Current Issues of 2017

        Two years ago, my aunt and uncle decided to adopt a baby girl from Indiana named Lyric. However, it seems very uncommon for couples in the United States to adopt children from the U.S. Why you may ask? Why aren’t the children in the United States thought of first instead of last? Well, it is commonly thought that foster children in the United States are more privileged than children from other countries, but this isn’t necessarily true. However, my aunt and uncle adopted Lyric, who was born addicted to drugs and had not been taken care of by her biological mother since the day was born. Couples in the United States should adopt children from the U.S. due to the desire of wanting the best for the nation’s future, in order to avoid major discrimination, to avoid the extra dedication adopting a foreign child may bring, and the simplicity that U.S. children need a loving family just as much as any other human being.

​

          According to the Children’s Rights Organization, “In 2015, over 670,000 children spent time in the U.S. foster care system” and “...on any given day children available for adoption have spent an average of nearly two years waiting to be adopted since their parents rights have been terminated” (“Foster Care”). For further explanation, on average there are 670,000 children in foster homes just in the United States, each of those children spend from the time they are taken away from their parents and their parents rights are terminated plus two years after that until they are adopted. However, pbs.org states, “About 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year” (Opper, “Fact Sheet”). With this information, we can predict that roughly 535,000 children are waiting to be chosen to become part of a family each year in the United States. This is just 535,000 just in foster care alone, not including homeless nor infant children.

       

       Liked mentioned before, it is commonly thought that children in foster homes in the United States are more privileged compared to children in other countries; however, this is not necessarily true. For example, in a research report conducted by the state of Illinois, “For abuse or neglect in non-related foster family homes, perpetrators were most often the foster parents (56%). Substantial risk of harm was the most severe incident in 27% of these cases”(Garnier, pp 2). Children living in other countries are most likely to face the same situations; however, being in a United States citizens, it is more likely for you to desire a better future for the nation. Children are the future of the nation. When thinking of the “bigger picture,” if a child is raised in an abusive foster home and is never taught or shown what real love is, the chances of them being abusive to their children is higher than what it would be if they had been raised in a loving home. In fact, the Childhood Domestic Violence Association states “Those who grow up with domestic violence are 6 times more likely to commit suicide and 50% more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol” also “If you grow up with domestic violence, you’re 74% more likely to commit a violent crime against someone else” (“10 Startling Statistics..”). It is unlikely for a person to desire a nation with a growing population of abusive individuals; therefore, a person or couple from the United States should adopt a child from their nation as well. There is nothing wrong with adopting a child from a foreign country, but we have children in the United States to save too.

​

        In the society we live in today, it is very common for a U.S. citizen of any race other than caucasian to experience either direct and/or indirect discrimination at least once in their lifetime. According to www.dosomething.org, “In 2009 African-Americans are 21% more likely than whites to receive mandatory minimum sentences and 20% more likely to be sentenced to prison than white drug defendants”(“11 Facts About…”). With this statistic of primarily the African American race, one can foresee the major possibility of a child from a different country is more likely to experience discrimination. In the article, “Prejudice/ Discrimination”  states Discrimination, or actions or behaviors taken against individuals as a result of prejudiced beliefs, can create feelings of shame, anger, and sadness in victims.”  Most parents want the absolute best for their child; therefore, when considering adoption, one should consider the possibilities of discrimination occurring to the child. Although, United States citizens of the African American ethnicity and any other ethnicity other than Caucasian are faced with discrimination every day and in some cases, Caucasian individuals are discriminated upon as well.  This is a problem in and of itself, but using this common knowledge, may make one realize there is a high chance a child from a foreign country will be discriminated upon.

Following the fear of discrimination is the extra dedication you will have to be willing to give to your child from another country. Adopting a child of a different race than yourself means educating yourself of their culture, what the child will need in order to live a normal life according to their ethinicity, and be willing to realize that there are major differences between the two of you. In an article on everydayfeminism.com, it is explained that simply loving your child is not enough. The article continues to say, “Adoption, regardless of racial dynamics, requires a level of patience, love and empathy, but a white person choosing to adopt a black child must first be willing to confront the passive racist views all white people hold, subconsciously or not.” However, there is a major statement made that relates to how much dedication you truly have to give forth. “Parenting a black child means you’re willing to take on the administration of an entire school district because they have already decided your child is a problem to be handled from his first day in kindergarten.” (Lasha, “What White Parents..”) Adopting a child of a different ethnicity or from a different country means going the extra mile for them to know who they truly are, where the come from, and what they truly need.

