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Adoption
Adoption is a complex family form that touches the lives of many. In a national survey of adoption attitudes conducted by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, 64% of respondents indicated that a family member or close friend had either been adopted, had adopted, or had placed a child for adoption. Despite the large numbers of people who have a connection with adoption, there is no current attempt to collect one comprehensive national data set that includes information about public, private agency, and independent adoption. The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) tracks children adopted from foster care, and the State Department tracks international adoptions through the record of orphan visas issued each year. The most comprehensive figure for the number of total adoptions in the United States is provided by the 2000 Census, which for the first time included the category “adopted son or daughter” and places the number of adopted children under the age of 18 at 2.5% of the population. This number is a broad estimate because it encompasses a wide range of adoptions, including adoption of stepchildren, biologically related and unrelated children, and domestic, international, independent, and informal adoptions. The lack of a comprehensive system for collecting reliable adoption data hinders the accurate reporting of adoption statistics.
Becoming Adoptive Parents
Prospective adoptive parents encounter experiences unique to adoption. David Brodzinsky and Ellen Pinderhughes delineate five tasks associated with becoming an adoptive parent. First, adoptive parents require the approval of others to become parents. An in-depth evaluation called a home study is a legal requirement to adopt in every state. This process requires prospective adoptive parents to open themselves to the scrutiny of social work professionals as to their adequacy for parenting. Despite the educational and supportive intent of the home study, it can feel evaluative in nature, producing anxiety that one may not be found adequate. Second, there is the period of time during which consent for the adoption is given, parental rights of the birth parents are terminated, and adoption finalization occurs.
Third, adoption is characterized by an uncertain timeline for achieving parenthood. The process can take from a few months to a year or longer. Waiting for their child to join the family can be a frustrating experience for prospective adoptive parents. Fourth, although favorable opinions about adoption are increasing, adoption is still characterized by social stigma. Although adoptive parents are satisfied with their decision to adopt, they and their children must cope with the negative attitudes of some that adoption is a “second best” route to parenthood. Families formed across racial or national lines may encounter additional prejudices. Finally, adoptive parents have fewer adoptive parent role models to turn to for advice, especially advice related to the unique challenges of raising adopted children.
Types of Adoption
There is no one description that can characterize adoption. Adoption is no longer limited to a married couple adopting a same-race infant whereby confidentiality between birth and adoptive families is paramount. Adoptive families reflect the diversity of family forms found in society. Kinship adoption (adoption by a nonparent relative or stepparent) is a prevalent way of forming adoptive families. Although there is lack of precision in available data, the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse reports that kinship adoptions are the slight majority of adoptions in the United States. Despite the preference for married couples by adoption agency staff, birth parents, or both for nonrelative adoptions, single-parent adoption has increased in prevalence. Single parents have a greater likelihood of adopting special needs children for whom finding a permanent placement may be more difficult. There are also a small but growing number of adoptions by gay and lesbian couples. Controversy surrounds this practice, with some states banning gay and lesbian adoption, whereas the Child Welfare League of America asserts that gay and lesbian couples should be assessed the same as any other adoptive applicant.
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