prepared to live independently.
In foster care, children’s needs are not put before the adults or the budget. Could this be the answer to adoption?
Could adoption benefit from a national board or agency with ethic laws that would also oversee adoption agencies and their license standards? Yes, where children’s needs are placed first and foremost along with other people involved with adoption.
More reading:
A more perfect world? More adoption!
Governments, of course, all being models of effeciency, corruption-free and fiscally prudent.
Make that “efficiency”. (Think I could work for the Feds?)
I totally agree that having the government take over infant adoption would be a nightmare. I keep saying have you ever had to deal with the IRS or the DMV. It would be like that but with innocent little people.
However I think the government could legislate some things that could be very beneficial in changing the bad things about adoption. A standard relinquishment period across the nation, so no more women are shipped to utah to give birth. requiring third party counsel so that adoption agencies who have a vested interest are the ones giving counsel. etc…
The private agencies don’t do any better job looking out for the kids than the government did. They still contract with the government, so are just like an extension of it. The bottom line rules, and social workers wield waaaay too much power.
Sue: “The bottom line rules” is right…..and, unfortunately, the bottom line is usually not the best interest of the child.
Where we are, the best interests of the child don’t even make a blip on the radar. The contractual goals are everything. Control is everything. Ignorance rules. Government by proxy at it’s best. no, I’m not a bit cynical…..
$6.7 billion in the 2007 children & families budget for Foster/Adoption, $120 billion on the Iraq war in one year. This is what our government has said about where children are in the priority list.