Paul M. Gaines, Sr.

Why Not Adopt We often hear of those who have tried to adopt, even though they appear to have ideal circumstances, and yet are still denied that privilege. For some, it may be discouraging. However, on the other hand, there have been those who have successfully adopted. Therefore this annotated bibliography will address, and answer the question, Why not adopt, what are some of the benefits?

Berry, Marianne. Risks and Benefits of Open Adoption. The Future Of Children, Vol. 3, No.1, Adoption (1993): 125-138. Print Another question that arises with adoptions is whether or not the adoption should be open. Basically, what an open adoption means is that the birth parent(s) can receive information concerning the child, and also have a measure of contact. The article expressed pros and cons concerning this decision. Statistics have shown that the number of adoptions in the United States has decreased over the last decade or so. One of the reasons for this is that some birthmothers who, although it would be in the best interest of the child to be put up for adoption, hesitate, because they dont want to lose contact with their child. However, with open adoption, it allows these same hesitant birthmothers to have a tangible option. Separation grief is one of the consequences that sometimes occur with birthmothers. They feel a deep loss, a loss in fact that some no doubt have likened to having a death in the family. However, with an open adoption that pain, although it cant be totally erased, it can be somewhat minimized. When the birthparents, are informed about the logistics, and environment of where the child is being

placed, the birthparents can visualize how the child is living which can offer a measure of comfort. Often times too, an open adoption can minimize such disquieting questions on the part of the child such as, where did I come from? What are my parents like? Why do I not look like you? It may be somewhat emotionally challenging for adoptive parents to want to have an open adoption. For example, with an open adoption the adoptive parents may understandably have a sense of insecurity. Nevertheless, there are definitely advantages, such as perhaps the biggest advantage of having a greater chance of being able to adopt. In addition, adoptive parents in open adoptions are better informed as to the birthmothers health and personality. One noteworthy statistic comes from a California study of 1,396 adoptions of children from infants to 16 years old. The study showed that children in this study had significantly better behavior scores than children with no access to birthparents. I chose this source because now I understand what open adoption means, and I can appreciate this new found knowledge so much, and its really good information for anyone considering adoption, or who is hesitant to try to adopt. Clea Barry is a social worker in the United Kingdom. In the article My Practice, she stated that she had recently experienced one of the best days of her life. The reason for her joy was the fact that two little girls who had different cultural backgrounds, but nevertheless had been in the foster care system for the majority of their lives, had been adopted into the same family simultaneously. It was a case where all of the parties were ecstatic. And when I say all of the parties, what I am referring to is not just the new adoptive parents, but also this was a situation where the foster care workers were clearly behind this union. I like the way Ms. Barry stated it, This was one of the few occasions as a social worker where I absolutely knew that what I was doing was the right thing; that the consequences really would be in the best interest of the children and that it matched up with what they wanted. I enjoyed

using this article as a source, because it highlights that the goal of having the perfect solution is not always attained.

Holloway, Joy. Outcome in Placements for Adoption or Long Term Fostering. n.p. 25 Nov. 1996 Web. 12 Mar. 2014 The article, Outcome In Placements For Adoption Or Long Term Fostering was an article that was based on a five year study, to determine the outcome in regard to permanence of children who were placed with families. Basically, we could summarize it as, would the result be adoption, in other words permanence, or indefinite foster care? All of the children in this study started out in the foster care system, and although being a foster child is not a prerequisite for being adopted, I felt it important to first examine adoption statistics involving foster children. This was an interesting article, because it was based on a study, which means that although there is no way to know in advance whether a foster child would eventually be adopted or not, it does at least give a glimpse of some of the determining factors. The study involved 234 children ranging in age from three years old to twenty four. This study took place in Britain; however what really stood out to me, was the fact that almost all children under 4 years of age were adopted. Children between ages 9 and 16 caused the most disruptions within the family unit. It appears that youngsters at this age would be the ones to apply the most pressure to move to different homes, etc. Also, 53% of children with medical problems 7 years old and older were more likely not to be adopted. Although this is just a brief summary, it helps me to appreciate that theres a higher rate of a successful adoption for children 4 years old and younger.