​

        Lastly, children waiting to be adopted in the U.S. deserve to have a loving family of their own, just as any other child does as well. By simply observing children around us, we know that children are entirely dependent on their parents and without their parents care and nurture, we know that a child cannot live. According to processworks.org, “Given a fully secure and nourishing environment, each child would grow like a flower or a young animal, to his or her full potential. But babies only feel safe and nourished in an environment of total acceptance and love (Pastor).” So what if a child isn’t given an environment of these standards, “For some children, when they become aware of the painful truth that there is no way to get the kind of love they need, rebellion begins (Pastor).” There are children all around the globe in need of love; however, when adopting, the statements made above should be taken into consideration. One must ask themselves if they want the next generation to be filled with rebellious individuals because they were not given a loving environment as a child. Without love and nurture, a child cannot and will not be able to love either.

​

        However, most couples who are adopting will not look primarily at the statements made previously, but they will also look at the cost of adoption from country to country. The cost of adopting an American child is what usually prevents them from being adopted. In fact, Dawn Davenport, from The National Infertility and Adoption Education Nonprofit says,  “The range for an adoption agency adoption is from $5,000 to $40,000+, with almost 60% falling within $10,000 – $30,000, and the average being around $28,000.” However this is primarily, adoption through an adoption agency, when adopting through foster care, “I always say that adopting from foster care is virtually free. Very few families pay more than two thousands dollars and many pay nothing at all (Davenport, “How Much..”).” The assumption that adopting children from the United States isn’t affordable is partially false. If adoption is made through the foster care system, it can be just as rewarding and financially stress free.

​

       Essentially, there is nothing wrong with adopting a child from another country, but there are children here, in the United States, that need adoption just as much as any other child around the world. However, the factors such as the nation’s future, discrimination a child from a foreign country may experience, and the fact that children up for adoption in the United States need a loving family as well. Since children in foster homes are ultimately financially free, adoption from the United States could be occurring more often than not. Unless a future couple who plans to adopt from a foreign country are willing to educate their child on their ancestry and go the extra mile to be sure they have what they need to meet their ethnicity needs, they should not adopted from a foreign country. All children need love and nurture, even those from the United States, but are you willing to give extra dedication to your child from a foreign country or will you adopt a child you know more about?

  


 

Works Cited

Constantinides, Damon.“Prejudice/Discimination.” GoodTheapy.org, 15 July 2015, http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/prejudice-discrimination. Accessed 27 March 2017.

 

Davenport, Dawn. “How Much Does Adoption Really Cost?” CreatingAFamily.org, The National Infertility Association and Adoption Education Nonprofit, 11 June 2013. https://creatingafamily.org/adoption-category/how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-adopt. Accessed 26 March 2017.

 

“Foster Care.” Childrensrights.org, Children’s Rights. http://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care. Accessed 28 March 2017.

 

Garnier, Phillip. “Child Maltreatment in Foster Care: A Study of Retrospective Reporting.” Children and Family Research Center. Page 2. Accessed 27 March 2017.

 

LaSha. “What White Parents Should Know About Adopting Black Children.” Everyday Feminism, 19 March 2016. http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/03/white-parents-black-children. Accessed 27 March 2017.

 

Opper, Nicole.“Fact Sheet.” pbs.org, American Documentary Inc, 7 Sept. 2013 http://www.pbs.org/pov/offandrunning/fact-sheet. Accessed 28 March 2017.

 

“11 Facts About Racial Discrimination.” dosomething.org,

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-racial-discrimination. Accessed 27 March 2017.

 

“10 Startling Statistics about Children of Domestic Violence.” Childhood Domestic Violence Association, 21 Feb. 2014,http://cdv.org/2014/02/10-startling-domestic-violence-statistics-for-children. Accessed 27 March 2017.