November is National Adoption Month
November is National Adoption Month. If you are like most other Americans, adoption has touched you rlife in some way. And a survey conducted by the Dave Thomas Foundation reported that 39% of Americans have considered adopting themselves. Yet only 2% of families in the US actually take the leap. Why? Of course, some families decide it’s just not right for them. But others back off for reasons that, sadly, are myths.
The same study said that more than 8 out of 10 people were concerned about birthparents reclaiming their children after the adoption. However, dissolved adoptions happen in as little as 1% of cases-and that includes those dissolved by the adoptive parents. While more adoptions are interrupted before finalization, it is very rare for children to be removed from new homes. It can and does happen, but when a good agency locates and gets permission from both biological parents, this scenario is almost unheard of.
Another factor is cost. True, it can cost as much as $40,000 to adopt internationally. But many people don’t realize that you can adopt a child from foster care for little or even NO cost. Private adoptions might involve only attorney’s paperwork fees. Assistance available from individual states, and a federal tax credit also helps cover adoption costs.
Some people are scared that their child may have been kidnapped or coerced from its mother. If you work with a reputable agency, this won’t happen. And if you adopt from within the United States, you can usually meet the birthmother. In addition, the State Department has banned adoptions from nations where this is suspected.
Some people are afraid they’or others’won’t be able to accept the child as their own. Thankfully, the Dave Thomas survey also discovered that 2/3 of Americans view adoption very positively. Significant percentages of people view adoptive children as no different than biological children.
If your family has thought about adopting, but gave up the idea, take another look. It’s easy to find trustworthy information online. You just may find that all your roadblocks have been removed.
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